First high school golf match

[DriveBomber]

I'm playing in my first ever high school golf match on thursday (im a sophomore) and was looking for any tips/advice.  I've always played the game, but started taking it seriously this year, which is why i tried out for my high school team in  the first place (and obvoiusly made it). I usually will be satisified with shooting 45 for 9 holes.  I am always the longest hitter in the group when i play (driver 280, 7i 185, wedges 120).  I usually am dead accurate with the driver, but sometimes have problems drawing the ball excessively.  Thankfully when this is going on, I am usually hot with the putter, but if the ball striking is going well, the short game tends to falter.  The match is at our home course, which I am still relatively new to (first year playing for team and we play on a private course), and the greens are very quick, which is where i usually lose the most strokes playing there.  The team we are playing is also supposed to be very good.  Any tips appreciated

[awmgolfer]

Congratulations and have fun!! I am going into my 8th year coaching our varsity golf team and love every moment of it. The first thing is go in with no expectations other then play your game. If you go in with an expectation of shooting a certain score and you start pulling away from that goal it can quickly snowball, no expectations. That does not mean to play with no confidence, I am extremely confident when playing but it is one shot at a time. Stay in the moment, when a bad shot happens work through it and take the best option to recover from it and then move on to the next shot, don't get ahead of yourself and keep thinking about past shots. Another saying I use is play the percentages. When you are debating on a shot to hit play the shot you know you can hit more often then not. If you are in some trees and there is a couple of options take the shot with the highest percentage of making. Depending on your strengths it could be different options. For example if I hit into some trees I am really good at controlling my trajectory. I can keep it low to start and have it climb fast so hitting under some branches to climb fast to get over some trees is an easy percentage shot for me so I can go for it but someone else it could be a punch out. Play the percentages.

The last piece is have fun, that's why you play golf!! When a bad shot happens, not if but when, think on it but when you start walking to your next shot that is your focus, your next shot, not the one you just hit! These are the things I really spend a lot of time on with the team outside of the fundamentals!

[DriveBomber]

Thank you!! It was interesting today, i was expecting to be the 2nd guy on JV, but 2 players in the top 5 didnt show so i was thrown into the varsity match.  I played ok and shot 46, and my opponent shot 50 (i could tell he was better than me, just did not know the course/greens well at all), but it was good to get varsity experience as a sophomore and a victory as well.