1st tee nerves

[dazza78]

Are there any tips or advice on how you deal with this, to get your round off to a good start. The 1st tee at my GC is right by the car park and the club house. I've been in meltdown on more than one occasion before. I've always tried to block outvmyvsurroundings and focus, but upon doing so lost sight of the fairway ahead of me and whiffed the ball or knocked it about two yards off the tee.

[Lihu]

Are there any tips or advice on how you deal with this, to get your round off to a good start.

The 1st tee at my GC is right by the car park and the club house. I've been in meltdown on more than one occasion before. I've always tried to block outvmyvsurroundings and focus, but upon doing so lost sight of the fairway ahead of me and whiffed the ball or knocked it about two yards off the tee.

         

TM White Smoke Big Fontana; Pro-V1
TM Rac 60 TT WS, MD2 56
Ping i20 irons U-4, CFS300
Callaway XR16 9 degree Fujikura Speeder 565 S
Callaway XR16 3W 15 degree Fujikura Speeder 565 S, X2Hot Pro 20 degrees S

"I'm hitting the woods just great, but I'm having a terrible time getting out of them." ~Harry Toscano

[dazza78]

Haha I wish I knew how the pros handle having a few hundred sat watching. Nerves of steel

[vangator]

Take an easy swing and make sure you make contact. Take a 3/4 swing until you get to the point you can make a full swing.

[David in FL]

Are there any tips or advice on how you deal with this, to get your round off to a good start. The 1st tee at my GC is right by the car park and the club house. I've been in meltdown on more than one occasion before. I've always tried to block outvmyvsurroundings and focus, but upon doing so lost sight of the fairway ahead of me and whiffed the ball or knocked it about two yards off the tee.

• 1

In David's bag....

Driver: Titleist 910 D-3;  9.5* Diamana Kai'li
3-Wood: Titleist 910F;  15* Diamana Kai'li
Hybrids: Titleist 910H 19* and 21* Diamana Kai'li
Irons: Titleist 695cb 5-Pw
Wedges: Scratch 51-11 TNC grind, Vokey SM-5's;  56-14 F grind and 60-11 K grind
Putter: Scotty Cameron Kombi S
Ball: ProV1

[dazza78]

That's the thing, there's no range at my GC there's a practice area, but nothing that you can get the driver out in and give it a good smash, the warm up net perhaps.

[Apollo]

If I'm not feeling 100% confident I'll take my trusty Big Bertha 2iron out on the first tee. 9/10 times it'll go where I want it to. I'll take 200 straight over 250 into the woods any day! I've only recently figured out my driver.

[Gunther]

Good ideas offered but the truth is, you won't overcome the jitters until you have more confidence in your game. This means more practice, more play, more reps, but it'll come.

[dazza78]

Yep it's all a process I guess. Practice my way into building confidence.

[Dave2512]

I would chose a shot you have confidence in then. Conviction is everything at times. If you fear you may whiff it or whatever pull an iron and just get it in play.

[iacas]

I remind myself that, at the end of the day, it's a game you're playing, and it won't have any real affect on your life, your family, etc. I remind myself that the entire point is to have fun, and that I will enjoy what I'm about to do.

[RussUK]

I remind myself that, at the end of the day, it's a game you're playing, and it won't have any real affect on your life, your family, etc. I remind myself that the entire point is to have fun, and that I will enjoy what I'm about to do.

+1

if your next months mortgage/rent/bills dont hinge on a good round then whats the problem of a bad 1st shot.

I will add that the way of getting over nerves when speaking in front of an audience i.e. imagining they are all naked, doesnt work on the 1st tee, in fact its kind of unsettling

[RayG]

If there is no range, at least warm up with driver full swings and such. But on the mental side, you can develop a 'shorter' pre-shot routine to minimize the 'exposure' factor for the first hole. On the first tee, it isn't the place to think about everything that CAN go wrong (or is any OTHER tee), so develop a short and sweet routine that you don't have to think about too much. Walk up, check the line, address the ball, quick waggle and go...

[Gator Hazard]

+1

if your next months mortgage/rent/bills dont hinge on a good round then whats the problem of a bad 1st shot.

I will add that the way of getting over nerves when speaking in front of an audience i.e. imagining they are all naked, doesnt work on the 1st tee, in fact its kind of unsettling

In that case I guess you could try imagining the cart girl naked, but that may be even more of a distraction

[DaveP043]

Are there any tips or advice on how you deal with this, to get your round off to a good start.

The 1st tee at my GC is right by the car park and the club house. I've been in meltdown on more than one occasion before. I've always tried to block out my surroundings and focus, but upon doing so lost sight of the fairway ahead of me and whiffed the ball or knocked it about two yards off the tee.

• 1

Dave

Rogue SubZero Driver

 915F 15 Fairway, 816 H1 19 Hybrid, AP2 4 iron to PW, Vokey 52, 56, and 60 wedges, ProV1 balls 
 G5i putter, B60 version
 Hoofer Bag, complete with Newport Cup logo
, , and Ashworth shoes

the only thing wrong with this car is the nut behind the wheel.

[MrDC]

Own it, enjoy it, savor it, look forward to it, you want to be the first to go, can't wait to hit.

Then tee it low, move the ball back in your stance a bit, and swing at about 50%, 3/4, nice and easy, just make solid contact, the ball will fly.

[Patch]

My advice is get to the course early if you can, and hit a few balls before your tee time. Not only that, but whatever the club is that you intend to use on the first tee, should be the last warm up club you use. I never could understand why a golfer would end their warm up on the putting green, or using  wedges,  Then swing a driver on the first tee. I am sure it works for some, but I think they are the exceptions.

I never worry about first tee jitters. I either hit the ball well, or I don't.  Because of that way of thinking, I usually get off to a good start.. When I don't, I always know I have 17+ holes of shots to make up for that first tee snafu. There have been several times I have been on the first tee with folks I did not know, and no one wanted to go first. When that happens, I just say "no problem people. I will go first".

Another thing. Most people do something, besides golf, that they have self confidence in. A Lot of times it's their work, or another sport/game that they have confidence in.  Transferring that confidence to the first tee is not all that hard. Myself, I did a lot of public speaking during my working days. I still do in my retirement. An audience of 1000+ people was not a big deal. When I wasn't speaking, I was supervising several hundred people, helping them to do their work in a safer, more economical way. During my early years of golf, I took my "work" self confidence with me to the golf course. Once my game improved, that improvement also gave me self confidence in my golf game. By the same token, my golf game confidence gave me more confidence in other aspects of my life.

It's all about not being afraid, and having confidence in anything you do.

[vangator]

Last year, a buddy and I got to the first tee where a foursome had just teed off. We didn't warm up or anything. I was willing to wait. My buddy says, "Can we play through? We're both good golfers.". They said OK. My buddy hits an OK drive. I worm one about 50 yards off the tee. I saw them shaking their heads. I still parred the hole, but that group didn't know it. :-) It wasn't the fact they we watching. Felt no nerves. Just stiffness.