1st tee nerves

[inthehole]

FIRST:  I've learned through much failure that on the first tee, no matter how tight the fairway looks, NEVER EVER UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES hit a hybrid or long iron ... just hit an easy driver.   No matter how much I try, there's always much fatness awaiting me with a hybrid on the first tee when I'm stone cold...

SECOND:  Don't take your full driver swing when you're stone cold on the first tee.    Swing thought ... just lay one out there in bounds - easy does it.

[Gator Hazard]

I like to say that I put my first and sometimes my second ball into the woods on the RHS (slice) because I am stiff still.  That may be, but I am sure it is a host of other issues with my swing.  When we teed off on Sunday I went with a nice slow stroke just trying to make good contact, didn't try to swing my full driver speed and it worked well.  Could have been luck, but muscles not being properly warmed up and stretched could also be a part of it.

[MrFlipper]

Couple of thoughts that have worked for me over many many years.

Have a shot that you can hit with your driver all the time. Even if it is a big slice, it still takes half the trouble out of play. Practice that shot at the range all the time, put a lot of pressure on each practice shot so that the pressure at the first tee isn't a big deal. Hit the last 10 balls in your warm up session with that shot to get the feel for the day and to have a positive mind set about the shot.

The other thought is more of a mind game. Once you can hit a go-to shot with your driver regularly (even if relatively short and ugly) you can either focus on bad stuff or poor shots in the past, or you can tell yourself that "I can hit this shot" (you've hit the shot a zillion times on the range, why not?) and "Hey everybody watch me". Like you are showing off. Amazing what a difference a positive mind set makes. 90% of golf is half mental (with regards to Yogi).

[Tee2Trees]

Couple of thoughts that have worked for me over many many years.

Have a shot that you can hit with your driver all the time. Even if it is a big slice, it still takes half the trouble out of play. Practice that shot at the range all the time, put a lot of pressure on each practice shot so that the pressure at the first tee isn't a big deal. Hit the last 10 balls in your warm up session with that shot to get the feel for the day and to have a positive mind set about the shot.

This is often my strategy.  I am pretty consistent with a low fade even though it costs me distance so I will practice that specifically as my first hole warm-up drive.

[AbsoluteTruths]

The holes on my course(Royal St Cloud) are named. The first hole is a par 5 called Nervous. I always got a double bogey on it until last time.

I hit a bad drive followed by 3 equally poor shots that left me laying 4 about a foot off the green and about 5 feet from the

hole. I chipped it in for a par. Now I will feel more than a conqueror standing on that first tee knowing I slayed my nemesis.

[dazza78]

Thanks everybody for some great feedback and advice! Time patience and practice...

[Mike Boatright]

I rarely deal with this anymore but over the years I have found it to be a good thing and a bad thing depending on how well your striping it. If your on then use it build it up and release it! Otherwise block the mental mechanism and slow everything down until your find your game.

[DrvFrShow]

Your fear is rolling the tee shot or whiffing it. Or even slicing the hell out of it. Or duck hooking it. It's just a shot. You know, we're all afraid. Think about something pleasant when you get up to the first tee. Something that can  help you relax and get you settled before you take your swing. Maybe think about your kids if you have any. Or what a beautiful day it is out. Not how far you're going to hit the ball.

[metbid]

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.

Just as a thought,,,I will sometimes not actually look at the ball on the first tee.  I take a few practice swings, set up on the ball, then pick a spot just in front of the ball and just swing over that spot like my practice swing.  I found that concentrating on  the ball caused me to try to 'hit' it and that would lock me up.

[dazza78]

Thanks all 

 

im out tomorrow for a round, let's see how a bit of posite mental attitude and a slow swing goes hey

[Kenny Lee]

Remind yourself that there is no big reason to be nervous. Your playing partners are too worried about their OWN game, and aren't really paying that much attention to you. 

People don't care how good (or bad) you are. But people DO care if you're really slow, cheat, whine, or act like a dick. 

Focus of being a "good guy" to play with. That's what they'll remember. 

Have fun out there, man.

[dazza78]

Remind yourself that there is no big reason to be nervous. Your playing partners are too worried about their OWN game, and aren't really paying that much attention to you. 

People don't care how good (or bad) you are. But people DO care if you're really slow, cheat, whine, or act like a dick. 

Focus of being a "good guy" to play with. That's what they'll remember. 

Have fun out there, man.

much appreciated

[dazza78]

Hit it about 10 yards off the 1st today.. shocker.  Didn't let it get to me, pulled out the 5 iron, and smacked it down, ball in play.

[sirhacksalot]

Take par + handicap and start on 2 :)