First tee nerves!

Last month we talked about how golf is not a game of perfection, but how many of us worry about hitting the perfect first tee shot, and let our nerves get the better of us?

So does this ring any bells?

Pull a grubby looking ball and a tatty looking glove from your bag whilst making your way to the first tee. Then take your drivers head cover off and begin to franticly swing as hard as you can, your hands trembling slightly. You take a quick glance around to see who is watching from the clubhouse window, before muttering a quick prayer along the lines of “don’t top it again”. As your nerves start to shake your legs, you hurriedly tee up, trying to get it over as quickly as possible before slicing a shin high rocket into the mixed four ball coming down the 18th.

Maybe a bit of an exaggeration, but some of you may well recognise something of yourself in the above. So what can you do to ensure you are mentally prepared for the first tee? A simple two stage process is the key, firstly handling your nerves, and secondly developing your own pre-shot routine.

This month let’s first look at handling first tee nerves.

The first thing to note here is that everyone gets nervous on the first tee, from the high handicap Sunday amateur to the seasoned pro’s who will tee it up in April on Tea olive, Augusta’s pleasantly named but intimidating first hole. Even the great Jack Nicklaus hooked one into the tree’s there in 1991, I’ll tell you later what Jack did next!

Nerves are a key component associated with peak performance, the problem comes when we associate nerves with poor performance and negative thoughts and emotions. So let’s look at why we play golf, what motivates us to go and play? Competition? Friendship? Exercise? These are all pretty common and valid reasons, and so if this is what motivates us what causes us to be nervous? The answer is we become nervous because we think about the outcome of that first shot, in other words, we become motivated by the result not the real motivators.

Let me ask you a question. How many shots is your first tee shot worth? Round of applause if you said one, yes just one, the same as every other shot, so the result of this shot is no more important than any other shot you will play all day. So why should we be more nervous about this shot?

Next time you arrive on the first tee, I want you to ask yourself a couple of questions. Are you motivated by healthy competition, getting exercise and spending time with friends? Or are you motivated by the result of just that first tee shot? Does it really matter if that first tee shot is not perfect? Take the focus away from the result of that first tee shot, place it on your real motivations for playing, and you will soon be on the road to seeing your nerves as healthy and vital to playing your best. Remember that nerves are a sign that you want to do well, and that to do well, you need them. Nervousness is your body’s way of preparing you for the optimum state of mind to succeed, learn to love them.

Next time, we’ll look at developing a simple first tee routine that combined with what we’ve talked about here will help you reach a level of mental comfort that many people refer to as the zone!

Oh yes, what did jack do after hooking his first tee shot into the trees at the Masters? Was his round finished? Did he focus on the result of that shot only? No. Jack marched down the first, into the trees, proceeded to hit a 2-iron over the Augusta pines, into the middle of the green, and rolled his putt in for a birdie, en route to a 4-under-par, 68!