Staying in the Moment

Unfollow Thread

By benjamin g

  • 0 Likes
  • 14 Replies
  1. Hey Team!

    I'm new to the world of competitive golf. I decided this summer to take my game to the competitive level and this spring I plan on competing in local tournaments and state tournaments. I was wondering if the more seasoned (really anyone) players on the team can share with me what they do to keep themselves focused. How do you gain mental strength? Is there a particular "workout" that you do to make yourself more focused on the drive from the tee? How do you free you mind from the obvious distractions as well as pressures of tournament play? Thanks again for all of your responses everyone has been so helpful in their comments.

  2. Benjamin,
    Good on you for taking your game to the next level. I started playing early last year and completed my first season with the Golfweek Amature Tour and from my experience, I the more you can get out a play around and be paired with someone you don't know is the best way to prepare for tournaments.
    Also, just being comfortable in the shots you make is always helpful. When I first started, I was playing with people who had been playing for years and needless to say I could not hit the ball as well as them, but
    I tried with everything I had to do so, and it ended up being a missed or bad shot. Just play your game and enjoy it like your on the course with your friends. Relax and know they have been there too.

    Good luck!!
  3. Hi Lee, thank you for the great advice. I actually practiced the first piece of advice given which was to be paired with random people who are better than I am. I did this as you said, with the intent to be with people who are better than I am and also make myself slightly uncomfortable to simulate pressure. Reading the second half of your message your point rings true, I did try to hit shots like they hit them, only to find that I couldn't. I will take your advice and bring my own game and stick to it. Thank you very much for the post. I really appreciate it!
  4. Dwayne N

    Dwayne N
    Island, KY

    Lee gives great advice play within yourself regardless of the pairings or their skill levels. You need to relax and one way is knowing your capabilities and developing a game plan for each hole. Know going in what you need to hit on each hole to maximize the things or shots you are best with. With score cards, goggle earth or past playing experience one can research just about any golf course before ever laying eyes on it. I play with a guy regularly that can hit every club in the bag 20 yards further than me and it took me two years to realize that all I had to do to play even with him was play my game not his. So what if his second shot is with a sand wedge i'll just play my 9-iron and we will both be on in regulation. If you on in reg regardless of how you get there your still both putting for birdie.
  5. In order to stay in the moment the best way I have discovered to do this after consulting many sports psychologists is to focus on your "process" goals. These may include fairways hit, putts per round, etc... Another way is to break up the scorecard into "3" hole mini events. Before the round give yourself a reasonable goal for every three holes and try to shoot that score. IE....one over par, so after every three holes on the scorecard see if you met or exceeded your goal and ask yourself why that was. Identifying your weaknesses and then practicing them. All these items keep you in the present and away from the end result of 18 hole score.
  6. Chris and Dwayne, thank you both for your advice. That's a really good tip Chris that I will certainly apply during my rounds this coming season I had not thought about breaking up a score card that way but it makes so much sense that I have to give it a shot. Also a great unscore on the point from Dwayne about staying with my game. I have had trouble with that while being paired up with people as I play solo intentionally in order to get paired up with groups so as to simulate or create pressure. I'm just figuring out what my game is. But sticking to mine and not letting the game of others influence my decisions seems paramount. Thanks again guys. I really appreciate your advice as the season approaches.
  7. Chuck Z

    Chuck Z
    Mt Pleasant, SC

    Military
    I try not to think while playing tournaments. When I play with my friends we normally play in four and under hours, but it seems that tournaments have a tendency to run much longer and did cause a problem for a number of years. My goal for a tournament is to just play one shot at a time and forgot the previous one. I never look at my score until I am finished or worry about what my opponents are shooting. At 70 I have finally decided to have fun when I play tournaments and not worry about things I have not control over. I play my game and if is good enough to place, fine. Last but least, I play in senior divisions, and I do always pull out my driver on every hole. I hit to distances where I can have an easy shot to the green. Guess you call that attitude and managing you game.
  8. DV

    DV

    Ben,

    I believe the key is to devlop a rock solid pre-shot routine that you take ownership of totally. Spend a lot of time rehearsing this drill at the driving range. Practice over and over for every shot you hit on the range. Do not make it overly long, or too many steps, keep it brief and repeatable. When you go out on the golf course incorporate this pre-shot routine before every shot. You need to think of each shot as a process that includes the pre-shot routine, the swing, and the post-shot evaluation of your strike. Make sure visualization is a component of this pre-shot routine. If you adapt this process, it will have you so laser focused and totally committed to your shot that there is no room for any distractions. You will preparing and programming your subconcious mind for hitting each shot successfully. If you make an earnest attempt in incorporating this into your game you will improve your game. You will be so focused you will not even be aware that anyone is playing with you when you are in this process of preparing to hit your shot. All real players have this in their game and this is how you can become a real competitor too. Try it...it works.

    Good Luck,

    DV
  9. Eric H

    Eric H
    Ridgway, PA

    Hey Ben,

    I too have gone through this, as we all have, and it dosnt have to be state tournaments, it can be your club leagues or tournaments, scramble, whatever, we all face this. My best advice to you that has worked for me is to really just not care. I don't mean not care about performing well or anything like that, what I am saying is relax and don't worry! I used to show up at events and see the nice course and all the people i didn't know and this person has the new driver and this dude has a caddie, and that kid over there is a division 1 college player and the list goes on and on. That stuff would stress me out to the point where it wasn't even enjoyable to be there, and I would begin to count the dollars Im wasting on registration, practice round, travel and a day off of work etc. Sign for my 81 and go home having 0 fun.

    The thing that made the most difference to me was to realize no matter what I shot, no one was getting an exemption to the Masters! Its just golf, go play. Don't even worry about it, someone that won the state AM is obviously a good player, but you must believe you are too! So just peg it in the ground and let it fly, it dosnt matter what someone else does! 74 adds up to 74 a ton of different ways, and the only way you or anyone are gonna play well is to just own it, be yourself, focus on the present and enjoy it! Don't make it out to be a bigger deal than it is, I know that some events can be a big deal, but in the big picture, It's really not. Just don't care! Play golf, good luck!


  10. Wade W

    Wade W
    Roanoke, VA

    A few tips:

    1. Make your play worth something. Play for stakes, even small ones, in recreational rounds.
    2. Play the ball down and follow every rule. Get used to playing the ball as it lies.
    3. Play, at least some of the time, with the best players you know.
    4. Play a full round from the shortest available tee. Feel the fun of making birdies.
    5. When you get to an actual tournament, set just two goals: (1) Focus on every shot and (2) Enjoy the day. If you meet those two goals, you will score.

    Hope this helps.

    WW
  11. Austin V

    Austin V
    Atlanta, GA

    I play a lot of tournament Golf. What works for me is to focus on the process of hitting good shots (i.e.) target alignment stance and live with the results of the shot. Eliminate big scores. Be honest with yourself and don't try to pull of shits you have not practiced. Relax and have fun
    Post Image
  12. john c

    john c
    Nashville, Tn

    Ben,
    What I would do before playing a tournament, I will get a scorecard from that course and play it on the range. Start with the 1st hole decide if you need to hit the driver or another club and then hit your second shot to the green. Do this for all the holes on the course. Hit a fade, draw then take that thought to the course. But practice the shots you will make on the course and don't forget the shots you made on the range. Makes those decisions easier on the course. Good Luck and most of all enjoy yourself. Play the shots you have practice and don't try one you have not practiced.
  13. Greg K

    Greg K
    Saint Robert, MO

    Military
    Have you read the book Golf is Not A Game of Perfect? Dr. ROBERT ROTELLA

    I started playing competitive two years ago at the age of 42. After reading this book, I'm confident my mental approach will be much better. I've player against someone who regularly beat me but shot a 70 and won by 4
  14. LBazzard

    LBazzard
    Essex

    Great thread. Someone much wiser and me once said...
    Golf is a game where you hit the ball, find it and then hit it again until you get it in the hole.

    If only it were that simple :-)
  15. Hey Team! Thank you again for your great responses. I have literally printed them out so that later when the season starts or when I am practicing I can look at them and remember the points that all of you have made. Nice trophy Austin! I hope to have a trophy to raise / hoist at some point in my career. As for the literature that was recommended by Greg I have not read the book. But I do have Amazon prime so it will be ordered today! As you can probably tell I'm on the constant quest for more knowledge from those with more experience. Hearing the reiiterations of the solid points from everyone will certainly help me in the months to come. I am very grateful for all of your words of advice! Keep em coming!

Please login to post a comment.

Sign In

Haven't registered for Team Titleist yet?

Sign Up