How to handle your nerves

July 8, 2007

After spending several days at the U.S. Women’s Open with one of my golfers and the week before with a junior golfer at the U.S. Junior Qualifier, I found it amazing how much nerves come into play. I find that not only do the nerves affect the high-level player, but the average player as well. I often hear the ladies at Glenmore say; “I just cannot play well on Thursdays during Ladies’ Day.” This definitely brings back memories from my competitive days and it is important to deal with the nerves and try to use them to your advantage.

The suggestions I have for combating the nerves are as follows:

1. Make sure you are prepared for the event by putting in your practice time before the event.
2. Hit only the shots you are comfortable hitting. This is not the time to be a hero.
3. Take a deep breath and visualize the shot you are trying to hit.
4. Have a pre-shot routine that you do before every shot and stick to that routine no matter what the situation might be.
5. Do not stand over the shot too long before you pull the trigger. The longer you stand over the shot the more tension you are creating.
6. Use positive self-talk during the round to talk to yourself.
7. Remember, you are playing this game because you love it and it is supposed to be fun, so SMILE AND HAVE FUN!

I would love to answer any golfer that might have a question or a topic about golf that they would like for me to cover. So please e-mail me your questions about golf to kcomer@glenmorecountryclub.com.

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