10 September 15  |  Golf   |  

How to Guard Against Golf Tournament Jitters

It’s Sunday and the early morning sunrise has you thinking great thoughts for what the weather might bring you today. Your confidence levels are peaking and the thoughts of hard work and many hours of perfect practice have you ready for the big day. But just like many of the other tournaments you have entered you still feel as if there were something else you could have done.

Lessons can be learned from Dustin Johnson’s performance at the first hole of the first major final of the 2015 PGA Tour held at Whistling Straits. Johnson carded a quadruple-bogey (8 over) on the first hole, setting himself up for what was going to be a long and disappointing day.

Guard against golf tournament jitters.

What could have made a nine-time PGA Tour champion crash hard on the first hole you ask. Many things. Skill and technique play an important role in performance but so does mindset. One of the hardest parts of any game is being mentally prepared for when your game is tested against others. Training the body to perform in a test of muscle memory exercises can potentially guarantee consistency, but it doesn’t mean you can take it to the bank and cash out.

The pressures of the game – especially during a tournament – can cause your entire mindset to fall apart leaving you with a disadvantage. It is important to note here that the upper hand is in the person that has control over certain variables. Variables – such as attitude, arousal level, attention focus, enthusiasm, outlook or even basic thoughts.

These interruptive variables can all be controlled with proper practice. It starts with a positive attitude and can go as far as measuring your success. Going into a game with just positive thoughts won’t help you if your mind isn’t on how you measure your performance. For example, success could be measured by hitting a 250 yard drive or even a two putter from the green.

There are a variety of other tips we cover in Golden Ocala Golf & Equestrian Club blogs that can make a difference in your golf tournament game. Come and experience the sport of golf at its finest. Keep up with all of the latest news from Golden Ocala by following us on Facebook and Twitter.

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