There will be many opportunities to feel nervous on the golf course. Each golf shot and round of golf is a new experience. It is normal to feel anxious in a situation you haven’t encountered before. Playing golf with a low handicap golfer, playing in a tournament, hitting over water, playing with your boss for the first time, playing in front of a gallery, or trying to break 80, 90, 100 can cause nervousness.
Everyone playing golf has anxiety at some time Golfers feel nervous because they worry about the situation they are in. If golfers lack confidence due to lack of practice or experience, they become nervous about what they can do. On the other hand, a little bit of nervousness can be helpful in playing to your potential. It can move you to a higher level of arousal that will motivate you to be focused and more aware than when you are just hitting balls on the range.
“It’s not bad to have butterflies in your stomach, but they should be flying in formation.” –Tommy Bolt, PGA Tour
Fight or Flight Syndrome
The “fight” or “flight” response is the body’s physiological reaction to stress created by thinking fearful thoughts. The body pumps extra adrenalin into the blood stream as its response to the anxiety-provoking situation. This surge of adrenalin energy results in a tightening of muscles, loss of rhythm, loss of balance, and a hurried and jerky swing. As everything speeds up, there is not enough time to prepare for the shot.
Ways to manage nervousness
Here are five ways to calm your nerves so they won’t distress your stroke/swing:
1. You are the only one who feels your nervousness. Golfers need to learn that others are much more concerned with their own games than with yours. Focus on your shot and not on what they might think of you.
2. Be aware of the physical sensations. Nervousness is the opposite of being loose and relaxed. Know what upsets you. Know what makes you feel fear, worry, anger, frustration, embarrassment.
3. Be aware of the thought causing the nervousness. If the thought is a fear of embarrassment, know that this is a normal reaction to a missed shot. Instead, smile to change your body chemistry, and learn from your mistake.
4. Take several deep breaths to slow down your mind. Then take a couple of practice swings as hard and fast as you can to relieve the physical tension.
5. Change your “what if” thinking to a “so what” thought. The most important thing you can do to relieve nervousness and anxiety is to stay in the moment and let go of everything of the outside world, and trust the process of creating the next shot.
Joan King, Peak Performance Strategist, Board Certified Sports Hypnotist, is the founder of Positive Mental Imagery, a sports consulting firm specializing in the mental aspects of sports. She is dedicated to helping athletes realize their potential through balance of their physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual powers.
If you would like to improve your mental game, call Joan for a complimentary 15-minute consultation. She can be reached by phone at 828-696-2547, or through the Positive Mental Imagery website or blog. Other tools to improve your mental golf game are available on the PMI website, where you can sign up for a free mental golf newsletter and access self-hypnosis mental golf CDs.
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