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Ways to Overcome First Tee Nerves
The first tee shot of the day is always nerve-wrecking for every golfer.
So don't think that you are the only one who feels very nervous on the first tee.
The cause for the first tee nerves is mostly the anxiety about the outcome.
There are many ways to overcome your first tee nerves. So let’s start.
1. Anxiety
You get nervous because you are not certain about the outcome of the first tee shot.
To overcome, you need a little confidence. So you can either,
1) Practice enough
2) Use the club that you are comfortable with
Lots of players get nervous because of the lack of practice. It's very simple. If you hit enough balls, you'll be more comfortable with your tee shots.
It's also a good idea to use 3 wood off the tee if you don't hit your driver well.
2. Try not to Get Rid of it
When you become anxious, the tendency is to try to get rid of it. But that's going to make things worse.
Because it's natural to feel anxiety for human, try to accept it instead of trying to deny it. It's interesting that if you accept for the fact that you are nervous instead of trying to deny it, you tend to calm down.
But if you try harder to get rid of it, you get more nervous.
So on the tee, say it out loud that you are nervous. Admit the fact that you are nervous. Once you admit it, you don't have to hide it anymore.
And it really relieves tension. You can try the same thing when you have to give speech or something.
It works like magic.
3. The Best Way to Ease Tension
When you get nervous, you muscles get tense and tight. The tight muscles don't move as fast as loose muscles so you lose distance.
So you have to loosen your muscles.
The best way to do it is to smile. When we smile, the muscles will automatically loosen. That's how our muscles are built.
So we should take advantage of it and smile when we feel pressure.
This smile method works not only for driver but with all your clubs, putter included.
When you feel like you have to make a short putt, try to smile instead of trying hard to make it.
When hitting the first shot of the day, smile as you take your address and keep your smile throughout your golf swing.
It just works like a magic.
4.Lower Your Expectation
Lowering your expectation is a good way to beat the first-tee jitters. You get more nervous because your expectation is high.
Most players try to hit it long or hit the pretty shot in front of people watching on the first tee. But this will only make it harder to hit the shot that you normally hit.
If you are afraid of first-tee jitters, try to lower your expectation. Don't expect yourself to hit it long or hit the shots that you usually hit.
Instead, try to hit the shot that you can easily hit during your practice. If you hit your driver 250 yards, aim at the spot that is 200 yards away.
Try to pick a spot to hit instead of trying to hit it as far as you can.
Forgive yourself for hitting it thin. It's ok to hit a half-topped shot on the first tee. It might not feel good, but it goes dead straight. And that's a good shot for the first shot of the day.