If you play golf and it means something to you, odds are, you’ve felt pressure. Now, pressure’s effects vary from person to person. I myself, generally play better in a pressure-free environment while others seem to thrive when they need to pull off the shots. In tournament play, it’s absolutely crucial that any player knows how to manage this pressure, and how to overcome it.
I’ve been 3 under through 4 holes before and I only shot one under that day. Now, while I was incredibly excited and that was a great round for me, think about how much better that could have been! I had five holes left (I was playing 9) and I ended up dropping two shots before the finish. What went wrong? Why didn’t I shoot -6? Well, with pressure, there comes this increase in excitement. Excitement can be either a good thing or a bad thing, it really depends on what you make it. I focused this excitement towards my score which I’m certain was my undoing. I’m on the tee box of hole 5, and I’m thinking about what my score is going to be in an hour! I wasn’t even half way done with my round! Isn’t that something? I was practically day dreaming out there.
Just recently, I was +3 through 2 holes, yet I managed to salvage my round and shoot even. While this score isn’t as good as the last one, I handled the pressure much better. I shot -3 for my last seven holes, and I remember it clearly because I wasn’t just wandering around the course. This time, I had golf on my mind and I was thinking from hole to hole instead of thinking about my end result. I was focused, so I played better.
The easiest way to get better at playing under pressure, is practicing under pressure. Playing for money with people is easily the best way to get better at playing under pressure. Go out on the course and play a round with a friend that’s close to your skill level and ask him/her if they want to play for $10. Nobody wants to lose $10, so both of you will be playing with the intention of doing the best you can. Not only are you practicing for tournament play, you have a chance of winning money! If you win you win, but if you lose, even then it’s not that bad. $10 isn’t enough to ruin you financially, so even if you lose, you at least got some valuable experience which will help you in the future! So, if you’re planning to play tournament golf, try this! It’ll help you more than you think.
I Golf A Lot 