Arizona
"I
use
breathing
techniques.
I
make
myself
consciously
aware
of
my
breathing
and
take
slow
deep
breaths.
That
calms
my
nerves
and
makes
my
body
very
quiet
and
still."
-
Jan
Ferraris,
Teaching
Professional |
California
"An easy little tip that has worked for many...Just quietly or silently hum your favorite song just before your take the club back on the first tee...GOOD
LUCK!"
-
Michael
Kastner,
Teaching
Professional |
|
California
"Hypnosis."
-
Lee
Miller,
Teaching
Professional |
California
"An
old
College
Golf
Coach
of
mine
always
told
me
"if
you
are
nervous
on
the
1st
tee,
take
a
practice
swing
as
hard
as
you
can."
It
may
look
silly,
but
it
releases
a
lot
of
tension.
After
that,
try
not
to
put
so
much
pressure
on
yourself
to
play
well,
just
enjoy
the
round.
Don't
try
to
hit
300
yard
drives
or
go
for
every
flag
stick,
play
safe
of
the
tee
and
keep
the
ball
in
play."
-
Troy
Sprister,
Teaching
Professional |
Connecticut
"Proper
preparation
will
enable
you
to
feel
more
confident
when
stepping
up
to
the
first
tee.
Also,
listening
to
a
relaxing
C.D./tape
will
keep
your
mind
on
something
other
than
the
nerves.
Just
prior
to
teeing
off
pretend
like
you
are
just
going
out
for
a
nice
relaxing
round
of
golf
with
friends."
-
Sherri
Keller,
Teaching
Professional |
Florida
"One
way
to
settle
down
in
the
tee
is
to
take
a
deep
breath
and
let
it
out
slowly
as
you
begin
your
swing.
Another
is
to
play
tournament
golf
frequently
and
you
will
become
desensitized
and
become
calmer
with
knowledge
that
you
have
been
successful
in
the
past."
-
Lane
Creech,
Teaching
Professional |
Florida
"The
best
way
to
calm
nerves
on
the
first
tee
is
to
remember
to
breath.
Breathing
calms
the
nerves.
Have
a
solid
pre-shot
routine
and
stick
with
it.
If
you
find
your
mind
starting
to
wander
go
back
and
start
your
routine
Again.
Trust
what
you
have
done
on
the
range
and
make
sure
you
have
positive
self
talk.
Tell
yourself
you
will
hit
a
good
shot.
Remember,
negative
self
talk
leads
to
bad
golf
shots."
-
Robbie
Shaffer,
Teaching
Professional |
Florida
"It
is
important
to
understand
that
a
good
or
bad
tee
shot
on
the
first
hole
is
not
a
sign
of
how
your
round
will
go.
This
shot
is
equally
important
as
each
other
shot
that
we
play
during
a
round.
With
this
being
said
there
are
other
factors
that
contribute
to
the
first
tee
jitters.
I
recommend
reframing
the
situation
by
changing
your
attitude
from
the
"just
don't
embarrass
yourself"
mentally.
Instead,
think
of
this
shot
as
an
opportunity
to
hit
a
good
shot
under
pressure
and
picture
how
good
that
will
make
you
feel.
Once
you
reframe
the
situation
you
will
be
able
to
quiet
your
mind
and
focus
on
the
job
at
hand.
Pick
out
a
clear
target,
take
some
deep
breathes,
picture
the
shot,
go
through
your
normal
routine
and
rely
on
your
swing
thoughts.
Good
luck!"
-
Robert
Schwab,
Teaching
Professional |
Minnesota
"First
tee
nerves:
You
must
prepare
yourself
EXACTLY
the
same
for
every
round
that
you
play.
One
of
the
best
ways
is
to
do
all
of
your
pre-round
preparations
SLOWLY.
It
doesn't
really
matter
what
you
do,
rather
how
you
do
it."
-
Jim
Manthis,
Teaching
Professional |
|
New
Mexico
"Take
deep
breaths
and
be
sure
to
swing
at
what
you
feel
is
about
75%
on
the
first
tee
shot.
Sam
Snead
said
something
like,
I
try
to
get
all
the
tension
out
of
my
body,
hit
my
first
shot
and
then
try
to
keep
that
up
for
18
holes."
-
Warren
Lehr,
Teaching
Professional |
New
York
"Strictly
follow
your
pre-shot
routine.
Take
that
cleansing
breath,
and
visualize
your
drive
landing
in
the
center
of
the
fairway.
Its
just
another
tee
shot,
whether
its
the
1st
tee
or
18th
tee.
Think
only
about
the
times
you
did
it
perfect
and
most
likely
you
will.
Think
100
per
cent
positive!"
-
Jim
Muszak,
Teaching
Professional |
New
York
"First
of
all,
you
need
to
keep
putting
yourself
in
that
position.
Experience
is
often
the
most
helpful
medicine.
Second,
make
sure
you
attempt
a
shot
that
you
have
some
comfort
with
and
will
also
be
productive
in
that
situation.
Course
management
often
means
accepting
bogey
in
order
to
avoid
the
big
number."
-
Robert
Whetsell,
Teaching
Professional |
|
South
Carolina
"I
like
a
little
bit
of
the
"energy"
that
I
feel
on
the
first
tee.
The
adrenaline
flow,
if
recognized
as
a
positive
thing,
can
enable
us
to
perform
better
than
if
we
are
too
loose
and
too
relaxed.
The
key
is
to
contain
that
adrenaline
and
keep
it
long
after
we
have
teed
off."
-
Carole
Putnam
Clark,
Teaching
Professional |
|
South
Carolina
"The
first
thing
I
would
recommend
is
good
preparation
before
teeing
off.
This
preparation
could
start
hours
or
even
days
before
the
round.
Have
you
insured
that
your
equipment
is
in
proper
working
order?
Have
you
put
the
right
equipment
in
your
bag
for
the
conditions
that
you
are
playing
(weather,
type
of
course,
etc.)?
Have
you
gotten
to
the
course
on
time
with
plenty
of
time
to
warm
up?
Have
you
properly
put
the
round
in
perspective,
as
it
relates
to
your
intended
goals
for
your
game?
These
are
some
things
that
you
can
do
before
you
even
get
to
the
first
tee.
Once
on
the
tee,
make
sure
that
you
have
allowed
your
mind
to
envision
the
shot.
Take
a
couple
of
deep
breaths
before
approaching
the
tee
to
tee
your
ball.
At
this
point,
one
of
the
more
important
things
to
consider
is
to
not
have
too
many
swing
thoughts
in
your
mind.
Numerous
swing
thoughts
can
lead
to
nervousness.
Lastly,
trust
who
you
are
and
what
your
swing
can
do.
Be
confident
about
your
abilities
and
use
your
strengths
to
your
advantage."
-
John
Hughes,
Teaching
Professional |
South
Dakota
"I am a firm believer that there is more than one "type" of First Tee
Jitters! Now we need to be more specific.
1. Playing in a tournament.
2. Never played with these golfers before.
3. Hope my swing looks ok to my
fellow-competitors.
4. Experienced player - always nervous on the 1st tee.
5. Beginner player.
That is just a start!
1. Playing in a tournament - good for you! You are testing yourself
against others and probably with better players. This is a way of improving
yourself. Being positive, visualizing the shot, and proper breathing skills
will help.
2. Never played with these golfers before - piece of cake! They are
probably experiencing the same thing as you! Golf is a game where different
skill levels can play together. Most important thing is to play ready golf
and know the rules. On the 1st tee, smile, be positive, and visualize the
shot.
3. Hope my swing looks good - nobody will even look unless your teacher is
watching. Never put yourself in somebody else's head. Play for only
yourself and do not concern yourself with what others might see in your
swing. As you step up to the 1st tee, ignore anyone out there and see where
you want the shot to be.
4. & 5. As stated before, relax, and be positive. It will not be your last
swing so simply give it your best. Take whatever you get, find it and hit
it again!
First tee jitters can go away but they will return when you put yourself in
different situations. Consider them a part of the game!"
-
Coralee
Jorgensen,
Teaching
Professional |
Texas
"First
of
all
nerves
are
good.
That's
why
we
compete.
Anyone
can
play
if
the
shot
doesn't
mean
anything.
The
way
to
deal
with
nerves
is
to
feel
that
you
are
in
control
of
the
situation.
If
your
pre-shot
routine
is
sound
you
can
rely
on
it
to:
1)
Check
your
grip
and
tension.
2)
Check
your
posture
and
alignment.
3)
Check
that
your
mind
is
in
position
to
score.
Now
you
have
controlled
all
you
can
control.
Let
the
shot
go."
-
Dave
Baron,
Teaching
Professional |
