As you develop as a golfer and start to improve your game, you may want to enter some local tournaments. Every golf club holds tournaments for their members and usually, they are open to all. Prizes tend to be small but when you enter the back nine holes and realise you are leading the tournament, the pressure begins to build and you are the person everyone else is looking towards, as they attempt to move above you on the leaderboard.
This is a pressure situation and if you have played in amateur tournaments at your local club, you start noticing which players crack when the pressure situations arise. Maybe you are one of those players? If so, we have some great tips for playing well when under pressure.
Regular mental are exercises are a great way to improve how you respond to fear, which is what builds up inside when you begin to feel the pressure in a golf tournament. Take a few minutes every day to imagine yourself in different, high pressure situations you fear and work on the way you deal with them, both physically and emotionally. Imagine needing to sink and 6-foot putt on the last to win a tournament and seeing the ball drop into the hole. The more you do this, the better you will respond to the pressure in a tournament.
Positive self-talk can be a great way to deal with the pressure of big shots in a golf tournament. Think of some positive words or statements which may have worked for you in the past or you have heard elsewhere and remembered. You do not have to shout anything out or get excited, this is not about motivating yourself, it is about keeping control and playing the pressure shots well. So, only use these phrases when the pressure is on, such as teeing off on the 18th hole, knowing you need a par to win the tournament.
The example of playing a tee shot on the 18th hole, knowing you need a par to win the tournament is the perfect time to show you know how to adapt your game when under pressure. If you feel the pressure when playing key shots in a tournament and whatever you do, you cannot remove it, you need to accept it and adapt your game accordingly. In the example above, there is no need for you to try something risky, to make a birdie, you do not need it, so why attempt it? You know you need a par, which means hitting a solid tee shot down the fairway. Nothing spectacular, just the same old routine you always use. Thinking this way and adapting your game to the situation, can help a lot when dealing with the pressure of important shots in a golf tournament. Likewise, if you are left in a situation where you need a birdie to win or tie for the lead on the 18th hole, you know you must attack the hole. You are left with no choice and the decision is out of your hands, so there is no need to worry about it.
All is not lost if you start feeling the pressure during a golf tournament. Experiment with different mental exercises every day, use positive self-talk and adapt your game in way which keeps you on top of the leaderboard in crucial situations. Do these things effectively and you will have no problem playing the pressure shots in a golf tournament.
