How to release anxiety when hitting a golf shot?
I play about two times a week, once at a small course to work my irons and on the weekend to play for real and for money or very small tournys. I have no problem playing golf, it is the anxiety of maybe hitting a bad shot. Is there anything to do before a shot to settle myself down and clear my head?
Thanks
take a deep breathe and just swing. Its normal to get nervous.
Playing twice a week, your mind must recognize that you will be hitting more bad shots than good. Once you understand that, then the anxiety will decrease. Every one hits bad shots. Witness what the pros did at the US Open at Bethpage. These are the best professionals. Just get up to the shot you are about to hit, make sure your grip on the club is right, that you are aiming at a precise target, take a deep breath, start and finish your golf swing. Do the same on each succeeding shot. After a few rounds you should have your anxiety under control.
Great answer from googie. Everyone hits bad shots, even the pros. That being said, I suffer from the same malady from time to time. I’ve gotten into the habit of taking a deep breath or two AND relaxing my grip on the club. For whatever reason, using a loose grip helps relieve the tension in my hands, arms, & shoulders.
Just realize that the shot doesn’t really matter until after the ball comes to rest. If you hit a shot right at the pin, and it is perfect looking, and clangs the pin and rolls off the green into a lake is it a good shot?? I cannot answer this for you, that is up to your view of what just happened.
That being said, it is okay to hit bad shots. Ive even seen tiger hit a tree, a spectator, and skull a chip through the green. The fact is golf is hard. Bad shots are a part of it.
Try to establish a preshot routine that you can follow on every shot, drive, pitch or putt. Including a song, or a rhythm you can follow can help. Maybe a waggle or a half back swing. This will help you focus on something other than the possibility of hitting a bad shot, and more on doing everything you can to perform a good one.
Good Luck
Unlike us amateurs, pro golfers don’t see bad shots, they just see an inconvenience. Remember, Jean Van der velde Carnousti, now he kept going form one inconvenience to another on the 18th hole and managed to throw the British open away.
I think the rule of thumb is, accept the bad shots as part of your game. I guess you need to work out what part is worrying you, the shot, the recovery or looking an idiot in front of people. I can confidently say your playing partners will be thinking the same about their own game.