The idea of standing on the first tee without knowing how you’re going hit your tee shot is enough to make a grown man cry. Believe me … I have seen the tears after watching Golfers hit bad shots.
It doesn’t matter if you’re playing with your best friend or with 3 people you’ve never met before. The anxiety that flows through your body while on the tee box causes many Golfers to make golf swings that often result in a substandard shot that sets the tone for more of the same over your next 17 holes.
It’s a problem that causes more anxiety amongst Golfers than perhaps any other.
So the question that must be asked is: why does the 1st hole often give so many Golfers the “First Tee Jitters” and how can you finally get yourself to walk up with confidence?
We’ve worked with CEO’s that have have spoken in front of 1,000’s of people at conferences, professional athletes that play in front of 70,000 screaming fans … yet they are also as nervous on the golf course as a teenage boy asking a girl out on a date.
What’s the difference between the Confident Player and the Nervous Golfer?
The confident Player is 100% focused on hitting their target … no swing thoughts or anything that resembles “what will the other Golfers think of me if I hit a bad one”. On the other hand, the nervous Golfer is anxiously focused on everything they need to do in their golf swing (hip turn, shoulder turn, keeping their head down, left arm straight, swing plane, etc.).
Thus, because of all those swing thoughts, I can understand why you’re worried about hitting a bad shot as recent history has shown that there’s a very good chance of it. Overthinking your golf swing is the#1 culprit in sabotaging yor swing on the golf course … as opposed to being focused on hitting to a target.
To further this notion – have you ever seen a Player walk onto the 1st tee? A Player – meaning someone that has a certain confidence that makes you pause for a few seconds to watch him/her swing? It’s where you say to yourself “Hold on a second, this guy looks like he has a great golf swing. I just want to see what his swing looks like when he hits a golf ball.”
How did you know that person was going to make a great swing … even though you had never seen him/her swing before? What is it about that person that made you stop and watch?
The confidence that shines through this Golfer as they walk to the 1st tee can’t be bought. It was earned through having a Practice PLAN and knowing how to prepare on the driving range for success on the golf course.
Confidence is not something you tell yourself you need … and then it instantly appears. Confidence is earned by someone that has a PLAN that works! Confidence comes from the inside of the body … not the outside.
Now, how do you make that PLAN? You make a PLAN by knowing what the Strengths and Weaknesses are in your golf swing. Then working hard on your Strengths and even harder to eliminate the Weaknesses.
The first key to this success is knowing what those Strengths and Weaknesses are. Yet, how much can you learn about your Strengths and Weaknesses by reading a magazine? Or watching a video on the Internet? Or in a 30 minute golf lesson?
Answer: the only thing you’re learning with those methods is finding another compensation that may or may not temporarily fix a preexisting compensation. But will 100% surely require you to eventually add yet another compensation to fix the one you just added. Thus, you’re continually marching farther and farther away from being consistent.
Once you truly know your PLAN (how to work with your Strengths and Weaknesses) … you can follow it up by working to put pressure on yourself as you practice, so that you make sure it will hold-up on the golf course.
As the Player knows what to practice in their golf swing … and just as importantly … how to practice it … their improvements show on the golf course. And improvement begets true confidence!
As opposed to the Monkey that goes to the range and just hits golf ball after golf ball thinking they’re doing the right thing.
The Monkey hits golf balls and hopes for confidence
The Player earns it with a PLAN
Go ahead, be a Player!
Regards,
Marc Solomon – Your Instructor For Life
www.GolfMadeSimple.com
Contact GMS
IWantToBe@GolfMadeSimple.com
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