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1st Tee Jitters…

Here I am; my first blog!  Where do I start to “get the ball off the tee” for discussion and debate about the world of golf?  Well, just as I tell many of my students when they get nervous on the first tee, “this is just one of many shots you’re going to play today, so you might as well relax and enjoy it.”  It is amazing what nerves can do to us.  They can paralyze us to the point that fear takes over and we fail miserably or they can be harnessed and utilized to perform at our highest levels.  What do nerves do to you on the 1st tee?  Do you fear a horrible outcome?  Do you question what your playing partners will think about your shot? Your swing? Your choice of aftershave?  Give it some thought and tell me why the 1st tee jitters exist and more importantly how you deal with them.

Thanks for golfing with Jeff 

This entry was posted on November 15, 2006 at 9:07 pm and is filed under Golf Thoughts. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response or trackback from your own site.

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7 Responses to “1st Tee Jitters…”

  1. lisa says:
    November 15, 2006 at 10:39 pm

    First tee jitters always make me feel like everyone is judging whether I have a right to be on the golf course. I always want to show them that I have “game” and often try too hard. I try to focus on an easy swing and the target and give myself a mulligan if necessary.

  2. zbraun says:
    November 16, 2006 at 8:31 pm

    Oh I’m not alone when feeling pressure on tee #1? I usually rush up hoping nobody will take notice, do a couple nice practice swings, then line up and swing hard enough to rip my shoulder out of socket. I already have a swear word ready for my miserable hit in my back swing. I have a decent practice swing so why not replicate that with 5 times the force? If the gods are being kind and I open my eyes quick enough I will only be 1 or 2 fairways over. No time like the present for a mulligan. Only to use that with little effort and be much better than my Herculean effort.

  3. The Lefty says:
    November 16, 2006 at 11:53 pm

    For me the first tee is one of my best, I slow down, focus, and think about the shot.  From there it’s all down hill as I do not alway bring the same focus (but I do not like those people that try to judge). The only thing I think when thinking of them is it’s a long game, and what goes around comes around!!!  So watch out for their yelling of the word “FOUR”!!!!

  4. Jeff Shores, PGA says:
    November 17, 2006 at 8:01 am

    Dear Lisa,

    I certainly appreciate your wanting to show everyone you’ve got the “game”, however, that first tee shot does not represent your game. Your ability to handle adversity throughout an entire round speaks volumes about your game and what people will really think of you. Enjoy yourself and show them who you are on the “inside” and you’ll have the “game” to play with anyone.
    Thanks, and keep golfing with Jeff

  5. Jeff Shores, PGA says:
    November 17, 2006 at 8:30 am

    Dear zbraun,

    I’m sure you are very successful at many things you do in life. Try to take those feelings of confidence into your golf game and, perhaps, you will not feel the need to “rip your shoulder out of socket.” Most people are so concerned with their own tee shot that they don’t really have time to worry about what you do. Slow down and realize how nice life must be, to be able to take the time for a leisure round of golf. I don’t know that Hercules was that great a golfer, anyway. Thanks for golfing with Jeff

  6. Jeff Shores, PGA says:
    November 17, 2006 at 9:15 am

    Dear Lefty,

    It sounds like you’ve got the right idea for that first tee shot. Try to take that focus you described into more of your shots. Remember, a golf swing takes less than 2 seconds to complete. That’s not a lot of time to lose your focus and still achieve a good result. You’re on the right track, Lefty. Thanks for golfing with Jeff

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