Playing in a golf tournament is different to a casual round with friends. It does not matter if you are playing in your first or tenth golf tournament, you will need to be mentally prepared to give yourself a chance of playing well.
Winning a golf tournament is one thing but ultimately, all you want to do is play your best golf. To give you the best chance of bringing your ‘A’ game to the tournament, you must be mentally prepared.
There are many things you can do to ensure you are at your mental peak when the tournament starts and it all begins by establishing a rhythm throughout the morning. We are not talking about golf but everything you do, starting with brushing your teeth. Do things more slowly and methodically, think about how you are brushing your teeth and the strokes of the brush.
Take your time when you carry your clubs out to the car and driving to the golf course. Remove your clubs from the car and walk slowly to the clubhouse. If you are playing in your first golf tournament or an important golf tournament, you will feel nervous which tends to speed up your breathing and everything else you are doing.
Slow down and establish a rhythm, it will help you keep control ready for the first tee.
When you are in the locker room, begin previewing your round. If you have played the course before or done your research online, you will know exactly what to expect, so there are no surprises to worry about. Think about your ball landing in the middle of the fairway off the first tee and your approach shot giving you a chance of birdie.
Picture your first putt and imagine seeing the ball dropping into the centre of the cup. Doing this will get you in a positive frame of mind and have you thinking about the good things that will happen rather than what could go wrong.
Finally, you should always have a game plan. When you step onto the first tee, you should not be thinking about what club to use unless the weather conditions have changed dramatically. You will know exactly what club you are going to use on the tee of each hole and having this in your mind will relieve some of the anxiety ahead of a golf tournament.
Never underestimate the power of good preparation. Even if it is something a minor as having a couple of spare ball markers, simply knowing you have them will help you relax before starting the tournament.
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