I bet that many of you have already paid a visit to the golf range to blow off the cobwebs. Or, if the weather has been kind in your neck of the woods, perhaps you’ve even ventured out for nine holes or more to keep your swing moving.
It is that time of year when we all start looking at our game with fresh eyes. You might be wisely using these quieter months to work on a swing change or get a better handle on your distances, which is great. But, have you thought about working on your mental game this winter?
Many of us suffer from first tee nerves. You know the feeling: you’re trying to look nonchalant as you tee the ball up and take a practice swing, but secretly you're glancing at golfers waiting their turn, praying you’ll just get the ball airborne and somewhere near the fairway.
But as we all know, nerves don't just live on the first tee. They have a nasty habit of popping up exactly when we don’t want them. It might be a carry over water, a tricky bunker shot, or my personal nemesis, those twitchy short putts where the hole suddenly looks the size of a thimble.
At the end of the day, golf is about trusting your swing when the pressure is on. We’ve all heard the cliché that the game is played "between the ears," yet so few of us actually practice our brains in the same way we practice our putting.
That’s why you should read this ' by Jess Ratcliffe. She’s no different from the rest of us and has felt those same jitters. When Jess noticed how much her nerves were affecting her performance and enjoyment of the game, she decided to start working on them to help maintain her composure when it matters most.
Jess’s 5-tip plan offers a proactive way to manage big-moment anxiety during the off-season. Her goal is to make these mental resets second nature before the spring season kicks off. She’s absolutely right because when we get nervous, we rush. Whether it’s an awkward lie or a gallery watching on, our pre-shot routine is usually the first thing to go out the window, mostly because we’re terrified of being that slow player!
Don’t get me wrong, nerves aren't necessarily the enemy. In many ways, they are a sign that you actually care about the outcome. Even the best players in the world admit to feeling the butterflies. The difference is that they have learned how to harness that adrenaline rather than letting it dictate their tempo.
That ability to perform under the highest pressure is what I admire most about the pros when they are in contention to win. It's exactly why I’m personally committing to Jess’s plan. I want to move away from that feeling of nerves hijacking my swing, having seen exactly how much it can cost me on the scorecard!
By Alison Root, Women's Editor Golf Monthly.
By Alison Root, Women's Editor Golf Monthly.
