People watching you tee-off

I have had a few funny conversations about having a few people watch as you teeoff. My story is kinda funny. I had just switched to playing left-handed at 34 yrs old after playing right-handed since I was 14. I had never played much golf (4 games) and did not like it. After some coaxing I tried playing left-handed and after a week of hitting balls at the range, I went to my first game. The Tecumseh club in Gatineau. I was with my father-in-law who was pretty good.

There was a group of members waiting to tee-off or something (about 20 people) and I was none the wiser until my f-i-l walked to the first tee and I realised that all these people would see me. I started to sweat, everywhere, I kept visualising all these people watching me hit a dribbler. My f-i-l teesoff a beauty down the middle and you hear a few whistles from the crowd. MY TURN, I forgot how to stand, hold the club, everything. I could hear absolutely nothing and felt all those eyes on me. I decided I would do my take-away, close my eyes and hit the ball. It took-off, a nice slice but came back in the fairway.

I told my f-i-l as we walked down the fairway and he cracked up. I played like crap and ever since then, if there are some onlookers on the tee, I just laugh to myself and let it fly, but now I keep my eyes open!! :laughing:

I like a little pressure. I usually hit a good one if the beer cart girl is watching. Either its because I like pressure, or because the prospect of a beer is good, relaxing.

I was the same when I first started golfing. Now I pretend the people watching are part of my gallery...like on the tour. Doesn't always work but it helps me focus.

Yeah it's even harder during a competitve round especially off the first tee.

This used to really affect me negatively. But now I just try to imagine hitting a great drive and how good it would feel, and that usually relaxes me. Now, I'm still very much aware when there are people watching but it really has no effect (good or bad) on my shot. Even if I hit a poor drive, I don't really worry too much about what people may be thinking. Maybe that comes with experience/maturity(?)

It used to affect me when I started also, but now I love it..I get a little c0cky though, and sometimes hit a bad shot(sometimes!)
To get over the first tee jitters I used to have, I started taking out a club I had a lot of faith in, for me(my 5 iron), and no matter how long the hole, 500 yds or 300yds, I would just hit it up the middle, I've always hit my irons well, so I had no problem doing it, it helped me mentally. Ever since then, I've had zero problems hitting off the tee in front of a crowd.

What people?

The first time I qualified for the intersectionals. We hosted the tournament that year. The tee-off’s are set up that the weaker handicaps start first. I was the fourth group off. There was 8 foursomes plus some of them had caddies and so on. There were more then 50 people around the T-boxe and all the players were lower then 4 HDCP. Let me tell you may hands could not stop shaking and I was not hitting yet. The first three guys sliced the ball in the woods. At my turn, I could not feel my body. I was numb and shaking like a leaf. I pulled the ball left with my 3 wood but fortunately I was long enough to clear the tree line. It took me three holes to calm down.

I don't see or hear them. Same as I don't recognize the water or sand I plan to hit over.
My problem is me talking while I'm hitting, even putting. So many people have queried me on "How can you talk and hit at the same time?".
SMILE

It used to scare me but now I kinda of like it, especially when I hit a good one!!!

It helps to be a show-off. Picture the perfect drive and the applause of the crowd.


I also talk to myself while swinging ... sometimes I'm even talking to the other players (If I'm talking, they won't be :) )

Nerves on the first tee. I can attest to this one. I am 3 for 4 on the tee in the first ball of the season in the OttawaGolf Tour. There have been 15 - 30 watching each year

Last year...

Quote:

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http://www.ottawagolf.com/tour/2004/...05-08_0021.jpg

First on the tee was Dan Kilbank, as usual. Despite my previous antagonism of the “golf gods”, Dan set the season off right. A nice drive down the right side of the bending par-4 would send him safely on his way. It had begun!

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This year was my first "not so good" but it was not that bad, being off the fairway left, and short, even for me, but acceptable :D

The most memorable was the very first ball of the inaugural OGTour event in 2002. I hit a nice three wood, took my next breath half way down the fairway. Saved the ball. It's on the top row of my ball rack.

If there's people watching, just skip the hole and move on...

Dan

Just use the old "hurt my back yesterday,hope i can hit" excuse!:-)

I get a little nervous, but if anything I play better when people are watching. I am forever fighting a quick tempo and a backswing that is too long, but when people are watching I slow down and concentrate on just making contact.

Funny story. My second year of playing golf, we booked a round at mont cascades. There was a group of guys at the t box that were scheduled to t off 2 groups behind us but were trying to get off early. I had to shoo them off the tbox. Anyway, my wife Ts off and hits it about 60 yards high but only about 50 yards out. The group of guys (on in particular, I'll call him Dick) break out laughing loudly. Another exchange occurs between us. My buddy hits it about 180 and fairly staight. Dicks calls out "my son hits farther than that". I ignore him as I am going to wrap my 5 wood around his neck. I hit my shot and it sliced so bad that it hit a car in the parking lot. Dick is crying. Even I had to laugh. I later found out from the starter that I hit Dick's car.

I saw his group in the clubhouse later that day and he didn't even look at us.

I remember the first time I was nervous on the tee. I had been playing maybe 3 years, and I signed up for the OVGA B Class Field Day at The Hunt. I figured it was a good way to get in a cheap round at an A class facility. About 3 days before the event it dawned on me that not only was I going to be playing at a place where I had no experience, but I was likely to be standing amid a gang of thieves with very high opinions of themselves, not to mention aghast members watching the unwashed masses mutilate their golf course.

I spent the next three days hitting large buckets of drivers at the 19th tee. I was prepared. -not-

I was an uncorrectible slicer then. I got up on the tee. I don't remember hearing or seeing anything but the rolling fairway of the gentle dogleg left #1 at the Hunt. I drew back and striped a gentle draw down the centre of the fairway following the dogleg. I can't remember when I started breathing, but my heart was jumping out of my chest until well into the second hole.

It's all been a breeze since then.

I was at the Kingsway and there was a foursome ahead of us on the tee. There was one loud golfer warming-up on the tee ground and he was all decked-out and so was his bag, all top-end stuff. He strutted to his ball and fired a poweful stroke and launched a high beautiful ball down the middle only to have it fade a bit too much and it clearly landed in the driving range area out of bounds. He quickly said "i'll find it" but then one of his foursome pointed out that it was "OB" He grudgingly walked back to the tee and said "My drive is gonna be like the wind, it will blow by you" He took the same powerful stroke and dribbled it into the creek in front. His buddy looked at him and said "Not too windy today" I just about died, it was hard not too break out laughing, luckily all his friends did but so did the loud guy. It was all taken in good fun. :laughing: