I know there are alot of solid golfers in the world. Only a handful can realy control themselves during competition. Just wondering what are your secrets to controling yourself if you have any?

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what about alternate methods?

If I was you I would be asleep

Puff puff give!!!


for real though breathe and remember you have played the game before and that is all you are doing now. Disc golf is about the moment. Live in this moment and let go of the last moment and you will be all good.

( and better living through chemestry is ok too!)

I use a preshot routine. A systematic approach to everyshot. I learned this from reading ball golf psychology books. Go to a book store or library and look in the sports section and then look for ball golf books. There's plenty of ball golf psychology books out there. Find the one you like and buy it, check it out or look for the audio version. Zen Golf is the one I like the best but I have others that I can't remember the names of.

My routine works for me but might not work for you. I can tell you my routine doesn't lead to hang overs or the munchies. ;)

Good Luck.

Breathe. Sip lots of water.

"It's just another round, it's just another putt."

For some reason sipping water really helps me when I start feeling nervous during a round.

That's a hard question. I think reading a book like "Golf is not a game of perfect" is a good start. :)

I know there are alot of solid golfers in the world. Only a handful can realy control themselves during competition. Just wondering what are your secrets to controling yourself if you have any?



I know it bugs a lot of the other people but just by talking a lot it gets me calm. This last tournament I listened to music and that really helped.

1. Play more tournaments
2. standard relaxation techniques (controlled breathing, counting backwards, repeating mantras)
3. visualization of successful shots
4. positive self talk
5. one of those catholic sins that can't be discussed on this board

Wack it in the woods until the 2 minute warning! :D

one bourbon, one scotch, one beer

So.........no high-5s for you... :eek:

Take a deep breath.....think about how much better it is to be at a tourney, than at Home Depot or the #$*&$! MALL on a saturday!

When I get stressed due to a bad shot (or a hole in one), I take my bag off, close my eyes, let my arms hang down limp, let my head sag, and take 8-9 deep breaths and think about the soles of my feet. It calms me to an amazing extent.

DSProWhateverThisWeek is amazing on the course. I shot a round with him at flip city on lead card. He threw a perfect shot. Straight face. Threw a bad shot. Straight face. He has the mental game down!

This last season I played a few tournies with family (My Mom,Dad,Brother and his family) following taking pictures and following our card around (they are my biggest fans). At first I thought it was gonna make me a wreck but it had a great impact on my game and the others liked actually haveing a gallery of fans cheering them on.
As for calming my nerves I never let em get worked up in the first place. I never think about stuff like, "I really need to make this shot to gain a stroke" or "**** I fluffed the heck out of that shot!" I stay in the positive and when I make a sweet shot I do have a tendency to gloat since I'm already in the moment .
I guess for the most part fall back on your skills and what you have been practicing and those tough shots become alot less stressful.

I play almost everyday and sometimes I'll play "Worst Shot" It helps alot with your mental game when you can regularly make saves and get out of trouble (of course the idea is to not end up in the crap in the first place...haha).

When I get stressed due to a bad shot (or a hole in one), I take my bag off, close my eyes, let my arms hang down limp, let my head sag, and take 8-9 deep breaths and think about the soles of my feet. It calms me to an amazing extent.

DSProWhateverThisWeek is amazing on the course. I shot a round with him at flip city on lead card. He threw a perfect shot. Straight face. Threw a bad shot. Straight face. He has the mental game down!



Thanks man! I would say the best way to control bad feelings is maintain good composure on the outside. If I have a bad shot, usually I just keep an eye out to make sure I don't lose it, then turn around, forget the shot, and let everyone else throw. If it's real bad, I may say "darn it" or laugh it off: "Man was that bad shot! haha!" Getting angry and swearing doesn't help anything. The players in your group saw you throw the bad shot, they know it was a bad shot, you don't have to tell them about it. The only thing swearing about it will do is show the other players that you are a baby.
But more: After you throw the real bad shot, forget it. There is nothing you can do to change your current lie. Instead, think about what you can do to give yourself a chance at a putt. If I'm in a real bad place, I don't try to park it if it's high risk, I try to "give myself a chance." A high risk roller that could get you wthin 10' is not as good of an option as a low risk air shot that could get you within 35', in my opinion. Just give yourself a chance.

edit: Also, on a good shot, the same applies. The players in your group saw you throw the good shot, they know it was good, you don't have to tell them. After a good shot, I'll watch my disc till it lands, give a quick fist pump, and turn around to watch the other players. Congratulate players when they make a good shot as well, unless you feel it annoys them. Be a good sport.

Rather than process the fact that you threw the shot in a tough location, focus on the challenge presented by this next shot as a puzzle that "someone" gave you to do your best with. It doesn't make any difference whether you, your doubles partner or an elf placed the shot there for you to deal with. It's now the next step in front of you and your full concentration is required.

I like that Chuck...it could be a stumbling block or a stepping stone...depends on what you want to do with it.

Take a breath - and repeat after me - This is not work. This is not my office. This is not the computer i stare at day monday to friday, from 8am to 5pm central standard time zone.

This is disc golf and crack a smile.

hey, sorry buddy, I was only joking when I made my post (I didn't think anyone would actually take it seriously).........it got me 3 month probation, whatever that means.

Nerves can come from different places. Sometimes they come from unrealistic goals. Sometimes they come from stage fright. Sometimes they come from placing too high a premium on any one shot. Sometimes they come from excitement and anticipation.

You might want to ask yourself why you play, and what are your goals. If you play to have fun and challenge yourself with different ways to escape tight situations, throw well planned accurate drives, and hit difficult putts, your nerves will be quite different from someone who is focused solely on score, or beating their opponent. If the score is the only thing that matters, you will be missing a lot of the joy of the game. If beating your opponent is the goal, regardless of how well you score, again, you will be missing a lot.

I don't think there is a generic solution for the nerves that you get. If you can identify the cause of some of your nerves, you can either change goals (eg. win or die) or deal specifically with the cause.

wow alot of what you said hit home I am going to do more focusing on my shots and clutch putts, and do some yoga smile.

I agree with you up to this point :)


Take a breath -



But for one thing, why would I want to think about work, the office or some stupid computer while I'm out golfing ?!?


and repeat after me - This is not work. This is not my office. This is not the computer i stare at day monday to friday, from 8am to 5pm central standard time zone.



For another, these are all plainly negative statements. Staying positive is the best option :)

Sorry to hear about your probation. I think feel as though the pdga would like to see more of a natural approach as far as the calming of nerves. Thus enabling the organization to gain popularity in the public eye. Any sort of negitive leak into the outside world could be a disaster for the future of the sport.I am hoping to see disc golf in the x games on espn some day maybe go for the gold in the olympics, this will never happen if abc news airs a story based on rumors of lude behavior of disc golfers on prime time t.v. Parents would be ripping their kids right out of the park. hypotheticaly of course, alowing people to go online and chat about certain topics would ruin the sports image and its chance to shine. But yeah I can imagine you would be pretty calm after all of that
(smile)

That's the best post I've read on the board in a long time. :)

Sometimes I remember the second noble truth of the buddha,
"Suffering is caused by desire".
My "desire" to punish this hole is causing my "suffering". Then I just play the best shot that I can with the lie I have and let the discs fall where they may.

Take a deep breath or series of deep breaths. To enhance the calming effect, you should take your deep breaths near the incense and perfume of natural herb blends.

i once had a fortune cookie that read:

<font color="blue"> "the secret in life is not to stay out of the rough, but to get out of it once you are in" ;) </font>

and a related one i actually got as well (3 lines long):

<font color="blue"> "optimism: a cheerful frame of mind that enables a tea kettle to sing, though in hot water up to its neck" </font>

most of the fortune cookie fortunes i get are easily forgotten; those two were easily remembered :D

Wow... there are three people on this thread from three different parts of the country that could tell you just how bad my composure is after a bad shot.

((hi Chuck, Jason, and Daemon!))

I got a fortune cookie that said:

您吃了中國食物, 您餓在一個小時

Rather than process the fact that you threw the shot in a tough location, focus on the challenge presented by this next shot as a puzzle that "someone" gave you to do your best with. It doesn't make any difference whether you, your doubles partner or an elf placed the shot there for you to deal with. It's now the next step in front of you and your full concentration is required.



This is the best way I have found, and the best recourse to throwing a bad shot. Nothing you can do about the bad shot now. Mark your like and deal with it. No one else caused your disc to land there, no one else can get you out of there. Plus even in the pro ranks your competition will make mistakes, just like you did. Move on and wait for them to give you the lost strokes back.

I am hoping to see disc golf in the x games on espn



I think x-games is for "extreme' sports, ie. skateboarding, snowboarding, BMX, Motocross...................Disc Golf doesn't really fit into that catagory.

I've played "extreme" disc golf before, but you've really got to play in the mountains, and have 10,000+ ft.

I played extreme disc golf, it involves nipple piercings, eating live roaches, swimming underwater while holding your breath looking for a key, and all the women who play it have abnormally large breasts full of silicone. There is even a web site called "women of extreme disc golf."

I played extreme disc golf, it involves nipple piercings, eating live roaches, swimming underwater while holding your breath looking for a key, and all the women who play it have abnormally large breasts full of silicone. There is even a web site called "women of extreme disc golf."

So I Googled that and clicked "I'm Feeling Lucky" ... and the first thing that came up was Danielle Vargas' profile on the team discraft page lol

I got a fortune cookie that said:

您吃了中國食物, 您餓在一個小時



Translation: If you eat Chinese food then you're hungry in one hour.

Close:

"You have just eaten chinese food. You will be hungry in one hour"

I played extreme disc golf, it involves nipple piercings, eating live roaches, swimming underwater while holding your breath looking for a key, and all the women who play it have abnormally large breasts full of silicone. There is even a web site called "women of extreme disc golf."

So I Googled that and clicked "I'm Feeling Lucky" ... and the first thing that came up was Danielle Vargas' profile on the team discraft page lol



Wow, that's classic.LOL

Here's a few suggestions:
1. Be succesful. The more success you have making shots, the more confidence you gain. The more confidence you have, the more success you'll have. The more confidence you have, the less nervice you will be.
2. Deep breathing technique: Take relaxing, deep, controlled breaths in and slowly, completely exhale. This is basically a Yoga technique. Deep, slow breaths relax the body.
3. Concentrate on technique: Mentally, you can keep doubt and nervousness from creeping in by focusing on your technique. Visually go through the steps of your technique as you are walking to your next shot. If your mind wanders, gently put your attention back onto your technique. This is a meditation technique that takes some practice.
4. Stretch and shake loose your body to relieve tension which is the primary physical manifestation of nervousness. Keep your body loose to combat the effects of nerves.

The first idea, while obvious and easier said than done, is really the only thing that eliminates nervousness. The rest are techniques to mitigate the effects of nervousness. One idea that might be helpful in acheiving consistant success is to set other goals for a round other than your score or winning. You could use a competative round to set an objective of delivering all putts with a firm and confident technique while disregarding whether or not you actually make the putt. The idea is to eliminate short arming due to nerves. If you get a good zip on your putt and miss, you've succeeded at making your goal. You can slowly build confidence as you acheive interum goals that lead you to consistant success.

I played extreme disc golf, it involves nipple piercings, eating live roaches, swimming underwater while holding your breath looking for a key, and all the women who play it have abnormally large breasts full of silicone. There is even a web site called "women of extreme disc golf."

So I Googled that and clicked "I'm Feeling Lucky" ... and the first thing that came up was Danielle Vargas' profile on the team discraft page lol



Wow, that's classic.LOL




:o

Danielle will whoop that tail boyz. Did you know Discaft pimped you out like that dani? :D

Hahaha. I dont even really know what to say......... :o

lol, a sense of humor comes in handy in this situation.

LOL :D

I usually start my Bad days with four bongs of some serious green bud , followed up by two lines of tweak. Gotta eat right after though. :cool:

Two eggs , some toast :eek: , english muffin , bowl of Cheerios and Total mix , two cups of french roast coffee and a large glass of O.J.

Start diving down to the course with a fifth of Jack& Coke , well maybe a third of that and try to find a parking spot.

I'm good by this point !!!!! :D











Just Kidding !!!!!! /msgboard/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

:eek:
I wonder if they have a course near the Betty Ford Clinic that you could play??? :D

Maybe they could put some temp baskets up for something to do after a therapy session. ;)

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:D You would have to change your name to Sparky !!! :D