[Zptmsemk]

OK, please allow me to paint a portrait for you: It's Saturday morning. The course is insanely crowded. Your foursome is finally up after having waited a half hour for groups ahead of you. Behind your group (on the cart path leading up to the first tee) are 6 carts waiting impatiently to tee off. It's your turn to drive the golf ball. You walk up to the tee box and think to yourself that there are a total of 15 eyes upon you.

What goes through your mind? Are you confident or do you allow yourself to think the worst (ie worm burner, duck hook, bannana ball etc.) How's your stomach? Butterflies? Worse?

OK. Here's the question: With so many impatient people waiting and watching does it affect your normal routine, mindset, or execution? This is usually one of golf's greatest fears, so don't be afraid to be honest about your emotions.

[masterboyz]

Not at all for me. I know that there arent any tour players out there. I get up and hit away.

[amusaasyday]

It makes me a little nervous, but not as nervous as when there's a back-up on a par 3 on the course. On the first hole, I know people are distracted - checking their bag, etc., but on a par 3 - they're all watching.

[BebopVT]

No issues at all for me. Just get up and hit away.

[skupaemauto]

It's your turn to drive the golf ball. You walk up to the tee box and think to yourself that there are a total of 15 eyes upon you.

I'd actually be wondering how that person lost their other eye or how they were born with a third eye.

I suck so regardless of what hole it is I'm going to hit a bad shot so I don't worry about it.

[Unhappu]

Hi Johneli

I know the feeling you're talking about. I don't tend to get it that badly, but in April this year I got to play the Black course at Bethpage. I wanted to play the blue tees too. Most were playing the whites, but you have a lot of people standing around waiting to play. I hadn't played in a while at the time, so really didn't know how it would go, but I knew people paid attention when someone plays the blue tees, because they obviously think they can play. I hit three wood because I felt more confident with it. Hit it a little low on the face, but it went straight.

I actually find the anticipation of playing a tournament round worse most of the time. If I'm playing regularly, I know I can hit it well enough not to look bad, so I don't mind teeing off in front of 100 people. But if I have a card in my hand, I find myself wondering which game is going to come out today.

[zatronanec]

I am not bothered at all. My thinking is that no one the course is drawing a paycheck for being out there, so I just enjoy my round.

[Sydneyfonzi]

Bothers the beejeezus out of me....90% my first tee shot is a skull or block. After that it takes me about a hoe or two to get into the flow. Tiger I am not (although my tee shots are better than his right now)

[mas-dkt-sive]

I don't have a problem with it. I spent a couple of years playing with buddies after work where I would run straight to the first tee and hit away. The last year, I have been member in a men's club where there may be 10-20 guys watching me tee off on any given Saturday. The novelty of it wore off long ago. Also, I used to play in a band where 50 to 5,000 sets of eyes might be on me while I performed. Sort of takes the sting out of the first tee jitters. Familiarity breeds apathy.

[DoctorNelsonOnten]

Not at all on the first tee anymore, can't say why because it used to bother me a bunch. Since taking the game back up this year it's been better. However, if several holes into a round and playing bad, yes it will bother me.

[Zptmsemk]

On a zero to ten (where ten is paralysis) I would say I'm about a 3. Damn the swing thoughts; All I think to myself is "don't rush the shot," because I have a tendency to get quick from the top with any apprehension.

[en-druzhba]

Still bothers me... Dunno why it creates pressure, but it does. Usually if it's a stellar shot, I'll turn and wave to the crowd, circa Phil

[forextradinginfo]

Been there too often to let it worry me. It's easier in my home course... when I'm playing an unfamiliar course, then the nerves might get me a bit more, partly because I'm not as sure of the shot I've got planned, nor of the trouble I might get into if I do hit it badly.

But usually I'm fairly conservative on the first tee anyway, until I find which swing came with me to the course that day.

[artkolkovk]

First off those 6 carts of golfers behind me don't mean squat as far as I am concern. Obviously there is a problem with folks showing up to early, a scheduling issue caused by the pro shop. Perhaps the starter is lost in his paper work. Frost on the greens, or some other weather issue. They are waiting just like I did, for what ever reason. As for me waiting to tee off, I have used that time to get warmed up, with the club I am going to use off the first tee. I'm ready to go. I have already seen a few of the hooks, slices, tops, pop ups, whiffs, and maybe even a toe shank. Then there's the "mulligan" player who sat for a 1/2 hour while not warming up. Seeing these bad shots has already told me I am not the worst player off this first tee, or on this golf course this morning. Even if I do manage to hit a stinker, so what. All I want to do is get off that first tee, and into my playing routine.

[Sydneyfonzi]

First off those 6 carts of golfers behind me don't mean squat as far as I am concern. Obviously there is a problem with folks showing up to early, a scheduling issue caused by the pro shop. Perhaps the starter is lost in his paper work. Frost on the greens, or some other weather issue. They are waiting just like I did, for what ever reason. As for me waiting to tee off, I have used that time to get warmed up, with the club I am going to use off the first tee. I'm ready to go. I have already seen a few of the hooks, slices, tops, pop ups, whiffs, and maybe even a toe shank. Then there's the "mulligan" player who sat for a 1/2 hour while not warming up. Seeing these bad shots has already told me I am not the worst player off this first tee, or on this golf course this morning. Even if I do manage to hit a stinker, so what. All I want to do is get off that first tee, and into my playing routine.

I need to take more of this thinking with me onto the 1st tee. thanks for the great perspective Prov!

[Zptmsemk]

I need to take more of this thinking with me onto the 1st tee. thanks for the great perspective Prov!

You try that. Myself, I just ordered a pair of horse blinders. By the looks of some of the garb people wear to the course no one will even notice. Whineeeeeeeee and giddy on up to the first green.

[excivaamome]

OK, please allow me to paint a portrait for you: It's Saturday morning. The course is insanely crowded. Your foursome is finally up after having waited a half hour for groups ahead of you. Behind your group (on the cart path leading up to the first tee) are 6 carts waiting impatiently to tee off. It's your turn to drive the golf ball. You walk up to the tee box and think to yourself that there are a total of 15 eyes upon you.

What goes through your mind? Are you confident or do you allow yourself to think the worst (ie worm burner, duck hook, bannana ball etc.) How's your stomach? Butterflies? Worse?

OK. Here's the question: With so many impatient people waiting and watching does it affect your normal routine, mindset, or execution? This is usually one of golf's greatest fears, so don't be afraid to be honest about your emotions.

When I'm on the first tee and I get into "Focus Mode", I wouldn't notice a missile attack. It wasn't always that way, but I have my experiences playing the Black Course at Bethpage to thank for "curing me" of my first tee jitters.

As you may know, the first tee on the Black sits below a promenade and it's sort of a natural amphitheater ('crucible' is a better word) and back in the day - before reserved tee times - there were literally hundreds of people milling around waiting for their tee times at the Black or one of the other four courses. So it was a sort of ritual pastime to mosey over to the first tee on the Black and critique, make fun of, razz, applaud, jeer, those who were teeing off there.

After dozens of rounds played there and over 100 played at the Red Course (another goldfish bowl of a first tee) I lost my fear of opening tee shots very quickly. Of course, being a rather good golfer didn't hurt (I eventually worked my way down to a 2 handicap on the Red). But even so, talent and nerves are sometimes two different things and it was those nerves I had to overcome.

What helped a lot back then was a true belief in my abilities and I developed a sort of "watch this" or a "you ain't seen nothin' yet" mentality as I stood on those tees. In my mind, I was the best golfer in the group and whoever was watching hadn't seen what a real tee shot was yet. Naturally, I never verbalized any of that to anyone, but in my mind I was about to give Jack Nicklaus a lesson.

I still have that attitude today and the way I look at it is that everyone is really good at something and for me that something is golf. I'm no pro, but to play well, I like to think I am and sometimes I surprise even myself!


-JP

[usaguedriedax]

I never worry about it, in fact if we are pulling up to the tee and there are people waiting I am usually the first person to walk over and put my tee in the ground and hit. I could care less what other people think of my game I am not out there to impress anyone.

[Caluabdum]

I get really nervous, all I think about is about the people watching me. I think about the worst possible situations that can happen. I go through my normal routine, but am breathing heavily with sweaty palms.

Although, nervousness doesn't break me. I perform better while nervous. My old course has a patio just behind the first tee. Packed while everyone was watching, I bombed a drive down the pipe.

[Alkassyinhisk]

It doesn't bother me at all. In fact, I relish it. I'm not out there to impress anyone, but I like the feeling of piping it down the middle and having the starter say 'nice drive' and 'have a good round' with everyone watching.