Getting ready for a tournament?

[woodstock]

I have a tournament coming up on Dec. 18 and to say the least im a little nervous, Its my first. Im wondering whats the best things I can do to get ready. My games alright but I tend to get a tad twitchy when people are gathered around watching. Its my home course so I know the layout pretty good. Any tips or techniques would be a great help.

 

[jongoff09]

Since you know the layout really well, I would say that the best thing to do is to just practice putting the day before. Make sure you are confident over putts. I have a tournament tomorrow on my home course and what I did today was go out to a pitch and putt course and just putt for a while.

 

[woodstock]

Putting is very high on my list, Thanks

 

[Longliveguitar]

cool jonn, i'm playing in the same tourny as you tomorrow, but i didnt get to do any putting this week =(

 

[craftsman]

Sleep, eat, stretch, warm up, and have fun.

 

[lokirising]

I'd practice everything. Driving, putting, upshots, etc.

 

[gianetics]

choke up. i played my first tournament this summer and i was swinging for the fences right out of the gate. it only took a couple of bad drives and puts to put me in a funk. i started nosing up my drives and putting like sh**. finished 16 over at my home course the first day. i was second to last in int. the second day i vowed to take it easy and just play some normal golf. it worked, i more than halved my score and almost finished it the top half. do not try stuff you dont know or normaly do. also remember you most likely wont be starting on hole 1. so the best thing you can do is nothing, just play like you normally would if you finish at a 5 over most the time dont expect to be at -5. just play within your strike zone and kick some ass.

 

[jimbosprint]

Play your usual game. Take birdies when they are in front of you. Eat a good breakfast. Drink a beer or two to relax.

Good luck!

 

[adh56]

Practice putting for sure. Nothing crazy on the outside of your range. Just practice 20-30ft or so. The ones that you wanna nail 100%

The other that I learned after my first tourney was to not worry about how others are doing and focus on your game, one throw at a time.

 

[mabraddock]

putt, and keep your head straight... i have played my worst golf EVER in tournaments because i let a couple of shots get in my head...

 

[ArcheType]

yeah, thats a big one,

you have to learn how to shake off the bad drives to get good ones.

 

[surgeflx87]

Ya, definatly dont let bad shots get to you. Play smart and safe, only go for it you have too. Bring extra clothes in case of the weather.(You dont want to play a second round in wet shoes and socks, trust me. And when practicing putts, practice the ones you can make, theres no point in standing 40 ft from the basket an missing. All that does, is shows you u will not make long putts, practice ones your confident on making. Finally, buy a stool youll want one definatly if the course doesnt have a lot of benches

 

[adh56]

^extra shoes and socks can be very important if you don't have waterproof shoes (or even if you do)

 

[solomon.trenton]

extra outfit and keep your regular discs in your bag. THIS IS NO TIME TO EXPERIMENT!!!!!!!!!

 

[djjeremiahj]

have a tendency to play safe.
You'd be surprised at how many times "better" players end up at the bottom of the list because their "great drive" ended up OB and cost them a stroke. Or their OB caused a mental meltdown and a +2 hole...
From my experience, and those i talk to, it's always funny how the guys who end up at the top always say "i played it safe, everyone else tried the super hard lines and kept hitting trees or went ob... but i marched down the fairway and took my 3 everytime."

be conscious of the little things - you'd be surprised at how a little bit of wind, rain, wet discs, etc can affect an entire tournament (and some people's entire game).

Eliminate simple mistakes, things you can avoid, and play conservative, you'll be surprised that you will rank in the top 1/2 just by doing these simple things.

 

[billnchristy]

^^And to expand...think your shots over, look at everything as a percentage. What happens if you miss the putt, will you have a high percent chance to make the comeback?

Example, basket is on the edge of a hill, if you miss you could wind up 40+ feet back or even turn and roll and end up 90.

When the percentage does not add up play smart and lay up to the pole for a drop in. A drop in bogey trumps a double or worse every day.

 

[Midnightbiker]

Play the course, and don't worry about what others are doing around you. Also, stay quiet when someone is throwing.

 

[johnnyfoodstamp]

Don't be a hero. My first few tournaments I would get a bit bogged down trying to birdie every hole. They can't all be birdies. Par golf wins tournaments, at least in the lower levels. Play it safe and have fun.

 

[Midnightbiker]

Just have fun, and you will most likely make some new friends

 

[HCD Studios]

Just play the course and have a good time. I have found that playing dubs and triples during the week has helped my tournament game because it gives me a place to "practice" my tournament focus and deal with distraction.