filobedo
Double Eagle Member
- Joined
- Oct 20, 2008
- Messages
- 1,205
Watch the link for inspiration. If that does not work, listen to side 1 of Led Zeppelin IV prior to each round,
https://youtu.be/oomCIXGzsR0
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Pre Tournament Nerves
- Thread starter Spike Hyzer
- Start date
Watch the link for inspiration. If that does not work, listen to side 1 of Led Zeppelin IV prior to each round,
https://youtu.be/oomCIXGzsR0
Remember you're just throwing pieces of plastic at metal deer feedersthe world will go on if you don't play well. The less you think it's a big deal, the less of a big deal it will be, it's just disc golf, relax man.
A $40 entry fee, a chance to get out of the house for a weekend, and throwing frisbees in the woods. Nobody cares how you do. Nobody is relying on you to play well. There's no reason to be nervous at all.
(at least, that's the theory)
biscoe
* Ace Member *
yep. that book is sold gold.
spinachd
Eagle Member
Ha Yeah do the Wonder Woman from the horn to the first tee off
My 2 pieces of advice:
1 - Always expect that you will not shoot your practice round average (or even worse...your personal best). If you go in expecting that hot round you will add in extra pressure which can easily add up. Personally I figure I'll shoot 3 strokes off my practice average so that I am pleasantly surprised when I exceed that instead of frustrated that I was 1 stroke off my average.
2 - Play the shot and percentages - not to chase a particular score. I see so many people get a bit behind where they want to be and then try and chase by forcing risky shots and digging themselves a deeper hole. Often after a drive goes horribly awry it is so much better to concede the fact that you are playing for a 4 instead of trying to throw the miracle upshot to save 3 (and hitting first tree) and ending up with a 5.
1 - Always expect that you will not shoot your practice round average (or even worse...your personal best). If you go in expecting that hot round you will add in extra pressure which can easily add up. Personally I figure I'll shoot 3 strokes off my practice average so that I am pleasantly surprised when I exceed that instead of frustrated that I was 1 stroke off my average.
2 - Play the shot and percentages - not to chase a particular score. I see so many people get a bit behind where they want to be and then try and chase by forcing risky shots and digging themselves a deeper hole. Often after a drive goes horribly awry it is so much better to concede the fact that you are playing for a 4 instead of trying to throw the miracle upshot to save 3 (and hitting first tree) and ending up with a 5.
- Joined
- May 6, 2011
- Messages
- 650
Careful here...are they sincerely willing participants, or too friendly to tell someone they're a distraction? Better to use some discretion, because as friendly as they may be, they probably didn't sign up to serve as a therapist for that guy who talks about "literally anything". They are trying to focus on their own round.
^^^agreed^^^. I'll talk to practically anyone about almost anything, but during a tourney round, not so much.
Don't think about your total score. Cliche' as heck, but just take it one shot at a time. Don't "plan" a number beforehand.
Don't make the mistake I keep making since I've returned to tournament play...DON'T TRY SHOTS YOU DON'T NORMALLY PLAY. Have no idea why I keep doing this, but trust me, it rarely works!!!!!
Reniger
* Ace Member *
There's a local at leagues that has coached and taught a lot of younger players. He's in his mid fifties and has been playing for over 20 years. Great guy, great attitude, and loves to help and encourage others. Even with health concerns and body ailments, he's a 960-rated master.
Best advice he's ever given me is just to be slow. Even after 13+ years of playing myself and many tournaments and leagues, breathing never really hit me as such an important thing to concentrate on. At a tournament at the beginning of this year, John comes up to me and just says calmly,
It seems so simple but I'll be damned if it isn't a huge factor in keeping a cool and collected frame.
Best advice he's ever given me is just to be slow. Even after 13+ years of playing myself and many tournaments and leagues, breathing never really hit me as such an important thing to concentrate on. At a tournament at the beginning of this year, John comes up to me and just says calmly,
It seems so simple but I'll be damned if it isn't a huge factor in keeping a cool and collected frame.
It's pretty easy to tell if guys want to be social or not. I mean, I can't believe this is really coming up here. It's basic human interaction. Someone likes to chat? Talk to them. They don't? Leave them alone.
I've found that tourney nerves get better over time. I like to stay as relaxed as possible. Take it easy and enjoy yourself and the shots will come natrually. Or maybe they won't, sometimes It's like that. I focus on relaxing and not putting mental pressure on myself, because that junk does not work for me.
Prostar47
Bogey Member
I've got a few things that I try to do before and during the rounds.
1) get there an hour and a half before the tournament starts and find the most open area and throw all your putters and mids on a variety of lines once or twice.
2) go play 6 holes but no more than 9 holes to get in the rhythm of hitting desired lines on the course but don't take any putts at the baskets while playing.
3) find a basket after your warm up holes and putt for 15 minutes to build that muscle memory back
4) relax back at tournament central for 10-15 minutes before the players meeting, hydrate and eat a snack.
5) get to your hole immediately after players meeting and practice for until 2 minute warning (if you are having issues when hitting your warm up putts....STOP! move 15 feet away from the basket and make 3-5 in a row and go wait at the tee pad.
6) Don't keep track of your score or anyone else you're playing.Shoot each shot with the idea of throwing the best shot you can regardless of how any other shot you or your card mates have thrown the whole round. the best rounds I've ever shot are ones where i'm clueless of whats going on around me
1) get there an hour and a half before the tournament starts and find the most open area and throw all your putters and mids on a variety of lines once or twice.
2) go play 6 holes but no more than 9 holes to get in the rhythm of hitting desired lines on the course but don't take any putts at the baskets while playing.
3) find a basket after your warm up holes and putt for 15 minutes to build that muscle memory back
4) relax back at tournament central for 10-15 minutes before the players meeting, hydrate and eat a snack.
5) get to your hole immediately after players meeting and practice for until 2 minute warning (if you are having issues when hitting your warm up putts....STOP! move 15 feet away from the basket and make 3-5 in a row and go wait at the tee pad.
6) Don't keep track of your score or anyone else you're playing.Shoot each shot with the idea of throwing the best shot you can regardless of how any other shot you or your card mates have thrown the whole round. the best rounds I've ever shot are ones where i'm clueless of whats going on around me
DiscinFiend
* Ace Member *
I think you guys took what I said the wrong way...or I worded my post poorly. My point was to indulge in small talk. I was trying to say playing a whole round with no one on the card talking isn't fun. Plus if you don't talk at all for a whole round, your probably spending a lot of metal energy overthinking your shots. I agree that you need to feel out the guys on your card. I've run into plenty of guys who aren't much for conversation. I just let them be in their own little world. I don't think anyone should be super talkative to the point of being annoying. I just find I stay more relaxed with a little conversation during a competitive round.
- Joined
- May 6, 2011
- Messages
- 650
Agreed, occasional conversation can be relaxing. I misinterpreted, thanks for clarifying.
corin_brown
Eagle Member
This ^ is huge. Yes, putting is important. No, it's not good to three putt from 50'. But at the end of the tournament, your final shot total doesn't discriminate between a nice 35' putt for a 2 on a hole and a heady, conservative lay up/surrender to turn a 6 into a 5 or a 5 into a 4 on another hole.
Avoiding going OB is also key. Yes, putting is important but so is to going OB. Being conservative off the tee and not going OB counts the same as making a nice putt.
You can give up strokes everywhere on the course and on every single shot. Be attentive to that possibility when planning every shot and play the percentages. You can be 100% inside the circle but if you've gone OB 4 times in a round because you were too aggressive and turned 4's into 5's, 6's or worse, what's the point?
Lot's of good points here already, but I'd like to add one from a bit broader perspective:
Play at least some bigger tourneys than you're "supposed" to.
By this I mean that, if you are suffering from nerves in weeklies, play few sanctioned events. If the MA3 events are tough, try to get into a bit bigger MA1-event.
It's amazing how the "lower tier" tournaments start to feel much more casual once you've pushed your limits in some more stressful situations.
Play at least some bigger tourneys than you're "supposed" to.
By this I mean that, if you are suffering from nerves in weeklies, play few sanctioned events. If the MA3 events are tough, try to get into a bit bigger MA1-event.
It's amazing how the "lower tier" tournaments start to feel much more casual once you've pushed your limits in some more stressful situations.
This is super counter-productive. If you go into any tournament with a feeling that you're playing out of your league, you're going to tense up and play even worse. The best way to combat nerves is by relaxing and looking at it as just another round of disc golf, regardless of the setting.
- Joined
- May 6, 2011
- Messages
- 650
Not saying your personal experience isn't valid, but I think different people can approach this differently... if you are out of your league, it can take off some of the pressure. If you think you're expected to win, that can add pressure.
Surely you are going to be nervous in the bigger event, but my point is that after that bigger event you will be calmer in the smaller ones.
Once you are ready to move up, you'll also have to find even bigger events to test your nerves.
So in those few big events you might underperforme (or not) but in the big picture you will get more consistent and better.
corin_brown
Eagle Member
Exactly.
When asked how an athlete can improve their game, I've heard many top athletes (in many different sports) say the same thing: step up the competition.
Probably in sports where the competition is playing defense. Forcing you to improve your skills in order to accomplish your objective or to stop your opponent from accomplishing theirs.
In our sport, the "defense" is played by the course. So the allegory would be that you should play harder courses in order to improve your game.
But the OP isn't asking how to improve his overall skillset, he wants to improve his mental approach in competition. He wants to learn how to overcome the self-imposed pressure when he expects to be competitive. Stepping up to a division where he can't be competitive does nothing to train him for the right mindset, it just takes away the mental blockers that he needs to learn how to manage. That does not solve the problem. And in the process, it can be very discouraging to devote a whole day or weekend to play what amounts to casual rounds with strangers with nothing on the line.
So rather than "play up," I strongly encourage playing at the division where your rating puts you, and play often. The more tournaments you play, the more routine they begin to feel. Competing for the lead in your division and making a silly mental blunder that costs you is a much stronger learning experience, and motivator, than trying to stay out of DFL in a division where you don't belong.
