Tournament confidence and preparing for open

[VictorB]

Hey gang, just wanted to put this out there for discussion, since I'm positive that there are others having the same confidence issues that I do.

A little background for my case first. This is my first full season playing open division only. No, I'm not incredibly highly rated - 945 at time of this post - but I've been rated as high as 965 in the past, and I cashed every MA1 tournament i played last year so I thought after 12 years it was time to find out if I had what it takes to really get better and become consistent enough to work my way up in open. My end goal is to be a regular high level competitor in open masters in 5 years time.

I've always felt like I have the skill, but confidence is lacking when I'm trying to get in tournament mode. I always feel like I'm not ready to play in a big tournament, and this weekend's Mad City Open is as big of a tournament as I've ever played in. I probably should play my rating for an A-tier of this size, but I made a commitment to testing the open division this season. I've never made a great showing in an A-tier even in MA1 - but played most of the courses without much or any practice at all.

My question to pose for discussion is - What's your mindset like going into a big tournament? Do you ever really feel 'ready'? Is there even such a thing, or is it just pre-tournament nerves? I don't typically feel this way about smaller events - just go play. What can I do better to translate that into larger 2-3 day tournaments, to feel comfortable heading into an event?

 

[Stardoggy]

I jumped to Masters this last weekend, and actually felt like I zoned in more because of playing with more experienced players. I wish I had done is sooner, instead of testing the Advanced Masters waters.

Also, cash is way more fun than funny money.

 

[j_mardis]

My question to pose for discussion is - What's your mindset like going into a big tournament? Do you ever really feel 'ready'? Is there even such a thing, or is it just pre-tournament nerves? I don't typically feel this way about smaller events - just go play. What can I do better to translate that into larger 2-3 day tournaments, to feel comfortable heading into an event?

Great question! Getting ready for large tournaments challenging, especially if you don't compete every weekend. You'll always have pre-tourney 'nerves' or butterflies - if you don't, you're probably dead or not playing.

After discussing this exact question with many top pros, one thing is for sure, how you do anything is how you do everything. Three things pop up immediately, and you may doing one or all (this is not necessarily directed at you VictorB).

1. Practice - do you? Sounds like it, but how you practice is more important that what you practice. If your putting in the tournament is no where near your practice, it's time to re-evaluate your approach. Making non-tournament rounds just as meaningful as the competition is difficult, so put some cash down and make it real, even in field work!

2. Routine - do you have one? If not, get one, NOW. One for off the tee, one for up-shots, and one for putting. Years of trial and error and tons of lessons both taken and taught have shed a little light on developing a routine - make it quick and consistent then practice it 'til it's second nature. There's a way to break it up to make practice more efficient, PM me if you want more on that...

3. Execution - you can, but do you allow yourself to do so? This last one comes down to your values, beliefs, and principles, and here comes the question... what the ______ do values, beliefs, and principles have to do with disc golf? If you believe you can, you can, if you believe you can't, you can't - Henry Ford uttered something similar, and he did okay for himself. There is so much more to the foundation for life that is not appropriate for this conversation, but what is applicable is this - you will never violate your beliefs - and most people have this one; "I'm not good enough." Breaking this belief is not impossible and it will allow you to execute in a tournament because you ARE good enough.

Thoughts?

 

[VictorB]

1. Practice - do you?

2. Routine - do you have one?

3. Execution - you can, but do you allow yourself to do so?

Thoughts?

1. Yes. On the course and off the course as well. I play for tags as much as possible, to make non-league/tournament rounds mean something at least. Practice putting only at home (unless just the warm up prior to a round) so I don't get used to practice putting on the course - like if someone throws multiple putts during casual rounds.

2. Yes. My pre-shot routine is the same for each shot, off the tee, approach, and putt.

3. I think this is my hang up, and the big reason why I think I lack confidence in my game. It's a tough mindset to get into, to believe that you can make every shot, without doubt creeping in your mind. I've read 'Golf is not a game of perfect' a few times now, and there's definitely parallels in there similar to what you're talking about.

Having the focus and confidence to be able to throw every shot as well as I know I can is not an easy task. I am working on my mindset and trying to have that confidence in myself.

 

[j_mardis]

Everybody faces this as they move up, developing confidence to execute in competition is _______________. The answer you provide will shed a lot of insight into your approach to performance, competing, as well as deeper life stuff like values/beliefs/principles. I have an extensive M.A.P. (Methodology, Approach, Philosophy) if you want to discuss. Lots of thought and time... sometimes wonder if it's worth it.

 

[Mueltrain54]

3. I think this is my hang up, and the big reason why I think I lack confidence in my game. It's a tough mindset to get into, to believe that you can make every shot, without doubt creeping in your mind. I've read 'Golf is not a game of perfect' a few times now, and there's definitely parallels in there similar to what you're talking about.

Having the focus and confidence to be able to throw every shot as well as I know I can is not an easy task. I am working on my mindset and trying to have that confidence in myself.

I have struggled with confidence all year after making the decision to move up a division as well. To the point that I moved back down and still was struggling to even cash. I have read golf is not a game of perfect as well, and kind of assumed that I was doing things right as far as the mental game. With some honest reflection though I realized I did ok with the suggestions from the book...until I started playing bad. Then I would let doubt into every shot, and would try and "make-up" strokes by over-focusing (swing-thoughts)

My last tourney I set out to accomplish only one thing. Be purposeful in my focus on the mental game. I made sure I had a routine and stuck to it. I forced myself to stay in the present at all times, and played quite literally one shot at a time. I honestly finished each round not knowing what I had shot, my only focus was on clearing my mind and executing each shot with confidence and as I long as I did that I was happy. I threw plenty of bad shots, but as soon as they landed all I was focused on was the next shot. One memorable example was on a long tunnel shot par 3, my tee shot ended up short and in the trees on the right, my upshot I shanked about 90 feet left of the tee and behind some branches. Normally as I walked up to that lie I would be thinking about how bad the upshot was, how I was going to bogey, and even what I needed to do better on the next hole. Instead I smiled and thought to myself, this is gonna be an awesome putt to save par, and sure enough I canned a long anny putt.

There were several similar situations where I may not have nailed putts and saved par, but that mental approach definitely helped me stay in the present and not compound mistakes. The best part, I had the most fun I have had all year even though I came up just short of the win. It's freeing not to get down on yourself after every mistake.

This response turned out longer then I intended, but what I really want to suggest, is to truly be purposeful in executing a mental game plan, both during tourney and in casual rounds. Good luck.

ps- after 4 years of 15+ tourneys a year, I still get butterflies on the first tee every time. Wouldn't have it any other way haha

 

[DiscinFiend]

All I have to say is good luck at Mad City! I'm playing in it as well (though only in intermediate). I hope you cash in your division.

Your rated higher than me so take this with a grain of salt. My only tip is stay in the moment, as others have said. I play my best tourney rounds when I'm focused one the shot at hand. If I'm thinking about the previous hole or how I'm going to make up some strokes on the next one, I play under my full potential.

Feel free to send me a pm. If I actually meet you in person, I'll buy you a beer.

 

[VictorB]

All I have to say is good luck at Mad City! I'm playing in it as well (though only in intermediate). I hope you cash in your division.

Your rated higher than me so take this with a grain of salt. My only tip is stay in the moment, as others have said. I play my best tourney rounds when I'm focused one the shot at hand. If I'm thinking about the previous hole or how I'm going to make up some strokes on the next one, I play under my full potential.

Feel free to send me a pm. If I actually meet you in person, I'll buy you a beer.

Thanks, and good luck to you as well. I'll be doing well to not finish in the bottom 1/3 of open I think. Almost half of the field is rated 980+, some stiff competition! I just plan to go out and try my best, throw the best shots I can, and see how things pan out.

Maybe we'll run into each other at Token after the 3rd round. I'll likely be sticking around for the final 9.

 

[VictorB]

So I got my annual learning experience at Mad City. I played well the first round, and tailed off quite a bit the next two rounds. Finished close to the bottom in Open, and definitely earned that placement.

I noticed that my focus is lacking. I clear my mind maybe a little too well, I guess? And I feel like I lack the focus of what the shot is intended to do when I'm throwing, like I'm just going through the motions and hoping it gets there. I need to find a way to get that laser focus that is required for playing golf well again.

I think my other problem is I think I try to play safe and conservative too much, but when that fails, things go wrong at a very fast pace. I believe a lot of this is tied to lack of confidence - if I can't be confident that I can make a shot then I look for a more conservative way to play the hole and I think that hurts my game, quite a bit. I think the mindset I need to return to is that of a more aggressive player, who will pick spots to play conservative instead of the other way around. I used to play this way all the time...prior to a back injury in late 2010, and looking at my ratings it definitely reflects as there's a dividing line in the before and after that is fairly distinct. I've pretty well recovered physically, but the mental game has never come back around I suppose. I know I can be a fairly aggressive shotmaker, I've done it in the past - there's not a lot of reason as someone who's trying to get better not to push the limits of what I can execute more frequently.

 

[billyjacko]

And I feel like I lack the focus of what the shot is intended to do when I'm throwing, like I'm just going through the motions and hoping it gets there. I need to find a way to get that laser focus that is required for playing golf well again.

Do you play in League's or Mini Tournaments? I use them as mental prep for sanctioned events. You play enough money rounds in between events, and you'll start to feel like you're just playing a round with buddies in a tournament.

I think my other problem is I think I try to play safe and conservative too much, but when that fails, things go wrong at a very fast pace.

I can understand that, but I'm also wondering what you mean by conservative. I think you need to play conservative in tournaments to a certain point. It's really all about risk reward. Usually I asses risk as how many strokes a bad shot could cost me, and that's usually dependent on OB and heavily wooded areas. Also, I believe it's best to be aggressive on the putting green as much as possible. You have to know you'll make a putt, and if you miss, the comebacker is no problem. That's one of the biggest hurdles I made it over recently, and my stroke count has gone down significantly.

 

[VictorB]

Do you play in League's or Mini Tournaments? I use them as mental prep for sanctioned events. You play enough money rounds in between events, and you'll start to feel like you're just playing a round with buddies in a tournament.



I can understand that, but I'm also wondering what you mean by conservative. I think you need to play conservative in tournaments to a certain point. It's really all about risk reward. Usually I asses risk as how many strokes a bad shot could cost me, and that's usually dependent on OB and heavily wooded areas. Also, I believe it's best to be aggressive on the putting green as much as possible. You have to know you'll make a putt, and if you miss, the comebacker is no problem. That's one of the biggest hurdles I made it over recently, and my stroke count has gone down significantly.

I play leagues when I can. I tend to do fine in 1-2 round events but struggle mentally in longer events.

My conservative definition is trying to play my birdie percentages. Like, if I rarely birdie a hole, I don't try to go for it in a tournament, and play for a 3. But, if something goes awry when playing for a 3, or I don't convert my upshot or putt, then obviously you're already behind the 8 ball so to speak. I feel like it's a weird mental place to be and I make too many unforced errors when trying to minimize mistakes, instead of maximize opportunity.

 

[Dan Ensor]

You have a routine you go through for every shot. Do you have a tournament routine? If you aren't well-nourished and such you're asking a lot from your body to stay focused on day 2+.

 

[VictorB]

You have a routine you go through for every shot. Do you have a tournament routine? If you aren't well-nourished and such you're asking a lot from your body to stay focused on day 2+.

Yes, as reasonably as I can.

Breakfast is usually scrambled eggs for protein and pop tarts for carbs. Pre-hydrate the day before the tournament starts. I usually have some sort of sugary snack for the round to help keep my blood sugars up, usually skittles. Drink as much water and gatorade as possible during and after, and no alcohol intake the day before, and after day 1 if it's a 2 day event.

 

[Consult20]

Sounds like wind was rough on Saturday. I didn't get up there until Sunday with about 5 holes to go in the finals. Alex was crushing it. Mad city is tough to cash unless you're throwing over 970 rating. Congrats on your first round, you did well with all that wind.

 

[knettles]

I always like listening to Beastie Boys' Sabotage before a tournament. No idea if it works or not, but I like it.

 

[Vonbeezy1]

-Play the course, not your opponents
-Have strong mental game
-Don't be a hero
-Don't replicate how others play, play your own game