How to Get Rid of First Tee Jitters

Reality check…nerves are an unavoidable part of golf.  If you never get nervous on the golf course, you either aren’t human or you don’t care all that much about your game.

Chances are, you feel your nerves just like anyone else, whether you are playing in a big tournament or just competing with your friends during a regular Saturday round.

Nowhere on the course do nerves play a bigger role than when you are standing on the first tee.

There is something about hitting that first shot of the day that makes most golfers a little bit uncomfortable.  If you deal with the first tee jitters on a regular basis, it is important to know that you aren’t alone.  Most golfers experience this sensation, and the best thing you can do is to develop a strategy to overcome your fears.

The Power of a Pre-Shot Routine

Hopefully, you already have a pre-shot routine in place in your game.  If not, now is the time to create one.

A pre-shot routine can go a long way toward calming your nerves prior to every shot—and especially the shot that you hit off of the first tee.  Using a routine is a great way to block out all of the outside pressure and anxiety so you can simply focus on the task at hand.

You are free to build your routine in any way that you think will benefit your game, but following are a few good elements to include:

• Locking in a target for your shot.
• A deep breath (great for calming nerves and loosening muscles).
• Visualizing the shot you are about to hit.
• Closing your eyes for one or two seconds to calm your mind.

These are just a few ideas for you to consider when putting together your routine.  Whatever your routine happens to be, make sure it is consistent from the first tee to the last green.

Pick an Easy Shot

Imagine that you are walking up to the first tee of a course that you are playing for the first time.  When you arrive on the tee, you find that the hole is a 500 yard par five with deep bunkers guarding the fairway at the 250 yard mark.  If you hit your driver, you know that you could reach those bunkers should you happen to miss the fairway.  As you stare ahead trying to decide how to proceed, you can feel your first tee jitters getting stronger and stronger.

The solution?  Hit your three wood!

Choose a club that you know will stay short of the trouble, even if that means laying up instead of going for the green in two shots.  You don’t have to play this conservatively throughout your round, but showing patience on the first tee is a great way to relax your nerves.

By putting the ball safely in play and making a solid par, you will get your round off to a great start and your jitters should quickly disappear.  As the round moves along, you can gradually play more aggressive shots when the time is right.

The first tee can be a nerve wracking place! Photo by Boston Public Library on Flickr.

Warm Up Properly

Your first tee jitters can be largely eliminated if you simply go through a good warm up process on the driving range prior to your round.  By hitting some shots on the practice range before starting your round, you can prepare both your muscles, and your mind for the round ahead.

During your warm up, hit several shots where you are picturing the tee shot that you will be faced with on the first hole.  Use the appropriate club for that shot, and go through your pre-shot routine just as if you were already on the first tee.  When the time comes to actually play the shot, you will feel like you have already met that challenge several times over.

Lighten the Mood

While you wait on the first tee to start your round, try telling a joke or engaging in conversation with one of your playing partners to help relax your mind.

Simply by taking the focus off of the shot you have to hit, you can calm your jitters a little bit and make it easier for your body to perform.  Once the fairway is clear and you are ready to play, refocus your mind on the task at hand and make a great swing.

Keep It In Perspective

Perhaps the best way to calm your jitters on the first tee is to realize that this one shot isn’t going to make or break your entire round.  Even if you hit a terrible shot off the first tee, you still have plenty of time to get your round going in the right direction.

Of course, you don’t want to expect to hit a bad shot, but you can free your mind up by acknowledging the fact that a single poor swing isn’t going to ruin your entire day.

If you want to dive deeper into the idea of clearing your mind of bad shots and focusing more on the good parts of your game we highly recommend checking out Zen Golf by Dr. Joseph Parent (the book and corresponding audiobook have been staff favorites for years).

Play More Golf

Very few people need a reason to play more golf, but here’s one anyway: it can help you to get rid of the first tee jitters!

As you gather experience, you will become more and more comfortable rising to the challenge of hitting a great shot off the first tee even with total strangers watching you swing.  Try to remember some of the good first tee shots that you have hit over the years so that you can call on those good feelings to give you confidence in future rounds.

Don’t expect to simply put a few of these tips to use and instantly eliminate the first tee jitters once and for all.  In reality, you will probably always feel a little bit of nervous energy before you hit your first shot—that isn’t necessarily a bad thing, either.

As long as you can remain focused on your pre-shot routine and overcome the nerves to make a solid swing, there is no reason you can’t hit a great ball even with the first tee jitters doing their best to knock you off track.

Cover Photo by Khoi Nguyên Peter on Flickr