Great question!

The biggest aspect of peak performance according to most golf mental experts is being in a calm, relaxed state in order to perform your shot. The best way to do this, from my experience, is to keep each shot in perspective so that if you miss it for example, your family will most likely still love you, you will not lose your job etc..etc... Keeping things in perspective is one of the best ways to stay relaxed.

I think you nailed it Alec, we always have to remember where we are. Of course we want to play well/win/qualify etc. But in the end, I always say to myself, No one is getting a spot in the masters today, and that helps me remember that its not as big of deal as we sometimes make it out to be. Remember that you put the required work in and you will be able to move past the nerves and play some golf!

Good luck

I used to struggle with this problem. However mine was more with the more people watching the worse I became not what the shot was for. The game of golf relies on limiting your swing thoughts and letting your body do the rest.

I have read every Harvey Penick book twice over and I can tell you some of his most vital points are mental. The most helpful to me was "Take Dead Aim". This was the most useful thing I have ever learned in golf. Pick a spot, a tree, a stake something rather small and focus on hitting your shot to that spot. Let your body do the rest...

The more you practice and play in with good players and in front of fans, the more confident you will become.

I try to think of good shots I have made in the past and focus on a small target helping me avoid the bad thoughts. If you look at the trouble that you try to avoid, you will likely end up subconsciously trying to steer away from it so it is best to focus on the positive. I also keep reminding myself during my day to day rounds that I pay to play this game. No one pays me, so there are no big expectations. Finally, since I am retired now, I tell myself that no matter how well or poorly I may play today, I still don't have to go to work tomorrow :)

Alec,

Keep it simple and just focus on the shot at hand. Many of the great teachers/leaders preach this same concept. Forget the past, don't worry about the future and just concentrate on what is front of you. At the end of the day, a 9-iron from 140 to a back left pin is the same shot whether there are 150 people watching you or 2 people watching...right? Have fun with it dude!

Thanks for the input guys! I really appreciate it! I am continuing to work hard, and have fun playing golf.

Thanks again!
Alec P

Hi Alec,
I think you're on the right track. Having a positive attitude and a realistic sense of the moment's importance is key. Other than that I would say practice being clutch. There's two games I play.
1. Hit the fairway. I usually pull driver about 10 times a round. I mentally map out a fairway on the range, and don't stop until I hit it 10x in a row. Sometimes when I'm on shot 8 or 9, I start to feel the nerves.
2. Clutch Putt. There's two ways to play this. The first is a climb the ladder type game where you have to sink putts from 2,4,6,&8 feet. If you miss one, you start over. This one helps when you have to make that medium sized putt for the win. The second one is around the world. Set 6-10 balls around the hole in a circle. You have to make them all to finish. If you miss one, you'll start over. Nothing hurts worse than losing on a short miss. This game keeps you sharp on those knee knockers.
The other advice I would give is play for something. Whether it's a little scratch, or having to carry your opponents bag back to the car, keeping score and learning to win are really important.
These are all great ways to simulate pressure and develop confidence that you can deliver when the time comes.

Don't think about the score, play one shot and hole at a time, and remember it is only a game. Never think about a bad shot you hit in the past in that particular situation. In other words don't think, those five inches between you ears will kill you. Easy to say, isn't it. I play in about a half dozen senior invitationals a year and I finally decided I was going to go have fun and what ever happens, happens.

As a former playing professional, I can say the things posted are great additions, but for many pros, it is something different. I was listening to Tom Watson on the driving range one day and heard that he had many bouts with nerves. Something he learned from Stan Thirsk and Jack Nicklaus was to solidify a pre-shot routine. I can't remember the year, 1986?, but when Watson and Nicklaus played in the US Open, their pre-shot routines never varied more than four seconds through the four tournament rounds. Jack hates the first tee and Tom hates coming up 18 fairway. We all have something. I found his advise worked for me in my first year of tournaments. I would set a pre-shot routine on the range, hitting hundreds of balls, and when I was on the course, I was hitting one more range driving range shot because my focus was on the routine and not the pressure. It also helped laying up to yardages. I practiced my 125, 150, and 175 yard shots the most on the range. Using my course management, I figured the distance (125, 150, or 175yds) that I would have the highest percentage hitting the green and play that shot. If you hit mostly those shots on the range, you are playing an approach shot that you have the most confidence and practice in hitting. Use both these methods, and you have a professional way to curb stress while also increasing the number of GIRs.

I have a history of gagging late in the round especially with some people I let it get to me
I spoke to my pro and he said work on your pre set routine
I find it exasperating
However when I don't care and stay detached I don't gag
I sometimes "reshape" the experience thAt it's just a game crap but I don't find that gratifying I think part of the reasons I gag is my neurological make up
I am mentally tough
But
Not
In these situations u want to be like Zach Johnson
I always liked rotella saying it's the process not the result any way I'm a work in progress

Read the comments but I also need some input on chipping. I cannot tell you how many hours I have practiced on chipping and short pitches and then cannot bring it to the game. I do have a routine for full shots but I don't have one for the chipping game. Scenario is I am needing to get up and down for par and am lying 3 to 10 yards off the green to a pin that is 15 to 20 yards away. In practice I can execute this shot with a dozen balls to get inside a six foot circle but in the real game I abandon my wedge and find myself using a 8 iron with a putting grip and end up sculling the ball over the green and further from the pin then when I started. Or even using my putter and not even getting the ball to the green due to the thick grass. Do I use the same routine for the short game that I do for the long game ? This is the killer for my game. Not having the confidence to use the hours of practice with my wedge and then abandoning it for a more conservative approach that usually end up in failure. Help!

Hi Carl. One thing that I found helpful in tournaments when the pressure was on was to use a heavier wedge. The heavy head helped to slow down my tempo. A lighter wedge made it too easy to tighten my forearms and jab at the ball. The heavier weight brought my tempo back into play. Also, keeping your body square to the target line may help. Sometimes, a player wants to help the ball to the hole instead of letting the club do it. By keeping your body square, the club can more easily make contact with the ground and not sweep over the top of the shot. A skulled shot usually comes from body movement (as your body moves forward the spot in your swing where the club should be at its lowest has moved forward meaning the club hasn't reached the apex of the swing arc yet), or, from poor posture that keeps the club from returning properly to the ball.

You are right. The ground is your friend when chipping and pitching and a slower tempo is key. That will be my new thought process when chipping. Quick and skulling is the kiss of death. Around the green, you can never be too slow for the short game.