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Intimidation Factor

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NewGlfr

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Yesterday I played the hardest course in our area. I am by no means one to say that I can play well, but I generally am pretty consistent with at least getting the ball in the air.

I could not hit the ball to save my life. I think it was a combination of being physically tired, but I was also very intimidated looking at every shot. This course has tons of hazards, is very narrow, the greens were SUPER fast and I think all that just got in my head.

Being as inexperienced as I am, is this a common thing, even for the well seasoned player? I was literally nervous for each tee shot and even putting. Never really had that before.

Thoughts?
 
Yes it does happen. I am still a pretty high handicap, but have been playing for a long time. After a while you learn to start and ignore hazards that are not in your intended landing area. While you will still hit them with bad shots, they move out of you thought process and you focus on the shot and what you expect out of it, regardless of your surroundings.

With practice and repetition it will come.
 
I doubt it'd be a big deal for low cappers or really good golfers but I'm seasoned, been playing for 20 years and while I don't get nervous per se, I do still overthink and worry about mishits, etc
 
Heck yeah it happens. I don't think anyone is above that, pros included. Not as severe for a pro, but horses for courses. Think of it as a character builder, everyone needs to be humbled now and again. Don't sweat it, embrace it, learn from it.

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When I play a course that looks tight from the tee box I really have trouble committing to my shot and I really start to hit it bad. There are some courses/holes that just get in my head.
 
Those golf course designers... they sure know how to strike fear before you take your shot.
 
deceiving hole gets to me at times. I know the number and I know what club I should hit but when that shot has water, bunkers, trees, etc. around the shot, I do something stupid.
This also makes you play smart though. You play a shot that would get you into least amount of trouble (if missed). Course management is key.
This is why golf is the greatest and the most challenging game ever! We love it no matter what.
 
I wouldn't say intimidated as much as certain things make a shot very uncomfortable for me. Mainly greens that are closer to you in the front right and angle farther away with water in front and left. Fast greens with lots of slope is fun to me though, especially if I know the greens well enough to be able to leave my approach below the hole. Not being intimidated in no way means I won't play badly though. That being said showing up and playing a place like Oakmont or Pine Valley would be intimidating.
 
Intimidated not really but uncomfortable yes. As a fader I have a tough time getting to left pins, more so if I've put myself on the wrong side of the fairway and dl left holes. I just work with what I've got and live with the consequences.
 
Oh yeah - some courses can really get in my head. Happens to the best of us and will get quieter as you get better but I have to imagine it never goes away.
 
I don't get intimidated but I do suffer some from an excited anxiety when playing an exceptional course. Just get too amped-up and fight to tone things down.
 
This is how I feel on any Trevino design. I'm literally scared to swing anything other than a wedge on some of those diabolical designs, and it usually leads to a lot of poor swings and lost balls.

It's all mental and I need to find a way to get over that hump of letting a course get into my head and affecting my swing.
 
I'm generally not intimidated by a tough course, as I have a lot of confidence in my game. However, on occasion, greens will get in my head, and I will just have a miserable day with the putter. For example, the greens @ Hype (The Ranch) were playing pretty quick, and for whatever reason I was terrified to putt. I even called a 4 putt before I got to the green, a self fulfilling prophecy. It was awful.
 
There is one course I play fairly often that if you are above the hole it is easier to save the time and just throw it off the front of the green.
 
Sometimes when i play some of the tougher courses it does get in my head and the score card shows it. Usually when i go back to play another time or two at the same tough course i do much better. The mental game of golf, it will get you sometimes.
 
Water and tall rough usually cause some concern but usually no big deal. My home course is very narrow and line with houses on both sides. First few months, I was definitely intimidated but after hitting fairways enough times it’s no longer the factor. I actually prefer these types of courses because there are a lot of target to aim at/for. The wide open courses are usually harder for me because there’s nothing to aim and my mind can play tricks sometimes.

Most other courses I play either put the rough or water next to the tee box for maximum visual effect but there are of no concerns to better players they don’t even see it. It’s the high handicappers who’s more effected by the intimidation factor and fail to clear 180 yard carry over the tee shot.

I’m playing in a tournament at a course with all the features and hazard mentioned above and I’ve been putting in some practice rounds for preparation. I just drop the club and choose conservative target and take aggressive swing at it. It;s the safest route. Many high handicappers like to take the bold route and execute with tentative swing which usually spells disaster any day of the week.

So sure golfers of all levels get intimidated by the hazards “if” they are going to come into play, many just choose to play safer route and reduce or eliminate the intimidation factor.
 
One of the easy local course has a hell for me two hole stretch, I never play it well, and over years of doing this I pray for two pars on what really should be an easy even score or even one under every time. It's holes 8 and 9. 8 is legit tough, it's a 445 yard par 4 (it's dead straight yet GPS has it at 488 from the center of the back tee box). It almost always plays into the wind and unless I smite one, I rarely have less than 5i in. It's the only legitimate hard hole on the course. 9 is just in my head. It's a par 5 that's shorter than the par 4 8th by 30 yards and almost always plays downwind. It's the type of hole I SHOULD be hitting driver wedge into. I say should because that's never happened. I think it got into my head years ago when I couldn't hit a draw as that is required to hit anything more than 5i off the tee. There's OB left and woods right on this dogleg left. It is fairly tight but nothing to be feared. Bat dang if I ever hit a good tee shot. I've got to the point that I just hit 8i, 8i, W and play it as a three shotter if I have a score to protect. Even here the bleeding doesn't always stop as it has a two tiered green (left high, right low) with everything right running down into oblivion and the woods. Miss it left, the safe miss, and you're above the green with no real hope of staying on it unless you get lucky. Don't get me wrong the hole is fair. But it's in my head that I'm going to suck on it and I usually don't disappoint. I've had many an under par nine ruined by these two holes. Luckily this course is really easy outside of these two and the next four holes (10-13) are all legitimate birdie holes (two medium par 5's and two driveable par 4's) so it gives you a good shot at turning it back around.

Reading what I just wrote I think I can put a finger on what's the main difference between a scratch and a pro. The pros would eat 9 alive. A driver/wedge par 5? Tour average would probably be under 4 on this hole. My average would probably be around 4 if I didn't have 20 years of bad results on this hole and played the course for the first time tomorrow. My shoulders slump a little when I'm walking off the green at 7 on this course. I'm a mental midget. Those guys, the ones who are good, they're not.
 
I don't know why it is, but I seem to be the sort of person that when faced with a tough course that I have never played before that I get all excited and anxious about the various challenges that I will encounter. I concentrate and focus harder on a new course I've never played before and end up making some of my better shots. I even get on my Swing X Swing app and check out distances and hazard location the day before playing, then use gps my first time which is really helpful.
 
When I was first figuring out the game...I read somewhere that when you have an intimidating hole, you should find your target in the top of the trees or on the horizon, so that your focus is not on any of the hazards.

In fact you don't even see them.

I have one hole on my home course I do that on today, and it works like a charm.

Try it sometime.
 
The first time I played the TPC stadium course I was very jittery and found my game in the middle of the round. The next time up I shot under par. Huge difference knowing what to expect.
 
I used to be intimidated and uncomfortable now with more play/ practice and confidence I try and focus on taking what the course gives me.

I'm not an aggressive player I'm definitely more conservative and methodical in my approach so hazards/bunkers/forced carries don't get in my head anymore


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there are certain holes at the courses that I play that just get in your head. If I'm playing well its usually not much of an issue. If my game is at all shakey that day though, watch out.

The only way I have found personally to deal with it it stop thinking about the hole, but instead think about the shot (like I am at the range). Focus on the process of the shot and I can usually come out alright (usually).
 
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