How To Calm Tournament Nerves

Nerves happen. Especially before and during a round of tournament disc golf. This is by no means a sign that something is wrong. Quite contrarily, this is a good thing as it shows you care. This article will expound upon various ways to deal with nerves including preparing your body and mind before you show up to the course, breathing, pre-shot routine, allowing yourself to throw bad shots, and bringing a caddie. As you play more tournaments you will find a groove and your own recipe for how to deal with nerves. Take what speaks to you from this article and leave the rest. The most important thing is to have a game plan for dealing with nerves and stick to it.

Prepare the Body and Mind

Prepare your body and mind before you show up to the course. If you’re anything like me, nerves are your companion as soon as you wake up on a tournament day. Befriend them! It is important to be skillful at this stage in your day. Do your best not to resist or vilify the nerves. This will only make them stronger. Start with an easily digestible meal (I enjoy smoothies) 2-3 hours before your round. This gives you ample time to digest and have the body at its energetic peak when it is time to tee off. Then have a stretching session at home where you target large muscle groups (you will stretch more specific muscle groups once you arrive at the course).

Next, it is time to breathe and focus the mind. Whether it is meditation, Wim Hof method of deep breathing, prayer, etc. make sure to focus the mind. Even if it is noticing that the mind is racing, this step gives you the ability to calm yourself no matter what is present. Take some advice from the ancient Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu;

“Know yourself and you will win all battles.”

Bring this mental space with you to the course and allow it to be your constant companion. I like to use a positive affirmation (ie. mantra) that I start mentally rehearsing in the morning. This statement is simple and to the point. I use the phrase “I can” and recite it throughout the morning and throughout my round as I fluctuate through whatever the day brings. The key is to have a solid foundation inside that you can return to as your round plays out. Stay positive!

Just Breathe

Breathing is your best friend when it comes to dealing with tournament nerves. During your round, the breath is your constant companion. It is always with you and can tell you a lot about how you are feeling. Is it quick and shallow? Slow and deep? All over the place?

We have all heard the cliche to “take a deep breath” when dealing with nerves. But there is great wisdom in this sentiment. According to this article by Harvard Medical School, “Deep abdominal breathing encourages full oxygen exchange — that is, the beneficial trade of incoming oxygen for outgoing carbon dioxide. Not surprisingly, it can slow the heartbeat and lower or stabilize blood pressure.”

It is scientifically proven that taking a deep breath calms your being. Use this to your benefit. Include it in your pre-shot routine and allow your energies to focus on your current shot instead of on anxious thoughts.

Pre-Shot Routine

Develop a pre-shot routine. This is best done during practice time and developed over time. This will ensure that when you arrive on tournament day you have a routine before every shot that is designed to instill confidence and calm the nerves. This routine is completely subjective but should combine two aspects; visualization and a deep breath. Start by checking out environmental factors (ie. wind, obstacles, OB, etc) and visualize the flight of the disc. Whether this is off the tee, on the putting green, or anywhere in between, visualize the exact flight you are hoping for. Then take a deep breath and execute.

Without a pre-shot routine players tend to speed up their play. There is a tendency to play fast and get the shot over with. Instead of negative affirmations or thinking about where you don’t want to throw, bring in positive affirmations and visualize where you DO want to throw. Take your time. You have 30 seconds to take your shot so make sure to use some of that time to settle your nerves. A consistent pre-shot routine will shave strokes off your game. Jack Nicklaus is one of the greatest ball golfers of all time. He had this to say about his antidote to nerves while playing;

“I never hit a shot, not even in practice, without having a very sharp, in-focus picture of it in my head.”

Allow Yourself To Throw Bad Shots

Bad shots are going to happen. The issue at hand is not in the shot but in how we react to the shot. Indeed, there will be frustration, no problem there. But how does this linger? Throughout my early years in tournaments, I would be crushed by bad shots. My confidence would crack and a trembling feeling would overtake my being and it could take many holes to shake free. By this point, my score would falter and I’d be out of the chase. This happened EVERY tournament round to some extent. And as I’ve spoken with more and more tournament disc golfers this is a common theme. So what to do about dealing with bad shots? I’ll give you a quote by Nate Perkins;

“Don’t live the story of your round.”

The story of your round is described by how your round is playing out. Whether you start out on fire, poorly, or somewhere in between, your round is going to have many ebbs and flows. Do not get attached to any “high too high” or “low too low.” Oftentimes players will put added pressure on certain shots if they are playing greatly or poorly. A general feeling that they “need this shot” will pervade and shots become forced as nerves rise.

Focus on each shot and only that shot. Do not bring the “story of your round” into every shot you throw. Players who bring the story of their round into shots will say things like “of course that happened” or “every time” or any number of other expletives not cut out for this article. But the point here is simple; step up to every shot with freshness. There is only one task at hand, throw the best shot you can.

Bring a Caddie

One final antidote to nerves is to include a team member; a caddie. Many amateurs and non-touring professionals do not take advantage of having a caddie. A caddie is there for support, both physically and mentally. Use this opportunity! Make sure that this is someone you trust. Bring a caddie that is a close friend you play with or even a close family member who knows you well. Even if they do not know the game of disc golf they can provide invaluable support throughout a round. These people know you well and can give sound advice when emotions run high. It is priceless to have a caddie that you can depend on to simply get some words off your chest to calm the nerves.

Conclusion

Nerves are a part of the game. They show that you care and when dealt with skillfully they can allow you to play better. This can be done via multiple channels including preparing yourself before your round, breathing, pre-shot routine, allowing yourself to throw bad shots, and bringing a caddie. No one of these is any more important than the other. The idea is to create your own recipe so that you are prepared to deal with the inevitable tournament day nerves. Enjoy the process and know that the skills you are learning on the course will translate into your life off the course.