This article was machine-translated from the Korean original. Read the Korean original
I stepped onto the tee box, and the group ahead is still on the fairway. The group behind is waiting in the cart.
And all three of my companions are looking at me.
Suddenly, I can't remember how to hold the grip. You might wonder if this is the same person who was playing well just moments ago.
It's natural for anyone's body to freeze when someone watches.
01What the gaze does to the body
If you have eyes watching, your body changes like this.
| What | how |
|---|---|
| Sense of time | It gets faster. It feels like I'm standing still longer than I actually am. |
| field of vision | It's getting narrower. I can only see the ball, not the goal. |
| hand | I end up gripping tightly. My forearm stiffens. |
| judgment | It changes to "must hit well." Safe choices disappear. |
The biggest problem is the sense of time.
I thought, "I have to hit it fast," so I skipped the preparation, and since I skipped the preparation, I made a mistake.
In reality, 10 seconds is enough from addressing the ball to hitting it. The group behind you waits that long as well.
02Please decide the order in advance.
If you try to overcome your nervousness with your thoughts, you lose. The sequence your body has memorized wins.
- Set a target behind the ball.Two steps back from the ball. Decide where to send it from here.
- Align the club with the target line.Before standing next to the ball, set your pace toward the target.
- Place your foot, shake it once, and hit it.Don't think from here on. Finish it in 3 seconds.
Do these three things in the same order every time. Do the same on the practice pad.
Then, even if someone is watching, the body operates on its own. There is no room for thoughts to intervene.
03Why are two steps behind the ball important?
If you stand right next to the ball, you can't see anything but the ball. You can't see the target.
If you step back two steps behind the ball, the ball and the target appear in a straight line.
Choose a spot to drop from there and enter. This single action expands your field of vision.
04The feeling that "I have to hit it fast"
You're probably worried about the team behind you waiting. But what actually takes up time isn't preparing for the shot.
- Time to find the ball
- Time spent going back and forth unable to choose a club
- Time to hit again after a miss
It is much faster to prepare properly and send it all at once.
So, use 10 seconds confidently.
There are also things that are good to do in advance.
- Select a club from the cart and come out.Time flies if you hesitate at the tee box.
- Practice swings while waitingOnly once on my turn
- Keep the ball and tee in your hand beforehandIt takes surprisingly long to rummage through pockets.
- Tighten the gloves when hitting the person in front.It's trivial, but it's getting pushed back in the order.
05If your hands still tremble
Try three things. Do them in order, and stop at the one that works.
- Exhale slowly. Inhale for 4 seconds and exhale for 6 seconds, twice. This is the method covered in [[LINK:L02]].
- Put the club down and grip it again. Your hand strength is draining away.
- Switch to a safer club. If you are afraid of the driver, use a wood or a utility club.
The third one is often the real answer. Rather than hitting out of bounds while trying to pretend to play well,
The one who gets the ball onto the fairway with a comfortable club wins.
06Actually, nobody watches.
This will be the most helpful.
Playing partners are busy thinking about their own shots. They aren't dissecting others' swings.
The team in front isn't looking back because they're on their way to their hole. The team behind is talking amongst themselves.
Even if you miss, everyone forgets it in 30 seconds. The only one who remembers it is the person who hit you.
So just relax and hit the ball. That will lead to better results.
In the next part, I will cover how to retrieve a ball from a divot.
