It’s US Open week!

Don’t you just love watching the US Open every year? I sure do. And what could be better than to have it at Pebble? If there was ever an event I would love to attend, this would be it. Unfortunately, I’ll be viewing from the comforts of my own home. At least we have a large screen and HD. I suppose that is the next best thing to being there.

Think about what is going through each player’s mind as they make final preparations for the first tee on Thursday. Can you imagine trying to contain the nerves and excitement? Even the veterans get extremely nervous at the Open. What must the rookies be experiencing? Or how about the player who made it through local qualifiers? US Open pressure is way beyond intense!

Maybe you and I have never and will never experience this level of pressure and nerves, but what about the butterflies that get flapping when we play? What about the 6 foot putt on the 18th green to shoot your best round ever? What about playing for bragging rights with friends on the weekend. Or what about playing in local tournaments? Everyone who plays golf will deal with nerves at some point, the question is how will you handle them? Handle them well and you will no doubt play better golf, especially in situations with pressure.

Which brings me back to the US Open; is there anything we can learn about handling nerves and pressure from this worldwide event?

Absolutely. Here are 3 great tips many tour pros use that are just as effective for you and I.

1. Visualize – If I had a big match coming up, I would start weeks early and begin to visualize the upcoming atmosphere. The mind is  incredibly powerful if you will just use it in the right way. Visualize the pressure. See yourself on the first tee ripping one down the middle. Imagine yourself encountering adversity on the golf course and remaining calm and focused. The brain has the unique ability to imagine situations so clearly that they almost become real. This means you can actually practice handling pressure without being on a course. Visualization is a powerful tool and you can bet the tour players are using this very technique in preparation for the US Open this weekend.

2. Manage Expectations – Newsflash: you will hit some bad shots next time you play. And guess what, so will Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods at this year’s US Open. Everyone hits bad shots. What makes great players great is their ability to recover and remain focused. Can you regroup quickly or do you throw a few clubs and check out for the next three holes? It’s absolutely critical that golfers of all abilities learn to properly manage expectations. Now this doesn’t mean you stand over the ball expecting to hit it poorly. It simply means that you have an understanding of how the game works. Everyone hits poor shots, including you. Regroup, refocus and make the most of the next shot.

3. Focus on Process – If you hit a good putt, chances are good it will go in. The process always directly influences the result. That being said, where should your focus be placed, on the process or the result? It should be placed on the process. You don’t hit fairways by thinking about hitting fairways. You hit them by sticking to your pre shot routine, picking a good target and making a good pass at the ball. If you do all the above well, your ball will likely find the short grass. Pressure has a tendency to take us out of our normal routine. What you have to do is learn to consciously get yourself back to the process that has worked for you so many times in the past. Stay focused on process and you will begin to see better results, especially when under pressure.

At the end of the day, there simply is no way to eliminate nerves and pressure. And even if you could, why would you? Isn’t that nervous feeling what makes the game so much fun? Look forward to your next opportunity to face the pressure. It may not be as intense as the US Open this week, but it will still get your heart pumping. Remember the 3 tips from above and you’ll have a great chance of performing well when it’s all on the line.

Good luck next time you tee it up and the butterflies are present. And don’t forget to tune in this week to see how the best in the world handle immense pressure at the US Open. It will no doubt be an amazing event to watch!

Check back soon.

 Mike

Follow me on Twitter: @Mike_Snyder

And never forget that learning to play better golf is as much about training the mind as it is about training the body!