Performing Under Pressure?

Hello everyone,

As part of my Masters in Sport Psychology I am conducting some research into performing under pressure. We are interested in whether an individual's personality influences how they perceive and perform under different types of pressure in sport (eg. large crowd, financial reward etc). This research takes the form of a 15 minute questionnaire and is open to any adult (18+) who has played a sport competitively in the last 5 years (this includes matches for a local club). Furthermore, 8 participants will be selected at the end of the study to win a £25 amazon voucher.

If anyone would like to take part in this research then please follow this link to the online questionnaire - http://brunellifesc.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_87DKcn9HHRkpSF7.

Hi Rob. I have won a few big events in my time. If you want to know how to perform under pressure just ask me anything.

I’d be happy to take part, I’ve won some club tournaments and I’ve also bottle jobbed some from good positions.

I also reckon I’ve been through phases where Ive put too much pressure on myself to perform. I’ve now had a change in attitude but I’m still descending into Poopie. My questionnaire answers will therefore probably be all over the place.

McLaren wrote:Hi Rob. I have won a few big events in my time. If you want to know how to perform under pressure just ask me anything.

super_realist wrote:

McLaren wrote:Hi Rob. I have won a few big events in my time. If you want to know how to perform under pressure just ask me anything.

:laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing:

Rob you should also think about probing Super_Realist's mind, he won the club champs at one of TOC clubs a couple of years ago.

In regards to pressure. I always play better when I am in the mindset of not really caring too much. The moment I attach any sort of significance or worry about what my score is then I notice a downturn in my game.

Has to be said that probably none of us have played under genuine pressure. In reality nothing is really on the line, and no one cares about our achievements.

super_realist wrote:In regards to pressure. I always play better when I am in the mindset of not really caring too much. The moment I attach any sort of significance or worry about what my score is then I notice a downturn in my game.

Has to be said that probably none of us have played under genuine pressure. In reality nothing is really on the line, and no one cares about our achievements.

Your mates go pretty light and laid back on the banter then :-p

All the best with your research Rob. Its a fascinating topic. I really enjoy Tom Brady and Tiger Woods' clutch moments.

Rob, I get “Not found” when I click on the link

I guess Rob wasn't interested in our exploits.

Have any of you ever been "in the zone" on the golf course? I only have been once, it was an incredible feeling of invincibilty; I still hit bad shots, but they didnt bother me due to high levels of confidence. I've been chasing that dragon ever since.

Not so much in the zone as a feeling of bewilderment of having the ball on a telepathic string.

It is an odd one because I have days where everything is flushed and doesn't require any swing thoughts or anything but I also have rounds where the ball striking isn't top drawer but the score just comes so easily. So what counts as being in the zone?

All my best rounds feel like they have happened when I have been in the correct positions rather than having the best ball striking I can have. For example I had a round 2 weeks ago where I hit 14 greens (2 of the misses still on the fringe,so technically 16 greens) but ended up +3. I can't quite remember the details but I had a few 3 putts and mediocre chips and didn't convert many of the birdie chances. Despite flushing it my inability to score left me feeling really pi55ed off.

Whereas I shot +1 in my last round while hitting most of my irons a little low on the face but holed a few putts, a chip and got some other chips to tap in range. I think I had only one shot all day that had that butter soft right out the sweet spot feel.

I guess my point is that being in the zone for me is about maximising your score based on how you are playing, and that short game is vital to that.

My strategy is often just to concentrate on getting through the first 6 holes when you aren't warmed up, you are still grooving your swing and doubles can come out of nowhere.

It's almost impossible to have around when all aspects of the game are on form at the same time.
I've had great scores with a fair bit of luck and average scores when I've hit it great.
Probably why we keep coming back.

Its also pretty much impossible to be "in the zone" with all aspects of your game on song for 18 holes. I think it's important how we manage the comings and goings during a round. I remember that during my best ever round on my home course I had 7 decent birdie chances on the front 9 (between 4 & 12 feet and missed all of them) I was cursing my luck/myself. At the start of the back 9 I got into trouble on both 10 and 11 and made 8-10 footers for par on 10 and bogey on 11. Whilst mumbling at myself on the way to the 12th tee, one of the guys I was drawn with (who was off scratch) said to me..."Do you know what, those momentum saving putts are more important than birdie putts, Yes you could have been 2-3 under at the turn (think I was 2 over), but now you could be 5 or 6 over and you're not - you just proved there's nothing wrong with your putting". Going down 14 I was 4 over and flushed the approach over the back from a rather fluffy lie. There were 2 voices in my head, the doom monger was going "You're just letting this slip away" the confident voice was going..."to be fair you can chip better than you can putt". Only went and chipped in for the birdie. I had a good up and down on 15 for par, again holing about a 10 footer.
At that point I must have gone into some kind of "zone". The next 3 holes were birdie birdie birdie, holing out from 15', 6' and 20'. I don't know what the trigger was, was it the wise words from the scratch golfer, was it the chip in for the first 'overdue' birdie or was it just the putting percentages balancing themselves out? I have no idea.
The good thing about a finish like that is that at no point in the final few holes did I have the thought that I could win the comp (I did), so pretty much no pressure. Had I birdied 4 of the first 5 rather than 4 of the last 5 would I have played the last 5 so well?

Always more satisfying to have a better back nine than front nine  in my opinion.
Was once - 5 under for the front nine on a course I was a member of (a lot of luck involved, at least one chip in and a couple of long putts), but a very average one over on the back nine. Massively deflating and makes you believe that your brain conspires to get you back to the level it is more comfortable with.

I enjoy the rounds where you've started badly i.e bogey, bogey, bogey and then fight your way back.

All my best scores (all -2 to par , not sure vs sss, on a variety of pars) have been bogey avoidance rounds rather than birdie fests. I think the most birdies I have had in a round is 6 (or at least that's the best I can remember) but I think my -2 rounds had at most 4 birdies.

My point being that at our level (well mine anyway) you are not going to be making a ton of birdies to get shots back. I know that a good round for me will have 3 or 4 birdies at best and so I should plan my course management with that in mind. Attacking golf is suicide if you can't make way more birdies than I do.  Pin high away from the short side will do. Know where to miss on your home course. Also watch how other people make bogies and doubles, you might pick up hints on how not to play certain holes.

A good way to think about course management is to play the hole so that you would have the lowest average score if you played the hole 100 times.


Also Super, I am almost certain I will have asked you this before but what is your lowest score to par and what do you consider to be your best round? (They might be different rounds if you have a round that won you something or was performed under special circumstances even if not your lowest)

Mac, probably my best ever round in terms of the golf I played was a round at Kingsbarns. I hit 17 greens (which is amazing for me as I usually average 11 on a course that doesn't have TOC size greens) and although my score was only level par it was probably the most I've been in control of the golf ball. I even putted well, they just didn't drop.
I've had a lot of low rounds - 6 and - 5 on TOC ( was - 6 after 12 the other week but finished - 4 after turning into the wind ), - 6 on the Eden, - 5 at Murrayshall, and a lot of scores around the - 3/4 level. Hardly ever happens in medals though sadly.

Oddly, although my average score outside medals is obviously lower than medals all my best scores have been in comps. I think it is like exams vs mock exams. How often have you felt screwed after trying a past paper but then do pretty well in the exam. The extra focus and adrenaline in the exam hall brings out a level of performance you can't recreate while studying.

I have many bounce rounds where I can cruise along at level par but it is only in comps where I can turn poor ball striking days into decent rounds. In bounce rounds if I start making bogies I just spiral up to a bad round. Whereas in comps it is easier to adopt a scrambling attitude.


On your best rounds, that is impressive shooting. I would need to find a whole new level to get to -5/-6.

McLaren wrote:Oddly, although my average score outside medals is obviously lower than medals all my best scores have been in comps. I think it is like exams vs mock exams. How often have you felt screwed after trying a past paper but then do pretty well in the exam. The extra focus and adrenaline in the exam hall brings out a level of performance you can't recreate while studying.

I have many bounce rounds where I can cruise along at level par but it is only in comps where I can turn poor ball striking days into decent rounds. In bounce rounds if I start making bogies I just spiral up to a bad round. Whereas in comps it is easier to adopt a scrambling attitude.


On your best rounds, that is impressive shooting. I would need to find a whole new level to get to -5/-6.

There's always an element of luck in those Mac, although a lot of course management to get there too, ie just going for the middle of the green, not pins.
My - 6 round included a pitch in for Eagle on 7 and thinned into 6 inches on the 8th. Missed a few chances to though.

Super

Do you know roughly what your average putts per round is?

McLaren wrote:All my best scores (all -2 to par , not sure vs sss, on a variety of pars) have been bogey avoidance rounds rather than birdie fests. I think the most birdies I have had in a round is 6 (or at least that's the best I can remember) but I think my -2 rounds had at most 4 birdies.

My point being that at our level (well mine anyway) you are not going to be making a ton of birdies to get shots back. I know that a good round for me will have 3 or 4 birdies at best and so I should plan my course management with that in mind. Attacking golf is suicide if you can't make way more birdies than I do.  Pin high away from the short side will do. Know where to miss on your home course. Also watch how other people make bogies and doubles, you might pick up hints on how not to play certain holes.

A good way to think about course management is to play the hole so that you would have the lowest average score if you played the hole 100 times.

Also Super, I am almost certain I will have asked you this before but what is your lowest score to par and what do you consider to be your best round? (They might be different rounds if you have a round that won you something or was performed under special circumstances even if not your lowest)

Indeed that's a big part of performing under pressure Mac is knowing your limitations and having the discipline to stay within them. The guys I played doubles with a few years ago however had the length (and the ability) to play the course totally different from me. In normal summer conditions he's taking an iron 2nd shot to all 3 par 5s and 4 of the par 4s are reachable to him so his birdie potential is significantly more than mine. I've been on 2 of the 4s in one and all 3 par 5s in 2 (one of them only a couple of times in a tailwind in summer hardpan). Don't usually take any of them on in a medal. The big fella, thinks I'm too negative not taking shots on whereas I think he's too gung-ho and one dimensional taking everything on Once saw him have a stinker of a start (6 over through 7) and he finished -1. He was off +1 at the time. His ball striking is so good to be honest he should be +3/+4

With regard to best score, I've never broken par, just levelled it (round mentioned on previous post) although I've beaten SSS twice, oddly both on Carnoustie Burnside.

It's a good point on par 5's and it depends very much on the risk of missing the green with your second shot. One of mine, (not at St Andrews) is very much course management. 3 wood off the tee, 4/5 iron to within 100 yards and a pitch to set up birdie. There's just too much risk and too much chance of a 7 or worse if you play it aggressively and almost no chance of a 3, so it's really not worth the risk.

super_realist wrote:It's a good point on par 5's and it depends very much on the risk of missing the green with your second shot. One of mine, (not at  St Andrews) is very much course management. 3 wood off the tee, 4/5 iron to within 100 yards and a pitch to set up birdie. There's just too much risk and too much chance of a 7 or worse if you play it aggressively and almost no chance of a 3, so it's really not worth the risk.

This gets at my point about playing the hole so that your average score is as low as possible over the long term. Mitigating doubles is one of the keys to this.

Usually if there is significant risk involved and I'm outside 220 yards, I'll just not take the risk.
Strategy and plotting your way around a course is so much more fun than bombing drivers.
A mate of mine hits it a mile, perhaps 60-80 yards further than I do, but at the end of the round I'm almost always lower and most often closer to the pin too.
It's about improving all aspects of your game rather than excelling at one. I've always thought that better course and shot management could get the average 16 handicapper down to 10 or 11 in no time, as players at this level most often don't consider it an option and just hit driver off every tee possible.

It's  probably why I don't rate TOC that highly as a course Mac, because it doesn't really challenge course management at all. You can get away with bad choices whereas it would be far more damaging on other courses.