Tempo and pressure

Symptoms in this group

Each one starts from something you can see for yourself. Open it to find what that shot can come from.

• Great on the range, lost on the course

  You strike it well ball after ball on the range, then the same swing starts topping and chunking it, or sending it sideways, as soon as the round begins.

• I fall apart on the first tee

  The opening tee shot comes off topped, duffed or sideways, far below your normal standard, and it can take several holes before your game settles.

• One bad shot turns into a blow-up hole

  A single poor shot becomes a triple bogey or worse, and the damage often carries on into the next few holes.

• I play much worse when it counts

  Your scores in competitions, matches and any round with something riding on it are far worse than your casual scores, and a good score coming into view only makes it worse.

• I keep taking on shots I can't pull off

  The big numbers come from decisions rather than swings: going for greens out of range, threading gaps through trees and firing at every flag.

• My swing feels rushed and too quick

  The swing snatches from the top with no rhythm to it, and the smooth practice swing you made a moment earlier turns quick and jerky once there is a ball in front of you.

• I overthink my swing on the course

  Several swing thoughts compete while you stand over the ball, the swing comes out stiff and unfamiliar, and the harder you try to apply what you have been working on, the worse the shots get.

• Losing balance and falling out of the finish

  The swing ends in a stumble, a step or a fall instead of a finish you can hold, and the strike is unpredictable with it.

• My setup is different every time

  There is no set sequence before your shots, so aim, ball position, stance and grip drift from one swing to the next, and you often arrive over the ball still unsure of the shot.