The First Hole Can Dictate the rest of the round

For me, the golf round starts well before I reach the golf course. It starts at home . Also read – Playing your first golf tournament

If I am rushed by work calls or anything else at home, that’s not a good omen for the upcoming golf round. It is best to stay away from work and any other stress inducing factors prior to a round. Should you find yourself able to compose yourself,

Two intangibles – Your clothing and your belly

If you are mentally composed (unrushed) on the first tee, you may be thinking that you have won the battle. You take your first swing and find no smoothness, no direction. Why?

Have you checked your clothing? Are you trying to ‘look cool’ (sunglasses, tight shirts, shorts…?). The ideal clothing is cool and stretchable – as you swing back, it stretches with your arm/chest muscles. The ideal clothing does not restrict. It also keeps you cool in high temperatures. Shoes – wear golf shoes – not tennis shoes.

That’s what I call an intangible – you just need to prepare by dressing appropriately beforehand. Otherwise, an uphill battle awaits you..

The other intangible that is often missed is the state of your stomach / belly . Have you had a large meal prior to the round? Have you maybe missed your acid medication, and are experiencing bloating? These may seem unrelated to your golf swing, but I am here to inform you otherwise. Bloating – small or large – will take the fun out of your round of golf. More importantly, it will interfere with a smooth swing in ways untold. I initiate by backswing with my left shoulder pushing back (pushing the rest of the  body back). Should the belly put up resistance, this push back is not going to be smooth – and I will need to compensate somewhere. Typically, I will end up shortening my backswing and possibly even my wrist hinge.

All this is a long way to tell you to prepare your stomach and your clothing (including shoes) for a round of golf.

The First Hole

Most likely, your Driver is on it’s way out of the bag. Now, in a sense, the driver is the easiest club to hit. I know several folks who can get a great drive out there, but things are not guaranteed from there on. The reason the driver is easier to hit is because of it’s huge head and it’s lighter weight (compared to other clubs). The only thing you need to get right is your driver setup. And your swing needs to be flattened out – turning your back to the ball even if you lose sight of the ball.

Summary

A lot of people tell me that they mess up their first hole – and then the whole round goes downhill (though sometimes, they get their swing back during the round). My personal experience has been – what happens on the first hole – is carried with you throughout the round. Make a good swing off the first tee  – and the rest of your round will go smoothly (provided you replicate the same setup feel that you used on the first tee). Read this post on carrying a single FEEL  (no more than ONE) for a round of golf. For a good driver swing thought, see this post.