Golf Trip Tips: Preparing for your golf tournament

Everyone wants to play to be at the top of their game during a golf trip. But tournaments can put a little more pressure on a golfer than usual. If you happen to be invited to a competition, there's some expectations you will play at your best and you may feel edgier just at the thought of it.

How can you turn this pressure into success on your tournament? Work on it before and the day of. Here are some tips:

Check your list

Packing your things for your upcoming golf tournament can be a daunting task. So before you go away to your golf vacation destination, make sure your clubs, tees, pitch mark repairer, ball marks, and your gloves are packed beforehand.

Practice on the golf course

Go to the golf course and play with your buddy. Simulate the pressure of being in a tournament and learn to commit to shots. This way you can practice your swings, putting and things that can help you score. And through playing, you can actually see your strengths and weaknesses. If you don’t have someone to play with, compete with yourself and the conditions.

Your mindset 

You play on the same course, environment, and venue every day but why can't you consistently hit good shots every time? It's the mind that controls how you play your game. In fact, the hardest thing to control in every game is not the course, wind, or anything. It's your mind. So before you hit the greens, visualize, think positive and have an ideal goal with every shot you take.

Have a goodnight’s sleep

Get a good sleep two nights before the day. Sleep is a very important aspect you should not overlook. In fact, that sleep from your two nights, will carry you through on your tourney. Otherwise, you'll encounter fatigue, poor concentration, negative game mood and higher risk of injuries.

Eat

Start with a good breakfast on the day of competition. You can eat eggs as they are a great source of protein. You can also include oatmeal and fruits, which are helpful in sustaining energy. Lastly, don't forget to drink lots and lots of water to keep yourself hydrated.

Warm up

Focus on your movement’s tempo and balance. Most golfers tend to speed up their swing when under pressure and move too quick. Take note, hasty movements are likely to result in unsure shots.

Hit a few different shots

An hour before the competition, go directly to the putting green and hit a lot of long putts to establish a feel of the greens. And after about fifteen minutes, go to the driving range where you work through the bag. You can start with the lob wedge and hit a few with each of the other clubs.

Hit some chips

After warming up, go to the chipping area for a few bunker and chip shots, then go back to the putting green and putt as many as you can.

Above all, don't be afraid to fail and always believe in your abilities when you're on your golf trip.