Performance Anxiety ????

Greetings DiscGolfersR.Us people,

I am writing to get support, and advice. When I play Disc Golf, I generally average around PAR. I am talking about playing a round with family, friends, playing a new course or practicing. Yes we all get bad shots, bad rounds, and even bad days. I tend to shugg it off and continue having fun.
But I have entered three tournaments (Debary "Tour Del Sol" = won Rec Division, Orlando Open = Rec Division & lost and Barnett Championship Adv Masters = kicked my own ass). One out of three isn't that great. I do not have a great deal of discs, and the ones that I do have, I know how to throw them and how they will react. But it seems that when I played the last two tournaments, My disc went haywire and didn't listen, ALOT. I made stupid throws and dumbass mistakes that cost me a lot of strokes.
Could this be classified as "Performance Anxiety" during tournaments? Could it be as simple as "I am not having fun" when I play in tournaments? I am getting tired of putting in money to enter a tournament and walk away with my head held down in shame because I know that I could have done a hell of a lot better. Does anyone else have the same problems? Can anyone relate? What does the DiscGolfersR.Us community have to say?

[Nate Nasty]

i'd say use foreplay to get a good warm up. pull out as often as nessesary. use visualization. condoms help some people

[Nate Nasty]

some are serious in response to there nerves

[Jordan Morris]

You heard what happened to me and chris a couple weeks ago? Just dont do that! lmao

[All day Corey]

If you don't learn to lose gracefully you will never trully appreciate what it means to win. Learn to laugh at your self. All you are doing is playing against you. What you believe is what becomes your reality. You can be your own worse enemy or your best friend and every one needs more friends. Play every course to the strengths of your game. I prefer not to watch what someone else is doing in regards to their shot or flight lines. Play the course before the tournament. Throw different shots before hand and find the one that is most consistant for you. Don't be a chaser. The last thing you need is to take a bogey or worse on a hole when what you really wanted was a birdie. Take your par and move on. If you are conserative and place your shots well, the disc gods will smile on you. Finally, if this sport was easy nobody would want to play it. Remember why you got into this sport. It is a challenge. It keeps you coming back; knowing that if you could just perfect yourself you would throw a better game. I hope you do well. Try not to take your next tounament so seriously. You are just throwing a disc into a basket after all. 

[Gary Burdick]

Vic,  I would say from knowing you and seeing you play, that at tournament level play, you just try to hard and get grip lock or to early of a release.   Just com yourself down, focus, and put the disc where you think it should be for the next shot.  If you just walk up and throw your right hand back hand, it will only go so far, before it goes left.  Unless you can put some more on it, sort of like putting English on a cue ball to make it set up the next shot in a game of pool.   Good luck Sat and Sun. at the 15th. Daytona Open.   GB #554

[Daddy_Dragon]

Disc Golf World.
In the beginning I had a hard time, which
was the reason for this disc ussion.
Then I played at Sarasota and wrote that I had
done well but I couldn't handle the other players
serious Attitude.

Well I ended up playing at the Daytona Open.
I ended up tied for second in my division.

WoW. Last month I tied for forth, and just now
I tied for second. What was the difference ?
I played and I continued to social when things got
quiet and serious. Of course I was respectfull, and didn't
talk when others were playing. But I continued having fun.
Hell I made fun of myself when I goofed or f*cked up.
I should just play and have fun. That is what I finally
got sunk into my head after all this time. My game improves, and now I understand "Just have fun".

Thanks everyone for putting up with me.

Hell maybe next time, I'll tie for first, Hahahaha

[Kory Olko]

Vic, you should have tied for first in Rec. The guy who won shot an average rated round of 948 and you shot an average of 904. Maybe he just happen to shoot well, but in reality he should probably have played Int or even Adv which he would have gotten 2nd in both of those divisions. Keep it up and you'll have that 1st place trophy.

[Daddy_Dragon]

Thanks for the kind words Kory.
But in REALITY, He shot a better game then the rest of us.
Period.
I plan to take it next year.