Stood over the ball on the first tee is the typical time for most golfers to feel extra pressure and stress from a variety of factors. Many of these factors are out of your own control, but still have negative effects on yourself and can cause crucial mistakes to be made on the very first hole. 

Phil Akers, a senior teaching professional at the Belfry believes that trusting your pre-shot routine and your process into the ball is the key to ignoring these factors and being successful with your first shot of the day. 

Phil thinks that there are two key thoughts a golfer should be thinking about before they strike the golf ball:

• What are you going to do? - This thought focuses on the outcome of the shot you want to hit, this means thinking specifically about the shape and flight of the golf ball, seeing it land on the fairway and identifying what is your target line in the distance. This thought will get you in a clear mindset over what you are wanting to achieve. 

• How are you going to do it? - This thought focuses on the feelings or movements you have practiced on the range and are going to help you achieve the specific golf swing that is natural and successful to you. 

These simple thoughts can massively improve the feeling you have when heading to the first tee. Imagining positive thoughts for your first shot and ignoring the outside influences out of your control, will most likely result in a positive outcome.