First Tee Nerves: Why Golfers Play Scared (And How to Play Freely) | Dr Raymond Prior (Part 2)

First Tee Nerves: Why Golfers Play Scared (And How to Play Freely) | Dr Raymond Prior (Part 2)

March 16, 2026 · 50 min · Season 2 · Episode 10

About this episode

The episode explores the mental challenges golfers face, particularly the fear of failure on the first tee, through insights from performance psychologist Dr Raymond Prior.

Most golfers aren’t trying to hit the shot they want — they’re trying to avoid the one they fear. In Part 2 of our conversation with performance psychologist Dr Raymond Prior, we go deeper into the mental side of golf — and why so many golfers struggle when it matters most. Why does the first tee feel so terrifying? Why do golfers start protecting a good score instead of chasing a great one? And what’s the crucial difference between being nervous… and being anxious? Raymond explains why...

People in this episode

Hosts: Chris Donaldson, Dave Alexander

Guest: Dr Raymond Prior

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