“If you’re not a little nervous before a match, you probably don’t have the expectations of yourself that you should have,”

Hale Irwin, 3-time US Open Champion

We all face it. Or them.

Nervousness or nerves.

Got a big meeting? A big date? A deadline looming? A job interview? Playing golf with the boss?

There are hundreds of instances throughout our life routines where being nervous is part of the package. And as we attempt to do in this column, we look to golf pros for tips that will help our games and our business. So, take a deep breath, visualize and continue reading for a few tips that will help you deal with golf or business anxiety.

Scott Greer is a longtime and well-respected Las Vegas PGA teaching professional. He is the director of golf at Callaway Golf Center, one of the Southern Nevada’s busiest golf spots. Here are his five tips that you can use to overcome your nerves, on or off the course.

1. Be confident.

“You have to be confident if you want to do things well,” says Greer. “To be confident, you have to know your subject matter to be successful. It’s a lot easier said than done, but you have to be confident in anything you do if you want a chance at success.”

2. Do the proper research and preparation.

This is a big key to building confidence. You need to know exactly what will happen, and also put in the time to know the subject matter. On the course, know the yardage, what the hole looks like, where the hazards are, etc., before you hit a shot.

Off the course, do the proper research on the subject and know what you are talking about. Greer likened hitting a first-tee shot to speaking in front of a group or having a job interview.

“You better know your subject,” Greer says. “You better research it, and know it very well before you walk into an interview or speak to a group. If you don’t, you’ll stammer through it and nothing good will come of it. And on the course, you better know the situation before you play your shot.”

3. Practice with purpose.

“You have to have a reason to hit balls on the range,” Greer says. “It won’t do much good if you just hit ball after ball on the range without a purpose. For years, I never understood what people meant when they said I needed to picture things. Now I completely understand it, and I can picture every shot and everything.”

Greer says that when you’re on the range you should picture the shot you want to play before every practice shot, just like you should do on the course.

4. Have a plan and follow the checklist.

A consistent pre-shot routine in golf is a must. Greer says you should figure out what gets you comfortable before a shot, and do that every time. He says he will make a practice swing at about one-tenth his normal tempo to calm his nerves, and to make sure he focuses on the having the proper swing tempo. And have a checklist of things you need to do to hit a good shot.

Make a smooth swing. Check. Find a target. Check. Make sure your stance is right. Check. Whatever “checks” you need, make sure you list them and follow that list … every time.

Off the course, a pre-shot routine can also help. Before a meeting, take some deep breaths, get a drink of water, go over some notes, etc. Whatever you need to do to get comfortable, do it.

5. Find a mentor or imitate someone great.

“Imitation is a great way to learn,” says Greer. “Find someone great at what you want to be great at, sit down, watch, keep your mouth shut and learn. Then put into motion what makes that person great.”

Visit www.businessunderpar.com to find Scott Greer’s information if you are interested in taking lessons from him.

Golf world challenge: There are dozens of articles written about how to overcome the first tee jitters. Greer did a great job in breaking down some of his swing keys. The following are five other tips, as provided in an article on www.golfonline.com by Top 100 teacher Dave Allen. 1. Be wary of using the driver. 2. Stick to the plan. 3. Rehearse your swing. 4. Waggle to reduce tension. 5. Complete your backswing.

To take lessons from Scott Greer at Callaway Golf Center, call 702.896.4100.