You are standing over a 5ft putt, which on the practice green you would expect to make without too much difficulty.
However, you are not on the practice green you are on the golf course. This may be a putt to make a birdie on the last hole and win a tournament, it could be a putt to save par or perhaps it is your first putt of the round.
In many situations, including the examples above you can feel a great deal of pressure when making a putt and this can have a negative impact on the outcome. It doesn’t really matter what the exact situation is but if you are feeling the pressure it can lead to missed putts.
There are two things which are happening when you are putting during a round of golf in comparison to the practice green.
There is a build-up of physical tension before making the stroke and your conscious mind interference increases before and after the shot.
You must stop yourself from thinking too much before making an important putt. The longer you stop and think about the shot, the more pressure will build. Try to look at the putt and react rather than look at the putt and think.
This doesn’t mean you should rush the putt. Take two or three looks at the putt and keep to that routine throughout. Just because this may be a more important putt than the previous one, do not take five looks. Stick to the same number of looks and react to what you see rather than thinking about it for too long.
The longer you take looking and thinking about the putt, the more you are allowing the pressure to build on yourself.
The other thing to remember is to breathe. If you can keep control of your breathing when playing an important putt, your technique is more likely to be good. Take a few deep breaths as you approach the ball and exhale.
Remember you have made this putt plenty of times before and just because the situation may be different in terms of the result if you make the putt, the actual shot is the same. You have made this putt before and you know you can do it again.
Keep positive thoughts in your mind when setting up to play a pressure putt. If you are stood above the ball thinking about the consequences if you miss, chances are you will miss.
Instead try thinking about the feeling of making the putt. Visualise the ball dropping into the hole and the happy feeling of making the putt and winning the tournament, making the birdie or saving your par.
If this does not work and you simply cannot shake off the feeling of pressure and nerves, it pays to think about the simple things in life. If you are fit, healthy, happy and have the time to play golf for leisure, things aren’t going badly are they?
Why let one simple putt bother you?
Recent Comments