3 Tips to Putt Better Under Pressure

Are you the type of person who loves standing over short putts and thrives off them.  

You just love the challenge they bring, especially when they’re more meaningful putts, down the stretch or when you’ve got a good score going. 

A lot of golfers don’t see it this way!!

• Many golfers stand over a must make 5 footer, with their mind in overdrive.
• Many golfers concentrate too much attention on the outcome, “holing the putt” and the pro’s of holing the putt or the costs of missing it.
• Many golfers get into “judgement mode”, judging their skill level based on recent past putts, wheying up the difficulty of the putt, and the likelihood of them holing it.
• Many golfers try to focus their attention so hard that they are willing the putt in.
• And lots of golfers approach these pressurised 5 foot putts, wanting to get them over and done with as quickly as possible.  Often making a quick, jerky, stab-like stroke at the ball.

What is a better approach?

1. Simplify the Task in Hand in a Non-Judgemental Way

Try to take emotion out of the situation.  What do you see in front of you?  A small round ball with a diameter of not less than 42.7mm, with many dimples on, a logo and a mark to identify your ball.  The ball may be new and shiny or scuffed to pieces!  Between you and the hole which measures 10.8cm wide in diameter and a minimum of 10.16cm in depth are thousands of blades of grass.  Approach it with the mindset of it’s a 5 foot putt.  The same 5 foot putt that you come across on the practice green.  Or on the 1^st or the 9^th hole.  It’s a 5 foot putt, end of!

2. Consider what your job is?

When asked this question, most of my clients and golfers in general will answer very quickly – it is to hole the putt of course, with a strange look as if I’m stupid!  But I’m going to beg to differ and here’s why.   

Let’s consider the best golfers in the world who play on the PGA tour.  The tour average percentage of putts made from 5 feet is 81.14% as I write this post.  So roughly 1 from 5 putts on tour is missed.  Yet I bet 99% of these players in practice can make over a 100 5 footers in a row.   It doesn’t stack up does it!

Why do they miss 1 from 5 then? If all you think about and focus on is the HOLE you are in trouble.  If all you say to yourself is “I MUST hole this putt”, the hole also becomes a lot smaller.  Tension creeps into your grip without you knowing it.  A quiet mind become a busy mind, so pre-occupied by the OUTCOME, of holing the damn putt! And lastly, and so importantly your tempo get’s faster.       

So my advice is for you to change the meaning of what your job is – try this approach for a bit.  You job should be to simply try to put a smooth stroke on the putt.  And this can be for a 2 footer, a 5 footer or a 30 footer.  This approach can help normalise the situation and release the pressure valve that you put on yourself.