Golf Tips

Simulating pressure #2

Much of my early Golf in the Now tips were instruction based, and there is much value in that. Now, as a more seasoned instructor, I see the importance of teaching ALL aspects of golf that affect on-course performance. For instance, how can we practice handling “pressure” that we sometimes face on the course? The key is to simulate in practice various situations that create stress or have “consequences”. For instance:

1- Try a putting drill called 5 to 1. Take five golf balls and line them up at 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 feet. Then, make 5 in a row at two feet, walking to the cup each time to retrieve the ball. If you can do this, then make 4 in a row from four feet. Upon doing that, make 3 in a row from 6 feet, 2 from 8 feet and then you GRADUATE if you make the ten-footer. In all, you would need to make 15 consecutive putts. The real value of this is not in making 15 straight putts, but it’s in recognizing your rise in heart rate and tension in your mind/body when you get to the last few putts. Trust me, you WILL feel it. But realize that your confidence can really go up if you can make those pressure putts.

2- Play an up and down game with one wedge, a putter and ONE golf ball. Create a 9-hole course on the putting green and set a target score. Don’t leave until you beat it. You get no mulligans and you must putt everything out. Becoming proficient at saving shots around the green is such a “score-dropper”, and I don’t think most of you understand how significantly you can improve your scores if you can just save par 1-3 times more per 9 holes on average. So, set a challenging standard just above where you feel comfortable: say 24 strokes for 9 holes. That would be 9 chips, 6 two putts and 3 one putts. So, you would have 3 out of 9 “up and downs.” If you can become 3 strokes more proficient for 9 holes, that is 6 strokes for 18 holes, which can make your 94 an 88, and so on.

Remember, pressure is internally based. How you deal with it will determine your performance. It can spur you on to great things, or paralyze you. I look at a pressure situation as an opportunity to hit the best shot of your life. Think how that feels when you pull it off. Let’s try to use pressure to help us play our very best!