Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Golf Psychology: Quiet Your Putting Demons And Win Under Pressure

By Lisa Lane Brown


Pro golfers agree that mental golf psychology is imperative to winning under pressure. Golf writer Peter Dobereiner said; "Half of golf is fun; the other half is putting". For most golfers, that's because the more the stakes go up, the more difficult the short putt becomes. Making a short putt is easy when the results don't mean a thing. But place just one dollar on the putt and see how much tougher it becomes. It's even tougher when winning your match depends on it.

The number one reason most golfers miss their putts is because they put pressure on themselves. The don't have the mental golf psychology it takes to play a consistent game of golf. The secret is not to perform well under pressure. The secret to great golfers is their ability to create a mental environment where they are not affected by the pressure. A unique mental golf psychology.

Removing putting pressure is much easier than you might think. Here is a great golf psychology tip that works. First, you stop thinking about whether you are going to make your putt. But if you aren't thinking about that, what do you think about in order to win under pressure?

You think about a Right Focus. A Right Focus is a simple goal that is within your control. There is a famous story about Jack Nicklaus' reaction to a missed putt. After he missed a short putt a fan said, "Sorry you missed that one, Jack." Jack replied, "I didn't miss the putt. It just didn't go in." That's a great example of the Right Focus. He hit the line and speed he wanted (something in his control), and did not focus on the putt going in (something not in his control).

When it comes to putting golf psychology, there's a great Right Focus that will quiet you putting demons. I call it "Bullseye". You probably know what a Bullseye is - it's the red spot on an archery target. In golf, to get your putting Bullseye, start with your normal routine, including crouching behind your ball to pick the line.

The first step is to find your exact target, when you are standing over your ball in your putting stance. Decide on a Bullseye (target) at the end of your line that you want your ball to hit. It may be a piece of sand, a blade of grass, or the edge of the cup. Even if there is no break, it could be a piece of grass in the middle of the back or front of the cup. Make sure your Bullseye is EXACT.

Once you locate your Bullseye, direct your eyes quietly on the Bullseye for a moment. Next, bring your eyes directly back to the back of your ball where your putter makes contact. Keep your eyes on your ball for a moment. Then, swing your putter, making sure you keep your eyes on the ball the entire time you swing.

The Bullseye Right Focus works because putting is an aiming skill. When you train your eyes on a Bullseye for one second, you set your aiming command properly. You also relax. Instead of putting pressure on yourself, you've given yourself a beautiful Right Focus that works.

The right golf mental training, knowing what to pay attention to on the golf course, is the difference between winning and losing under pressure. In fact, an excellent golf psychology is a mindset anyone can learn with a bit of practice.




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