We've launched the new forums! Read more here

Pressure Putts, How Do You Cope?

thedue

thedue

Another Day in Paradise
Joined
Jul 5, 2009
Messages
25,823
Reaction score
76
Location
Nebraska
Handicap
8
I came across this on Twitter and thought it was a great view point for someone needing to make this putt for eagle. It looks like she set-up well and had the line until stepping up to the ball. Also looks like she punched it rather than flowing through the stroke.

[YOUTUBE]iiTVxRkdEyQ[/YOUTUBE]

How do others handle pressure in putts like this? I've done the same thing, but have to focus completely on the spot I want to hit about 6" or 8" in front of my ball.
 
Great thread Duey! My answer is this, practice, practice, practice. If you are confidant in something, then you will want the spotlight. If you are confidant in your abilities, then you yearn for the chance to show them off when it matters most. The only way to get this confidence is to practice until your putting stroke becomes an old friend that you love hanging out with.
 
I stick to my routine even if folks say it's on the quick side. I like Stockton's theory... see the line, step up, fire away. No need to second guess.
 
I've cut down my prestroke routine so I putt the ball quickly and do not sit and think over the ball. I try to do all that before I get over the ball. Once I get over it I look and go...
 
SethO said:
Great thread Duey! My answer is this, practice, practice, practice. If you are confidant in something, then you will want the spotlight. If you are confidant in your abilities, then you yearn for the chance to show them off when it matters most. The only way to get this confidence is to practice until your putting stroke becomes an old friend that you love hanging out with.
Click to expand...

Good stuff Setho, I think thats right on. I traditionally like my putting stroke and think it's solid most of the time, but remember a certain eagle chance last year, lol. It was a longer putt with some curl, but man was there pressure, haha
 
Wow, some great tips already coming in. Sounds like pick up the pace and don't dwell.
 
I choke, and then blame the ball for being warped.
 
Man I've been a spot putter for the last 8 years of my life. Meaning I stand behind the ball and pick a spot about 6-8 inches in front of the ball as my alignment target. A few months ago, the "old hustler" at my local course pointed out something to me. Since I'm right eye dominent, a lot of the times the spot i picked was slightly to the left of where I thought was centered creating misses to the left. As someone who's had the exact same pre putt routine forever, and thought his miss was a PULL, this absolutly shattered my confidence. I had zero confidence for a few weeks. SethO is right, practice practice practice, I had to work out a brand new pre shot routine, and get it ingrained into my muscle memory.
For the pressure putts, I focus solely on alignement when I'm setting up. Then when I'm ready to putt I focus souly on tempo. I don't want to get "jerky"
 
Snap Hook said:
Man I've been a spot putter for the last 8 years of my life. Meaning I stand behind the ball and pick a spot about 6-8 inches in front of the ball as my alignment target. A few months ago, the "old hustler" at my local course pointed out something to me. Since I'm right eye dominent, a lot of the times the spot i picked was slightly to the left of where I thought was centered creating misses to the left. As someone who's had the exact same pre putt routine forever, and thought his miss was a PULL, this absolutly shattered my confidence. I had zero confidence for a few weeks. SethO is right, practice practice practice, I had to work out a brand new pre shot routine, and get it ingrained into my muscle memory.
For the pressure putts, I focus solely on alignement when I'm setting up. Then when I'm ready to putt I focus souly on tempo. I don't want to get "jerky"
Click to expand...

That's great info, something I'll keep in mind as I get going here. My miss is traditionally right, so guess I need to figure out which eye is dominant.
 
thedue said:
That's great info, something I'll keep in mind as I get going here. My miss is traditionally right, so guess I need to figure out which eye is dominant.
Click to expand...

Simple test Duey and not exact science by all means. Pretend you're playing cowboys and indians and make a pistol with your dominant hand and shoot an imaginary target. The eye that you use to aim should be your dominant eye.
 
Spank818 said:
Simple test Duey and not exact science by all means. Pretend you're playing cowboys and indians and make a pistol with your dominant hand and shoot an imaginary target. The eye that you use to aim should be your dominant eye.
Click to expand...

Bingo Spank, thanks. Right eye dominate. With the left eye I'd have missed that indian by a mile.
 
thedue said:
Bingo Spank, thanks. Right eye dominate. With the left eye I'd have missed that indian by a mile.
Click to expand...

You mean you would have missed the Native American by a mile don't you? :laughing:
 
Don't dither over the ball. In the average male you have 28 seconds to hold a position before the acid buildup in your muscles reaches a point where you will not perform a action the same way. If you need longer then that, pull out and shake a bit to relax the tension then go set up again.
 
Super Tuna said:
Don't dither over the ball. In the average male you have 28 seconds to hold a position before the acid buildup in your muscles reaches a point where you will not perform a action the same way. If you need longer then that, pull out and shake a bit to relax the tension then go set up again.
Click to expand...

Acidic blood... why do I suddenly feel like all the times I told my parents I was an alien was because I was right...? :alien:
 
Super Tuna said:
Don't dither over the ball. In the average male you have 28 seconds to hold a position before the acid buildup in your muscles reaches a point where you will not perform a action the same way. If you need longer then that, pull out and shake a bit to relax the tension then go set up again.
Click to expand...

Sounds like me at a urinal when some guy takes the one right beside me and tries to have a chat.
 
coolbreeze said:
Sounds like me at a urinal when some guy takes the one right beside me and tries to have a chat.
Click to expand...

That's just bad bathroom etiquette!
 
Ask JB and SethO what I do in that situation, similar length putt for eagle and I may have missed it twice (or more) as badly as she just did!
 
I put the pressure on myself. I think about how important the putt is to my round and just get my nerves really going. In most cases I make it this way, and usually if It's that short I just slam it.
 
I try to shrink my focus. I don't focus on the hole, I focus on a piece of grass. When you've holed a bunch of these, then the positive memories will flow through your mind automatically.
 
I know that having a trusty ole putter is one of the greatest assets to putting for me. I really struggled when I took the Scotty Cameron out of my bag, but I have found something that I roll well and I also don't care if it gets dinged up or looses its luster. A putter that is a gamer is meant to be used and abused. I didn't care how beat up the SC became, but when I put the Kia Ma Tour or the Steam Punk in play, I was very conscious of how I handled the putter and how much moisture it saw.
 
Not to sound simplistic but I stick with my routine, which I've spent a lot of time developing for that very reason.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top