As we all know, once we reach the putting green, the stakes can be high and nerves can be a golfers worst enemy. Below are a few tips to help you keep calm and composed, which in turn will immensely help your game.
DON'T FORGET TO TAKE A BREATH
Nothing helps clear your mind and relax your muscles then a long deep breath. If you’re on the putting green and can feel yourself getting nervous and jittery, take a moment. Step back, close your eyes briefly, and take a long breath in, hold it a moment, and release.
Repeat the above until you begin to feel your body relax and your mind clear. You’ll notice that the grip on your putter will feel more light and natural and your focus will be clear.
FOCUS
It is vital to clear your mind, centre it, and focus on reading the line in front of you. It’s not about what might be on the line if you make or miss the putt. Focus on the dynamics of what will make the putt work.
Success is understanding the details of the putt. How much is it going to break left or right, how up or downhill it might be, the grain of the grass and so on.
By really immersing yourself in the task at hand and the studying the green in front of you, you can actually forget the pressure and instead utilise the nervous energy toward something that will benefit you.
RELAX AND LET YOUR MIND CLEAR
Although the following tip may sound like the opposite of the above tip, it can be beneficial too. Find a spare moment and let your mind think about something other than golf. It can be what you’re going to have for dinner, the stock market, or whether you should finally take the plunge and buy that new Tesla. It really doesn’t matter what, as long as it has nothing to do with golf.
This short mental break from the situation you’re in will help relax you and relieve some of the pressure that’s been building within you.
Maintaining the correct light grip pressure on your putter is a technique that can be practiced and perfected (you can read more about it here). However it is dependent on how well you can control your nerves and emotions.
The tips above will help you to keep your mind and thoughts in a healthy place, and ensure that your putter grip doesn’t get too tight when the pressure kicks in.
CONFIDENCE ON THE COURSE
Confidence on the course is a primary nerve limiting factor, and having a putter in your kit that inspires confidence and thereby reduces your nerves is something everyone should strive to find.
Many of our customers have specifically said that the SX1 Putter gives them confidence they otherwise never had on the green. Knowing that your alignment is taken care of when lining up your putt goes a long way in helping calm pre-putt anxiety.
Of course general putting practice helps to build confidence which in turn helps to limit the nerves you may feel. As it's not always possible to get out on the green to practice we can recommend our patented 1-Putt Putting Guide. It's portable and can be used anywhere, including in your living room, or office, day or night. Click here to view it. Much like our SX1 Point-N-Putt Putter, it's guaranteed to inspire confidence in you and your putting!
Now that you’ve got the tools to master the monkey mind, it's time to get our onto the green and master your stroke. Good luck!
If you have any of your own tips for focusing on the turf, let us know in the comments below.
