Golf Psychology: Quiet Your Putting Demons And Win Under Pressure

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.

Most golfers miss their putts because they unknowingly pressure on themselves. They lack the mental golf psychology required to play consistently. The Great golfers aren't people who perform well under pressure. Great golfers are those who know how to create a mental environment in which they are not subject to overwhelming pressure.

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. You cannot control the putting but you can control the line and the speed you hit. 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." Jack hit the line and speed he desired (in his control), and didn't think about the putt going in (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.

Once you are standing over your ball in your putting stance, stop for a moment and find a Bullseye (target) at the end of your line that you want your ball to hit. It could be he edge of the cup, a blade of grass, a piece of sand, or the edge of the cup. 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 have identified your Bullseye, keep your eyes quietly on the Bullseye for a second. Then directly look back to the back of your ball where your putter makes contact. Hold your eyes on your ball for one second. Then, swing your putter, ensuring you do not take your eyes off the ball the whole time you swing.

Using the Bulls eye Right Focus works because putting is an aiming skill. Your initial focus on the Bulls eye for one second, you are setting your aiming command properly. You can also relax. This way, instead of putting pressure on yourself, you've provided yourself with a beautiful Right Focus that works.

Knowing what to pay attention to on the golf course using your golf psychology, is the difference between winning and losing under pressure. In fact, anyone can acquire an excellent golf psychology mindset with a bit of practice.