While most of us in the U.S. were sleeping, Ryan Moore picked up his fourth PGA Tour victory by defending his title at the CIMB Classic in Malaysia.
Moore notched eight birdies in the final round to take the title, including four on the back nine to seal the deal.
Most golfers will never know what it is like to have an important shot to win a PGA Tour event, nor will they ever know the feeling that their next putt could be worth several hundred thousand dollars.
That doesn’t mean, however, that average golfers don’t feel pressure on the course.
Here are a few tips to help the next time you start feeling the pressure mount over an important shot during your round:
• Breathe. When the pressure builds, anxiety starts to overcome even the most seasoned veterans. Your first defense to calm those nerves is to breathe properly. You want to make sure you are breathing deeply and using your diaphragm to fill your lungs with air. This will get more oxygen in your brain and help calm you down. I imagine filling my stomach with air as I take a breath to make sure it is getting into the bottom of my lungs.
• Block out distractions. This is sometimes referred to as “getting in the zone.” Unfortunately, “the zone” isn’t a place we can always go on command. When you are able to ignore distractions going on around you, whether it’s 10,000 spectators or the grounds crew using machinery nearby, you can bring yourself closer to getting in the zone. Block out distractions by placing all of your attention on your routine.
• Stick to your routine. Successful golfers all have routines. No two routines may be exactly the same from player to player, but good players rarely change their routine in the middle of a round. Spend extra practice time polishing your routine by going through it over and over. Change the parts you don’t like and stick with the parts of the routine you do like. Then be sure to stick with it on the course.
For more tips from Golf Channel to help you manage your game, click here.
