“Tiger Woods just has this uncanny ability to just turn it up another level when somebody gets close to him”. Chris DiMarco made this comment after his impressive final round 68 at Hoylake. However, he was still 2 strokes behind Tiger. Tiger Woods wouldn’t give up. Tiger can withstand pressure and is mentally strong.
Do you want to be mentally tough? Is it possible to have mental toughness like that?
As an example, let’s take a look only at one aspect of your game: your putting.
Which practice methods are best?
Is it like many people who putt at the local practice green, throwing several golf balls and trying to hit a few? You might have an indoor practice putting green in your home. The type. The ball is held in a green felt strip that runs to the cup. Once the string has reached the cup you can simply strike the ball towards the hole. Some mechanism then returns it to your hand. This is repeated over and over. Yet, if you’re trying to win a game with friends in foursomes, it is impossible to sink the last left-to-right putt. You don’t get it, you worked hard for this!
It is quite simple. It isn’t possible to make yourself mentally strong enough to sink the putt. Notice I said you missed “that last left to right putt”Are you a? As most people know, your entire practice was done on a plain green. It offered little challenge. You aren’t ready until you have mastered the real challenge of standing on greens that slope up and down, run left to right or right to left. Why? You didn’t practice this way. You need to practice the game in all of its variations, just like any other sport.
When was the last time you felt pressure to put in a good effort? It is a matter of learning your stroke, and then transferring it to the green. What about mental aspects? Did you know that putting drills can be transferred to the green? Are you able to do it? Is there a way to gauge your ability and see if it is improving?
To become mentally strong, you need to practice the game of golf. You need to set up a practice program to not only improve your swing but also build mental attributes that are similar to Tiger Woods.