You practice your heart out on the range but can't take your skills to the course. That's because you don't practice and play with the same timing and rhythm, and the problem only gets worse under pressure.
You have to practice like you're going to play, so under pressure you can play the way you've been practicing. That's why NBA players, for example, practice free throws with the same pre-shot ritual they use in real games. You'll find this in all sports—even dart throwers establish a "1-2-3-Go" ritual in practice, then use it in competition.
Pressure on the PGA Tour isn't any greater because the prize money is larger or more people are watching. Pressure is what you put on yourself, based on how badly you want to perform well and accomplish your goals. To create match-like pressure on the range, imagine very specific targets like the 17th at TPC Sawgrass, where you're trying to hit the island green with the hole surrounded by water and a huge Sunday crowd. Practice your pre-shot ritual (for example, two waggles, two looks, then go) before every swing — even your short pitches, half-wedges and chips. The next time you're under pressure — like when you need to chip it close to save par or hit the fairway on a tight driving hole — remember to use the exact same pre- shot ritual you've been practicing to lead you into and through the shot. Try it — it works.
THE TOUGHEST PAR 3?
The target area on No. 17 at TPC Sawgrass is much smaller than you might think (in the photo left, balls landing outside the yellow rope often end up in the water), but it's the shortest of TPC's par 3s and yields the most pars and birdies during Tour play. But No. 17 also leads in the "frustration" category: Players dumped more than 120,000 balls in the water in the 40,000 rounds played last year!
75
Distance in yards to the center of the 17th green at TPC Sawgrass from the drop area along the left side of the pond. The drop-area shot is still 100 percent over water, with water behind the green. Some pros refuse to hit from the drop zone in practice rounds, saying it's bad karma to think you might need to hit one from there during the tournament.
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