| Statistically the most influential and important part | | | | But probably if you were to ask a couple of top |
| of the Golfers arsenal is his putter and the ability | | | | golf coaches and sports psychologists will they felt |
| to make it work properly for him or her. | | | | was going wrong with these golfers the moment |
| How many times have we seen major | | | | they hit the grain, I would wager the majority of |
| championships decided because certain players | | | | these advisers would come back and say it all |
| had problems with their short game? | | | | revolves around one word - tension with a Capital |
| Amateurs and Professional Golfers alike all suffer | | | | T. |
| every now and then from the dreaded nerves | | | | The technique or one of the techniques that |
| brought by the inability to cope with successfully | | | | sports psychologists use to overcome this is to |
| negotiating three-foot puts. | | | | regulate the briefing. Possibly the master of this |
| As I mentioned, punting is probably the greatest | | | | technique on the professional tour today, is the |
| leveller in golf. Not everyone can smash a ball 3 - | | | | South African golfer Ernie Ells. |
| 400 yards down the fairway, not everybody can | | | | Not called The Big Easy for nothing, Ells' secret lies |
| master the correct technique to dig themselves | | | | with the fact that he believed deeply, calmly and |
| out of the rough on regular basis. | | | | serenely. This affects the pace he plays golf and |
| But, if you cannot master the above techniques | | | | his overall mental agility and awareness. |
| to the standard that the other professionals at | | | | The next time you get a chance to watch Ernie |
| the moment can the one area of the course that | | | | Ells play, watch his relaxed style. Internally and |
| you can very successfully play catch-up is when it | | | | mentally at times I am sure he is reacting like |
| gets round to putting. | | | | every other golfer in the game and he is probably |
| Putting probably more than any other aspect of | | | | have been just as many mental battles as the |
| golf has seen the strangest techniques and the | | | | rest of us. The reason he probably manages to |
| weirdest collection of clubs. How many times have | | | | overcome quite so many of these battles is that |
| we seen some of the world's finest players | | | | he does not allow mental anguish to a variety his |
| adopting some of the daftest practices when | | | | physical approach and style. |
| they walk onto the green. Do we all remember | | | | So how can we mere mortals emulate this style? |
| the fashion at one time when it was cool to be | | | | Simple, regulate your breathing. When you walk |
| seen putting with a club that has an elongated | | | | onto the green use a three step technique. |
| handle and had to be balance using the golfers | | | | Step one, breath in through your nose to the |
| chin. | | | | count or four. Step 2 Breathe out through your |
| Off the top of my head I can think of at least | | | | nose to the count of four. Step three, relax and |
| two of Europe's top golfers who at some point | | | | take your put. |
| have used this technique, Scotland's Sam | | | | Go on give it a try, surprise your self. |
| Torrance and Germany's Bernhardt Langer. | | | | |