Do You Find Yourself Getting Tight When In Contention

Tip 1:First off I want to remind you (as you probably know anyway) that getting tight when in contention is a common problem dealt with by professionals to amateurs.

Also it is most likely associated with all the variations of conscious and subconscious "fears of losing, screwing up, underperforming" ect, that raise their ugly head to sabotage your skills-exactly-when you need them most especially under pressure.

As a remedy I'd suggest you work on developing -more than currently- a fault/pressure proof plan. Start practicing playing just holes 17 and 18 and work on finishing par/par.

In my experience there isn't a better way for building stronger confidence than "practicing with purpose" until it's impressed upon the mind -with evidence- that it has no reason to doubt your ability.

When your mind "knows" you can do something consistently well, you decrease its attention to the "problem" it perceives (commonly referred to as being "in your head") and succeed in eliminating (or at least in improving) the disempowering effect of the psychological sabotaging.

Strive to always wrap up your practice with a new level of perception based on the work you've put in and the improvement you've just experienced. Walking away with a positive feeling is key here... Although I intend this as a gradual process and may take more than once of course, I'd confidently say that I'll be surprised if you don't start to experience and see the difference on your next immediate rounds.

Tip 2: Dont try "too hard". Keep focus, but feeling an increased intensity as you strain to make that final putt only adds tension and makes you tight. So for me this means thinking of it as a 'regular' old putt. Try compledtely block out the score and the specific situation.

Also I try to put all my focus on just 1 mechanical thought, making sure I do it correctly. For me it is keeping my head in the contact zone which keeps me in the present moment and helps me in hitting the sweet spot more often.

Even the pros have this problem. They feel the intensity of the moment and change their mental approach. A clue.

Watch how the shots are played early in the round. The flow is easy and not pressured as they feel unencumbered by the mind. The physical aspect of the game has been practiced to death but the emotional intensity has not been controlled.

The early holes are relatively free and easy allowing the muscle memory to do the work. The body flows smoothly without having the mind create the absolute need to finish off and win.

The mind is the enemy and needs to be quieted at the time of emotional stress. Watch the pros, Tiger Woods takes deep breathes. This is a technique for relaxation and calming the demons.

Try it before a round and during as feel the difference. There are other methods, but try to find the one that works for you. Let go of the pressure and relax.