Making a putt when you need to is often the mark of a highly skilled player. The ability to come through in clutch moments is what separates the good from the great — and that goes for pros and recreational players alike.
Every golfer desires to be the kind of player who can make high-pressure putts when the need arises, but there’s one problem: they’re very difficult to practice. Simulating a high-pressure environment is nearly impossible to do, and that’s why Subpar co-host Drew Stoltz came up with an innovative solution. In this week’s episode of Emergency 9, Stoltz demonstrated his favorite way to simulate a pressure-packed situation — and then attempt to drain a putt. His secret?
“The problem is, we don’t have these putts very often, so when we get there, it feels different,” Stoltz said. “Putting under pressure when you’re nervous, the heart rate gets up and starts firing, your hands are shaking. How do you emulate that when you’re out there practicing with your boys or it’s on a Saturday and you’re just going through the motions?”
Stoltz’s answer: Get that heart rate fired up with a quick jolt of caffeine and some physical activity.
“It’s an easy two-step process,” Stoltz said. “First, you need an energy drink. This is vital. We gotta get this heart rate going. Chug the energy drink.”
After quickly finishing an entire can of Red Bull, Stoltz was ready for step 2.
“Now we’re gonna need to bang out 10 quick push-ups to get the heart rate up even more,” he said.
After completing 10 push-ups, Stoltz felt that his heart rate had elevated to an appropriate level to try putting.
“It’s important to get right in,” he said. “Don’t let the heart rate settle. This is what you feel when you’re standing over that big putt.
To watch Stoltz demonstrate this tip in its entirety, check out the video above.
