Playing Under Pressure: Why Anyone Can Do It Well - Henry Shimp

Let’s get one thing on the record from jump. Being able to perform under pressure is 80% having experience in the moment and specific memories to draw on and probably about 20% mindset. So, I’m not going to be able to pump a rolodex of memories into your mind for you to draw on next time you have a shot that matters. That said, if you get the 20% right, you’re at least ahead of your playing partners in some way, so what the heck, let’s see if I can provide a thought or two that will provide assistance next time the pressure is up.

It’s very easy to identify someone who is confident over a shot vs someone who flat doesn’t want to be there. Believe me, I know. You give me a 5 iron to a tucked flag when it matters and I’m that guy that looks dangerous. You give me a pitch off some sandy soil and I’d rather go Andy Dufresne on his escape from Shawshank. It’s called empathy. So, now that we’ve cleared that up, let’s talk about how to not be the latter guy. To me, being cool under pressure even if you don’t have a ton of experience to draw on is all about wanting to be there, convincing yourself you want to be there or should be there, or there is something to be gained from being there. I have a few mental tricks I use to not only try to perform under pressure, but more importantly to truly want to be in that moment and give myself the best chance to do something good.

The first thing I’ll say, and this isn’t some trick or mental gimmick, is that the best thing you can do is work on thinking about why you want to perform under pressure and why you want to be in that moment. For me, I know that I enjoy pulling off shots when they matter a whole lot more than when they don’t and therefore I should embrace any opportunity to do so. A shot on the first hole that doesn’t have a specific consequence to it doesn’t have as much upside from an enjoyment standpoint as one on the 18th with something on the line. Therefore, it’s easy for me to approach a pressure packed shot with joy rather than with nerves. The ability to be nervous is a pure affordance of good play and so when you have a shot to do something cool, recognize it is the culmination of a day or week’s work and step up and tell yourself how much reward there is from a good swing in the moment, and that is something to be excited for, rather than nervous.

My second thought that may be a little more gimmicky is to game the “mental strokes gained” method. This is what I like to think of when I know I am facing a shot that I am not super confident on and frankly would rather not hit (looking at you, Mr. Vokey). So here’s the deal. If you are a great putter, you probably look at a 10 footer to win a match and expect to make it, which is great, but relative to your expectations of yourself, there isn’t some massive gain there versus when you face a shot you are not as confident on. Someone who isn’t much of a putter has so much more to be gained from a personal confidence standpoint if they are able to knock down a 10 footer under the gun and frankly less to be lost if they miss, because hey, that’s kind of par for the course you could say. This is how I view a tough little 30 yard wedge shot off a tight lie (getting vulnerable here). This is just flat out not my favorite shot in the game and I know that damn well. But, rather than lie to myself and say I have no nerves on this shot or that Im actually great at wedges, I look at the shot and say that I know I can do it because I have plenty of times, and that if I do execute, Im going to be floating into the rest of the round having overcome adversity. That’s the term, overcome adversity. there’s nothing wrong with admitting to yourself you are in an uncomfortable position because by doing so you are raising the floor for your ability to take confidence into the future.

Finally, there is a reason that it’s more fun to play than to practice, than to compete than to play casually. This game and any game is built on pressure and nerves and the ability to watch yourself perform in the moment. No one tells stories about the 6 iron they striped on the range. It’s about the shot they hit to break someone else’s heart and win all the skins on the last hole. This is what is important to realize. Pressure is what you want, it is an opportunity, and it should be cherished. There isn’t some obligation to perform under pressure but rather a simple opportunity presented to put a point in the win column. So next time you face a shot that matters, try a thought or two, or zero of these and see if anything good happens. If it does, I want to hear about it, and you know where you can find me.

Cheers,

HS