Playing Under Pressure:

Pressure is a golfer's occupational hazard. Whether you're playing in the club championship or the Screen Door Open, it's always there. Some seem immune to nervousness simply because they choose to ignore it. Others go to pieces. How do you cope with it?

Bob Boldt majored in psychology at the University of California at Berkeley and has been a Senior Tour regular for several years. He has many theories about dealing with pressure. "Negative feedback is the key," he says. "It's so difficult to con your mind. All the great players seem to be hypnotized. They eliminate negative thoughts.

"You build up subconscious muscle memory," Boldt says, "and it takes a while to block those things out. When you're putting, don't even think about putting. Just think about stroking the ball. It's not your nerves; it's the way you think. How you go about it is the key."

Successful players have different ways of coping with pressure. Some see sports psychologists, who stress visualization, remaining calm and positive reinforcement; others psyche out pressure by thinking negatively, sort of reverse psychology.

Some just tune out. Richard Zokol once played the PGA Tour listening to music on a Walkman to relax. "Whenever I was ahead, I always thought of tournaments as match play," says Bob Lunn. "Only about 15 guys were capable of winning anyway. It just made me play better."

Johnny Pott, a six-time winner on the PGA Tour, played the tour for 15 years and saw a lot of players self-destruct. Sooner or later, it happens to almost everybody.

"Our worst faults come out in competition," he says. "I see it a lot. We're creatures of habit. If we keep our thoughts simple, we do better.

"As you get into competition, your swing speeds up," says Pott, now a successful businessman. "That's natural. You need to back off and be more deliberate. I used to have a caddy who would run off with the clubs until I calmed down."

What advice does he have? "Trust your swing and don't doubt yourself," says Pott. "It's a matter of being organized and remaining calm."

Pott says middle to high handicappers have a common fault--thinking big. They often try to hit shots they're incapable of hitting. "All of a sudden they're trying to make pars on every hole instead of clicking along and playing each shot. You can't make things happen out there and waste shots."

Lunn, who won six PGA Tour events, offers similar advice.

"I know you've heard it before, but you have to play one shot at a time," Lunn says. "You have to put that last shot out of your mind."

Most agree mental preparation is essential. The night before a round, visualize each hole and how you would like to play it. That way your mind is focused the next day and simply needs reinforcement. If you can't see yourself pulling off a shot, chances are you won't, so don't try. Always try to play within yourself.

"The average golf swing lasts 1.4 to 1.6 seconds," says Boldt. "Jack Nicklaus sets up for 42 to 45 seconds before each shot and 20 seconds for a putt. There's about seven or eight minutes between shots. During four hours of golf, 95 percent is mental. The waiting period is there, whether you like it or not."

The key is staying positive, no matter what the circumstances. When the going gets tough, stay cool and collect your thoughts. The trick is putting poor shots behind you and moving forward. Don't let one bad shot ruin a good round.