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Putt Better Under Pressure With This Simple Putting Tip

By Brendon Elliott, PGA
Published on

Patrick Cantlay after making a putt on Saturday afternoon at the Ryder Cup.(Getty Images)

I want to help you channel your inner Ryder-Cupper.
You've seen over the last two days at Marco Simone how match play is a totally different animal from stroke play. For some, it brings out the best in their game, and for others, well, not so much.
Today, I want to give you a quick drill to help you work on a key aspect of match play: putting. This drill will help you learn to be more aggressive and confident on the green, critical to fighting off match play pressure and winning or halving holes.
There is no doubt about it: putting can be stressful, especially when you have already missed one or two putts early in a round that you should have made. When we feel pressure on the putting green, we often tense up. When we tense up, we often squeeze the putter grip in our hands a little tighter, creating tension that runs up our arms. When that happens, we can quickly lose a nice free-flowing stroke.
Additionally, when the pressure gets ramped up on the green, we tend to get anxious about the results after we contact the ball. When this happens, we often tend to look up early. When you look up early, your putter swings up as well, and putts fall short of the hole.
To practice fighting tension and looking up, follow these steps:
  • Get a 2x2 piece of wood.
  • Place the piece of wood 10 feet away from you on the putting green, just to the side and about 2 feet past a hole.
  • Grab ten golf balls and putt them, going through your regular routine, toward that piece of wood.
  • As you putt, you want to be tension-free and not look up. You will be listening for the ball to hit the 2x2. You want that sound of the ball hitting the wood to be softer and not a hard knock. Record how many out of ten hit the 2x2 with the correct sound.
When done, switch to putting to the hole right next to the 2x2 and repeat the same process, only now, you are listening for the ball to go into the cup.
Repeat the steps from 15 foot, 20 foot and 25 foot.
Brendon R. Elliott, PGA

Sorrento, FL

Brendon Elliott

Director of Instruction, Freelance Golf Writer

[Brendon Elliott, PGA](https://brendonelliott.com/), is an award-winning PGA Professional, player-development coach and nationally recognized golf writer with three decades of experience in the golf industry. As of 2026, he has been a PGA Professional for 17 years and has earned more than 25 PGA Section and Chapter honors for his work in coaching, education and player development. In 2017, he received the PGA of America National Youth Player Development Award. ## Coaching Competitive Teenage Golfers Through [BE A GOLFER](https://beagolfer.golf/home), Brendon specializes in working with competitive teenage golfers who want to improve their performance, better understand their games and prepare for the demands of high school, junior tournament and college golf. His primary focus is [Remote Coaching](https://beagolfer.golf/remote-coaching), which allows him to remain actively involved in a player’s development regardless of location. Rather than relying on occasional lessons or isolated swing fixes, Brendon works with players throughout their competitive journey. His coaching covers much more than the golf swing. Players receive ongoing guidance in structured practice, short-game development, putting, course management, tournament preparation, performance analysis, goal setting and the mental and physical habits required to improve over time. Using video analysis, virtual coaching sessions, performance data and regular communication, Brendon helps each player understand what to work on, why it matters and how to make meaningful progress between practices and tournaments. Brendon accepts only a limited number of in-person students in Central Florida. His priority is building long-term [Remote Coaching](https://beagolfer.golf/remote-coaching) relationships with competitive teenage golfers and their families. The goal is not simply to help a young player hit better shots. It is to help that player become more prepared, more accountable and more capable of navigating everything competitive golf demands. Brendon’s career has included serving as a head golf professional, general manager, college golf educator, career development director, academy owner and longtime junior golf leader. He founded Little Linksters Golf Academy in 2008 and led the organization for more than 16 years before selling the academy in late 2024 and launching [BE A GOLFER](https://beagolfer.golf/home). ## Golf Writing and Media Brendon is also a nationally recognized and prolific golf writer and storyteller. He is the Senior Golf Writer for [Athlon Sports](https://athlonsports.com/author/brendon-elliott) and has written extensively about professional golf, instruction, player development, equipment, golf history and the people shaping the game. His work has also appeared with PGA.com, GolfWRX, PGA Magazine, MyGolfSpy and several other prominent golf media outlets. Through [One More Roll Golf Media](https://onemorerollgolf.com/), Brendon provides editorial content, feature writing, consulting and media services throughout the golf industry. His background as a coach and educator shapes the way he writes, while his work as a writer strengthens the way he coaches. He understands how to explain complicated ideas clearly, ask better questions and connect the technical, strategic and personal sides of golf.

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