From Fear to Flow

Stan had been playing golf for eight years and carried a solid 12 handicap. But he had one problem that was getting worse: short putts. Anything inside six feet made him uncomfortable, and he found himself backing away from putts more often than he'd like to admit.
Standing over a six-footer to save par on 18, the familiar thoughts started creeping in. What if I pull this left? What if I leave it short again? His playing partners waited as he reset his stance, going through his routine one more time.
If this sounds familiar, you're dealing with something that affects most golfers at some point. The good news? There's a surprisingly simple solution that doesn't involve changing your putting stroke.

What's Actually Happening

When you're standing over a putt that matters, your brain treats the situation like a threat. Your amygdala—the part of your brain responsible for detecting danger—can't tell the difference between a missed putt and actual physical danger.
This triggers a stress response: muscles tighten, focus narrows, and your mind starts fixating on everything that could go wrong. It's the same system that kept our ancestors alive, but it's not helpful for making smooth putting strokes.

The Simple Switch

Here's what neuroscience research has discovered: anxiety and curiosity use very similar brain pathways. Both involve your brain processing uncertainty and running through different scenarios. The key difference is in how you frame the situation.
Anxiety asks: "What if I mess this up?" Curiosity asks: "I wonder what will happen?"
This isn't about positive thinking. It's about redirecting mental energy you already have.

How It Worked for Stan

Instead of working on Stan's putting mechanics, we focused on changing his mental approach. His stroke was fine—the issue was what was happening in his head.
Before each putt, instead of worrying about missing, Stan started getting curious about the execution. He'd wonder about the pace needed, how the ball would track to the hole, or what it would feel like to make a smooth stroke.
The change happened quickly. Within a few rounds, those six-foot putts stopped feeling like torture tests. Stan was using the same mental energy, just pointing it in a different direction.

Try This Next Time

When you're facing a putt that makes you nervous:
Notice the anxious feeling without fighting it.
Ask yourself: "What am I curious about with this putt?"
Focus on something specific—the pace, the line, or the feel of the stroke.
You're not trying to eliminate nerves. You're redirecting that energy toward something useful.

Why This Works

The nervous energy you feel before important shots isn't a weakness—it shows you care about your performance. The difference between golfers who handle pressure well and those who struggle isn't whether they feel nervous. It's what they do with that nervous energy.
Stan still feels his heart rate pick up over important putts. But now he treats it as interesting rather than threatening. Those six-foot putts that used to cause problems? They've become just another part of the game.

Next time you feel that familiar tension before a shot, try getting curious about it instead of fighting it. You might be surprised how quickly things improve.