Winning the battle before the chip

Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama chips during a practice round of the Players Championship in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. Be like the pros, focus. There’s a surprisingly effective way to overcome the pressure. — AP

In this second part of our look at the mental side of golf, we stay with a moment every club golfer knows too well: you’ve missed the green by a few yards, the ball is sitting in light rough, and suddenly the simplest chip carries the weight of the entire hole.

The pressure to “get up and down” for par tightens the hands, clouds decision‑making and often leads to the one thing you were trying to avoid – a nervy strike that leaves you even further from the hole.