A tense finish for Jordan Spieth in the US Open followed his peerless victory at the Masters. I’m sure you also all felt for Dustin Johnson on the 72nd hole. A 12 footer for eagle and the title.

Followed by a three footer to join the playoff…both putts slipping agonisingly past.

Whether it’s a putt for victory in a major, or a putt to shoot your best ever score. A shot over water to the 12th at Augusta or a pitch over a bunker in front of a packed clubhouse, we have all felt pressure at some point. All the greats do too, but they embrace it and deal with it better than the others.

We usually practice with no pressure whatsoever, creating a false feeling of invincibility. It does nothing to equip a golfer to deal with high pressure situations on course.

What do you feel when the heat is on? The most common answers are ‘heart beats faster’ ‘body tension’, ‘loss of focus’ ‘speed up’ etc. Sound familiar?

We can create these as best we can with a simple exercise. Don’t do it too often, or for too long, but it needs to be put in play periodically to become accustomed to it.

A sprint 15 meters away and back (increases heart rate and breathing pattern), followed by 10 press-ups (creates some tension), then run three times round a marker (slight disorientation and loss of focus), then pick a shot to play, making sure you have a clear intention of the shot you want to play.

Breathe deeply to slow your breathing and heart rate, then go through your routine and execute the shot. Try several different shots this way. Drives, iron shots, delicate pitch shots and putts.

If you want to improve under pressure, you need to put yourself under some to test the water.

You might only get one shot to achieve personal golfing greatness, so be prepared