On short putts-especially when the pressure's on, e.g., when you need to hole a 6-footer to save par to break 80 or to halve a hole to extend an important match-the temptation is strong to hurry your stroke and to raise up prematurely from your putting posture to see the result. (If you've hurried your stroke, the effort is going to produce a putt that doesn't even scare the hole!)

Here's a technique that'll help your putting stroke hold up on short putts-even when the pressure's on. As you go through your normal pre-putt routine and pick out your line, find a spot (a discoloration or a particular blade of grass) that lies directly on your putt's intended line, just an inch or two in front of your ball. Continue your routine and assume your normal putting posture. However, just prior to stroking your putt, shift your focus from the ball to your spot. Make your best stroke, staying in your putting posture until the blade of your putter passes over the spot

This technique-"spot putting"-will force you to make an unhurried, accelerating stroke with the putterhead following through directly along your intended line. It will also help take some of the pressure off. By focusing on the spot and not the ball, you become less result oriented and more process oriented. In other words, you've forced yourself to focus your efforts on doing what it takes to make a fundamentally sound stroke, instead of worrying about the outcome.

Give spot putting a try when you're inside 10 feet. I think you'll like the results.