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     While taking one’s time may be best for novice golfers, for reasonably skilled golfers in high-pressure situations, it’s better to just step up and take your shot. This lets all that practice take front seat-- "muscle memory," as it’s commonly known-- before increasingly anxious thoughts temporarily derail all the skill earned from hours on the course.

     With that in mind, distracting yourself- noticing a dimple, or ball-marking- can also improve performance during stressful shots; taking away from the “tunnel vision” that can occur when one focuses too intently on making a shot.