Breathe Like The Pros: Golf’s Secret Weapon for Staying Calm Under Pressure

Last year, when Scottie Scheffler ran into legal trouble at the PGA Championship, one of the most interesting things he said was that he wasn’t necessarily worried about his swing tempo or his mental game.

His biggest focus was on controlling his breathing.

When was the last time (if ever) you thought about your breathing during a round of golf?

Breathing techniques can help when you’re standing over a high-pressure shot or when you’ve made a few good swings in a row and want to keep the momentum going.

Amateur golfers often get caught up in mechanics but mindful breathing is a performance enhancer that most players overlook. Here are a few breathing techniques that can help lower your heart rate, shake off the jitters and keep you in control on the course.

The counting breath technique

The counting breath technique is one of the simplest and easiest. For this, you’ll count each breath to help yourself stay present and focus more on your breathing instead of all that is going on around you.

If you are nervous or tend to let your frustration get the best of you, the counting breath technique can help. Try counting before you swing or when you walking to your next shot.

How to do it:

1. Inhale slowly through your nose for a count of 3 or 4.
2. Hold your breath briefly (optional).
3. Exhale gently through your mouth for the same count (3 or 4).
4. Repeat this pattern, staying fully focused on the numbers and the sensation of air moving in and out.

There are some variations to this method as you’ll see in the video above. Some instructors recommend breathing out through the nose as opposed to the mouth. However, regardless of your chosen method, breathing while engaging the core and not just the upper body is a very important aspect of proper breathing for golfers.

Box breathing (4-4-4-4)

Navy SEALs use box breathing in high-stress situations to regulate their breathing rate and rhythm. The method is rooted in pranayama, an ancient yogic breathing practice, but it was refined and structured into the 4-4-4-4 pattern to be easily implemented in military and performance training.

Athletes picked up on the box breathing technique’s benefits and started incorporating it into their play.

If you miss a fairway or hit your approach into a bunker, this technique can help you regain your focus on the moment and the task at hand. This one is my favorite. While it takes a little while to get used to, it works on and off the course when needed.

How to do it:

1. Inhale through your nose for four seconds.
2. Hold your breath for four seconds.
3. Exhale through your mouth for four seconds.
4. Hold again (lungs empty) for four seconds.
5. Repeat for several cycles until you feel a sense of calm return.

The 4-7-8 technique

Dr. Andrew Weil made the 4-7-8 method famous. It helps people regulate their nervous systems, lower their heart rate and blood pressure and promote relaxation and sleep. While it is mostly used in the medical world, it can work for athletes, especially in training and preparation.

The main difference with the 4-7-8 is the longer exhalation which is great for situations where adrenaline may be building up on the golf course. Weil recommends incorporating breathing like this into daily life to see the true benefits.

How to do it:

1. Inhale through your nose for a count of 4.
2. Hold your breath for a count of 7.
3. Exhale slowly through your mouth for a count of 8.
4. Repeat for three to five cycles (or until you feel tension easing).

Build breathing techniques into your pre-shot routine

Your pre-shot routine is all about getting your mind and body ready to perform your best. Before hitting a big shot, consider visualizing what you want to do and then taking a few measured breaths.

Not only are you slowing your mind but you are also putting yourself in control and building confidence. This doesn’t have to add any time to your routine. All of this can happen while you are lining up.

Final thoughts

If we worry about things like wind, roll, slope and solid contact, shouldn’t we also be thinking about the things we have full control over?

You have full control over your breathing on the course.

Since I’ve become more aware of my breathing, I can see how my heart rate fluctuates depending on the shot I’m faced with. It takes a lot of practice to control your heart rate and breathing on the course. Here’s the good news: Working on something like this can only help your game.