The subtle change that proved decisive for Campillo

In an eventful five-hole play-off to decide the Qatar Masters, Jorge Campillo produced a scintillating putting display to dash the dreams of European Tour veteran, David Drysdale. And it may have been the simplest of changes that made the difference.

During a mid-round interview on Saturday, the Spaniard alluded to recent changes he’s made to tighten up his putting routine.

“I try to focus more on my routine,” he said. “Before this week I sometimes do one practice swing, sometimes I do two, so I just focus on doing two practice swings.”

He added: “And the set-up is a little different, my ball a little bit more forward, and just hit it.”

It isn’t much but it further highlights the impact of a good pre-shot routine and it doesn’t have to take long or add extra time to your round.

On the first and second times the two contenders went down the 18th hole of Education City GC, Campillo holed from 25 and 20 feet respectively to essentially stay in it, before sinking another putt of similar distance to finally put the contest to bed.

• Related: Make life easier on the greens with this pace putting drill
• Related: Get your game ready for 2020: How to build an effective pre-shot routine

So what are the benefits?

It’s a bit of a buzzword – or buzzphrase – in golf these days, but having a consistent pre-shot routine allows you to focus more on the process and less on the result. And as it becomes second nature, this should ease the emotional turmoil people put themselves through on the course, and lead to better performances, especially under pressure.

Everyone is different so you don’t have to follow the exact template set out by Campillo, but experiment around with it and find what works best for you.

Is it time you implemented a putting routine? Let me know in the comments or send me a tweet.