How to Get Over a Horrible Round of Golf?

[kthomas]

Need some mental advice/coaching after last nights 9 round social league.

 

Like everyone, I have good rounds and bad rounds, but last nights round was exceptionally bad.

 

I started my night off at the range hitting a small bucket of balls to warm up, like I always do. Pretty much every shot I hit was great, with the exception of 1 or 2. Even my driver was acting as a laser beam on the range, which in itself was rare. I felt great, was hitting the ball great. Had a great attitude going into the round, and was feeling really confident as I was riding a wave of pretty good consistent golf. Then the match started...

 

...And it was if I didn't know how to play golf anymore. Errant tee shots on pretty much every hole: didn't matter if I used driver, 4W, 3H, irons - my shots were everywhere off the tee. Huge slice off to the right, snap hook to the left. Irons, usually the best part of my game, weren't working for me. I also couldn't hit wedges with any consistency. 

 

It was the most maddening round of golf I've had in memory. I've been playing a lot of golf lately, and have been playing really good golf consistently (for me). I'm now on the hunt to break 80's. However, yesterday if I played ball in hole and couldn't max out score for a hole (3 holes I didn't even make it to the green before maxing out my score per our league), I may not have broken 60 (on 9 holes).

 

The last hole of the round really summed up the entire round for me: Sliced 4W off the tee into the woods. I teed up another ball and hit an even bigger slice into the woods with a driver. Was a short par 4 and had 100 yards left to the hole from my drop, so dropped a ball and attempted to hit a 52 wedge in, normally an easy shot for me. Hit it fat and it sliced into the woods. Dropped another ball and attempted the same thing, with identical result. 4 lost balls, couldn't even reach the green without maxing out.

 

Needless to say, was an incredibly frustrating round of golf and very uncharacteristic for me. I have bad holes like every one else, usually one double or triple bogey per 9 holes (which I'm currently working hard to mitigate), but last night was special for that. My score card was littered with double bogeys and triple bogeys, and this was just over 9 holes. 

 

I'm worried that this exceptionally horrible round of golf may leak into my future rounds if I don't find a way to mentally block it out. How do you get over an exceptionally horrible round of golf? 

[GoGoErky]

When you finish the round forget about it. No need to dwell on the past 

[gioguy21]

have a drink. 

 

[david.c.w]

 

 

 

 

In all seriousness, just let it go.  Every day is a new day.  Every hole is a new hole.  Every shot is a new shot.  I am am a 5 index and a few weeks ago I went to the range and fired 7 hoselrockets in a row into the netting.  I packed up my stuff and said, "today is not my day" and went home.  Everyone has a bad day once in a while.

 

[tatertot]

Lie to yourself and pretend it never happened.

 

You know, pretty much like life in general.

[Phabs]

I’ll usually give it a day and then go hit the range.  

[bekgolf]

A bad round or having a great 9 and really bad 9 in one round usually motivates me to see a teaching pro.  I've been known to change things in the setup and swing without realizing I've done it. 

 

A short lesson gets me back on track and motivated to get back out on the course. 

[Bensdad]

Been there, done that, received several t-shirts.  No matter what you do there will always be rounds like the one you experienced.  If possible, think about the differences between your warm-up and the your actual play.  For me when I do something like what you describe it's usually because I lost focus between the driving range and the first tee.  Call it over-confidence or loss of focus, whatever it may be either learn from it or, as it has been suggested, forget about it.  It's golf and it will happen again.

 

It's not your life and it's not your wife.  No long lasting harm except perhaps to your ego.  By the time you get to my age ego is just a faint memory in the rear view mirror.

[Abh159]

Starting a thread on an internet forum where people can constantly respond and remind you of your horrible round probably isn't the way to go. Just saying...

[Lobby]

Are you really going to define  yourself by how well / poorly you play golf?

 

 

 

[MattM97]

Golf is hard even for pros, just need a very short memory and don't let a past round or shot ruin future ones. 

 

Remember when DJ shot a few rounds in the 80s and then came back and won the FedEx Cup? 

[caniac6]

As soon as I walk off of 18, I'm over it. I go to the patio with our group, the trash talking starts, and all is forgotten. 

[tatertot]

40 minutes ago, Lobby said:

Are you really going to define  yourself by how well / poorly you play golf?

 

 

 

How else? By my crummy parenting or my horrible job performance? I certainly don't want you talking to my wife.

Edited July 15, 2021 by tatertot

[Blonde Line Lizard]

OMG, are you going to lose the house, cars and the trophy wife (along with all the side action) if you don't play well at a social league?  

 

You are there for fun, not a green jacket.

[RainShadow]

You should just give up and realize that you're not great......

[kthomas]

Okay guys, I'm not wallowing in despair nor do I think I'm gods gift to golf 🤣 

 

I don't take myself or my golf game as seriously as you think, but the internet is a place always lacking in context and nuance. 

 

I'm simply just looking for any tricks to help prevent any conscious or subconscious elements from a nightmare round creeping into future rounds. 

 

I've already had a mezcal, so checked that box 🤣. I think typing it out also helped me leave it behind me, I guess it's therapeutic to vent. 

 

I'll just go play another round of golf and pretend it never happened...

[jvincent]

3 hours ago, kthomas said:

I'm worried that this exceptionally horrible round of golf may leak into my future rounds if I don't find a way to mentally block it out. How do you get over an exceptionally horrible round of golf? 

 

Do you play golf for a living? If not, it doesn't matter.

 

I'm a solid single digit and my front nine for men's night last night went as follows:

Par, double, double, X, X, bogey, double, par, bogey. 

 

Figured out on the back nine that I was sloppy with my setup and my stance had gotten too narrow. Fixed that, and striped the ball for the rest of the night. It only cost me 4 golf balls and some grief from the playing partners.

 

Don't sweat it.

[J_Tizzle]

I know a lot of the responses are "don't worry about it" etc.  but my brother always gives me the piece of advice that "every round serves a purpose".  This one sounds like it was to test you mentally, so all you can do is learn its lessons and how to over come them in your own way.  

 

Beyond that, I think continue to focus on the basics, alignment, ball position, completing back swing, finishing down and through the ball, etc.  

[ZacR88]

I feel you. 

 

Yesterday I show up to the club for mens night. Great weather and was just looking forward to my round. Hit the range and I am just striping them, thought it was going to be a good day. 

 

Great drive on the first hole but when I get down to my ball and reach for my rangefinder in my bag its gone. SH** I left it in the cart the previous night. I am pissed and let it effect my mood, which then resulted in me playing poor golf. 

 

My friend gives me a yardage, says its 140 to the pin. I hit my 9 iron and it sails over the green. Was not 140. 

 

3rd hole I hit a good drive, have 110 to a nice front left pin. Perfect wedge all over it, lands directly in the cup but bounces out somehow ( probably due to the covid lifter things) and goes hard left over the cart path into the pond. Are you kidding me?

 

I find one of the back shop guys on the course somehow and ask him to see if anyone found my rangefinder. He came back with it on the 8th hole.

 

After nine holes I apologized to my friends for having a bad attitude. It was just one of those days. 

 

They all left to eat but I went out on my own to play the back nine, reset and had a great back nine with a couple birdies. 

 

Taking a few days off now and not playing until Sunday. I find when I play too much I get easily frustrated. 

[kthomas]

I'm already over it, in fact I'm laughing about it right now.

 

I just hope that any loss in confidence, whether it's conscious or subconscious, doesn't creep into future games. This is what I want to prevent.

 

I'm a very happy go lucky guy, including when I'm on the golf course. But this 9 holes really tested me. I think part of it had to due with my playing partner, who didn't have any sleep since 9 am the previous day, was also having a really bad day. I think I fed off of that energy and that brought my game down. It was a very weird game, and neither of us were our normal selves, physically and mentally.

 

I'll just chalk it up to a bad day and hit the links with my usual happy go lucky attitude and pretend those 9 holes didn't happen, to the best of my ability.

Edited July 15, 2021 by kthomas

[Pepperturbo]

Bad holes and bad rounds happen to all of us.  What constitutes "bad" is relative to skill.  How quickly we recover depends on self-control.  In any event, we all must learn how to evaluate bad experiences, learn from them, then put them aside.  NO dwelling on ugly stinky shots, holes or round scores...period.

 

When I have a bad hole I walk off the green, review my error(s), assess what needs to change, how I would play the hole differently the next time, file it and move to the next tee.  I NEVER assess in the middle of a hole, only walking off the green.  At 18, I remind myself of the swing and judgment errors, what needs attention or to change then set the round aside.  After, in the car or at home, I recall each hole, each shot, and emphasize the good shots over and over, till the next round.  

 

 

[J_Tizzle]

24 minutes ago, kthomas said:

I'm already over it, in fact I'm laughing about it right now.

 

I just hope that any loss in confidence, whether it's conscious or subconscious, doesn't creep into future games. This is what I want to prevent.

 

I'm a very happy go lucky guy, including when I'm on the golf course. But this 9 holes really tested me. I think part of it had to due with my playing partner, who didn't have any sleep since 9 am the previous day, was also having a really bad day. I think I fed off of that energy and that brought my game down. It was a very weird game, and neither of us were our normal selves, physically and mentally.

 

I'll just chalk it up to a bad day and hit the links with my usual happy go lucky attitude and pretend those 9 holes didn't happen, to the best of my ability.

 

Feeding off a playing partner is a real thing and I don't get how the pros always just wash it out.  My brother, who I play 90% of my rounds with used to be a complete headcase and now he's tons better or I couldn't play golf with him as much as I do, but every once and a while the old brother creeps back in and I just have to be frank with him and tell him "no one but you cares about how you're playing so just keep it to yourself", which is usually followed by 2-3 holes of the silent treatment, lol.  

[puttingmatt]

I play as soon as I can,  the goal being 

better play, score, and a boost in confidence.

[smashdn]

20 hours ago, kthomas said:

I don't take myself or my golf game as seriously as you think, but the internet is a place always lacking in context and nuance. 

 

This is a you and your golf game problem.  Don't drag the internet down with you.

[nitram]

WHO CARES?? It's part of golf. Everybody hits bad shots and has bad rounds. It takes some mental toughness and self-discipline to accomplish what I'm about to write but if you do this, the game becomes much easier.

 

As you walk off the green and proceed toward the next tee box take a moment to reflect on the last hole. Think about what went right, wrong, and your mental commitment to hitting each shot, including the putt(s). Mark it on your card, notes, etc., and talk to yourself if necessary. But as soon as you record the score and whatever notes you may keep and finish your self pep talk, pull down the shade or close the curtain on the hole and don't look back. Don't be a pouty b!tch, it's over and done with, and there isn't a damned thing you can do about it to change your score. It must be out of your mind before you step onto the next tee box or your round is doomed.

 

It takes time but the more good mental holes you begin to have will lead to better rounds. You just have to get started and it's really one shot and one hole at a time. Staying positive is the toughest thing in golf. You should try it because I can assure you self-deprecation is not the answer.

 

 

[Lobby]

On a more serious note:  I often have a bad round because I'm old and my swing sucks.

Yeah, sometimes I can put things together, but so often I'm chasing too many swing thoughts and just not putting a good move on the ball.

That's when I get flustered.  

[Pepperturbo]

18 hours ago, J_Tizzle said:

Feeding off a playing partner is a real thing and I don't get how the pros always just wash it out. 

Yep, it's real.  I hadn't experienced its real effects until one day years back.  A 2-index friend and I, a 3-index, were playing an even-up game from back tees on a challenging course and riding in the same cart.

 

Background we've been friends for ten years, and I have a minor case of ADD so no matter what I tackle, it demands concentrating on every aspect of what I am doing, otherwise, it can be ugly.  For that reason if it's important and demands my focus, I don't talk much or hold conversations during the activity.  It's what made me a good shooter in my youth.

 

In any case, from the first tee shot he began whining and complaining about nearly everything, far more than usual.  I tolerate some within reason, but this was non-stop.  Never seen him like this.  Because of my issues I do NOT spend time around whining or complainers.  None of my friends are that way.  It was so constant, it was affecting my ability to concentrate, on every hole up to #9.  He was playing like a 15, while I was struggling but holding my own.  When we finished #9, I'd had enough.  I looked him in the eye and said, you have been an ugly pain in the azz to play golf with, there's no excuse, play by yourself and I left the course.  Haven't played with him since.  Some pros whine too, but it's hard to imagine any of them being total azzes.  But if someone is an azz, least they are walking and can stay the hell away from the jerk.

 

 

[dvq9654]

First and foremost, I would say learning to have a short memory in golf is a massive asset. So, if you have a bad round, shot, etc., just forget about it and move on. Easier said than done, but I think that should be every golfers long term goal. Quick personal anecdote - I am not good at hitting off matts. Never have been and never will be. As a result, I sometimes shank the ball on the range. Probably cause too in to out path or whatever, but it's never ever an issue on the golf course. Years ago, a shank on the range would terrify me and destroy my entire practice session and lead me to try something different, which was never a good thing. Now, I just say "oh well" and move onto the next ball, working on whatever I'm working on. This has made practice much more productive. Anecdotal, yes, but this mindset can be applied elsewhere in the game. 

 

Second, once you've gotten over it, look inward to understand what drove the poor round. Was it physical non-golf (e.g., you were tired), mental (e.g., couldn't focus cause stressed about work), a swing fault creeping in, poor approach to that course, etc. There are a million reasons you can have a bad round, so try to think why that may be, learn from it and ideally address it.

 

The great and terrible thing about golf is you never know what's going to happen on any given shot or round, so just embrace it and don't let the bad times get you down so much that you can't enjoy and/or have the good times. 

[larrybud]

I always just tell myself that there's no way I'm going to play that bad two times in a row.

 

[MountainKing]

Once I'm away from the course I rarely think back on the round, good or bad.  Not everybody is like that however.  In a situation like this, the round was uncharacteristic.  Every year we all have rounds that fit into that mold on both good and bad.   Just tell yourself that wasn't you and move on.