What do you do to recover from a bad round?

[Fourputt]

I look at it like this.  Golf is a difficult game.  I'll never be able to fool myself into believing that I'm better than I am.  I got my wake up call more than 20 years ago.  I was playing to a 10 handicap, had many rounds in the 70's and low 80's.  I was satisfied and my game was sort of in cruise control.  Then came the 1991 Club Championship.  2 years earlier I'd shot my personal best in the 3rd round of this tournament, and the last year I'd placed second in my flight.  I teed it up for the 1st round (72 hole tournament) ready to get after it again.

After a slow start with a bogey and a double in the first 5 holes I came to the 6th hole and I suffered the worst 2 hole melt down I ever experienced.  I took a 12 on the par 5, then followed with a 10 on the par 4 7th hole.  I finished with a 104.  I was humbled, but not discouraged.  I just went back out the next day and shot a still poor, but much better, 88.  Then the second weekend I shot 74-78 to at least take home some day money, even though the tournament was history.  

All I can say is do all you can to learn your swing so you can analyze and fix it on the fly.  I've saved a lot of rounds by simply not giving in to the capriciousness of the golf gods.  Develop good fundamentals so that when things go wrong, instead of applying band aids to the fault, fall back on those proven fundamentals.  Grip, stance, takeaway, tempo.  This is my progression when I feel things falling apart.

[GangGreen]

13 hours ago, 14ledo81 said:

I play another round as soon as I can.

+1 to this.  If there's a particular aspect of the round that was really off (ie. driver, pitching, etc.) then I might spend a little more time practicing that part of my game but if what just a bad round all around then the best fix for me is just getting back out there.   

[RH31]

I go over every round, good and bad, on the ride home from the course. After the 20 minute ride, I know what was good and bad from each round. I know what putting and short game fundamentals I need to focus on to play well. I know enough about my full swing to scrape it around and usually keep it more or less in play.

For me, it's about focusing on each shot and not the overall score and knowing my keys to executing good shots.

That said, if I'm executing how I think I should and the results aren't there, I'll get a lesson or three.

I've found video lessons are the best since what I think I'm doing and what I'm actually doing aren't the same.

 

[9wood]

On 1/31/2016 at 9:35 AM, Dave325 said:

Since I have started getting serious with golf last summer, I have been putting a heck of lot of time into practicing and trying to improve my swing. Yesterday, I had one of the worst rounds I have ever played and couldn't figure out what was wrong. How is that even possible to practice more, and play worse? How do I break out of this funk? It seems that I love to practice... Not so enjoy the course play....but I want to. Sorry... A bit frustrated and discouraged.  And what's worse, the two golf buddies I played with made the comment that they haven't played since November! Grrrrr.... Really?

The question I have here is that... Has anybody run into a similar issue with your own game? What did you do (or, do you do) to recover and maybe use the event to help you in the future?  Maybe I am practicing wrong.... Or too much?  Going to head over to the range today and try to figure out what the heck is going on. Trying to stay positive... But it's hard. Any help (or hugs) would be appreciated. 

For me over-practicing can often result in bad results on the course. I have found that moderation in the amount of practice time translates into better golf outing for me. I know not everyone is like me in this respect.

[Golfingdad]

An example of how NOBODY is immune to a bad round:

http://www.golfdigest.com/story/look-away-scott-brown-just-turned-in-one-of-the-ugliest-scorecards-by-a-54-hole-leader-ever?mbid=social_facebook

The 54 hole LEADER at Torrey Pines just carded an 87 - AN EIGHTY-SEVEN!!!!!!!!!! - today.

[dkolo]

Wait, you can recover from a bad round? Well, there's hope yet!

18 minutes ago, Golfingdad said:

An example of how NOBODY is immune to a bad round:

http://www.golfdigest.com/story/look-away-scott-brown-just-turned-in-one-of-the-ugliest-scorecards-by-a-54-hole-leader-ever?mbid=social_facebook

The 54 hole LEADER at Torrey Pines just carded an 87 - AN EIGHTY-SEVEN!!!!!!!!!! - today.

Good thing he's not on the LPGA, or he might've gotten the 88 Rule hammer dropped on him in the stupidest way possible

[natureboy]

On 1/31/2016 at 9:35 AM, Dave325 said:

The question I have here is that... Has anybody run into a similar issue with your own game? What did you do (or, do you do) to recover and maybe use the event to help you in the future?  Maybe I am practicing wrong.... Or too much?  Going to head over to the range today and try to figure out what the heck is going on. Trying to stay positive... But it's hard. Any help (or hugs) would be appreciated. 

Probably most people have run into this.

I think a big thing given the similar place we are in our games is to temper the expectations on course a bit. Range is flat (few uneven lies). doesn't have trouble. and most of all doesn't have scoring pressure. Give yourself some time to learn to transfer your practice skills to the course.

As far as the hugs, can we please keep those to just families and player / caddie after a big win or teammates in Ryder Cup. I'd even rather see the ladies just shake hands on the 18th if it's not a 'big moment' (but I'd rather see them eliminate the caddy putting alignment on both tours).

[mcanadiens]

I just played for the first time in a month this weekend and I SUCKED. We're well outside of the season, so it was an easy decision to trash the scorecard.

Like the wise @Ernest Jones said. A couple of beers were in order. I thought the round over on the way back home and have a pretty good idea what my problems were. Not sure when I'm going to get the chance to get back at it, but I will definitely get back at it. 

[DrvFrShow]

18 hours ago, Golfingdad said:

An example of how NOBODY is immune to a bad round:

http://www.golfdigest.com/story/look-away-scott-brown-just-turned-in-one-of-the-ugliest-scorecards-by-a-54-hole-leader-ever?mbid=social_facebook

The 54 hole LEADER at Torrey Pines just carded an 87 - AN EIGHTY-SEVEN!!!!!!!!!! - today.

Well, if you saw the conditions.... some people see those kind of conditions: straight rain or drizzle with high wind, and give up. Some people thrive in them. Some people simply can't play in them. I saw part of the tournament and it was very ugly in the last round. 1/3 of the field failed to break 80. 

[Dave2512]

I don't I just play again. Golf is hard and has ups and downs even for the best golfers. My best to worst rounds in my last 20 have a 13 stroke spread it happens. Not worth worrying about.

[Dave2512]

I don't I just play again. Golf is hard and has ups and downs even for the best golfers. My best to worst rounds in my last 20 have a 13 stroke spread it happens. Not worth worrying about.

I don't I just play again. Golf is hard and has ups and downs even for the best golfers. My best to worst rounds in my last 20 have a 13 stroke spread it happens. Not worth worrying about.

[Dave2512]

I don't I just play again. Golf is hard and has ups and downs even for the best golfers. My best to worst rounds in my last 20 have a 13 stroke spread it happens. Not worth worrying about.

[Golfingdad]

45 minutes ago, DrvFrShow said:

Well, if you saw the conditions.... some people see those kind of conditions: straight rain or drizzle with high wind, and give up. Some people thrive in them. Some people simply can't play in them. I saw part of the tournament and it was very ugly in the last round. 1/3 of the field failed to break 80. 

Yeah, it's a bit unfair that that actual number be tied to his performance because the number itself was exacerbated a lot by the conditions.  However, they all played in (somewhat) the same conditions and it's not every day that somebody goes from leading a tournament to 49th place in the span of 18 holes.

Any way you slice it, it qualifies as a bad round. :)

[nevets88]

 

[DrvFrShow]

@Golfingdad I really felt for him. His final round kind of resembled one of my better ones under normal conditions. "This guy can't buy a break."

[natureboy]

5 hours ago, DrvFrShow said:

Well, if you saw the conditions.... some people see those kind of conditions: straight rain or drizzle with high wind, and give up. Some people thrive in them. Some people simply can't play in them. I saw part of the tournament and it was very ugly in the last round. 1/3 of the field failed to break 80. 

I was quite surprised by this. Do pros & their caddies not understand the wind gradient effect and how it's worse at a seaside course? I would have been hitting everything 10 feet off the ground (assuming I had their ability to do so at will). May have been what helped Sneds - his apex height is fairly low relative to the field.

4 hours ago, nevets88 said:

 

Also known as:

 

[uitar9]

I am relatively new at golf and 62 and my thoughts aren't worth shite.

At the end of 2014, my best 18 was 100 and best 9 was a 50. I was thrilled.

Last year, after lessons and clubs built for me, 53 rounds and as many times practicing my best 18 was an 86 and 9 hole was a 43.

But I still shot a lot of rounds over 100, a few over 105 and one, 118.

A couple of things I've heard about on tour radio and TV from the usual "all star" coaches:

-at my handicap, I have no control-live with it

-just work on my worst mistake-one mistake at a time (right now it is FIR) 

-I am trying to not think about the outcome of a shot-just the setup-one shot at a time

 

[stealthhwk]

Hey!! U STOLE MY POST! Not really, but u could have. That was me six months ago. I so feel your pain, i have very little practice time but used every spare second for golf and instruction and had my worst round ever! It crushed me so bad I abandoned all instruction and took a six week break to clear my mind of all the crap. Only sport I ever excelled at was paintball and u just gotta let your inner player out and trust that u know what your doing. Own your swing and use the player inside to take note of whats wrong and fix it...thats what I did. Sometimes we need to get out of our own way. Im NOT saying abandon everything you have worked so hard on. I AM saying try getting out of your own way. Try to think a little less and let that inner player out. If you have put in that much work, theres a very GOOD chance that inner player knows what hes doing. BEST of luck and dont give up. Hang in there and fight, if I can push thru...so can u!