How do you handle it when you have mentally checked out during a round?

[Timothy Voyles]

I played two rounds this past weekend, each was bad in its own right.

Sat I hit 0 fairways with my driver (ditched it around 14 and played 3 wood)... pretty sure you all know how this worked out for me, I was scrambling all day to save something. Shot a 98...

Sunday we tee'd off at 1:30, it was 102 and we'd already spent 45 minutes on the range. Everything felt great at the range, notably driver got some deep focus and was back into the 5-8 yard fade I am used to playing (not the 30 yard slice I had on Sat). We chilled in the club house for 30 min, got cooled off, hydrated and ate a snack. Head out to #1 par 5, shot a 10... Thought to myself "here we go again". Drive got me in trouble again. Not from slice, but from teeing it forward with the guys we were paired with. There is a fairway bunker that is NEVER in play and guess what, from whites I am in it... 2 more to get out (don't hit many mid irons with wedges...). All said and done I score a 48 on front, despite playing 5 over on #1.

#10 after a quick cool off and break, 5 over again. #11 4 over.... Shot a 52 carding a 100 overall, worst round in 3 months!

The way the the back nine started and having fought to stay under 50 on the front, I mentally checked out on #12. Flubbered a couple chips and made double.

Sit for 5 min, slam a gatorade and eat some peanuts. Talk to the others and just forget about the last three holes.

Long par 3 on #13, just grabbed a 6 and made a whack at it. The shot hit a narrow spot between two bunkers and was very near near the pin. From nowhere the focus came, chip within 1 foot of hole to par. From there I went birdie, par, par to salvage a little of the round.

The key for me was taking my mind off the round. Hopefully the next time this happens I have a chance to sit for 5 min and forget. Too often there's a group right on you and you cannot take that break.

[Double Bogey]

All I can say is thank you to the OP for this post.  I needed this badly.  I have shot my worst two rounds of the year my past two outings.  Loosing focus has been a problem.  I start off on fire and loose it after a couple of bad holes.

Thanks to everyone for your thoughts.

[hendog]

Originally Posted by Timothy Voyles

The key for me was taking my mind off the round. Hopefully the next time this happens I have a chance to sit for 5 min and forget. Too often there's a group right on you and you cannot take that break.

Remember, you can always let a group play through. There are no PGA officials out there to put you on the clock. Grind it out. The greatest players are also the greatest grinders.

I use to have a terrible attitude and let a bad hole or two kill my whole round. Now, when things are going bad and I am just not playing well, I grind it out and am just as proud of an 89 knowing I was terrible but kept grinding as I am of being in the zone and shooting 77 (well not really but you get what I mean )

[Stroudie]

I think this is something all golfers encounter. Last week I played four rounds in four days. Too much golf.... Two holes into the fourth round I was 2 under. Feeling like i was g Mac. 3rd hole, duffed my tee shot and ended the round with 95 or something horrific. I drank water, ate a cookie at the break, stretched, even hit a couple of putts, but couldn't get it back. I think next time I go out I'll be taking my iPod and headphones... Play some chilled out music and relax. I'll let u know if it works. I don't know but maybe have a look at the effect of Coitus on performance... Could be your answer :-P