What Do You Do When Your Playing Bad Golf?

[Gboroman]

I've done all of the below at one time or another:

1) Finish, but sulk like a baby for the next two days as if my dog had died

2) Go hit range balls immediately after.  Of course, I will stripe every range ball right down the middle.

3) Blame anything and everything else. Weather, clubs, ball, course, playing partners, bad luck, made-up injuries...

4) Drink lots of beer (after complaining about not seeing the beverage cart within the last 15 minutes)

5) Keep making on-the-course changes, including a desperate attempt at the stack-and-tilt, until I hit a few solid shots (this is not good, by the way)

6) If it's just a practice round, stop keeping score and/or cheat

7) Laugh like a raging maniac at every shot I hit, pretending that I've never ever played this bad in my life...I swear.

8) First and second hole: let out made-up cutesy "curse" words like, Aw Sugar.  Third hole on: Ever increasing volume and severity of curse words culminating in cursing my mother.

9) Lately, I'll just try to slow down and play more conservative if I'm playing bad.  If I continue to play bad, I start swinging harder, going for everything and trying some shots I wouldn't normally try because I have nothing to lose at that point.  If I have a bad nine, I try to put that behind me and have a good next nine.  Or, at least try to finish the last few holes on a strong note.  With golf, there is always hope, even though you might think it is hopeless at the time.  Even if I only have one good hole, hit one good shot, putt, pitch or chip, it's something to build on for next time.

[rehmwa]

You feel tired and not having any fun.

keep playing, keep score, and I'm still having fun.  just frustrated.

Eventually, I'll get a LOT more aggressive and try the 'fun' shots - nothing to lose at that point

better than the alternative for sure

[rkim291968]

Over the years, I became philosophical about playing bad golf.   When I start bad, I remind myself that I am doing this for fun and finish the round (liar, liar, pants on fire).

Of late, I finished the poor round and play one more round right after it.   Most of the times, 2nd round is better.   If the 2nd round s**ks too, I quit with an excuse of "I am too tired to continue" (Liar, part II).

[Dave2512]

This is why I think keeping stats is important. You can fall back on what you know about your game when you start to struggle for reassurance. If I blow up a few I know how often I make par and what my bounce back % is. Knowing that my double % is slightly higher than my birdie % is a reminder that I got the bad hole out of the way and something better will come. Everything else is just practice. Keep your head in the game.

[Lihu]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lihu

The only thing I hate is mishitting a ball. If I hit it really well, I don't really care where it lands. If I hit it badly with an unintentionally good result, it still feels bad. Oh well, golf goes on. . .

I still care a little bit about where it lands if I hit it well.. because if it doesn't go in the area I am aiming or somewhat near it then I can't even take pleasure in thinking that I hit it well..

If I hit it bad then just like you I don't care where it goes, unless it is a hole in one and then I would be happy no matter what.

If things are going badly I just shrug it off as I know someday things will click and I will enjoy golf a lot more than just the brisk walk in the morning or afternoon!

If I hit it well, the ball usually goes where I want anyway. I was being somewhat speculative.

However, today I hit the ball far, but I mishit every single shot. Heel shots, thin shots, hooks and all in combination at times. I'm hitting the bottom of my driver and getting these low penetrating long rolling (carry something like 190-240 and rolling out to 260+ yards). I hit a duck hook with a 5i off a tee that a couple months ago was my 3i shot, and it rolled sideways 15 yards past the green centered about 175 yards away today (carried 160-ish and rolled another 30-40 yards or so to the red tees on the next tee box). Made a 503 yard par 5 with driver/worm burner 3i/9i landing pin high 20 yards to the right. I still feel pretty good about my new distance, even though I shot like crap today. If I made good contact with the ball, I would have felt even better.

At this point, I'll just be happy being the longer "20+ handicapper" (luckily playing only practice rounds) until I get used to these new distances and figure out how to calm my body down after "running" to the greens like an excited schoolboy.

Bad golf isn't so bad, if your expectations are not that high. . .

[ejimsmith]

I will throw away my score card, which allows me to stop focusing. Then I'm in a mode where I play each shot as it is.  I've played enough good and bad golf that I'm able to keep a "so-be-it" attitude. There was a time I'd be embarrassed in front of the strangers I'm playing with (and that I'll never see again).  Throwing away the scorecard seems to allow me to not care about appearances nor score and just hit the ball around.  If I get lucky and manage a birdie, or scramble for a nice par, then I take that away as a positive.

[DrvFrShow]

I'll play "experimental golf". Have a cigarette. Put the scorecard in the bag. Relax. It's just a stupid game. I have shag balls in my bag and I'll use those to play shots I wouldn't normally try. Screw the rules. I'm just hitting the balls. Foot wedge. If the ball goes OB, just hit another. It's a shag ball. If the ball goes into the woods, look for five minutes finding about a half dozen more shag balls and usually not mine, toss one out onto the fairway and continue. If it happened on the front nine and I got over it by the 9th, I might pull out the card again on the back nine and try again for a legit nine holes. If not,

"How did you shoot?"

"I had a nice walk. It was a nice day today."

[Crim]

There's always 3 or 4 of those mini bottles of wine in my bag if the day is going really really poorly. I'm on the course to enjoy myself, when I'm playing good...it's highly enjoyable. When I'm playing bad, wine + golf still makes it highly enjoyable, it takes the edge off a bit.

However, when I'm practicing at the range and getting frustrated, I simply have to slow down a lot. The main thing I do is take some loose practice swings with the club that's giving me a hard time. This gives me a good feel of the weight of the club. I always hit the ball better after I feel I've got the club weight dialed down.

[legitimatebeef]

I keep on keeping on. What else is there to do? Doesn't matter how I am playing, the premise is always the same: get the ball in the hole, count up the strokes. Plus I like looking over my scores and knowing there's historical accuracy to them, that every single goddamn stroke I take on a course is accounted for.

[dbuck]

I am having fun on the doubles and triples as well, even if I don't like the result. I usually play 9 holes every week, and I always finish unless providentially hindered. I have started badly and finished well, and started well and finished badly. It is the life of the bogey golfer.

If I play badly two or three weeks in a row, I might go to the range, the chipping area, or the putting green or all three as appropriate. I am a about a 15 hcp. If I shoot 42 or better, I feel pretty good, 43-45 ho-hum, 46 or over- a little pissy. But I always finish and always prefer playing to not playing.

[tqcishark]

I never quit.  Never think about it.  Not an option.

I play with a guy who checks out bigtime when he is playing bad.  His actions in bad rounds have been epic.  Once in a walking round he got so mad he left his bag at the farthest hole from the clubhouse and declared he was finishing with his approach wedge and one ball.  Literally left his bag on the 12th tee box and began up the fairway with one club and one ball.  I will never forget what he did.  I wish he had quit and walked back.  I played well that day but the round sucked.  The round sucked because the rest of us had to endure his whining and negativity the rest of the way.  That incident is burned in my memory as a reminder that golfing with company is not just about me or my score.  My priority is to do stuff that makes golfing fun for my golfing companions.

If I'm really sucking I take my medicine, keep pace, and try to stay focused on what is ahead, not behind.

[ditchparrot19]

Once I start a round, I'm in for the duration. I'm always bent on trying to fix whatever's going wrong. Sometimes that happens and sometimes it doesn't, but I always finish.

I've mentally checked out of a few rounds after 10 or 11 holes, then ended up playing the last 4 or 5 in 1-over or so. Sometimes the problem is just too much thinking.

[rehmwa]

I'll practice correct use of the apostrophe for one

[Seniorhacker]

Sometimes the only thing to do, if you're playing that bad, step away from the game for a few days. There have been times when I've tried everything and and nothing seems to help, normally a break away helps. When you quit having fun, making yourself miserable as well as those you are playing with, it is time.

[Guest smd]

Shot back to back 73's last week summer rules. Today few little was working. Walked off on 14 after missing my drive which immediately went 75 degrees left. Usually my drive is 98-99% in the middle. I had topped 4 back to back short irons on the previous hole. It is best not to try to fix things on the course. Just leave and come back in a day or two. The problem usually cures itself. Trying to fix it on the course usually makes it worse for several days to a week and maybe more.