How do you recover from an awful day of practice?

[Vinsk]

I need some help guys. I went out to the practice range on Wednesday. I really focus on my practice ...I don't just pound golf balls. After a little warm up I played an imaginary round. I pick out a target and mark boundaries to represent the fairway. I proceeded to go through 2 large buckets (240 balls) of hitting my driver...striping it dead on target. I had a target with a little green at 146yds that I was peppering with my wedge. Just felt awesome. I was changing targets constantly and just spot on. My poor shots were well struck just off target but not bad...felt so good literally made my whole day just so damn nice. Then came Friday. There was a tournament going on so I couldn't play and worked too late to make it. No problem...I'll go and have a wonderful time again on the range. A few warm up sand wedges....picked my targets....Driver....slice. Target today was 136yd...50* wedge....totally fat. Then another slice...then a shank...fat...thin....Belgian waffle...you get the picture. I stop...relax...focus and take small waist high swings with a 54* wedge...all is well....driver....slice....wedge...bladed it...then had a period of nice shots....not solid, crisp like Wednesday though. I really tried to get it going and just couldn't. Just ruined my day. I dunno guys....I'm just at a loss with this....what do you guys do when this happens? I know it's ridiculous but I feel like I just got stood up at Prom. WTF?

[CR McDivot]

I choose not to let a bad day on the range get to me. If I am not having success at full shot ball striking I will move to the pitching green or the putting green. Maybe come back later, or not.

IMHO there is no sense ingraining a lack of confidence by repeating a failure to execute. Tomorrow is a new day.

[mvmac]

Golf is hard. Just learn from it and move on.

[Vinsk]

I think that's a good idea to go to pitching and putting. I guess my frustration lies in the degree of awfulness I can display. No offense to the 20+ handicappers, but that's the level I achieve on my bad days. I don't go from firing 5 straight rounds of 77-78-77-76-79 to low 80's... I start hitting the ball more along the lines of 90-95. Had today's ball striking happened on the course, I would've been lucky to break 100. I know golf is hard. It's just disheartening to put in so much work with it and still have such colossal failures. Next time I start this chaos, I'm hitting the putting green.

[boogielicious]

I think that's a good idea to go to pitching and putting. I guess my frustration lies in the degree of awfulness I can display. No offense to the 20+ handicappers, but that's the level I achieve on my bad days. I don't go from firing 5 straight rounds of 77-78-77-76-79 to low 80's... I start hitting the ball more along the lines of 90-95. Had today's ball striking happened on the course, I would've been lucky to break 100. I know golf is hard. It's just disheartening to put in so much work with it and still have such colossal failures. Next time I start this chaos, I'm hitting the putting green.

This is why a lot of us try to film at least some of our practice.  When things go awry, the film shows you.  I wish I could have a camera on my at times on the course.

[chspeed]

Golf is hard. Just learn from it and move on.

Exactly. Check the bottom of the leaderboard of a given PGA tour event. You'll always see +5s, +10s, even worse. Imagine how a guy or gal who can go out and shoot in the low 60s feels when he or she shoots an 85, especially if trying to make a living. Everyone has bad days or weeks. Don't let it get you down, just move on.

[Vinsk]

You are right. I didn't even think about the leaderboard you mentioned. Not to mention "85" is a popular number right now....thanks guys, gonna let it go. I think I'll get one of those phone holders for my bag so I can start filming. I've got an iPhone 6+ so it records pretty nicely for a phone.

[GolfLug]

So I found last year that hitting full on flop shots from fluffy lies for about half hour can really help things clean up when you feel off track with rhythm. It requires keeping the club in front of you, complete looseness - body, arms, hands and a full release - all great things for regular swings too. Of things that can help you reset, this should be high on the list.

[Patch]

When I get to the range, and I find that my swing is in the tank, for what ever reason, after I know I am not in a decent frame of mind to practice, I quit and head fro the 19th bar, and grill. Bad practice days happen to everyone, and I just feel that it's a waste of time to  try an practice my way out of that day's slump. No need to take a chance of a bad swing issue  ingraining itself into my regular game.  In my case, those bad swing days usually disappear on their own with in 24 hours.

The only time I will play through a bad swing day is when I am playing an actual round. I just follow the folks in front of me, and forget about the score for that day. I play every hole as well as I can, but I don't worry about my poor showing. Besides, when I am hitting poor shots, it gives me an opportunity to work on my recovery game, using on course conditions..

[The Recreational Golfer]

Get a good night's sleep and go out the next day. Everything will be fine.

[vangator]

Go home and beat the kids and kick the dog.

[Tgb02]

^ lol

Usually I just take a day off the next day or while I am on the range I just start breaking down my swing. I have 2-3 things that I know I have to do to hit the ball well and I have drills to make sure I am doing them all so if I start hitting the ball bad I just narrow it down and try and fix it. Then if I can't fix it I usually get a lesson in the next week to make sure everything is ok.

[isukgolf]

Usually a bad day of practice results in a good day on the course ... had horrible practice day on Friday ... shot this season low of 90 on Saturday ... go figure?

[Vinsk]

Yeah. You were all right. I went out today and actually diagnosed a problem I had and fixed it. Felt so damn good. Had a great practice session and playing tomorrow.