This might be a bit of an obvious topic for discussion, but I wanted to put it out there. Regardless of skill level, sometimes “bad golf” happens to everyone. Bad shots, bad holes, bad rounds - every golfer will experience these off and on throughout their golfing life (hopefully more off than on).
For me bad golf tends to happen for one of two reasons. First, because of expectations I put on myself, usually because I played the last round really well or even I played the first hole really well and these cause me to set performance expectations that take me out of the moment and my focus. This is something I’m working on and do honestly feel like I’m getting better at, understanding when I’ve hit an “expectations trigger” and then do some exercises to bring me back into the present.
The second thing that causes bad golf for me are the things that I don’t fully control. Usually its not getting a good night’s sleep before a round, or there is work or family stress happening in the background. I don’t tend to set the expectation that I’ll play bad golf if one of these things is happening and it certainly doesn’t always happen, but when it does I can usually see the connection.
Regardless of why I’m playing bad golf, it happens, and when it happens I personally think I respond to it pretty well. I get frustrated for sure, but the frustration comes in short spikes, not a constant flow. I don’t scream or curse (loudly) or really do anything outwardly with that frustration that would negatively impact my playing partners. The mantra I have for myself in these moments is “I’d rather be out here playing golf right now than doing pretty much anything else” and that seems to help.
So how about you? Any specific “bad golf” triggers you’ve discovered for yourself or any tips you want to share?
To me, bad golf usually follows bad luck. I’ve noticed if I get a less than favorable kick or a bad lie my next shot is almost always bad. I’m an 18 handicap so good golf is sometimes more rare than bad golf but when something happens out of my control I put unneeded pressure on myself to make up for it and tend to compound it.
Not letting the last shot influence your mindset on the next shot is one of the most difficult mental tasks in golf.
I used to blow up on the golf course. As a junior golfer and even in high school. I’d throw clubs, break them, shout, swear. All of it. I was the worst kind of playing partner. One bad shot would take me from a salvageable round at maybe 3-5 over into those rounds that make you never want to come back to the course.
I didn’t realize it was such a problem until I exploded in the State tournament my Freshman year of high school. I three putted for a bogey from about 6 feet. It put me two over through 12 - my score was fine - but I blew up. I was assessed a penalty, which sent me tilting even harder. I made three doubles and a triple coming in whereas I could have regrouped and shot something still around par and left myself in contention.
I walked away ashamed and cried and told my dad and coaches that I don’t ever want to act that way on a golf course - or really anywhere - again. I apologized to my team and vowed to be better.
I’m happy to say since then I have been. And what I’ve learned from that is that if I give myself a chance to recover after a bad shot without losing my cool, I usually do so pretty well and put myself in position to save par.
Bad shots happen. Every single round they happen. But they’re not the end of the world. As we work on our games and our minds we become better suited to deal with the bad shots. I topped my drive about 90 yards? Ok, it’s a short par 4. I hit a solid five iron here and I still have a chance at a birdie.
The focus - and it took me a really long time to understand this - needs to be on what’s in front of you. Shift that mindset and scores will continue to drop and your confidence in knowing you can recover and avoid the big number will skyrocket.
Showed a lot of maturity to have that realization as a teenager. Completely agreed that it’s all about taking the game one shot at a time and staying mindful in the moment.
Shot 69 the next day. If I par out after my blow up the first day I win State as a Freshman by three shots. 
I just mentally review the last time I saw a video of a top pro golfer doing the same thing! Works for me…
Yesterday, on a par 5 my drive was in the rough in front of a tree and I was like instead of trying wail my 3 Wood to get as much distance as I can and might hit the tree, let me just hit an iron and get back to the fairway. I duff it and end up still in the rough with a bad lie. I then fat the next one and thin the following one. Was not my best hole.
Playing with my coach the other day and I hit the most solid 21° I ever have. With that said it had a little baby pull on it and ended up in the high rough under a tree on a side hill. I wasn’t upset shot it at all because it was only about 15 yards offline, so not a really big miss. Anyway, I decided to still go for the green because the ball was sitting up ok, it was just a funky lie and stance. Well the grass slammed the club shut and the ball went 60yards left of my target like. Ended up on another hill in long grass. That shot ended up in the bunker, made a really good bunker shot and two putted for a double on a par 5. This is where course management comes in, something I’m still learning and trying to accept. My coach says to me:
Why didn’t you just hit it back into the fairway? You would’ve had less than a 100 in and at worst you make a bogey. Instead you chose a line that had all kinds of trouble. Bad golf definitely happens and most of the time it’s due to poor course management.
I sometimes wonder, is our course management bad or is our ego too big. I grew up watching Tiger pull those shots off and I guess I think I can do it too. Well guess what, I’m not Tiger.
I don’t always hit a good shot after a bad shot but if I do it is not because of the first one. I can forget about the previous shot when taking the next one. I never throw clubs and hardly ever cuss. I get disappointed but hopefully get over it before the next shot. Some of my best shots come after racking up a big score on the previous hole. I have same shot some amazing rounds on 3hrs sleep too so I don’t blame lack of sleep. My bad round yesterday was due to poor face contact. Skied a few drives. Hit a few drives off the top corner of the driver high and right over the fence. Hitting 8i to a par 3 with lake short and right. As a drawer I have to aim over the lake but didn’t get the middle of the club and splashdown. Couldn’t adjust to the speed of the greens either. I just accept it as the way it is. Tomorrow is a new day. Also last year I shot 107 and confidence was shot. Walked straight back to the first tee and shot a new low round of 83. Every shot is a new opportunity.
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because of expectations I put on myself, usually because I played the last round really well or even I played the first hole really well and these cause me to set performance expectations that take me out of the moment and my focus.
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“A mind is a terrible thing”
