We've launched the new forums! Read more here

What Do We Learn From a Bad Round

Bad rounds are part of the game. A lot of times we feel like quitting. But more times than not, the last couple of holes you hit a couple of good shots. And that always makes us excited and ready to come back for more. Good shots is what keeps us coming back.
 
There can be any number of crazy reasons that I forget how to golf on any given day so I try to isolate what is going on. If it's a mental thing I just write it off and move on. If it's a putting thing I might switch up the putter in the bag and practice much more that week. If it's a swing thing I try to tread very carefully; sometimes a visit to the Pro is needed and other times just taking 5 days off resets everything.

The main thing I learn from every bad round though is that golf is hard and nobody is good at it all of the time. It teaches patience, discipline, and really allows me to cherish the good rounds because you never know when you won't see one for a while.
 
So I read that Jordan S hit the same shot on 12 two years ago when he placed 2nd with the same results. He tried to cut it into the hole and doesn't play a cut. So I'm guessing he didn't learn, maybe this he will.
 
I am now learning from my bad rounds how to handle my self emotionally on the course. What has been a bad round lately use to be my good rounds so I am becoming mentally stronger from all those bad ones I have had.
 
That you aren't as good as you think (or like to believe) you are.

You (I) gotta remember that you are (I am) probably going to shoot better than your (my) handicap about 25% of the time.
 
Sometimes I learn a lot, sometimes I don't really learn anything and I was just off. It's just the nature of golf. You're never going to be at your best all the time.
 
What we learn is that we are addicted to golf, because we keep coming back no matter if it is a good round or a bad round.
 
If its only one bad round, we have to learn to forget it. If its a series of bad rounds, we need to figure out what is causing it.
 
You learn how to hit shots from awkward spots.
 
I learn how to recover, I learn how to manage, and I learn how to grind.
 
My biggest takeaway's are that beer is cold, my couch is comfortable and I love 4K TV.
 
Yesterday I learned to just relax and stop thinking. I played a crappy first five holes (had a lot of swing thoughts in my head). Stepped up to the sixth teebox and just didn't think at all, no practice swing just pulled the club and let it fly. I did this the remainder of the round and went -1 the last four holes. Sometimes you just get too much in your own head.
 
I learn to never give up and I don't get frustrated. I just play the next shot/hole and keep moving forward.
 
Bad rounds always teach me the same thing: dont take golf too seriously. Youre always going to have your ups and downs. Look at any professional athlete: they all have their good games and their not so good games and those are people who play their given sport for a living. Now, consider that most of us dont play golf for a living and dont put in the practice time, so how can we possibly expect ourselves to get around under par? Its a lot to expect.
 
I have learned that there is no way I am going to play an error free round of golf. The more I accept this fact the easier it is for me to move on to my next shot out of the rough, the woods, sand, etc... I've played much better when I don't get emotional about bad shots and when I don't get overly excited about good shots... A steady confidence in my game is what allows me to play, what I consider, a good round.
 
Time to go back to square one like I was a 36 handicap making sure I am doing things right including the very basics like grip and set up. Going to build back up from there.
 
I have plenty of bad rounds, and I try to learn from each of them ( and I keep having bad rounds, so I muist not learn much!).

I learn how to handle the bad, knowing it wont stay this bad
I appreciate to good.
Doing something poorly motivates me to get better
 
I really wish I was better at grinding a score while playing bad. Now a few bad holes my brain just won't focus and I end up not caring and shoot a huge number.
 
Im sure most of you would consider each of my rounds miserable.But I shot an 84 today that felt like I shot under par.Going from 100's to an 84 is a big deal.
 
Chip said:
Im sure most of you would consider each of my rounds miserable.But I shot an 84 today that felt like I shot under par.Going from 100's to an 84 is a big deal.
Click to expand...
huge jump good job, golf is fun when you play better than normally. It is fun no matter what but more fun doing well for sure.
 
They happen to us all and they'll pop up out of the blue.

I look back on the round and decipher why it was a bad round, was it cause of tee game, irons, short game, putting? What was bad about the part of my game that broke down?, distance control, poor ball striking, hooks, blocks slicing, fat, thin or alignment? This info I'll take to the range and to my instructor and we'll work on it.

I don't dwell on the round just analyze it, form a plan to fix it and head back out to the course.
 
Chip said:
Im sure most of you would consider each of my rounds miserable.But I shot an 84 today that felt like I shot under par.Going from 100's to an 84 is a big deal.
Click to expand...

Congrats dude, now figure out why you went low not just the swing but mentally.
 
golfinFF said:
Congrats dude, now figure out why you went low not just the swing but mentally.
Click to expand...
Im not sure if i could've done any better at this juncture.I just can't grasp how every full swing starts slightly to the right and curves back in.Im literally just swinging the club and it just happens.Im afraid to look at my clubs the wrong way in fear of losing that shot
 
Chip said:
Im not sure if i could've done any better at this juncture.I just can't grasp how every full swing starts slightly to the right and curves back in.Im literally just swinging the club and it just happens.Im afraid to look at my clubs the wrong way in fear of losing that shot
Click to expand...

Just trust it!
 
I learn from my mistakes and work the next few days to correct the problems. That is what keeps me coming back. It is a good feeling to correct the problems that you find on the bad round.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top