How do you shake a bad shot?

[revkev]

There is a school of thought that says you should never own up to a bad shot on the course but rather just go and hit it again.

 

That does not work for me!

 

At the very least I need to "deprogram" that bad shot by taking a post shot practice swing and visualizing a good result. Better is to grumble for a few seconds, remind myself that I'm a better player than that and have lots of other good ones in me and then to move on and face then phoning challenge.

 

I think we are all wound differently and to assume that there is one way to shake. Bad shot is a huge mistake. Nits just as big as trying to make everyone swing the club the same way.

 

So how do you shake a bad shot?

[jbil8802]

Lately I've been hitting a lot more bad shots than usual and I haven't been shaking them very well so I have nothing to offer lol

[silver & black]

The funny thing about a bad shot is the immediate feeling of disbelief, like it should never happen!   It happens to everyone.... pros and hacks, alike. 

 

After the initial shock of screwing up a great drive, I just try to remind myself that I'm not that good and I'm out here to have fun. The rest of your round is bound to suffer if you allow yourself to stay angry and beat yourself up over it. Besides.... there are always more bad shots to make during the remainder of the round.

 

To answer the question: I try to understand what I did to make the shot go bad, and then I just move on and concentrate on the next shot. It's hard, but that's golf.

 

I always tell people that don't play the game that, golf is the most fun you can have being aggravated to death!

[PlaidJacket]

Good one Rev. I don't think I've ever given it much thought. Certainly not putting your question into words.

 

I think we can all agree that golf is a beautiful, wonderful and strange game. No one plays a perfect round without a bad shot or two along the way. Certainly there are different degrees of "badness" depending on the player. For instance; my bad approach to a green is probably much different than for Adam Scott. Adam might have missed too far left of the pin and he considered that a bad shot. My shot might have been a sculled bladed one into a bunker. Where did that come from? I was playing along great hitting solid crisp shots. Until then. So what do I do now. How do I react? I just shake my head is about all. I usually recreate the swing/shot I'd planned for. Place the club back in my bag and keep walking. I'm now focused on how to play my next shot and save par. The sculled shot is over and I've moved on to the next challenge. Every shot on every hole is a challenge to varying degrees. 

 

One thing I can say about myself is that I've learned to control my emotions on the course. Years ago I would stew over a bad shot and carry it with me throughout the hole and perhaps even to the next hole. Like I said earlier; golf is a strange game. When was the last time you saw a hunter helicopter his rifle after missing a shot? Although it would be funny. Controlling your emotions in golf is difficult at times for sure. However, by doing so you will win. I love playing against guys that lose it. They cuss and yell out-loud and sometimes chunk their club. But, I know then I have them. When I'm in good company and a guy blows a shot and throws a hissy I love it. It's funny. I also like to remind them of it as a little gamesmanship comment. Really gets under their skin. It's all done in a fun spirit though.

[wbealsd]

I TRY to remind myself to slow down, visualize and take my practice swings.

 

I'm old, I'm an amateur and I'm just trying to have fun!

[revkev]

I'm going to have an image of a hunter helicoptering his gun stuck in my head for a while!

 

Several of you have alluded to it so I will add that I think it's critical to have reasonable expectations about the outcome of a shot. If it's over 150 most of us should be happy with in a spot where we can down in 2 from a high percentage of the time.

 

Having written that I think it's critical to have a way to put the last shot, good or bad, to rest before hitting the next shot and doing it in a way that doesn't disrupt others.

[jbil8802]

I will say that when I find I'm struggling with my mental game I go back and reread "Golf is not a Game of Perfect" by Bob Rotella and that helps to get my mind back on the right track.

 

Also this may be a bit unrelated but I'll stick it in here. I do much better when I have a clear picture of what I want to do. An example from Myrtle Beach last week was a 195 yard par 3 at TPC Myrtle. Flag was on the left side of the green. I told me buddy I was going to hit a cut 4 iron and he joked about me calling my shot. I hit it to 8 feet. It's the times when I don't have a clear picture that I get into trouble. I tend to rush and just line up and swing. I really need to take a few seconds and get that clear picture before each shot and commit to it.

[Jmikecpa]

That is what beer is for, at least for me. Seriously I agree with now owning up to a bad shot and just move on and play the next one. The mentality of being able to get up and down from anywhere is a good mindset.

[Kenny B]

For me it's a matter of expectations.  I expect to hit bad shots so it's not a problem when one happens.  Many times when I hit one, I immediately know what I did wrong and move on.  However, I have times when I hit a bad shot and have no clue why.  Much harder for me to recover from that.  When it happens, more than likely, it will be followed up immediately by another bad shot.  That leads to a dreaded "Other" on a hole.  

 

However, recently I have developed an attitude that when I hit a bad shot, I challenge myself to score the best I can after that.  I think the new challenge gets me back in focus, especially if I pull it off.

[wbealsd]

I will say that when I find I'm struggling with my mental game I go back and reread "Golf is not a Game of Perfect" by Bob Rotella and that helps to get my mind back on the right track.

GREAT, great book!  It should be on every golfer's bookcase!

[revkev]

Jbil I don't think you are off topic.  Hitting good shots and having good visualization go hand in hand for me.  I don't always visualize well just as I don't always physically execute or emotionally handle things the way I'd like.  When I can line them all up is when I play my best golf.

 

And yes beer helps - not as much as scotch or vodka but it does help.

 

In the end I love the challenge of getting up and down anyway - it's a strength of my game so that's where my focus shifts.  The new greens at Bayou are also giving me a lesson in accepting a marginal result after a good shot and adding in the factor of where I need to land the ball to get it to where the pin is rather than point and shoot (a normal most of the year in Florida because its so wet.)  These suckers are firm -- I've developed some new tricks around the green to handle the combo of firm and thick rough.

[MattF]

I usually call myself a few choice names and try to think of what I did wrong, then try not to do it on the following shot.

 

It's one shot out of (for me) 80-100 on the day, so the percentages are on my side.

 

I have a saying, you can't go forward by looking backward. Shake off the bad hit and concentrate on the next one.

[NiftyNiblick]

The method of shaking a bad shot varies according to the club at which you're playing.

 

Here at Scottish Highlands, the youngest  member of the foursome generally offers you a hit on his joint.

[Dhuck Whooker]

We got to sing the song ....

Slicers gonna slice, slice,slice,

Hookers,gonna hook, hook, hook

Chunkers gonna chunk, chunk,chunk

Putters gonna miss, miss, miss

So I shake it off, shake it off...

 

Well keeping your sense of humor sometimes will save you strokes.

[EthanSterlingPrice]

A technique my coach has me use is after a shot close my eyes, take a deep breath, and as you exhale slowly countdown from 10 to 0. He always described this as a way to reset the brain and it works pretty good for me.

[McaseyM]

I follow a bad shot with a good one, usually 1/2 an IPA or seasonal brew or lip of Rough Stock Whiskey!

 

 As my instructor told me- Golf is game of confidence, not perfection. Sometimes, you gotta hit the money club, even if it's short, to get that good feeling again. 

[PlaidJacket]

As I commented here back in November I pretty much just shake my head and move on. Last Friday me and some guys were playing a Nassau. One friend of mine who never looses it.. did. We had a tight match going on the backside trading back and forth 1 up, 1 down, even, back up again, etc. When finally on 16 out of the corner of my eye I saw him bury the head of his wedge after a chunked chip. LOL Nobody said a word. I go back1 up again after 16 and finished 2 up for the match. I'm pretty sure that incident wrecked is mind. Almost wrecked mine too. LOL