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When the wheels start to fall off, and your round is not going so well, what do you do to try and fix it? Any rituals, drills, or things you say to yourself?

How do you get back on track, in the middle of a round?

I do 2 things: I tell myself "This too shall pass," in a effort to control the panic. The other thing is that I start playing very conservative, high-percentage shots (even if they won't reach the green), just so I can have some success and get some confidence back.

Calm down and concentrate on tempo. Keep the temper under control and try to laugh at the bad shots. When they happen, put the bad ones behind you and concentrate on the next shot.

Tell yourself that you are a _____ Handicap.

Then realize that you are supposed to have that many bad shots per round and that was merely one of them.

The most important shot in golf is the next one.

I try to watch it from a greater perspective!

What is the point of me being mad about I play the worst golf ever?

I am NOT my shots, nor the angry reaction inside me.

I try not to be afraid of what impression I am making on my friends, I know I can't depend on their opinion.

Knowing this I restart my game again.

What does it really matter how it will turn out?

I try to stay in awareness, and when seeing it all, the course, the trees, the view, the surroundings, I'm happy just to be there, to experience it all.

This is often how I start play good golf.


Jimmy

I usually just break all the clubs in my bag except my putter and use that the rest of the round

No actually I usually just try to remember what it felt like when I hit my last good shot and try to emulate that feeling at impact. I also like to try to break my practice swing into segments and stop at different intervals to see where the club is at that point and how I can get the club to the spot I want it at that point.

I used to get angry on the course all the time. Then I realized that there's no point in being so emotional. Nowadays, I just play shot by shot and dont even think about what happens. And I dont add up my score until I finish. That way, I wont have to think about what I need to shoot to reach 80 or whatever. Works much better now. Last few times out, I shot much lower back nine than front nine.

A couple of shots, even a couple of bad holes usually don't bother me - but anything more than that and I get STEAMED.

I try to remind myself that its just a game, and how the last time I "lost it" on the golf course I discretely pounded the wheel of my pull-cart with my 8-iron destroying the wheel, and bending the 8-iron (I was young and foolish). Served me right.

Now, when things go bad, I laugh. Really, I try to laugh and make a joke of it. Most times it works. It saved me from hurting my putter a few weeks ago after missing a 30" putt on the final hole in League play. As my opponent was high-fiving everyone in sight, I laughed, thinking "if this 9-hole league win is that important to him, I'm glad he won."

Personally, I 'over' do things when it starts going bad. I grip the club too much, I swing too hard or too slow (depending on what I think the problem is). My most recent fix is concentrate on being square to the shot. I take my stance, ground the club behind the ball (square to the target). Then, I align my body square to the target. Then, and only then, do I take my grip on the club. Now I've somehow convinced myself that the club is square, my body is square, just make a normal swing. So far, that's worked pretty well getting out of the inevitable funks. The toughest part is remembering to slow down enough to do it. I find myself wanting to rush when things go bad.

I just think about making pars and not playing for birdies, i have been 3 over after 2 and i didn't get rattled just kept playing and ended up shooting 1 over and many tiumes i have been 2 over after 2 or 3 and ended up shooting 1 or 2 over which is pretty nice to do after a bad start.
For ritules i switch balls after 2 bogeys in a row or when i make a double or more...the ball is no more for the round.

I try to go through a relaxation routine...tensing then relaxing and concentrating on breathing. I try to enjoy the game and the 'challenge'.
I go through a pre-shot routine that includes the words at address of 'balance', relaxation, rhythm, tempo with the accompanying sensations. And I have a set of focuses that must be in place before I swing, the major ones of which is the sense of swing and target orientation and the mental 'elimination' of the ball as an object. Sometimes I use a rhythm finder like (1 and 2) through the swing. By this time I should be 'in the moment'..if not, I just do the same next time.

I try and remind myself that I almost always have a run of five holes or more at even par so it will come some time in the round.

I break all my clubs except my trusty 7 iron, a la Kevin Costner in Tin Cup. I proceed to set the course record with the 7 iron, including putting with the butt of the club like i'm playing billards, and then sit in the club house talking about my shots of the day. 7 iron on 6. Or perhaps 7 iron on 10. Maybe the best shot was 7 iron on 16. etc etc.

I usually listen to my buddies offering tips such as....Grip it harder....You swing like an old woman...I think we can find that one....Go ahead, take another mulligan....Only 17 holes to go, did you bring enough balls?

I usually don't worry about bad shots. I hit em, no biggie. Gotta figure it beats being at work.

Personally, if that happens it usually becomes the "practice" round..i.e...I start practicing shots that I never get a chance to do..lol