Hang in there, Kris. We've all felt the dejection that you're experiencing right now. Chalk it up to the price you have to pay for the great rounds and great shots. Easier said than done, I know, but my best advice is to let it go. Learn what you can from the day (work on a specific miss that you may have been seeing in that round, for example), but forget the lip-outs. Nine times out of ten days like that are an anomaly and your next good round is right around the corner. Good luck and sorry! We've all been in your shoes.

Kris, i was with ya bud until I started reading this book, "Golf is not a perfect game" by Dr. Bob Rotella. Before the book, same thing, more bad holes then good, couldn't get over anything, swinging like a nut job and had no idea what the heck i was thinking and the list goes on. So I knew it wasn't my swing, I know i have the game. it's the mental part I needed help with. So doing some research and asking around i picked up this book and started reading. Well I have to say it has helped me, mentally. I'm still hitting bad shots here and there, a few bad holes BUT the biggest difference is moving on and letting myself relax...

My last few rounds have been great. Last week I played in a tournament and won some cash for the first time ever. I gotta tell ya, I was glowing.. I know i have the game, I just need to learn to let my body relax regardless of the situation.. It's amazing how different you can play when your body is more relaxed.

IMO, i would start there.. The book is well worth it..

I read this book ten years ago. Get it. Read it. It left a HUGE impression on me...Do your best and let it go. We're not Spieth, Dustin or Day. Hit your shot and, regardless of the result, go hit the next. You will play better and enjoy your rounds much more. Get it. Read it. Worth it.

DO NOT HIT BALLS AT THE RANGE! Telling you from experience after a bad round. I had one of those last year, I went to the range after the round for an hour, and then hit more at home on my simulator.

I engrained the bad swing that I was using that day and it has taken a long time to move forward.

Find some swing drills you can do with no ball, take a lesson, take a week off...

Find a way to forget about that round and think about the good shots only!

Kris, guess we all go thru that stage every now and then. Had mine today. Lots of chili poppers. Topped the ball of the tee a few times today and when I did get to where I could hit a short iron, chili popped it dead right. Things happen and move on to the next day. A whopping 92. Guess the arms were more in control then they should have been. Had a lot of my mind and it really showed. Lucky I only lost one skin today. Life is good and after all tomorrow is just another day. Cheers, Chuck..........

Clear mind, one shot at a time. Easier said than done sometimes.

I guess bottom line is you need to know where you are mentally just physically period I can only speak from experience but I played a course outside of Hartford Connecticut one time with some buddies and couldn't even get the ball in the air at all. It was probably the most miserable around I've ever played and all I could do was try not to scream and ruin the day for the rest of my buddies. I didn't get lessons after just took it on the chin and kept playing. Hit some balls on the Range play my normal Saturday round, ect. Later that year played the same course and shot my lowest round ever 76. Bottom line is it's mostly in your head and I am confident you'll be back where you need to be very shortly with the dedication it appears you have. Best of luck man!

Kris.
Keep your chin up,and just let it go.
We all been there.I played in a tournament years ago,had a great round going,came up to a par 3 with about 154 carry over water,shanked 4 shots into the water,I was fuming,the tee box was backing up,mentally, I was cooked I felt humiliated, could not think,I thought about just pulling out of the tournament, but,I pressed on,and the rest of the round was horrible ,I felt like a failure, for days I thought about that round.
I did not want to golf anymore,I was done.
Then I thought about it and said to myself,you will fail along your journey,in life and in golf,the only way to improve is to accept your defeats, and challenges, and learn from them and press on.
To succeed one most fail this gives us strength to carry on and meet our challenges.

I feel your pain! I like to call it a day after the round. No point in ingraining bad swings. I then like to play the next day. It is kinda nice to know that no matter what, your round can't be as bad as the day before! Hang in there and keep your head clear. Earlier this year, I had my worst round of the year and came out the next day and shot a 71. It's golf. Anything can happen! Keep grinding!

Jack

Sorry to hear about your struggles. Been there, done that more times than I recount. Before I went on vacation a couple of weeks ago, I was playing great. I was super-pumped for a week off and playing golf every day. I started out with a terrible round, followed it up with one even worse, and just went I thought it couldn't get worse, it did on the 3rd day. Carded a 108, when I haven't shot over 100 in several years.

I decided to not play anymore golf that week and the week after. I played a parent/child event Sunday and while I didn't play great, my ball striking was much better, found a few fairways, didn't lose any balls.

When it gets really going bad, I try to take a break for a week or so, then get back on the horse. Slow and shorten the swing if need be and try to get back to basics.

Thanks for the encouragement and advice everyone. A day removed and I've realized that everyone's been there before. I definitely need to work on my mental game and how to recover on the course. I'll definitely check out that book Speedy! This is just another bump in the road. I'm going to book a lesson soon and get back on that horse!

That's why there's a 19th hole. A couple of cold one's and forget about it. I've had bad rounds and gone out the next day and had a good round. That's why golf is such a maddening game. Just when you think you have it figured out, it jumps out and bites you. And the reverse is true also. Just remember, its a game meant to be enjoyed. Go out and have fun.

Kris D, totally been there and have done that! Last week played 9 shot even on the front. Played this past weekend shot 47 and 40. Tripled the first hole , doubled the second.....It really bummed me out!
But yesterday played the back 9 and shot 2 over.
I also totally agree with Speedy. Dr. Bob's book " Golf Is Not A Game Of Perfect" is a fantastic book! Reading it has helped me out very much!

I can be a member of the misery loves company team as I just shot my worst round in a club tournament club I can remember! My golf instructor who passsed on now just told me if you run into this several times and it keeps happening...call me and we'll see whats going on.

He told me, just forget about it. Go practice your putting and short game.

If you're like most of us, you'll soon forget the round and being in the zone again before you know it.

I think its the best thing that can happen as a bad round teaches me more about the game and my character than a good one.

Thanks for the great post....keep playing and have fun at it!

Sorry for the bad round Kris, but know we have all been there. Having a short memory for the bad things usually gets me through the worst rounds I have had. After my first wife died it took almost a year before I could feel my hands throughout the entire swing. One round started out bright and sunny on April 1 and I bogied the first two holes from the middle of the fairway. Third hole the wind came up and I hit the pin with a wedge and the hole in one hope ended when the ball popped out of the hole. Easy birdie to be followed by another bogey from the middle of the fairway. This trend continued throughout the front and I almost aced the other par 3 on that side. I finished at 5 over and when we started the back a storm was just starting to hit the course with a hard rain pelting us halfway through the 10th. My brother wanted to call it quits but I had a Ben Crenshaw Ryder Cup moment and told him I had a good feeling about this round. The rain turned to sleet which turned to hail which then turned into a mix of snow and rain. I smoked a 1 iron approach to the last green and as I lined up my eagle my brother looked at me and told me if I two putted for a birdie I would be 6 under on that side. Needless to say I three jacked it to shoot even for the round in the worst conditions I ever played. No matter how bad that round got I didn't hold on to the bad and trusted my Titleists. Hope that helped.