How to Bounce Back After a Bad Shot
You chunked it into the water.
You hit it out of bounds.
You missed the putt.
Now what?
Golf is a game of precision, but it’s also a game of resilience. Mistakes are inevitable but it’s how you respond that sets you apart. One poor shot can lead to a bogey. But unchecked, that bogey can snowball into four more.
The mistake itself matters far less than what you do next.
I always tell my athletes: “You’re in control of how long you let the bleeding last.” In other words, you can either bleed out on the course, or you can learn to stop the spiral. That starts by recognizing the mental and physical cues that signal you’re outside your ideal performance state and knowing how to reset. Here are a few simple but powerful tools to help you recover after a mistake.
1. Build Space Between Action and Reaction
Before you can reset, you must pause. The only way to begin understanding how you respond to setbacks is to create space between the mistake and your reaction. In that space, you notice:
Your tendency to self-sabotage
Negative thought patterns and harsh self-talk
The urge to control things beyond your control
Without that pause, you're just reacting. With it, you give yourself the chance to respond with intention. And in that response is your power, your plan, your poise, your path back into the round.
2. Breathe
This is not a "hippy dippy yoga tip." Deep breathing activates your parasympathetic nervous system which is the part of your body responsible for calming stress responses. A few deep, controlled breaths lower your heart rate, improve focus, and help you regain control.
Try this: Inhale through your nose for 4 seconds, hold for 2, and exhale through your mouth for 6 seconds. Do this twice before your next shot.
3. Use a Reset Cue
A reset cue is a mental or physical action that helps you shift focus and energy. It tells your body, “That shot is over. I’m starting fresh.”
Your reset cue could be:
Touching your hat or forehead
Sipping water
A phrase or word you repeat (“Next shot,” “Let it go,” “Flush it”)
Sharing a quick joke or light comment with your caddy
Looking at a photo in your yardage book that makes you smile (yes, even your dog counts)
These simple cues are tools to ground you and break the emotional pattern of frustration or self-doubt.
4. Refocus
Your next job is to get back into the shot that is right in front of you. The game is demanding, and it lives in the present.
You cannot control the last shot. You cannot control the leaderboard. You can only control your routine, your target, and your commitment to the next swing.
Protect your energy and attention by staying rooted in what you can influence which is your process.
5. Train It Before You Need It
Mental skills are just like swing mechanics. You need to train them regularly if you want them to hold up under pressure. Practice your reset cues and breathing drills during practice rounds. Visualize handling a bad break calmly. Write reminders in your yardage book.
If you wait until a meltdown mid-round to try managing your emotions, you’re already behind.
Final Thoughts
Golf is hard. Mistakes are part of the journey. But when you learn to reset with intention and purpose, you turn setbacks into learning moments — not downward spirals.
How you recover says more about you than the mistake ever will.
So, the next time you hit one into the water, take a breath, create space, reset, and refocus and show the game exactly what you’re made of.