Not Your Day

Have you ever been annoyed, irritated, angry or even frustrated because it was just not your day?
You didn't feel the club, the ball, your movement was not really fluid, you kept missing putts and even
your normal shots were off line? Not to mention the Driver...
We've all been there, right? Well, if that is true, then it is inevitable to have a bad day. Just like in
life you can have a bad day in golf. But it doesn't have to stay like that. I personally have had some of
my greatest satisfactions when my golf started bad.
But what usually happens when you have a bad day? You are very disappointed, you keep blaming
the bad day for your mistakes (which is partly true), you become very emotional and we all know how
we play in emotional states.
Not very good, often making bad decisions and rushing things, taking the mind (and eye) off the ball
and choking in the crucial moments.
Why does this happen? There are a couple of limiting beliefs that we hold on to:

 If I have a bad day, I cannot win. So what's the point of trying?

 The second one is: this is too difficult. If I had my normal feel, I would have hit these shots
better.

They both make the player focus on the problems. And when a player starts thinking about these
problems, his emotional state becomes even more negative. His level of play consequently drops and
so he gets his proof - he was right. He makes self fulfilling prophecies. He gets to be right, but loses.
But no one cares whether you're right or not.
The only thing counting are the results. So how can we get them?
It takes a different - winning - attitude. First, you need to realize and see the reality as it is. In
reality - you are having a bad day. So what will happen? When you aim for the pin, your shots will
probably miss the green. When you attack with a risky approach it will catch the hazard.
That's the reality of a bad day, right?
Instead of dreaming how nice it would be to have the feel back again and be really feeling good this
day, you need to fight with what you HAVE. You need to accept the reality as it is and do your best to
deal with situation in a different way.
You need to accept the challenge that on this day it will be harder for you to play than on your good
day.
You need to play solid, percentage golf. You need to play for the middle of the greens high
percentage.
If your aggressive attacking style of play is not working today, then you must find your consistency
despite your bad day.
If you have no feel, start looking for it. Stay in the round focus on how you feel the ball. Become
aware of your feel and when it feels a little better.
If you have problems with your drive, CHANGE IT! Stop hitting 100 mph drives if only 4 percent find
the fairway.