Survive the killer duff golf shot.
There's an old golf saying; "If you're going to duff a shot, duff it forwards."
There's a lot of truth in that saying. For instance, if you duff it forwards, it is still travelling towards your target. The truly great news is, YOU HAD A TARGET.
Most golfers don't have a target for each shot. They just see the flag and keep hitting at it. Sorry golfers, the flag is seldom the correct target. Your target should always be the best location for your next shot. Plan ahead. The flag is possibly the target for only one shot per hole, and even then it still may not be your best target..
If you have a target and are focussed on it, many of the reasons a duff shot occurs simply disappear. Excuse me, what duff shot?
OK the duff shot is travelling forwards. Did you know that most duff shots finish up travelling about the same distance as a pretty shot. Possibly a bit short or a bit long, but not far off and still on line.
So except for a bit of embarrassment, not much was lost, right?
What was lost was control of the ball.
Don't add to that by losing control of your temper. Loss of temper is far harder to recover from. If you've got rattled and can't get settled, try 'The Blind Swings'
You've had a duff shot, here's what you do about it.
Don't berate yourself, a duff shot is a part of golf, every golfer, yes every golfer has them and a lot more often than is obvious. The top Tour Players are not exempt from the duff, the difference to yours is theirs are almost invisible, yours are obvious.
Let's get on with the shot.
Walk up to your ball, appraise the situation. What's the lie like, what's your next target? Make that next target very, very achievable, rather than ambitious. Make your various decisions and selections just as you should for every golf shot you ever have.
Give this shot the very best set-up that you can, make your swing smooth and deliberate. Hit your ball to your next target.
If you found your golf ball has finished up in a terrible position, you can buy your way out of jail. Check the Golf Rules - Ball unplayable.
You can not change a shot that has been made, but you can stop a problem occurring again in your next shot. It's entirely your choice.
Stop the Duff Golf Shot Before It Happens.
What causes a duff golf shot? How do you prevent them from creeping into your game. Prevent your next duff shot.