If there’s one trait that the most successful Players have, it’s coming back after a bad hole. Often times the biggest disappointment a frustrated Golfer can have is a ‘good streak’ of 4 or 5 holes followed by the infamous triple bogey.

Every Golfer in the world is going to experience a triple bogey every-once-in-a-while – it’s just part of the game. The difference is whether you bounce back to a ‘good streak’ or you let a triple bogey become the entry point for a ‘bad streak’.

I believe how the losers of the Super Bowl (in American Football) come back from a disappointing loss is a great analogy to how you may or may not come back from a triple bogey on the golf course. There are certain Football coaches that you know will bring their team back ready to play great the next year after a disappointing loss in front of millions of people. And there are coaches that won’t be able to bring their team back – starting what may be a ‘bad streak’ for the team.

Let’s start in recent history: The Giants just beat the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl. To many followers of American Football, it was a major surprise (except to some Giant fans I know). The question now remains – will the Patriots be a successful team next season or will they fall like so many Super Bowl losers have in the past?

History shows that often times, the losing team can’t comeback from their ‘triple bogey’: the Chicago Bears lost in the Super Bowl last year – and had what could be classified as a disappointing season this year. The Seattle Seahawks lost two years ago in the Super Bowl – and they followed it up with a disappointing year.

My bet: The Patriots will comeback and start a new ‘good streak’. Why? Because their coach has a PLAN that he believes in regardless of one bad game (hole). While other coaches may have panicked after a big loss and moved away from what made them successful – I believe they’ll start a new ‘good streak’. Just as many successful Players will do after a Triple Bogey.

Take Phil Mickelson as an example – in the 3rd round of this past week’s tournament he was 1 under par for the first 13 holes. He was playing very steady – he had 1 Birdie and 12 pars. Then ‘wham’ he takes an 11 on the par 5 – 14th hole.

I’d call that a ‘blow-up hole’!

The key is what he did from there: he made Par on the next 3 holes. He started a new ‘good streak’. What would have the average Golfer done? The 95 Golfer that might’ve made 1 Par and 12 Bogeys over the first 13 holes – what would’ve they done on the 15th, 16th and 17th hole if they made an 11 on the 14th hole?

Could you start a ‘good streak’ on the 15th hole? Would you be able to shake-off the 11? Or would you be the Golfer that exclaims – ‘That’s it; I always do the same thing. I always find a way to mess-up my round.’ Then proceed to make a few unenjoyable double bogeys to end the round.

Or do you have a PLAN?

A PLAN that says that you played good, steady golf for 13 holes. Would you understand that you had ‘a brain fart’ on the 14th, but it was just that: ‘a brain fart’. Could you now continue your 18 holes by making 2 Pars and 2 Bogeys? Or 1 Par and 3 Bogeys?

Or would your PLAN go out the window and either play the self-pity game or now try too hard to make a Birdie and end up with more Triples?

The Monkey goes on a ‘bad streak’ the first chance they get

The Player understands that one hole (or one shot) doesn’t make a round

Go ahead, Be a Player!

Regards,

Marc Solomon