Why always trying to correct your last miss can wreck your round

Story byGetty ImagesPerfect Putting Mat™ - Compact Edition1 / 2Why always trying to correct your last miss can wreck your roundGetty Images1 / 2Why always trying to correct your last miss can wreck your roundGetty Images2 / 2Why always trying to correct your last miss can wreck your roundPerfect Putting Mat™ - Compact EditionTom Stickney, with Zephyr MeltonFri, February 6, 2026 at 2:42 AM UTC·2 min readWhen you hit a bad shot, don't automatically try a quick swing fix — it could lead to wrecking your whole round. Getty ImagesOne of the biggest problems I see with the average golfer is a hyper-focus on ball flight and the instinct to immediately “fix” what went wrong on the very next swing. When you do that, you can quickly ruin your round. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAnytime you make an adjustment to compensate for a previous miss, you’re walking down a dangerous path, because one shot — or even one hole — is not a trend. It takes time to identify and understand your miss pattern for the day, and once you do, the goal is to work with it rather than fight it. Typically, this is how it goes off the 1st tee.