Mental Game

The Bounce-Back Shot

Follow a mistake with your best, calmest shot.

Why it matters

The throw immediately after a bad one is the most expensive throw in disc golf. It is taken by somebody annoyed, often from an awkward position, and it is the one most likely to be a hero attempt. Making that single throw reliably boring is worth more strokes than almost anything else you could work on.

How to do it

Treat it as a shot in its own right with its own plan, not as part of a rescue.
Pick the highest-percentage option available, which usually means the shortest safe one.
Decide what score you will accept on this hole, then play the shots that guarantee it.
Run your full routine on it. This is the throw that most needs the structure.
Accept that it will often be unambitious. A dull next shot is what stops a bad hole becoming a terrible one.

Common mistakes

Attempting the shot that would undo the mistake.If it works you are level; if it fails you are two worse. Count how often it works before you reach for it.

Rushing it because you want the hole over.Slow down deliberately. The wish for the hole to end is what makes the next number bigger.

Skipping the routine because the shot is a recovery.Recovery shots are exactly where a routine earns its keep. Run it.

Key points

Play the high-percentage recovery.
Do not chase the loss with a risky hero shot.
A clean next shot rebuilds momentum.

The drill

Drill · The boring next shot — 1 round always taking the safest option after a bad throw. For one round, after any throw you are unhappy with, you must take the safest available next shot — no exceptions, no judgement calls. Compare the score to your usual. The number is the argument, because the instinct will not accept anything else.

Watch: One Shot. One Thought. Mental Game Monday tip with DGS Pro Athlete Zoé Andyke — Disc Golf Strong