Bounce-Back: The Skill That Separates Good From Great

Statisticians call it the bounce-back rate: how often a player makes birdie or better immediately after dropping a shot. The best in the world convert at nearly double the tour average.

Why? Because they treat every shot as an independent event. The bogey on 12 has zero informational value for the tee shot on 13. Amateurs carry the last hole like luggage; pros set it down.

Build a reset ritual: exhale, say 'next shot', and walk into the next tee box like the round just started. It sounds simple because it is. Doing it under fire is the skill.