Fulton Blog: How to stay calm after a bad shot

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After a triple bogey on the 15th hole on Sunday, Bradley fought back and birdied Nos. 16 and 17 before parring No. 18, ultimately forcing and then winning a three-hole playoff against fellow American Jason Dufner.

If you live in the United States and have been following the PGA TOUR this year, you probably aren't that surprised rookie Keegan Bradley won the 2011 PGA Championship. Since his impressive win earlier in the year at the HP Byron Nelson Championship, it has become apparent there is something special about the young American.

After a triple bogey on the difficult 15th hole on Sunday, Bradley fought back and made two impressive birdies on the 16th and 17th followed by a solid par on the 18th. In a crazy stretch of golf, Bradley was able to overcome a five-stroke deficit forcing a three-hole playoff which he eventually won over fellow American Jason Dufner.

When I think about what we can all learn from this great comeback, I find myself referring back to some of the comments Bradley made about trying to be more patient and not overreact to any situation. This is great advice for anybody who plays the game, because golf can certainly challenge us all when it comes to both of these things.

There was no better example of displaying the necessary patience and not overreacting than what Bradley demonstrated after his triple bogey on the 15th hole. We have all been in situations where things are going so well and then, all of the sudden, you have that bad hole or even just that one bad shot that changes everything. It's amazing how many of us are guilty of this and can be easily derailed with just a single bad shot.

At that moment, you become a different golfer; your internal dialogue changes and everything around you seems to be happening faster. I can remember playing in high school and referring to this annoying stretch of golf as the "bogey train." It was amazing: I would be cruising along feeling great and then all of a sudden, a bad drive or a three-putt would lead to a bogey. No big deal, right? But the problem was this bogey would often have a lasting effect, resulting in another or even a series of bogeys. Eventually, as I regained my composure, I would get off the famous "bogey train" and get back to playing my game.

On Sunday, it would've been quite easy for Bradley to fall into this trap, as he had played great all day leading up to that one really bad shot where he chipped the ball into the water on the 15th leading to a triple bogey. These things happen even to the best players in the world and it's at these moments where patience and ability not to overreact is fully tested.

One of the definitions of "patience" is "the capacity of calmly enduring pain, trying situations, etc." I think that moment when Bradley was walking from the 15th green to the 16th tee would definitely take on this meaning. Bradley refused to give in and instead continued to play the game one shot at a time. He didn't overreact and throw in the towel which could've easily led to a couple more silly bogeys. Instead, Bradley stayed patient and didn't overreact, continuing to do the things he had been doing all day up to that point.

The first step to handling these situations is to simply acknowledge the fact that they are going to happen. As the great Bob Rotella titled one of his books, "Golf is not a game of perfect," a statement that really helped my own approach in avoiding the "bogey train." Rather than letting one bogey or bad hole lead to one or two more, it was important to learn to accept the bogey and move on to the next hole with no lasting effect.

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It may sound easy, but in reality, it's not. And in some ways, it defines one's ability to focus solely on the shot at hand. Whether you make a birdie, a bogey, or even a triple bogey, your focus should be on the next shot, rather than what just happened.

Secondly, when things get tough on the golf course, you need to get tough. Great champions show the ability to take their game to another level when things are not perfect. When I watch Bradley play, he appears to really enjoy the challenge. Now, I am sure he would rather hit every fairway and green, avoiding any chance to make a triple bogey, but you get the feeling that when things don't go his way, he not only accepts that this is part of the game, he gets tough and raises his playing level, just as he did on Sunday.

Just Because

Well, it is finally vacation week for me and as we head to my hometown in the Pacific Northwest, both my wife and I are pumped to get out of the Florida heat. It is scorcher right now in the south, so 75 degrees with no humidity in the mountains of Northern Idaho sounds pretty amazing.

It's also my 34th birthday this week and I am excited to celebrate with family and friends. Now I know 34 isn't that old, but the simple fact that I am almost halfway through my thirties and that much closer to my forties, I will admit, is a little disturbing. Time certainly flies when you are having fun.

And finally, of course, the NFL pre-season is officially underway and just two plays into the Seahawks first game against the Chargers, our prized left tackle came up hobbling. It appears he is going to be okay, but this is certainly not something you want to be seeing in early August. This could be a long year for the Hawks, but who knows, maybe this will be the year my birthday wish actually come true.

Vacation has officially started -- see you next week.

Travis Fulton is PGA TOUR Academy's Director of Instruction and one of Golf Digest's Best Young Teachers for 2010-11. His views do not necessarily reflect the views of the PGA TOUR. To learn more about the TOUR Academy, click here.