[nepenthe]

When you're in an extreme downswing, there is always the chance you are just unlucky, but there is a greater chance that you're not playing at an optimal level. Whenever I've had an substantial downswing, a major part of the reason was that I was simply not playing well and I continued to play despite knowing this. Time and training goes a long way into ameliorating this type of behavior.

While you certainly should not be discouraged, it behooves you to examine your recent playing trends from as objective and critical an eye as you can muster and ask yourself whether you are losing despite truly playing at your best.