Play six mini-tournaments

Dealing with the mental stress that comes from keeping score during a round of golf is one of the biggest challenges any player will ever have to face, whether you’re a touring professional or a weekend amateur. Oftentimes it’s very difficult to concentrate on the shot at hand when you find yourself saying things like, "I guess this round is ruined. I’ve already made five bogeys and I still have nine holes left." Or, "How can I break 80 now. After that front 9 I have to make at least two birdies on the back."

It’s really tough to stay focused on the present moment when you’re thinking about how poorly you’ve already played or how well you now have to play in order to shoot a good score.

I learned a trick long ago while playing tournament golf that made it easier for me to concentrate on playing the course and not think so much about my score. The trick is using the scorecard to your advantage.

Instead of keeping track of the total score as you progress through the round, break up the scorecard into six different three-hole sections. Now, instead of playing for an 18-hole score, you’re playing a series of six miniature tournaments consisting of three holes each. The helpful aspect of this strategy is that it allows you to focus on your performance over a smaller grouping of holes instead of worrying about your running total for the round.

Each three-hole tournament will have its own "par" that is based on the three holes used in the tournament. For example, a grouping that includes a par 3, a par 4 and a par 5 will have a "par" score of 12. If you shoot a 14 on those three holes, you finished that tournament at +2.

Now you can move on to the next three-hole tournament without worrying how the +2 will affect your overall score; that tournament is already over and its outcome shouldn’t have any effect on how you play the next mini-tournament.

Using the scorecard to break down a course in this manner should prove to be a huge help in how you mentally manage your game as you play. Just commit to trying it the next time you tee it up and you might unlock some potential you never knew you had. Good luck and keep swinging!

Brandon Stooksbury is a PGA-certified professional with more than 10 years of experience as a teaching professional. Formally with the Jim McLean Golf School in Miami. Stooksbury is the head instructor of the Tour Academy at TPC Las Vegas in Summerlin. For lesson information, he can be contacted at 256-2000, ext. 239, or bstooksbury@touracademy.com.