Learn to stay in your shot. Don't think score, think only about the shot you are about to strike. Stay in that moment and do nothing else. When you allow your mind to start thinking about other things you disrupt your concentration and ability to make a shot. I'm not saying you have to think about only the shot, some of the best rounds I've played have been when I've been distracted and not had golf on the brain, what you have to do is not allow yourself to get ahead of the shot you are about to hit and think about the putt before you even hit the green. Focus on the shot you can control, which is the one you are standing over, not the one dependent on the shot you are about to hit. When you get ahead of yourself, that's when you make mistakes. Play the game shot-by-shot, without any expectations, and you will surprise yourself with how well you can grind out a good score.
And don't think for a second that all players do not get ahead of themselves. You can watch the best players blow up on the course and know they tried to get a head of themselves. They do it in the majors all the time. For us hackers, it's just much easier. For example, I threw down a 74 and a 73 in back-to-back rounds. Came out on the follow up of the 73 and started out birdie. Guess what started creeping into my head? Score. Completely got my head out of the moment and started thinking about future state rather than focusing on the moment and the shot. Completely fell apart and shot 84. Lesson learned, I hope.
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