Advice on focusing without undue pressure

So Sat I went out of town and played a new course and did exceptionally well imo for never setting foot there before on the front 9, shot a 42. At the turn I was like, wow, finally gonna do it and break 85, my next goal.

Seems like the more I focused and pressured myself to do well, the worse I shot and got more frustrated on every hole. Ended up shooting 50 on the back 9

Now I know that the harder you try in golf, the worse the results. I was alot looser on the front 9, having a great time and obviously tightened up. It even got to the point where I was analyzing my swing, which is taboo.

What do/did you guys do to reduce the pressure you put on yourselves during rounds or aiming for goals? I knew I shoulda stayed relaxed and continued to take it easy and have fun, but once certain thoughts got into my head I couldn't get them out. I was over reading putts, pulling irons, hooking my drive then slicing the next. Does that just come with experience and time?

Thanks for your time.

Being a 18+ player myself, I usually just try to remember that I'm out there playing to have fun. If I mess up and have a blow up hole it's not the end of the world. I usually end up playing better when thinking like that.

Pre-shot routines
focus on key take away positions, like Mike Weir
positive thoughts
stay relaxed by talking with your golf partners
focus on a target for all your shots.

Staying in the moment; sounds like you may have been focusing more on the end result than the immediate task at hand.

Very good point.

The other thing I do that helps me keep the pressure off is to NEVER pay attention to my score until I'm off the course. If you knew you had a 42 at the turn, that's a problem IMHO. You had a 42 whether or not you knew it ... why allow yourself to focus on it? I always ignore the card.

Wondering the same thing as this happened to me last Sat only trying to break 90 for the first time.


Shot 43 / 48 (sort of got the yips when I knew I was gonna make it) And the funny thing is the front 9 is tougher for me!

From now on I just want to relax and let it happen!

Staying in the moment is a great way for all of us to hit better shots. The hard part for me was finding a way to do it. I have been playing more tourneys this year with a 50% finishes in the $$.
A friend of mine gave me the advice to "enjoy hitting this golf shot". It got me threw my first win this year and has helped me gain confidence over troublesome shots.
Another thing I do, is make my playing partner keep score. I do my best to think only of the task at hand. (hit fairway, hit green, knock it close, tap it in). Sounds simple, but isn't it supposed to be?