How to beat your buddies..

I have one of the few teaching jobs where I actually get to go out and watch my students play or play along with them.  A lot of times when a student comes for a lesson, they have this list of things that they think are wrong with their swing or their game.  Almost everytime the issue they think they have is not the issue that is causing them to shoot bad scores.  By watching my students in the heat of battle I get to see thier attitude, decision making, and course management.  It is amazing how much a great attitude, making smart decisions, and playing to your strengths can help your score.  I watch 12 students play everyday with virtually the same ability to hit a golf ball.  The students that have these attributes I am talking about win VERY consistantly.  Having high expectations pre round, getting upset when you encounter dissapointment, and trying to get it all back at once leads to under achievement.  After a player makes a double bogey they say, "I need to get it back with a birdie on the next hole."  They don't realize how stupid that sounds.  You don't NEED to do anything.  Isn't a par better than a double bogey.  Why not just try to get back on track with a par.  Players get too concerned with how many over par they are, and their decision making gets blurred because of it.  It does no good to change your decision making or get upset because of your score.  Have a plan for each hole that plays into your strengths and don't change it because you are 3 under or 5 over.  It doesn't matter!  The golf ball has no memory.  A killer short game helps too!! The next time you come off the course with a bad round, it might not be because of your swing!!!