Its easy when your round is full of good shots, to leave remembering the bad ones, the same as when your round is full of bad shots you can walk away remembering only the good ones.

AFTER your round run your brain thru those 15? tee shots hitting the fairway, or those 14 approach shots hitting the greens, or even better just a couple of the best of each, throw in some of them long putts that stopped just inches from the hole.

But who knows, it might be better to leave the course feeling bad about a 71.

Wow.  You are serious!

My favorite:  Zen Golf by Dr. Joe Parent.

RC

Jeez your complaining after a round like that, and the first one of the year to boot. I would say keep doing whatever you are doing, because its working for you. Great round!

thanks

Um first of all 71 is a very good score for golfer of any age IMO.  What club did you play at?

It's always good to set goals that you can measure, but I like that you're setting some mental/feel goals as well.  I know I'm happier if I have a good ball striking round rather than just a good number on the score card.  That said...

Maybe keep little notes on your card of clubs or shots that you didn't like; practice them until you have every shot in the bag.  It'll help your game if you come up to a mentally challenging shot (ball blocked by a tree, or one where you have to split limbs, awkward bunker shots... etc) and you can think "I've got this shot."

JD

 You are 13, and shooting a 71 with those stats, and you really aren't satisfied with the way you played?  The only mental advice for non satisfaction is to figure out what shot you missed.  Must've only been a few.  Great round.

Deno

Go as low as you can every round!  Create a new par based on how you feel you can do on the course you are playing.  Perhaps "your par" is 68, four under to relative par, even par for you.  Keep trying to go lower and lower and don't stop until you get there.  Once you get one under, think about going 2 under.  After 2, go for 3, so on and so forth.  Always remember you are playing 18 holes, therefore you have the opportunity to make 18 birdies.

Joe,

First off...congrats on the 71 and G.I.R.'s. If you KNOW that you can do better, you will. The mental side of the game is probably the hardest. Just keep going at it, practice very hard, and good things WILL come your way. Good luck!