You know the spiral.
A tidy start… then a double on 5. The brain turns into a calculator: “If I birdie 6 and 7, then par out…”
Pressure rises. Swings get tight. The round slips away.
That’s score-obsession. And it quietly wrecks more rounds than swing faults do.
If this hits home, you’ll like the mindset reset I shared in Why Golf Feels Impossible (and How to Love It Again).
The Real Problem
When you chase a number mid-round, you leave the present.
Tempo, target, routine → gone.
The irony is that the harder you chase the score, the faster it runs.
For long-term motivation (not just a one-off PB), read Why Breaking 80 Won’t Make You Happy (And What Will).
The Fix: Play Score-Blind (And Still Get All The Data)
Let tech track everything in the background while you focus on one shot. Then look at the number after you shake hands on 18.
Arccos has a setting to hide your score while you play.
Starter pick: Arccos Smart Sensors (Gen 3+): reliable auto-tracking with “hide score” option.
Shots are logged automatically, and you see the total after the round.
Arccos does require a membership (~$13/month), but the mental-game benefit alone can pay for itself in lower scores and more enjoyment.
Golfshot (Apple Watch) can auto-detect swings and track shots from your watch, no grip sensors.
Watch picks that pair well: Apple Watch SE, Apple Watch Series 9 (mid), Apple Watch Ultra 2 (premium).
Use it, but don’t peek at the live card.
Hands-free mounting: Magnetic phone mount for cart/push trolley (keeps the phone out of your hands and temptations).
18Birdies – Smart Tracking automatically captures shots via phone or watch, allowing you to focus on gameplay and review later.
Garmin watches: Many models allow you to turn off the running total during play (re-enable it after the round).
Garmin picks: Approach S12 (budget), Approach S62 (mid), Approach S70 (premium)
The sensors do the bookkeeping. You do the shot-making.
A 3-Round “Score-Blind” Experiment
Run this exactly as written:
1. Before the round
Pick one swing thought (≤5 words).
Pick one target cue (e.g., “start line: right edge”).
Turn on auto-tracking; hide or ignore the score.
For a quick pre-round sanity check on time and rhythm, skim 18 Holes of Golf: Time, Strategy & Etiquette Guide.
Pre-round tune-up: Orange Whip Trainer (47”) or SKLZ Gold Flex to groove tempo in 2–3 minutes.
2. During the round
Box breathing between shots: 4 in / 4 hold / 4 out.
Two-step routine only: (a) see the shot, (b) swing the shot.
After any miss, say out loud: “Next task.” Then move.
Yardage without screens: Blue Tees Series 3 Max (budget) or Bushnell Tour V6 (premium)—check distance, not score.
3. After the round (now check your number)
Review process first, score second. Rate 1–5 on:
Stayed present after mistakes
Committed to a clear target
Kept the same routine on every shot
Do this for 3 rounds and compare performance.
What To Review Later (The Useful Stuff)
When you finally open the data, look for patterns that actually lower scores:
Miss bias: left vs right off the tee.
At-home feedback: Golf impact tape (clubface stickers) or foot-spray for face contact (instant pattern reveal).
If the driver is the culprit, fix it with Stop Slicing Your Driver: Master the Club Every Golfer Fears.
Leaky yardages: distance bands costing strokes.
Gap check: Portable launch monitor (PRGR HS-130A) to map real carry numbers.
First-putt distance
Are you living at 25–35 feet?
Speed control kit: Perfect Practice Putting Mat + PuttOut Pressure Trainer.
Sharpen speed with Stop Three-Putting: 7 Pro Secrets to Transform Your Putting Game.
Penalty/recovery count: swings that never had a chance.
Smart practice: Alignment sticks (pair) to set start lines and ball position reliably.
Greenside saves: attempts vs successes → next week’s practice.
Short-game staple: Chipping net & foam balls set for daily 10-minute reps.
Pro Tips To Make It Stick
Start score-blind on non-tournament days to build trust.
If curiosity bites, glance at yardages only, not the card.
Keep one pocket phrase: “One shot. One target.”
Pair rounds with process goals (e.g., “18 committed swings”) instead of number goals.
If playing partners rattle you, keep perspective with Golf Etiquette 101: Handling Difficult Playing Partners.
Mental-game classic to reinforce this approach: “Golf Is Not a Game of Perfect” (Bob Rotella).
My TakeAway
You can have it both ways: clean stats + a quiet mind.
Let the app track everything, hide the running total, and play golf instead of doing math. For many golfers, this single shift is transformative.
And the stats will still be there when it’s time to improve.
Try it over your next three rounds. Play score-blind.
Then tell us what changed.
—Hakan
Founder, ParTalk.com | X/Twitter: ParTalkGolf | Instagram: @golfingphoto