Keep blades sharp and replace them if the fins have worm down also. These fins provide lift to stand the grass up as the blades edge cuts it. These two things will help keep those errant taller pieces from being too numerous.
I never cut a lawn in the same direction twice in a row, I change the direction of the lines I take by 45 degrees each time I cut. Keeping your 'wheel marks' in the same place each time you cut can lead to yellowing as those areas never fully recover from having the mower mash em down each week.
If you get into the hottest parts of summer and find your grass is 'burning up' or turning yellow/ going dormant...raise the deck height on the mower and cut the grass a bit taller. My typical choice for deck height will range from 3 to 3.5 inches when there is plenty of rain (or irrigation) to 4 inches during dryer times. This helps keep it green even during the hot months. (Although it should be noted, water is the #1 thing for keeping grass green during hot times more than any other single thing).
Also, if you find your self in the unfortunate situation of mowing in the rain you may want to consider making double passes to break up any clumps of wet grass the mower is ejecting (assuming you are not bagging the clippings...which is a whole different nightmare if the grass is soaked). The first pass you make with the deck at regular cutting height, the second with the deck raised to its maximum height. This usually will disperse the clumps more evenly. Leaving wet clumps on the lawn will result in yellow spots on the lawn under them.
