Do you play better with better players?

[Maverick]

Don't know if this happens or not but I've noticed it and so have some of my golfing buddies. 2 of the guys I play with are beginners and just starting out, when I play with them I usually don't play as good as if there is someone else in the group that is good as me or better. I know this is a total mental hiccup..but does this happen for others.

I've been playing lately with these guys and feel like I'm just hacking out there..but when I play with another buddy of mine, we're about even, then I tend to play better.

Does this sound right?

[iacas]

Don't know if this happens or not but I've noticed it and so have some of my golfing buddies. 2 of the guys I play with are beginners and just starting out, when I play with them I usually don't play as good as if there is someone else in the group that is good as me or better. I know this is a total mental hiccup..but does this happen for others.

I've been playing lately with these guys and feel like I'm just hacking out there..but when I play with another buddy of mine, we're about even, then I tend to play better.

Does this sound right?

I tend to play better, but it's also one of the things I've worked on this year - worrying about my own game and not the other person's. It's allowed me to play about the same level of golf regardless of my playing partners. One of the things I do is not watch any other golfer's swing, particularly worse players. It throws me off.

That being said, I still think I have a little "extra" when I'm in a tight match.

[Touredgegal]

I just started back at the game this summer and did well playing single. I did have the opportunity to finally play with a guy who was really, really good and we met on the 8th tee and played through another 18 holes. Up through the seventh tee we both were shooting par (he was a little under par) and after that we both fell apart on your short game. I was more concerned about hitting a good shot so he would be impressed and that's what made my game fall apart. Lesson learned I hope " I'm the only person I need to impress!" The rest will fall in place.

[NCGolfer]

I think so. There is one condition though...I play better with guys who take the game a bit more serious and have proper golf etiquette and those tend to be better players.

Like Harvey said, "and if you play golf, you're my friend."

There are a lot of people who hit a ball around the course but don't play golf. I'll spare everyone the sermon.

[NM Golf]

I definately play better with better players. It may have to do with the fact that normally when I am playing with better players it is part of a group and there is a wager involved. Don't ask me why but when I am playing for money I usually play better.

[Maverick]

...I play better with guys who take the game a bit more serious and have proper golf etiquette and those tend to be better players..

so true.

There are a lot of people who hit a ball around the course but don't play golf.

..sounds like one of the guys in our group..I finally told him to turn his phone off..it was so bad that one time..never seen this in my life..he was putting...with his phone in his hand..on speakerphone..carrying on a conversation with the other person on the other end..!

[LarryK]

2 of the guys I play with are beginners and just starting out, when I play with them I usually don't play as good ....but when I play with another buddy of mine, we're about even, then I tend to play better.

Does this sound right?

I think if you have what I would call an 'empathetic personality' (you really like people to like you), this is very natural. With the beginners, you remember what it was like to whiff the ball or only move it forward 20 yards on the ground. I think it's natural not to want to make their embarrassment any more acute by having them think they are "holding you up." Plus, you also know that you aren't exactly going to have to grind it out to "beat" them, so you instinctively let up.

When paired with better players, the situation is just the opposite. In order not to hold them up, you may have to raise your own game a notch. So that's what you instinctively try to do.

I think it is somewhat natural, although, as others have noted, it is certainly not necessarily in the best interest of your game.

[Maverick]

I think if you have what I would call an 'empathetic personality' (you really like people to like you), this is very natural. With the beginners, you remember what it was like to whiff the ball or only move it forward 20 yards on the ground. I think it's natural not to want to make their embarrassment any more acute by having them think they are "holding you up." Plus, you also know that you aren't exactly going to have to grind it out to "beat" them, so you instinctively let up.

When paired with better players, the situation is just the opposite. In order not to hold them up, you may have to raise your own game a notch. So that's what you instinctively try to do.

I think it is somewhat natural, although, as others have noted, it is certainly not necessarily in the best interest of your game.

perfectly put. I've decided that Saturdays will be my bud that share the same intensity for the game..and then Sundays it'll be the back 9 with these guys..for fun.

[Leftie_power]

I think it usually happens that when I'm playing with people who are a little bit higher handicapped than myself, it's usually a bit more relaxed attitude, and in some cases that may help my scores, but most of the time I'm not concentrating enough to string 9-18 solid holes in a row, usually it's more of the dbl-dbl-birdie-par-par-par-birdie-bogey-triple kinda rounds. I usually play with better players tho and it doesn't matter to me if they're a 2 and I'm a 9 I wanna beat them. Me and another junior(We are the top two ranked in the city) and he's a 1-2 and I'm around a 9-10 and we usually play straight up, no strokes given, it usually means that I have to rise to the challenge, and while I'm not consteint enough yet to compete with him all the time but i do beat him every few times. We usually only play a quarter or 50 cents a whole so it's big stakes, and the pride of winning means more to us than most of the wagers.