Does your competitor have influence on your game (score)?

We all have the feeling to play better if we play with better or good players.

In my personal case this is not always true.

In case off very fast swing speeds i sometimes take over that rhythm. Making my

backswing to fast and therefore loose the control off my swing.

I'm more an Ernie Els type off player the speed is there but it's not shown as a fast swing.

I've had times were a faster golfer will make me speed up my pace of place, so i will slow down. Especially on putting. I am pretty fast all around the course, but i am a deliberate putter. If a putt is confusing me, i will take my time and maybe to a loop around the hole to see if it helps. So when i get fast on putting, bad things happen.

I typically play my own game and I don't really have anyone's habits rub off on me. Most of the people I play with swing and play slower than me anyway, so even if I do slow up my pace a little bit it will not negatively impact my game.

If anything, I typically find that I play at, or near, my best when I am playing with better players. Of course, we all have our on days and our off days; regardless of who we are playing with.

PS: The only time my competitor has influence on my score is if we are taking turns buying rounds. I typically get in the zone and play better with a little John Daly Lemonade in me (Arnold Palmer Iced Tea/Lemonade mixed w/ Absolute or GG).

Kind of depends, but I'd say most of the time it does.  Particularly if there is a bet on the round or if it is match play.

Match play tournaments definitely affect my play compared to other competitive rounds. I've only played in two match play formats (4 matches total - you see how far I got :P) but my competitor definitely had an affect on my next shots, especially if they hit a good approach shot.

For regular tournaments, I treat it like a regular round with some buddies, which I don't let any of their bad shots bring me down. Just play the best I can.

in match play it has big impact, i honestly seldom get involved with stroke play events so i guess i have to say - yes it has a large influence.

The only stroke play events i ever in are team events - BB 2 or 3 of 4 count and even in those some of your shots altered by what your teamates are doing at the same time. stroke play in single form is all but dead unless you are involved in single person events - USGA or your regional chapter.

It depends.  I don't worry about it normally, but if I'm playing a match then my opponent's play may have some influence on my strategy, depending on the state of the match.

Normally no.

The one exception (sort of) has never had anything to do with a competitor per se but with team pairings. A few times in a team format I have been completely shafted in team assignments (as I figure many have). For some reason that I haven't figured out yet if I am mad enough that there is smoke coming out of my ears I play my best golf by a country mile.

Yes, I seem to always play better when I am playing with someone who plays around the same level that I do. I'm in my early 20's so a lot of my friends don't take the game very seriously. When I play with those who just are out there to have a good time, not caring about what they are shooting or how they are playing, my score is always slightly higher. It's harder to concentrate and commit to a shot when those you are playing with aren't taking the game seriously. When I played in high school, the player from my own team that I was playing with had a larger impact than those I was playing against. One of my best friends was my playing partner for 3 years of high school and we always had a blast playing together. His game was up and down, could shoot a 37 one day then follow it up with a mid 50 round. When he was on, I knew I could be more aggressive and when he struggled I know I had to play it safer.

I seem to play best when someone is just a hair worse than me.  If I get a 1 stroke lead and they are right on my tail the whole day it pushes me.

I seem to play worse when I'm in a group with all terrible players or all players that are MUCH better than me.

I focus a lot more when someone is irritating me and I really want to beat them.  The tournaments I play are flighted and inevitably if I'm having a good day and someone is having a bad day they will bitch and moan and throw around sandbagger this and sandbagger that.  Adds fuel to the fire... i want them to think by the end that they have absolutely 0% chance of ever beating me.