How do you get into your opponents head?

[Thrdroc]

Well i mostly play with my friends and usually all I have to say to them is watch that tree/water/bunker. Even if it should be totally out of play I can usually get them out of sync. I don't say it during their back swing because i just feel that is dirty and really cheating.

I know when they mess me up they will start saying i got my distance wrong and just say its like 10 longer and 10 shorter and really get me thinking. They can usually get me to club down one and leave it short.

[Fourputt]

Well i mostly play with my friends and usually all I have to say to them is watch that tree/water/bunker. Even if it should be totally out of play I can usually get them out of sync. I don't say it during their back swing because i just feel that is dirty and really cheating.

I'm not a trash talker... just not my style. And I can turn off anyone who's trying to get to me that way... ain't gonna work.

I generally treat golf as a gentleman's game, and as such, I prefer to let my game do the talking for me. The best way to get into your opponent's head is to make a shot or an up an down when he doesn't think you can do it. I was playing a round with my brother-in-law at his club yesterday, and I was on a great run of pars (rare for me), with 5 in a row through a tough stretch of holes. We came to the 7th, and I hit my approach into the greenside bunker while he was on the green about 15 feet from the hole. I proceeded to hole out for a birdie.... he was so flustered that he 3 putted for bogey. We ended up with identical scores of 82, a good result when you consider that he has had my number for about 10 years now. And in a real match, I don't believe in gamesmanship. IMO, it's unsportsmanlike, and doesn't belong on the course. But in a game among friends, if that's your thing, go for it. It won't always work though... A rock solid short game is the best sort of attack to get into another players mind.

[Dent]

I always play with friends. Im not trying to brag but im always the low scorer in the game so I always encourage my friends to shoot really good. I want them to shoot around what I do so we both feel really good at the end of the game and really satisfied with our scores. Sometimes we do a little trash talk which is all in fun.

[lamebums]

When I play with my buddies, I usually mess with their minds a bit. I'll mention for them to watch out for that sand trap, or something. Or, I'll whisper mockingly "Sand man! Sand man!" or something like that. Or, I'll mislead them on which club to use. They ask me which club to use...problem is, I usually end up telling them what club I would use, which is about three clubs shorter than all of my buddies.

Or, one time, the hole's yard markers were gone but I had a good idea of how far it was - I deliberately pulled out a 9 iron, and my buddy was away - he pulled out his 7 iron and left it well short, I put the 9 in my bag and reached for my 6.

[Fourputt]

The trouble is when you start talking about stuff like that, it gets that thought implanted in your head too. That isn't a good swing thought to step up to the ball with....

[Ogg]

I agree with Fourputt - have a rock solid short game. I think that playing your game and not someone else's is the way to make yourself do well. My partner is our golf league is always worried about giving putts or what the other guys are doing. Don't do that. Just play your game and you will be good.

[redi630]

I agree with a strong short game. If you and your opponent are both in the fairway, say around 50 yards to the pin, and he/she hits a good shot at the stick, say 15-20 feet from the hole. Putting your ball inside of theirs is a great feeling for you and totally deflatting for the opponent. (especially when stealing a proxi or closest to the pin)

[Puttin4Bird]

I am sure the original poster didn't expect a lesson on golf etiquette, he's simply bringing up something that most players try to do. Whether it be getting in their head with good solid play (ala Tiger) or getting in their head with a little gamesmanship (ala Seve) it happens.

When playing my buddies for a little money, as we usually do, I'll just make subtle little hints about the wind, or how fast my putt just was, lack of break in the green, etc. I get the same thing back most of the time, sometimes we'll really get on each other but again never during the swing and never anything against the rules, all in good clean fun.

[Clubchucker]

I guess I'm a little different. I always play with friends (no tournaments). I'm out to enjoy the day with my buddy's and all, but when we play...it sounds horrible (and I don't mean it as harsh as it sounds), but I could care less what they shoot. I'm not playing them; I'm playing the course. I'm playing against myself so to speak. Sure we have some gambling on the side and all, but a few bucks doesn't bother me one way or another. If I shoot what I consider to be a good score for me on a tough course, then I'm happy. If whoever I'm playing with happens to shoot a couple of strokes better, then so be it. Doesn't bother me at all.

By the same token, if I shoot a bad score and my buddy shoots a worse score, that doesn't make my day any better. I'm still coming home p'd off. And that less-than-$20 I might "win" ain't gonna make it any better.