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Do your playing partners affect your game?

AMart

AMart

#TheGrindIsReal
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I was thinking about this topic as I played alone this afternoon. How does ones playing partners affect their game. The mental side of the game is something I have struggled with in the past. Depending on who I'm playing with can change my mental approach. Last season I played in a league with my neighbors, most of whom are high handicappers. When playing in my league I found myself getting lazy with my mental approach and I think my scores suffered because of it. Contrast that to playing with THPers and I think my game thrives. In 2014 I am committed to improving this aspect of my game. I think playing on a regular basis with Canadan will help me analyze my shots and rounds better as well as provide experience playing against a better golfer. I think the later will really help my performance in the MC.

My question to the community is - Does your game change depending on who your playing partners are? Do you find you elevate your game when playing better golfers? Worse when playing with golfers who aren't as good as you? How does your attitude/mental approach change depending on your partners?
 
I think many people (me included) play to the level of their playing partners. I know when I play with someone who has a nice tempo and hits the ball solid, I tend to play better. The converse is also true.
 
I'd say 90% of the time it doesn't effect me. Sometimes though there are mannerisms of who I'm paired up with that drive me up the wall.
 
I'm like Barry, most of the time I have no idea what my partner is even shooting, I just stick to my game. Some people make it difficult to concentrate though.
 
I have to watch it when I'm playing with long hitters on long courses. I will try to step on it and get in big trouble because of it instead of just playing my game without even realizing that I'm doing it.

The THP events I've attended have actually helped me out a bit with that, and it's limited to tee shots now it seems. I've also got a playing partner that's 72 years old and has shown me that you don't have to hit the ball a long way to score well so I try to keep that in my head.
 
Trout Bum said:
I'm like Barry, most of the time I have no idea what my partner is even shooting, I just stick to my game. Some people make it difficult to concentrate though.
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Ideally I would feel the same as you and Barry, but if I'm honest with myself I'd have to say I let my partners affect my game more than they should. Something I'm gonna work hard on for sure.

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Yes, most definitely. If they're slow or fast and also their attitudes and overall demeanor can affect my game. Either positively or negatively.
 
Normally people don't really effect me when I play, however I do prefer a more skilled and fast paced playing partner. I can only think of one time that I was paired with someone so bad that I had to make an excuse and just go home. And by so bad I don't mean skill level I mean his course antics, and how disrespectful he was.
 
I would like to play with better players more often, because I do feel it helps my game. Unfortunately, I only know a couple of single handicappers.
One of them is great to play with, but I only see him about once a year. The other one is a huge Richard Cranium and loves to tell everybody how good he is after every shot. I try and stay as far away from him as possible.
 
I usually play alone, with my wife or with strangers. If its strangers they don't affect me much (unless its the 8 year olds accompanying the strangers). With my wife it does affect me totally. I'm a coach, teacher, caddie, husband, and chearleader and for 15 seconds every few minutes I can focus on my shot. Unfortunately its really hard to shoot a personal best when we play. I once asked the former golf coach for Texas A&M how do I balance trying to play my best and being the group caddie, teacher, etc. He said you can't do both. So until my wife starts to break 100 or so, this is where I'm at

Tappin it up
 
For the most part no. It doesn't matter who I'm playing with I feel if I'm having a bad day it's me not them and same if I'm having a good day. I think if I'm playing with better players some of my decisions may be more aggressive than if not.
 
I don't think my playing partners affect my game negatively, but they sure have the possibility to positively. If I'm playing with some great golfers or with someone who's playing good golf it seems contagious to keep up.
 
AMart said:
Ideally I would feel the same as you and Barry, but if I'm honest with myself I'd have to say I let my partners affect my game more than they should. Something I'm gonna work hard on for sure.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Tapatalk
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There was certainly a time in my golfing life where I would let how a partner is playing bring my game down. Can't say exactly how I got over that though two things come to mind: started playing with guys better than me, over time just learned to block out almost everything but my next shot. However, I don't really think about golf entirely through the round. It's almost like I have a mental "switch" I turn on and off right as I get to my ball and right after I hit. Allows me to be conversational but still "zone" in when it's my turn.
 
I don't think it is a matter of playing better or worse with me. It's more of an enjoyment factor. I can play great or like crap with anyone at any time.
 
Unless I'm miticulously keeping score for everyone, I have no idea what their score is, I play my game. Now for the attitude in the group, I tend to mold into what everyone else is. I can play a serious round or I can play a round with more laughs than shots, and I'd take a lot of shots.
 
Only my brother-in-law, he never stops talking. Even when I'm swinging. He doesn't even stop talking when He is swinging. Sometimes it gets quite comical and I get the giggles and can't stop laughing. I'm sure that is his ploy to distract me.
 
Only one person we play with derails everyone's game. Nicknamed him the Human rain delay. He takes forever to hit which messes up the speed of our round and usually means we have the group behind us breathing down our neck.
 
It used to be no, but since moving to the States where I now play my father in law a lot, it turned into a big yes. We are both quietly competitive (in a very good natured way) and he got the better of me for the first half a dozen games we played. Instead of concentrating on my game, I started concentrating on his. I'm pleased to say that has now all changed, and as I regularly get the better of him, I would say he is now doing what I used to :lol:
 
I have never, let the way others are playing around me bother me. If I know the person and they are being an idiot, I'm sure to lip off to them and crack some wise remarks at them. If I'm in a funk, I'm sure I will get lipped off as well. If it's people I don't know, I just keep moving on after their shot, not paying attention to them.

i definitely play better with others, I get too frustrated with myself if I am a lone, and I let it carry onto my next shot, if I have another person around, hopefully they have a shot between mine or enough time passes that my mind tracks away from the previous shot.
 
If they are abnormally slow it will sometimes mess with me
 
Playing with friends in the past could sometimes affect my overall drive or focus-had a round with a friend today, but I was totally focused on putting up a score on a brand new corse for the MC challenge JB issued to us--amazing what having a purpose can do to your focus! So if I am just hacking around and having a good time I wont care either way--but I have found that I can focus and still have fun with a friend if I just set goals and play with a purpose.
 
There is not much skill in my usual foursome but we have a lot of fun. They usually struggle to break 100 and I struggle to break 90.

My best rounds have all been when I'm playing with better players because I'm more focused and inspired. Also I find it easier to visualize hitting a nice high draw off the tee when I've just seen three of them as opposed to my usual foursome where one guy tops it 50 yards, one guy slices it into the houses and the third guy hits two snap hooks back to back lol
 
an old saying, don't remember who said it but , "if you want to improve your golf game, play with better golfers ". i believe this to be true. it has a lot to do with focus and your mental approach to your round.
 
I play the same no matter who I'm playing with.
 
Without a doubt for me. It definitely forces me to focus more.
 
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