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Do you play better or worse when playing with a good golfer?

I prefer playing with better players. Fun watching them and can learn quite a bit by watching them. Actually, that's true of almost all sports I've ever played.
 
I golf my game regardless of who i'm playing with. Some good rounds,some bad rounds
 
Generally play up to the level.

Generally. Sometimes I just suck.
 
Better. The vibes from either the tempo or consistently good shots seems to carryover to me at least a little bit.
 
Usually better. I generally better at the pace of play that comes with good play. Less shots, more thinking per shot, better execution.
 
Back in my youth I bowled in professional tournaments so I never thought twice about who I bowled with but in golfing im what would be a 150 bowler. So when I golf with someone thats more to scratch even tho im still quick to play i get uptight and dont play to what I should.
 
Tevenor said:
Usually better. I generally better at the pace of play that comes with good play. Less shots, more thinking per shot, better execution.
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I call that “drafting” I really believe it’s a thing in golf, just like in car racing. When more than one guy is playing well in a group they just start feeding off each other it seems...
 
SC LEFTY said:
I call that “drafting” I really believe it’s a thing in golf, just like in car racing. When more than one guy is playing well in a group they just start feeding off each other it seems...
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And the same in the opposite direction as well.
 
Way more of a pace of play issue for me. I like to play quickly.
 
Good topic. There are lots of dimensions to this.

Generally speaking, I'm not paying attention to how other people are playing and it doesn't affect me.

One exception is when the other three golfers aren't very good putters, you don't get much help on the greens. When they are good putters, you do.

Another exception is when you are playing some match or gambling game. It's not so much paying attention to what the other players are doing as it is where you stand in the game. You always want to pay attention to who is in whose pocket.

Since I'm a pretty good player, I find I need to make sure I don't ruin the round for others in the group. I really try to diffuse the situation before it becomes one. Sometimes people are self conscious about their game. Sometimes they are self conscious about mine. Neither is good for enjoying the round.

Many times I've had people declare on the first tee that they aren't very good. My standard response is: "Well I am, but don't let that bother you. We're just all out here to have fun." Then I make sure I back up this statement by setting the 'fun' tone over those first few holes. Getting to know the other players. Good natured kidding around. Complements when they are warranted. Keeping it light and fun.

I have a couple of courses that have actually asked me multiple times to go out with a group of beginners. They know I'll treat them right. In those situations I'll tell the group there are only two objectives for the day: keep pace with the group in front and have fun. If you keep pace, nobody cares how many strokes you took or how you are playing. Let's go have fun!
 
A few disciplines I've learned along the way.
  • There are some swings that you just shouldn't watch (the ones that screw up your swing)
  • There are some swings that you should watch; either because it reminds you what you should do, or reminds you of what you shouldn't do
  • 99 out of 100 times trying to help someone with their swing during the round is a bad idea--don't do it
  • Most players are a lot more consistent than they think, it's just that most of the time it's making the same mistake swing after swing--but you can't and shouldn't tell them that
  • When someone does ask for your help, if you feel like you can let them know you'll be happy to do so after the round and then do so
  • When you do help someone telling them what they need to do or feel is much more effective than telling them what they are doing that they need to stop doing
 
I've noticed I play worse, a lot worse when I am with worse players. I'm in no way an excellent player but I've noticed I play up to the standard (or at least better than my normal) when playing with better players but definitely play worse with people who are markedly worse than me.

Examples: I play with my inlaws, we go out to play for fun and just get together and have fun, but a couple of them are just not good players, nothing wrong with that but I've noticed my rounds suffer when I play with them.

Conversely. I went home last year (just pre-covid) and played with my cousin and his son who are both mid single digit handicap and I they did not believe I was off 18 (at the time) and the fact is, I played like I was lower. I had an absolute blinder of a round and actually beat one of them and another guy in our group before even taking handicap into account. I was even playing with very old borrowed clubs.

I need to get other peoples' games out of my head and just play myself. because after all, that's all you are really doing unless you are in a competition.
 
Maric said:
Really good golfers intimidate me, but playing with those slightly better seems to make me play better. I also seem to play better with the few golfers that are worse than me, but that is probably just by comparison.
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I'm the same. I do play good with slightly better players than ones who are scratch or better.

When playing with guys who aren't as good as me, I get on a roll teeing off first and can keep that going. I like teeing off first.
 
I'm definitely in the play better with better players camp. In fact, our pro must think that I'm a lot better than I am. In the 3 rounds I've played with him, I've shot 80 all three times!

...um, I'm not that good.
 
I definitely play better maybe because I am more focused but also sometimes seeing how they play a hole rather than how I would normally would.
 
My regular skins game group is 12 to 24 players ranging from + to about a 15 handicap. Comparing the lowest to highest handicap players, club selection is an area where the higher handicaps could learn much. Specifically, from bad lies high caps tend to take too long shafted and low lofted of a club, whereas the low caps play a wedge or short iron.
For short game play I've noticed most high cap players swing a 60* wedge way too often, it seems for every shot inside 60 yards . The low handicaps play lots of different clubs from around the greens.
 
I play badly when im with a golfer worse than me. like playing down to someones elses level, kind of like the pittsburgh steelers. better? results were inconclusive. drink beer or smoke marijuana to play better. just kidding about the marijuana.
 
I have played better with a skilled golfer, need to figure out why and use it for every round.

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Back in the day when I was a better golfer, I’d have people who’d tell me they’d be intimidated to play with me because they weren’t very good. I never had any issues playing with beginners and I’d quickly put them at ease. There were times when guys would try to hit it harder to keep up with my drives and that almost never worked out well. Once I figured out that trying to keep up with guys who hit it farther than I do wasn’t good strategy, I played better with those guys.
 
I play my own game 90% the time all the way up to the point I am getting out driven on every hole and then I start swinging harder.

Better player I just play my own game and shoot roughly the same

Worse player, normally does not effect me unless it is a friend and I am helping them try to find their ball and stuff. For some reason it makes me feel like I am playing wild even if I am not.
 
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