Does playing with poorer players drag you down ?

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Spear-Chucker

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Makes naff all difference to me. I know what I need to do to play well - being in relaxed, enjoyable company who get a move on is plenty good enough and enables me to concentrate and do exactly that. I've had great rounds with high hcp'ers and nightmares with alleged 'top' players. Nice whilst you're learning the game to play with established good players however, if simply to learn from them...
 

Orikoru

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Agree with what a lot of the others have said. It's not their ability level that matters, but speed of play. If I was playing with someone who's very slow then I would almost certainly play worse. I play my best golf when there's no waiting around, just get to the ball, have a look and hit, so if my FCs/PPs are also in that vein, it's going to help me play better.
 

Capella

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I like to play with better players because I tend to learn things from them. It does not neccessarily influence my performance in that specific round, though. What does influence me is the momentum and the mood of the round, though. So if my playing partners are playing poorly (compared to their usual standard I mean), that can drag me down a bit, just as well as good play and the normally good mood that comes with it can help me along.
 

User101

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I just hope it's not another day looking in the woods for balls, Gabby I hope you have been hitting the range.

Had you seen the way I played front 9 Friday and all 18 Saturday you wouldn't turn up 🤣🤣

Told you before, could be 2/3/4 or 10, Jack, Queen often in the same round 🤣🤣
 

MendieGK

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I’d say it’s more likely the other way round.

Does playing with better players improve your game... if that was the question then yes.

us low handicappers don’t really care who we play with
 

HankMarvin

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Had you seen the way I played front 9 Friday and all 18 Saturday you wouldn't turn up 🤣🤣

Told you before, could be 2/3/4 or 10, Jack, Queen often in the same round 🤣🤣

Could you just not sign us on then go and collect a few fares while we play the course ?
 

User101

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You can play in the next two weeks for a tenner including bacon roll and coffee without a member, talk about selling ourselves cheap.
 

jim8flog

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The only time it really gets to me is if I play with someone who has no consideration for the guys he is playing with. eg chasing after their ball when others have yet to play or walking around when you are taking your shot.

Or those that have 28 practice swings but still cant hit the ball because they have a totally different swing when there is actually a ball to be hit.
 

SwingsitlikeHogan

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Makes no difference to me the handicap of those I play with - what affects me is speed of play; attitude to their play; and communication (which can either be nil or excessive - and in the latter it is excessive jolly japery commentary and joke telling that do my head in)
 

Ross61

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I don’t play with too many that are much worse that me, being as most are better than me. :smirk:
Playing with cat1 players can affect me though, I can get bored as many (not all) insist on playing in turn then faff about spending ages getting their laser out and keep changing their mind about which club to use. Then on the green they stalk around the green lining up their putt. I’m then rushing my shot as I just want to get the game over.
 

merv79

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I wouldn't say I get dragged down playing with poorer players, the times I get dragged down is if they are slow players or if we are constantly looking for balls. If you are having to look for balls on nearly every hole then its very difficult to focus on your own game and get into any kind of rhythm. And if we lose ground on group in front, I feel that I start rushing and then struggle even more!
 

Hobbit

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tbh, its poor etiquette that can get under my skin, eventually. I tend to play in a bit of a bubble, which starts with the pre-shot routine and ends when I put my club back in the bag. Its players, ignorantly, doing something when I'm about to play that annoy me after a while.

I accept a player's ability, based around their handicap, and just accept that is the way they play. What's the point in letting someone's ability affect the way you play... but bizarre really. Even spending time looking for their ball can be used constructively to think about your game and how you want to play it.
 

jusme

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In essence ....you are mentally weaker than ideal if anything affects your game, be it pace pf play, low/high caps etc. If your strong mentally you should be able to play to your potential that day regardless of what is happening around you
 

Tommo21

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It's often been said you should try and play with players that are better than you as it will bring you on.

Last night I played with 2 +2 players and a 4 capper, I was initially a bit intimidated as shown by doubling the first, I then played the next 8 in one under, so did they bring me on or did I just get lucky last night.

So the question remains do poorer players drag you down ?

You should ask the guys you played with....
 
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