playing with a higher handicapper

[stevo]

This year my scores have been reducing to around 81-82 which should see me getting a good reduction on my handicap..Played with a 28 handicapper today, and my game was totally off.I shot a 95 which was my worst round for months.I think i was looking at his game more than mine. Is this common?.

He also had a skycaddie which gave him all the yardages,but not the ability to play the shots.Perhaps more money on lessons whould have helped him more.

Still always tomorrow.

 

[bobmac]

Playing with a higher handicap can spoil your game.
'This year my scores have been reducing to around 81-82'
However, I will never play you for money off 19

 

[USER1999]

It is quite possible to play with higher h/caps, much as it is quite possible to play with very low h/caps, but you have to concentrate on your game, not theirs. Focus is every thing.

 

[Tommo21]

Stevo, really important to focus on your own game no matter who you play with and the fact that you’re posting this on here shows that alone. Don’t get me wrong, but you’re also suggesting the other guy would be better getting lessons. That’s fine, but bother about yourself and your own game until things like this don’t enter your mind.

In saying that we all get bad ones now and then and it can happen with a 1 or 21 HC partner.

 

[Tommo21]

Playing with a higher handicap can spoil your game.
'This year my scores have been reducing to around 81-82'
However, I will never play you for money off 19

If it spoils your game then you have that in mind already and that’s not good. I’ll bet you will have a bad round with a low HC player but you would never suggest he had anything to do with it.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

As I mentioned in a previous post my regular Saturday crew are all high handicappers yet I still manage to shoot around my handicap most weekends. Its all about not worrying about where their ball goes (although obviously helping to look if it goes astray) and focussing on your own game.

I know a lot of people say you'll play better with lower handicappers and to some degree its true. There are several real low guys I play with regularly and always hold my own. HOwever, there are many more that I feel intimidated playing with in terms of their distances and scoring ability and I normally try too hard and fall apart.

 

[AlchemyGolf]

There are 9 of us who play regulary together in the comps at my club.
We mix it up every week so we dont play with the same people all the time.
There is a 5 H/Capper and the rest are higher with 3 being above 18.
I get asked to play with all the low lads all the time but prefer to play with my usual group as they are great company and I always have a laugh playing with them.

I never have come off the course after playing with the higher guys thinking it has been dentrimental to my score.I always try to switch off from golf between shots and when i get to my ball I have a procedure for every shot.

1.whats my yardage
2.are present conditions going to affect my club choice
3.Pick my club
4.stand behind the ball and pick a spot on the ground 10 yards in front of my ball to set up to.
5.make a good swing
6.switch off again

As long as im focused during this period and do this for every shot it does not matter what has happened between shots.

Give me the choice of a higher handicapper who is great company on the course or a super serious low man,well my 6hrs of golf time away from the family is precious so its all about enjoyment for me!!

 

[Herbie]

I love to play higher h/c players but it does affect me sometimes, not always but sometimes. I think it maybe that I'm playing with players who have a lot of strokes to play with and often a lot of nattering to get through, nothing wrong with natter, but you can lose yourself if not careful in what to you may seem a leasurely laugh and knockabout but to them, is the best golf they have played for ages.
Also the strokes and time can affect sometimes.

When I play with golfers of a similar h/c or better my golf is usually where it should be, on or below h/c.(but there are accasions where my golf arrives on a course somewhere where Im not playing at the time, no matter what h/c player Im with.

 

[stevo]

I don't blame you..we have a couple of qualifiers coming up so i should be looking at a good cut.

 

[welshjim22]

If you saw my recent post you will know i have been struggling of late playing with others. I have a handicap of 28 and have a Golflogix GPS. yes the money could have been spent on lessons and i will have more but it has still benefitted my game. I am trying to spread the money over new gear ( mainly waterproofs and shoes lately), lessons and playing at different courses no reason it should only go on lessons.

Played with two different people today who i didn't know before hand and played to 101. Would have broken 100 but lost three balls and took 4 penalty shots in one hole. Just felt more comfortable with these blokes and less like i was being watched.

 

[stevo]

I have played quite a few solo rounds during the week and i do concentrate a lot better.

 

[Smiffy]

I've got nothing against playing with higher handicap players, it's just that most of my golf over recent years has been society and I get a bit cheesed off keep writing 4 for 3, 3 for 3, 5 for 4 on 28 handicappers scorecards (if you get my drift). My great start normally then goes blob, blob, blob as I get increasingly disillusioned.

 

[bobmac]

When I learned my golf under "the old handicap system", I was told you should only expect to play to your handicap 2 or 3 times a year.
Does anyone else remember that or was I just drunk?
It seems today that there are some golfers who expect to play to their handicap or lower almost all of the time.

 

[ricardodaintino]

Not being a member anywhere I don't have an official handicap so have to base it on casual play (off yellow tees).

Based on Standard scratch score rather then 'Par' I play off around 21, shooting mid 80s. Although I have scored higher on several occasions across winter so to give myself a more challenging task of playing to handicap I play to my unofficial handicap of 19. So I know that 19 is the handicap I'm capable of playing to rather then the average I play to.

This may not be in keeping with how club members are regulated, but I'm not in comps, playing for skins are taking up the art of banitry. I'm just trying to challenge myself weekly rather then congratulate myself weekly.

In summary I agree with Bobmac (just took me a while to get to the point!!!)

 

[Twire]

When I learned my golf under "the old handicap system", I was told you should only expect to play to your handicap 2 or 3 times a year.
Does anyone else remember that or was I just drunk?
It seems today that there are some golfers who expect to play to their handicap or lower almost all of the time.

I think thats about right Bob. Last year only once I played below my handicap, one of the reasons for that was it's a new club for me and the course is a little tighter and less forgiving than my previous club. I was either in the buffer zone or just above. But I still think you should only be playing to it or below 3 - 4 times a year (unless your a junior).

 

[KeefG]

On the flip side of things....i love playing against low handicappers as i seem to up my game a fair bit.

When i last played against a low handicapper (Oct last year) i shot 12 over par playing off 23, subsequently the best score i've ever carded. Either side of this score i carded a 101 & 99 playing with my regular buddies who are all high handicappers.

 

[EchtLoon]

On the flip side of things....i love playing against low handicappers as i seem to up my game a fair bit.

I would agree with that, but can;t say I suffer any ill effects of playing with the hgih boys.

What does affect me are slow players as I try to compensate for their slowness and speed up myself, or get irritated and lose concentration.

 

[Imurg]

The way I'm playing at the moment I'll play with anybody!!!

 

[USER1999]

I would expect to play to my handicap 3 out of 5 times minimum, off the whites. Off the medal tees, yes, 3 or 4 times a year. Hopefully more this year if I am to get cut.

 

[Herbie]

When I learned my golf under "the old handicap system", I was told you should only expect to play to your handicap 2 or 3 times a year.
Does anyone else remember that or was I just drunk?
It seems today that there are some golfers who expect to play to their handicap or lower almost all of the time.

I remember something similar bobmac, in recent years I have been surprised at the h/c Ive been given at a couple of clubs, when I expected it to be lower, even at this club I suggested I should be off 8 with my cards put in, but got a 9 , yet I can remember the oposite years ago, where I begged for more shots when given something I had to work hard at to play to. , I also think there is less full stroke chopping today as compared to yesteryear.