Question:
Had an interesting round Sunday. I played with three guys who…ahem…shall we say, weren’t very good. (RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!!! WOMEN AND CHILDREN FIRST!!!) One of them was an outright beginner. It was his third time ever on a golf course. The course was practically empty (go figure, it was a beautiful day), and they told me I could go on ahead, but I told ‘em I’d rather play with SOMEONE rather than alone. So I was a good cheerleader for them. It didn’t take long for them to realize that I had slightly more of a clue than they did, so they started asking questions. Trust me, I’m always reluctant — no, I’m prone to outright REFUSE — whenever anybody asks for advice during a round. But these guys, and particularly the beginner, were so obviously early in the learning stage, and they practically begged for help, that I acquiesced. Well, a little. I’d been on the phone earlier in the day to Golfsmith inquiring about a putter grip. While on hold, I was treated to the Jack Whittaker-voiced reading of Harvey Penick’s Little Red Book. During my moments on hold, I heard the advice that even a beginner can build a game around one shot. Maybe it’s your 7 iron you’re comfortable with. So just hit your 7 iron, and forget about other shots. If you can’t hit your driver, hit your 7 iron off the tee. You’ll probably take just as many strokes getting to within 7-iron range of the green with your driver and 3-wood as you would by just hitting a couple of easy 7-irons from the tee, and then to lay up to 7-iron distance. So that’s what I suggested to these guys. Lo’ and behold, they started hitting the ball in the air. They still sprayed it, but they managed to get to the green in a reasonable number of strokes (couldn’t putt a lick though — that’s another lesson for a real pro to give ‘em). By playing a club they had SOME confidence in, they managed to at least advance the ball with almost all of their shots. Which for them, was a step forward. So, maybe there’s a lesson there for other beginners. Find one club you can hit, and just use IT. You may feel silly hitting an 8-iron off the tee on a 370-yard hole. But if you hit it 120 yards IN PLAY, that’s better than dribbling a drive off the teebox 15 yards with your driver. As for me, I shot one of the best rounds of my life. Even par. (Why is it I always play better when I’m playing with bad golfers? Usually, most people do just the opposite.) Randy NEWLY UPDATED AND EXPANDED!!! One of the web’s most-visited personal golf websites Featured in USA TODAY, and in the USGA’s official publication, "Golf Journal" http://wwwgolfer.home.mindspring.com Now with more pages of instruction, golf news, links, essays, information and other cool stuff RSG Roll Call profile: http://u1.netgate.net/~kirby34/rsg/brownr.htm
Response:
Why is it I always play better when I’m playing with bad golfers? Usually, most people do just the opposite.
Usually when I play with better golfers I play worse than normal. I figure it’s trying to keep up in some way, instead of playing my own game. I think and hope I’m past that. I’ve discovered a new "playing" thought (not swing thought, although it’s similar) that gets me through it: "Try not to embarrass yourself." Somehow, this allows me to realize that I should play my game, not theirs, rather than trying shots I probably shouldn’t, I play more conservatively. And better. I do tend to play well with those less accomplished than I. I think in my case it has something to do with waiting a lot for them to hit. It slows me down a bit, makes it easier to get in the zone. Mike Dalecki
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(snip) As for me, I shot one of the best rounds of my life. Even par. (Why is it I always play better when I’m playing with bad golfers? Usually, most people do just the opposite.) Randy
(snip) Well then Randy; let’s tee it up this weekend, and prepare to shoot a personal best!!!! ChiliDipper
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As for me, I shot one of the best rounds of my life. Even par. (Why is it I always play better when I’m playing with bad golfers? Usually, most people do just the opposite.)
Heh, that’s cool. I’ve shot some great scores playing with complete strangers who weren’t necessarily bad golfers, but not good ones either. It’s not that I’m in a total zone, but I feel like I don’t have to pay any attention to the way the people I’m with are playing golf, so I can be a bit sociable but otherwise relax and focus on my game. It’s fun when I realize that some of the people I’m playing with are studying me to figure out exactly how it is I’m getting around the golf course well. I’ve had drinks with people afterward who were obviously paying quite good attention to what I was doing. I’m never quite sure whether to feel flattered or like a lab rat! -joseph
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I usually end up shooting my best rounds with golfers who are not as good as me also. For me, I think it has to do with the perception that I am a better golfer and I should be able to hit better shots. When I play with people who are better than me I sometimes start to end up thinking about what the other guy thinks of my crappy shots. I know that no one really cares and I should not worry about it but it does start to bother me. As for me, I shot one of the best rounds of my life. Even par. (Why is it I always play better when I’m playing with bad golfers? Usually, most people do just the opposite.) Randy
– John Pflum, Jr. PKG Consultants, Inc. 5533 Fair Lane Cincinnati, Ohio 45227 Web: http://www.pkgconsult.com
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As for me, I shot one of the best rounds of my life. Even par. (Why is it I always play better when I’m playing with bad golfers? Usually, most people do just the opposite.)
i know i play worse with bad golfers. i think my problem is that i get so impatient waiting on them and so i try to speed things up by rushing my shots instead of taking my time. charlie Share what you know. Learn what you don’t.
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<snip story of playing with three begginers As for me, I shot one of the best rounds of my life. Even par. (Why is it I always play better when I’m playing with bad golfers? Usually, most people do just the opposite.) Randy
This is easy, your more relaxed because you your under no pressure to "perform." Some people are better with better players because they concentrate harder and become more focused. Let’s face it Randy, your an easy going guy (truth hurts dosen’t it 
) and mabey playing with these guys allowed your body to just do what you know it can do without too much thinking. — Golf spelled backwards is Flog Rick DeMent "Time to pull a quick Hank Snow"
Response:
I had a similar experience last week. Playing with a friend of my sister in law. It was her first time on a golf course. She started out with a driver, then 5 iron. She was hitting the 5 iron great but thought she "had" to hit driver off the tee. I told her to hit what she was comfortable with and she then switched to the 5 iron for all shots until she got close to the green. It worked very well for her and she had a good time as well. I wish somebody would have told me to do that when I first started. Bryan – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I’d been on the phone earlier in the day to Golfsmith inquiring about a putter grip. While on hold, I was treated to the Jack Whittaker-voiced reading of Harvey Penick’s Little Red Book. During my moments on hold, I heard the advice that even a beginner can build a game around one shot. Maybe it’s your 7 iron you’re comfortable with. So just hit your 7 iron, and forget about other shots. If you can’t hit your driver, hit your 7 iron off the tee. You’ll probably take just as many strokes getting to within 7-iron range of the green with your driver and 3-wood as you would by just hitting a couple of easy 7-irons from the tee, and then to lay up to 7-iron distance. As for me, I shot one of the best rounds of my life. Even par. (Why is it I always play better when I’m playing with bad golfers? Usually, most people do just the opposite.) Randy
Response:
I usually tend to play better when I get paired with worse golfers than myself. Something psychological about being able to show off a little bit I think. A couple of weeks ago I was playing as a single and I caught up to a father/son group who were beginners and really bad. On the last hole the father nearly put a ball through the clubhouse window! Anyway…they invited me to join them for the last two holes and after a mediocre round I went par/birdie with 7 perfectly struck balls…….been looking for them ever since! Tim
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – As for me, I shot one of the best rounds of my life. Even par. (Why is it I always play better when I’m playing with bad golfers? Usually, most people do just the opposite.) i know i play worse with bad golfers. i think my problem is that i get so impatient waiting on them and so i try to speed things up by rushing my shots instead of taking my time. charlie Share what you know. Learn what you don’t.
Response:
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – <snip story of playing with three begginers As for me, I shot one of the best rounds of my life. Even par. (Why is it I always play better when I’m playing with bad golfers? Usually, most people do just the opposite.) Randy This is easy, your more relaxed because you your under no pressure to "perform." Some people are better with better players because they concentrate harder and become more focused. Let’s face it Randy, your an easy going guy (truth hurts dosen’t it ) and mabey playing with these guys allowed your body to just do what you know it can do without too much thinking.
Could be. One of the other posters said that he doesn’t play well because he gets impatient waiting for the others. I guess I find it somewhat amusing in that I can kind of see myself a few years ago in these guys. And the fact that there *is* so much waiting (and there’s not much you can do about it), it slows me down. So you’re probably right. I can take all the time I need/want, and I know I won’t slow anybody down. Randy