Mental aspect

[Frizit]

I really don't even know how to title this or describe what I want so bare with me. I played in a little local 2 man tournament this weekend. Saturday me and my partner played with a couple of young golfers that played college golf and were tbh just better golfers than the two of us. But my competitive nature came out and I played so well I pretty much carried us to within one shot of them.

Sunday comes along and we are flighted with a complete hacker and a senior that carried their team basically because of the distance gained from the tee equalizer. I played so average and just was not as near in to it as I should have been. I've seen this so many times I wish I could bottle it but when I play with good golfers and constantly see good golf shots I'm able to elevate the level of my play but when I play with crappy golfers my game goes down. How do you fix this?

 

[tank]

Choose a maximum score that you want to make on each hole, and consider that your par. Every time you lose a stroke to your adjusted par, try to find a way to get the stroke back. try to remain as many strokes under your adjusted par as possible.

 

[cmartingolf]

I don't watch many players swing the club. I watch the ball to help find it if necessary, but I try and keep my own rthym.

I will watch good swings.

Like Tank says, you need to be driven by "old man par," and not the fact you don't want to look like a slouch when playing with a couple of sticks. Get a score in your noggin and fight for it.

 

[trashpar]

My rule has always been, if you play with someone with good tempo and/or mechanics watch them. If they don't, just watch where the ball goes and avoid watching them swing.

 

[birdie_man]

I really don't even know how to title this or describe what I want so bare with me. I played in a little local 2 man tournament this weekend. Saturday me and my partner played with a couple of young golfers that played college golf and were tbh just better golfers than the two of us. But my competitive nature came out and I played so well I pretty much carried us to within one shot of them.

Sunday comes along and we are flighted with a complete hacker and a senior that carried their team basically because of the distance gained from the tee equalizer. I played so average and just was not as near in to it as I should have been. I've seen this so many times I wish I could bottle it but when I play with good golfers and constantly see good golf shots I'm able to elevate the level of my play but when I play with crappy golfers my game goes down. How do you fix this?

Golf is really freaking complicated as it is...and way more so with mental "things" thrown in...(not to say they are unimportant)...

I am mental more than my fair share.

Did all parts of your game fail you?

You think it was more mental (state/processes) than physical (based in action/mechanics/etc.)?

 

[cal7426]

I've done the same as you, I think it's a matter of expectation.

When you play with good players you don't feel you should be out-distancing them off the tee, or clubbing the same as them etc., you just try to get the most out of your game to match them scorewise.

However, when you play with players who are less able you feel you should be out-driving them, taking two clubs less and so on and this puts an added pressure on you (or more precisely your ego) and you start trying too hard.

So I think expectation is the cause and the previous posts about playing your own game to your own par is the solution.