While still a head pro at a private country club, I had a member, MG, who was a 4 handicap ask me about lessons to help him get back to his scratch or plus handicap he had in college and for a few years after he graduated. He felt he still had game and was hitting the ball good enough to get his handicap back down. He had been practicing more on both his swing and short game but his scores were not reflecting any improvement, so he felt that he needed some swing improvements to really get better. I told him I could help him with some setup and swing adjustments that would definitely improve his ball striking and control, but I felt there was another important issue that he had to address as well.
I had played numerous times with MG and knew he had game, and definitely could get back to his college game at scratch to a plus handicap. But I told MG that one of the problems holding him back was his regular Saturday and Sunday playing group. He looked at me with bugged out eyes, asking how his group could be affecting his game and handicap. Skill level I answered. His regular group of 4 friends were great guys and pretty good players, all being high single digit players. The issue as I saw it for MG was that they gave him no challenge. He could play mediocre golf and beat them easily. This lack of challenge was dragging him down.
I told MG that he didn't need to X out his good buddies completely, but instead needed to start playing now and then with the scratch group more often. We had a group of at least 15 guys, me included, with two of my assistants, that were all scratch to plus handicap players who played on Saturdays and Sundays and many times on Friday afternoons. MG would be welcomed with no problem because they all knew him and knew he could play. They also wouldn't mind getting into his wallet during his learning cycle.
I told MG that I believed and taught my kids, DJ and Kim, and was now telling him that we are a product of our environment and more so a product of 3 important things related to how we live: 1. We are what we eat. 2. We are what we think. 3. We are who we hang around with.
I told MG he needed to address #3, as he was hanging around with great guys to play with, but they were not challenging him. He needed to be challenged and tested if he was to get his game back. He needed to play with and see the better players playing better golf. It would inspire, invigorate, motivate and drive him and affect his improvement as much or more than anything else.
This same principle applies to all of us in our every day lives, and also in playing golf. If you want to excel, succeed and improve and stay above the crowd, you have to fly with those of high expectations and skills. You will get better and stay better playing or doing things with people and players better than you. They will challenge and test you and you will have to work harder and train and practice harder to catch up and then to stay up with them. They drive you as you will drive them to excel and succeed.
So, to all golfers who want to play better, lessons and better fit equipment will definitely help. But a great ingredient to improvement is to start playing with better players. I will warn you that some better players won't play with players of lesser skills. But many will, just as Tiger Woods does. (Heck, if he didn't he would only be playing by himself, with lonely Stevie holding the bag.) We know Tiger is gracious with helping pass along his knowledge, as he has done this week at the FedEx final at East Lake in Atlanta, helping Sean O'Hair with his putting as it was well documented on the Golf Channel. Phil Mickelson is another player who plays with anyone on tour and is always open to sharing his knowledge and skills. I can personally attest to that. When DJ played a practice round with him last year at the Players Championship, we walked and talked golf and other points for the entire 18 holes, which also included Dave Pelz and his son Eddie on the back nine.
So, don't be afraid to approach better players and ask to play with them. I would suggest asking your pro or starter for suggestions on who to ask. I also would suggest asking players 4 to 5 strokes better than you. When you catch up to them, choose a new group higher up the talent ladder so you can keep working yourself up that ladder to becoming and staying a 'BETTER PLAYER.'
Remember #3'¦You are who you 'PLAY GOLF' with.
The Surge!