First of all it’s of very little value IF you fool yourself.  Here is one of the things I hear all the time,-

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​“He beat me 6-1 but I took him to a lot of deuces.  It was really close.”  ...

 

​It wasn’t that close.  Really, it wasn’t that close.  Ninety nine times out of a hundred, it isn’t close at all.  It is only close when the other player is put into a position to lose.  Being down 1-4 and getting to deuce on your own serve is not creating pressure or being close. 

 

What most people get out of playing better players is learning to lose.  There is the misperception of playing better because the shots are generally stronger and making some plays off of them seems as though you’re playing at a higher level.  But the confidence that would be developed through winning is stymied.  Winning is a matter of execution at the proper time.  What happens the next time you are in position to lose you will be in the habit of losing.  Have you ever had the experience of feeling that you played great against a better player only to have the same score as usual against someone you play regularly.  I bet you have. 

 

So can you hit with better players and get better.  ABSOLUTELY.  The way to do it is to mix the better player in with players you can beat and players that are very close to you.  When you DO play with someone better have a plan that you know will win if you execute it properly.  Without confidence in a plan you CAN’T beat someone better.   The reason a mix of players is important is that winning is necessary to being confident.  It becomes a habit, as does losing.  Practice winning as much as you practice your strokes.​