1st foursomes (alternating shots) matchplay coming up - any tips?

[Curls]

Ladies and gents,

With all the solid advice for 1st comps going around I thought I'd jump on the bandwagon and ask if there's anything in particular you would advise for myself and my playing partners' upcoming foursomes match?

Combined 3/8 h/c limited to 18, partner off 23 me off 15, guys we are playing are off 14 and 15 so there'll only be a couple of shots given I reckon.

We had our first 4 ball comp on Monday and he went to pieces, lost his ball on each of the first 3 holes, and even though we're buddies it's hard to talk to him when he's like that let alone try to snap him out of it. I could just as easily be the one who collapses Friday but I deal with it better, so any specific words of wisdom to pick someone up when they're having a mare without sounding like a **** would be great.

We've never played this format before so any tips would be greatly appreciated, cheers Curls.

 

[srixon 1]

You either love this format or hate it. Personally I love it as it really sorts out the men from the boys. Accept that you will make mistakes but so will your opponents. Remember, you are playing THEM not the golf course. If you win a hole with a treble bogey (it can happen) then just smile and move on to the next hole. When on the green, if you miss a putt and are left with a tap in DO NOT DO IT, if your opponents want you to putt out then your partner has to do it. Might sound obvious but I have seen it happen loads in the "excitment" of playing. Also, you will probably be nervous on the 1st tee but so will they, it is normal to be nervous in this format as you do not want to let your partner down, but the nerves will soon wear off after a couple of holes. Enjoy your match.

 

[Curls]

Thanks Srixon, I'd like to think I'll love it but my partners a bag of nerves even though he won't admit it. As an update there's two guys with the same name and I got the wrong one, the one we're playing isnt off 15 he's off 9 so I expect him to be handy but it means we get another shot or two

 

[Birchy]

Tell your partner to not worry about messing up. Tell him that you are both guaranteed to balls shots up so theres no point worrying about it happening because it will. Tell him that everybody is nervous but some of it is down to excitement. Another thing you could say is you dont have to win to enjoy it.

Ive only played about 6 or 7 proper comps and these are the sort of things that people told me that helped me calm down and enjoy it etc.

 

[Deleted member 15717]

There is one word that should never be used in foursomes..."sorry"

Banish that word when you play, and just play your normal game(s)

 

[pbrown7582]

Work out if either of you has holes you hate driving on or a par 3 which you just can't keep out of trouble on before you decide who tees off on odds or evens. Also bear in mind your partner nerves so it may pay you yo go on the first. From there it depends on you as individuals if you like to talk about the shots to be played or just let other play your own shot and take each one as it comes. I played in a foresomes medal comp with a guy I never met before but we just played our own games stuck at it both off 10 and never recorded a par until the 11th both hacked it around then it clicked level in to just miss out on prizes. Found it great fun but also felt lots more pressure than usual bit in a kinda of enjoyable way. Have fun!

 

[joma1108]

i played lasst year in our foursome and i played like a dog but drove well so what we did was take my drives, my partner hit the approaches and i putted, we won through the first three rounds with ease then he got a case of the unmentionables, we were beaten in the QF on the final hole.

He was gutted but i reminded him that he carried me through the last few rounds.

Its a strategy, try to pick the best person for the shots, for instance a long par 4 your not going to reach in two, third shot is the person who is best with a short iron. even if it means losing a few yards on the drive and second shot.

Think about the hole before you play it and try to decide who best to play the next shot

Wont work all the time but will focus the mind.

Good luck

 

[Curls]

Top advice lads will have a chat to him and mention these tips, nice one

 

[KeefG]

There is one word that should never be used in foursomes..."sorry"

Banish that word when you play, and just play your normal game(s)

Exactly what i was going to say....never ever ever say sorry to your partner until the match is over if you've been beat. Saying sorry will only make you more down hearted.

You can analyse the bad stuff in the bar afterwards, you dont dwell on it on the course.

 

[rosecott]

i played lasst year in our foursome and i played like a dog but drove well so what we did was take my drives, my partner hit the approaches and i putted,

Surely you're talking Greensomes, not Foursomes.

 

[DCB]

i played lasst year in our foursome and i played like a dog but drove well so what we did was take my drives, my partner hit the approaches and i putted, we won through the first three rounds with ease then he got a case of the unmentionables, we were beaten in the QF on the final hole.

that sounds more like Greensomes than Foursomes. In foursones one of you drives at the even holes, one drives at the odd holes and then you alternate shots until a hole is completed.

 

[DCB]

Combined 3/8 h/c limited to 18, partner off 23 me off 15, guys we are playing are off 14 and 15 so there'll only be a couple of shots given I reckon.

Are you sure that's the handicap allowance ?

Foursomes matchplay is 1/2 difference between aggregate handicaps of each side. So you and your partner would get 5 strokes if the proper allowance was allocated (assuming this is matchplay here)

 

[Heidi]

Play a lot of foursomes with the OMID and the best advice anyone ever gave us is to remember that the pressure is on to get out of a bad spot if your partner hits a bad ball and puts you in rough/behind a tree etc and that the pressure is on not to duff it when your partner gives you a great ball in the middle of the fairway!

as has been said before - dont say sorry! bad shots happen

enjoy!

 

[Curls]

Hi Chaps and ladies, some more good advice here, I just rang to pro to confirm and one of us drives odds the other evens and alternate once we're off, it's 3/8ths difference of combined with my partner limited to 18. I like the advice to not say sorry, now we just have to figure out who plays odds/evens and I think its not going to come down to which of us drives/tees off better but the fact that he tends to make a hash of several holes more often than not, so I'll be on evens I'd say which is a shame cos I'd prefer to tee off on the 1st and generally hit the par 3 5th pretty well.

 

[rosecott]

it's 3/8ths difference of combined with my partner limited to 18.

The handicap allowance for foursomes is 1/2 the aggregate handicap of partners in any form of strokeplay, and 1/2 the difference between aggregate handicaps of each side in matchplay. These allowances have been declared mandatory by CONGU.

 

[Curls]

The handicap allowance for foursomes is 1/2 the aggregate handicap of partners in any form of strokeplay, and 1/2 the difference between aggregate handicaps of each side in matchplay. These allowances have been declared mandatory by CONGU.

Thanks Rosecott, I'll look it up when I go home perhaps I'm confusing this with the fourball played earlier in the week, 1/2 difference would be better!

 

[louise_a]

By coincidence I have my first foursomes tomorrow too Curtis, best of luck.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Club foursomes on Sunday. 36 holes medal. Played in it one year and we were leading at lunch. A 12 down the par 5 second put paid to that. To be honest I don't enjoy the format. Always the old story of feeling like you're playing half a game and it can be ages before you have a chip or long putt and it can be hard to get any feel for the pace of the greens. I've opted not to play this year (Hawkeye is away anyway) and I've not regretted my decision once

 

[DCB]

Club foursomes on Sunday. 36 holes medal. Played in it one year and we were leading at lunch. A 12 down the par 5 second put paid to that. To be honest I don't enjoy the format. Always the old story of feeling like you're playing half a game and it can be ages before you have a chip or long putt and it can be hard to get any feel for the pace of the greens. I've opted not to play this year (Hawkeye is away anyway) and I've not regretted my decision once

C'mon Homer, if it's good enough for The Honourable Company then it should be good enough for you

 

[Region3]

Hi Chaps and ladies, some more good advice here, I just rang to pro to confirm and one of us drives odds the other evens and alternate once we're off, it's 3/8ths difference of combined with my partner limited to 18. I like the advice to not say sorry, now we just have to figure out who plays odds/evens and I think its not going to come down to which of us drives/tees off better but the fact that he tends to make a hash of several holes more often than not, so I'll be on evens I'd say which is a shame cos I'd prefer to tee off on the 1st and generally hit the par 3 5th pretty well.

Probably too late now but if it's alternate drive then if one of you is better at approach shots then decide who tees off odds and evens based on the card.

It sounds obvious but par 3's and 5's (mostly) the player teeing off is hitting the approach, and on par 4's it's the opposite.

The order of holes could be such that one of you might have 11 or 12 approach shots to a green.

If the front 9 were par 4, 5, 4, 3, 4, 3, 4, 5, 4 the person teeing off evens would hit every approach shot. Unlikely I know but it shows what I mean.