Getting an edge on your opponent in Match-play!

[roccokj]

Playing in the club matchplay over the next couple months, and as always I desperately want to win. Does anyone have tips for gaining an edge on your opponent in matchplay???

 

[haplesshacker]

Are we talking 'gamesmanship'? ie if you're not playing first, deliberately taking the wrong club out of the bag to throw doubt into the first players mind about club selection. Or, just how to play it when compared to a medal or stableford?

 

[roccokj]

In terms of like you said: putting doubt in the opponents mind; or putting more pressure on. Without being rude of course!

 

[andiritchie]

Ask him what his wife is up to while he is playing golf

On a more serious note just play your own game,what i do is just try to hit fairways off every tee no silly drivers,just simple irons off the tee down the middle

Being painfully straight will annoy anyone who plays against you

 

[madandra]

If you are putting first and lag the putt say the greens are slow and watch him put super boost on his putt. Or of you fly by tell him the greens are like lighteneing and he will lag.

 

[tiger_sheridan]

commenting that he has a lovely tempo to his swing will immediately makle him think about his tempo and thus destroy it........
However is that cheating?

 

[Herbie]

The only way to win matchplay is to win the most holes.
By trying pschological competition you may end up losing simply because your own focus on your game is shared with the thoughts of how to out wit someone.(wasted energy)

Focus totally on your game shot by shot, hole by hole.
If you play a bad one to the point where you know you have lost it, hand it over without delay, if youve lost the hole, youve lost it, dont let them practice by finishing off to rub it in, dismiss that hole and move on in a determined manner.

Concentrate on beating their hole score and nothing else, lose the thoughts of what might have been or what your overall score in stroke play is or might be.

Get your head round winning holes and nothing more, playing mind games you might get lucky, but dont forget that they may be doing it also, wasted energy can lose the game.

Get ahead and stay there, in matchplay it is easier to stay ahead with cool sensible play but much harder to catch up.

If you are level going down the last play that hole exactly to your nett par, let him do the go for the win thing.
Ive been in that situation a few times and won by simply relaxing and playing to par and leaving the excited go for it opponant to cock up.

 

[KeefG]

*Note to self - never play matchplay with this bunch of b******s

 

[Imurg]

Give him putts up to 2 1/2 feet on the first few holes and then when he has one of that length tell him "I'll see that one in please" and watch him miss it!

 

[GB72]

Give him putts up to 2 1/2 feet on the first few holes and then when he has one of that length tell him "I'll see that one in please" and watch him miss it!

That is one of my personal favourites.

Also ask your opponent if they breathe in or out on their backswing.

 

[jammydodger]

Give him putts up to 2 1/2 feet on the first few holes and then when he has one of that length tell him "I'll see that one in please" and watch him miss it!

Why not watch him miss the first few aswell ?

Another one...if he putts first make him mark it even if its close , he'll expect to have been given it and will be chuntering to himself, when youve lagged yours up then give him his putt. childish but can be good if your opponent is known to have a short fuse

 

[forefortheday]

This is why I never play Matchplay against my brother.

His club nickname is "The Barracker" he's notorious for it, don't get me wrong the guys he play with all do it but he's sooooooooo good at it he always get under the skin of his opponents.

Depends upon the people I'm playing with, guy I'm playing on Saturday loves a bit of needle so I'll be at him on the first.

 

[rgs]

Try and ensure he wins the hole-dont give him a hole easily. If you do throw away a hole dont worry its only one hole, your're still in the game.

Giving a few 2 footers early on and then making hole a few can get under your opponents skin.

 

[Imurg]

When he fires his ball into the water or a deep bunker just say " Oh , no-one like to see that"

Or see what clubs he has and tell him that there has been a recall on them by the manufacturer as there is a problem with the shafts breaking.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I find getting him to mark the ball even when its not close to my line (if he hasn't already) is a good one. He thinks why is he bothering and normally he's still thinking about it when he comes to putt

 

[Herbie]

All these tips work till youre the one making the mistakes

 

[mono217]

putt pressure on him.....

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Mono - how would you do that if we had a match. To be fair if someone of your age tried any form of gamesmanship on me during a match I'd probably laugh at them. We have a junior, pretty decent, who has obviously read all the book and heard the advice. Played him in a match last year and he tried the "do you breath in or out when you swing line". I just turned round and said do you practice before or after your homework. Not another word.

 

[Ken_A]

Only played 2 matches so far, and personally I have learnt- dont give them easy wins - We where 2 down by 2 and under pressure till 9, then I had had a few rank irons, thankfully a few good irons and some nice wedges we won the next 4. Mised the dormie putt and they came back on the next hole as we where too brash. We nearly threw it away by trying to win when we should have just played boring golf and let them try to win and make the mistakes.

Lesson learnt and now I know we are going to kick some a3rse in the next leg.