Match Play

[GG26]

Apart from a couple of visits to Forest Pines for the Old Farts v Whippersnappers meet, I have never played in a match play competition.

I am playing in my club's knock out match play cup for the first time this season, with my first round match arranged for this Friday.

Are there any tips on how I should play. For example, if I am behind do I get more aggressive in my shot choice and more conservative if ahead? Do I react to the other players shots on a hole, or just do my own thing?

Also, I will get shots off of most of my competitors, 13 on Friday and should I be fortunate enough to win, 20 shots off of a 4 handicapper in the second round. Again, would this affect the way you play?

In our first two competitions this year over the past two weekends I scored 35 and 36 points, so I am playing consistently, which is typically the downfall of us higher handicappers. I know that to progress I am going to have to maintain that level.

 

[Doon frae Troon]

Don't assume you 'may' win a hole because you are getting a shot.
Try hard to win holes that you don't get a shot on, it's very demoralising for a low handicap player.

Never give up or drop your head if you are losing.... matches can change very quickly.
Don't get cocky if you are winning for the same reason.
If you are winning comfortably, don't ease up, bury the so and so.

Enjoy, breathe, smile a lot.
Good luck

 

[Leftie]

Play your own game. Don't let your opponent's game affect the shot you would normally play. If you can walk off with a nett par (or better) it puts pressure on the opponent. Even pros make mistakes - so will he. Always expect the unexpected - the possible chip in, the long putt. Don't be phased by it. It happens - and can happen to you as well.

Most important. Enjoy it. Matchplay is the only form of golf where YOU are playing one to one against a person, not the whole field or the course. A 7 nett 6 could win a hole

 

[cliveb]

Never concede a hole until your opponent is on the green.

 

[HampshireHog]

For the most part play your normal game.

If your opponent has knocked it into trouble make sure you don’t follow them.

If they knock it stiff be more aggressive.

Don’t leave putts for halves short.

If you have two putts for the win lag it and wait for the concession.

If you are bad short putter, like me, establish a precedent early for generous concessions.

Never concede anything over 12 inches on the last 3 holes if it goes that far.

It’s never over until it’s over. I won on the 21st last year from dormy 4 down.

 

[Imurg]

I say play your own game and play to your strengths.
With the greatest respect to almost all of us, we can't "up" our game a level just like that, we're simply not good enough.
If your Oppo knocks one in the clag and you start thinking "don't follow him" then you probably will!
How many of us, with 2 putts from 30 feet, can lag it consistently to Gimmee distance..?

 

[Carpfather1]

Play your own game and don’t try matching ,keep the ball in play off the tee,if the person your playing wings a drive into trouble ,grab your 3 wood and play safe use your shots to your advantage

 

[Bunkermagnet]

If you are bad short putter, like me, establish a precedent early for generous concessions.

You may be generous with your concessions but in a match it has to be a dead cert for me to give it, and just because my opponent is generous doesn’t mean I will be.

 

[patricks148]

You may be generous with your concessions but in a match it has to be a dead cert for me to give it, and just because my opponent is generous doesn’t mean I will be.

what if they are giving you shots, do you still make them putt everything?

 

[Bunkermagnet]

what if they are giving you shots, do you still make them putt everything?

Shots given has nothing to do with it, and in fact would suggest to me they are a more consistent player.
I make a judgement call on each time it happens, and whilst I agree you want to enjoy playing the game you both are there to win.
I didn’t say I wouldn’t give a putt, but that they had to be certainties which normally with me is a foot or less on a flat green.
If you’re looking for concessions on anything over 2 feet forget it

 

[patricks148]

Shots given has nothing to do with it, and in fact would suggest to me they are a more consistent player.
I make a judgement call on each time it happens, and whilst I agree you want to enjoy playing the game you both are there to win.
I didn’t say I wouldn’t give a putt, but that they had to be certainties which normally with me is a foot or less on a flat green.
If you’re looking for concessions on anything over 2 feet forget it

Ive no idea what your handicap is, but what if someone was say giving you 5 or more shots would you make them hole 1 to 2ft putts?

 

[duncan mackie]

Some solid advice on here.

But...

Don't get mentally involved with gimmies; just tell your opponent to pick up his ball when you believe he isn't going to miss the tap in ie keep it entirely natural as you would with mates and a knock round. Keeping the game flowing without spending time on mental decisions about whether to give a putt or not will benefit you.

Rule 1 in shot considerstion is to try and avoid giving away holes - but don't get stressed it will happen!
Rule 2 is to play your own game. There may be 1 or 2 situations in a match where you should be influenced by your opponents progress on that hole but the underlying principle is to play your game. Generally the player who causes their opponent to consider shots that aren't their normal ones will end up the winner.

The notable exception to these 2 rules is the player whose natural game is to go for everything all-out all the time. Their best chance of winning will be to fundamentally approach the round differently with a strong focus on Rule 1....but it's normally to alien to be comfortable, or effective.

Enjoy the game - I rarely play anything but match play nowadays; with 2, sometimes 3, club matches a week I don't have time for anything else!

 

[patricks148]

Some solid advice on here.

But...

Don't get mentally involved with gimmies; just tell your opponent to pick up his ball when you believe he isn't going to miss the tap in ie keep it entirely natural as you would with mates and a knock round. Keeping the game flowing without spending time on mental decisions about whether to give a putt or not will benefit you.

Rule 1 in shot considerstion is to try and avoid giving away holes - but don't get stressed it will happen!
Rule 2 is to play your own game. There may be 1 or 2 situations in a match where you should be influenced by your opponents progress on that hole but the underlying principle is to play your game. Generally the player who causes their opponent to consider shots that aren't their normal ones will end up the winner.

The notable exception to these 2 rules is the player whose natural game is to go for everything all-out all the time. Their best chance of winning will be to fundamentally approach the round differently with a strong focus on Rule 1....but it's normally to alien to be comfortable, or effective.

Enjoy the game - I rarely play anything but match play nowadays; with 2, sometimes 3, club matches a week I don't have time for anything else!

some good advice right here.

I wouldn't get involved in mind games or off putting tactics either, enjoy the game with someone you might have not otherwise ever met.

 

[Smiffy]

Never "assume" your opponent is out of the hole, (unless he has said he's picking up and conceding).
I have walked off greens plenty of times in the past where I have relaxed, thinking I was going to win it.
All the time your partner is in play, he has a chance.
And remember that yourself.

 

[PJ87]

Dont play sensible on the last! played a match play last week.. 1 up with 1 to play... 18th hole.. OOB to the right.. hedge to left.. decided hybrid instead of driver off the tee.. sliced it OOB.. the 3 off tee I managed to hit the same club down the middle lol.. shame.. almost halved the hole still so as other say NEVER give up

 

[Deleted member 1147]

Don't think too much, just enjoy the golf and give it your best. There are very few on here who would be good enough to play according to their opponents from tee to green (and I don't include myself as one of them), so just play for your best score on the hole and hopefully, if handicaps are correct, that should give you a solid chance at a half. Which can then lead to potential wins.

Don't assume your opponent is out of a hole just because they are in trouble, especially low handicappers, and always expect your opponent to hole a long putt. That way, when they do it, you aren't so disappointed.

Enjoy the game, you generally get to meet someone new and can make a lifelong friend out of that one match, if you both get along well.

...and good luck :thup:

 

[pendodave]

The gimmies thing often seems to be overthought to me.

The number of times I've been given a putt early on that I didn't fancy astonishes me. It's a 'classic' matchplay gambit, but any putt I'm given cheers me up.

I was playing in a society yesterday (so concentrating) and missed 3-4 putts that I reckon would normally have been given in matchplay - mid handicap choppers miss a lot more short putts than we like to think!

 

[backwoodsman]

Play your normal game but think carefully about what you "need" from shots. Playing "sensibly" to be on the green in three, is often more useful than being too aggressive and in the clag after two.

Don't get over confident or relax too much if doing well, and don't let your head drop if you're behind. (At 4 up with 4 to play, l once convinced myself I'd won - and lost on the 19th. Likewise was once 3 down after three, never level till 17 and won on 18)

Main thing, enjoy it. It's a great format.

 

[jim8flog]

Simple for me never concede any putt outside of about 12-15 inches, never concede any putt with a very strong break in it unless an absolute tap in and never expect to be conceded any putt. In that way nobody gets upset about putts not being conceded.

Do not change your own game unless the opponent has played first and has knocked it of bounds, never assume just because they have hit the ball in to rough than they will not make par particularly when playing a low handicap golfer.

 

[r0wly86]

In shot choice, play the shot you know you can hit not the one you hope you can hit, if your opponent hit a fantastic shot don't automatically try and do the same thing unless you know you can.

With gimmes what I used to do is make them putt the first thing I would consider a gimme, if they looked nervous and miss it or even if they look nervous but hole it, my gimme length gets shorter, if they assuredly knock it no problem then I will give them a bit more length on the gimme.

Don't be intimidated by what your opponent does, it's the score at the end not how you get there, as a big hitting junior the number of better players I intimidated by hitting the ball 100 yards further of the tee was great as their game went to pot trying to compete with me on length instead of sticking to their game and getting the ball in the hole.

I for one love matchplay it's my favourite format so just enjoy it and get to know your opponent have a nice chat and enjoy the round