Matchplay advice

Jack_bfc

Jack_bfc

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Playing my first ever singles matchplay tonight!!

Could be interesting, playing a long standing member who plays off 7 and got to the final last year.

I'm obviously receiving plenty of shots, but just wondered if there any tips, or advice from the great and the good of GM forum to help me on my way.

MY plan is to half a couple to get it past the 10th....
 
Keep it in play and don't duff shots - play to your strengths and don't try to batter it - I played a matcha couple of weeks ago against a six handicapper - he beat me 5 and 4 but I'd doubt that he had more than four holes where I couldn't have matched him given my receiving a shot - I played like a dog but he made a fair few mistakes too - if I'd been steady I'd have had a chance
 
Play the man, not the course!

Lots of people say play the course but that's rubbish. No point playing for a bogey/nett par if you opponent is going to make birdie.

Other than that just relax, use your shots wisely and enjoy the experience.
 
Play your own game, try to keep it in play at all times (heroics are for the terminally desperate) and walk confidently. It's all about putting pressure on your opponent who'll have to score amazing if you have a few nice holes. You have enough strokes to make it interesting.
 
I won our club knock out year before last and the first piece of advise I'd give you is go out and win the first hole. When you win the first hole put it in your pocket and win the second hole. When you win the second win the 3rd.

That's how you should approach it, none of this half nonsense! If you're 5 up don't think it's won, and if you're 5 down its not over until there aren't enough holes left to half the match and take it to the play off hole.

Going by your h/c it looks like you played 3 under your h/c recently, when was the last time this steady 7 shot 4 over gross? As an established 7 h/capper he is likely to shoot pretty close to his number or perhaps above, he'd have to have an unusually good day to go under by much, so if you have a good round and get a few pars in (nett or gross, doesn't matter if you have a shot) then you have to expect he'll be doing well to win holes off you. If you have a mare on a hole take the loss and put it behind you instantly, the next hole is a fresh opportunity to win it back. He won't be making many birdies, you just par and bogey your way round and he hasn't a hope.

Bring home the win but don't write your victory post until you've shaken hands.
 
don't give up on a hole until your oppo's ball is actually in the cup.

everyone on here has won holes from utterly impossible situations and lost them likewise.
 
drive4show said:
Play the man, not the course!
Click to expand...
I did exactly that a week ago and regretted it...

'Twas a mixed foursomes. We were playing a hole on which we had a shot on our opponents, and we were lying 2 (net 1) against their 3. My turn to play, and under pretty much any other circumstances I would have gone for the green (which has a ditch running 30 yards in front). But no - because we were in such a good position I decided to just play a relaxed wedge and lay up in order to avoid any possibility of duffing a 6 iron into the ditch. You can all guess what happened next, of course - sweetest contact of my life, going 20 yards further than expected and trundling on into the ditch. SWMBO was NOT amused.
 
Jack_bfc said:
Playing my first ever singles matchplay tonight!!

Could be interesting, playing a long standing member who plays off 7 and got to the final last year.

I'm obviously receiving plenty of shots, but just wondered if there any tips, or advice from the great and the good of GM forum to help me on my way.

MY plan is to half a couple to get it past the 10th....
Click to expand...

thats a good plan, also win 1 and dont lose any and you will be the victor after 18th....guaranteed! this works for any and all matchplay games on the planet:smirk:


Good luck- just enjoy the game and play your own game, that's the best advice for anyone in matchplay.
 
As everyone says, mores so than stroke play, the hole and the game is never over until mathematically so.

amazing how people can blow leads once they loose a few holes.

once in inter club match (no handicaps) for regional comp I walked off 9th 6 down playing like fool. gritted teeth, swung slower, was all square by 16th, lost it and then won 17 & 18. Lets just say opponents face was picture walking off 18 - his team mates pretty gutted too. Other matches have been tight 1 up, even 1 down from 1 to 18.

given your shots keep ball in play and make him win holes... do not ding a hole. even 3 off tee focus on getting ball to hole and holing out.
 
cliveb said:
I did exactly that a week ago and regretted it...

'Twas a mixed foursomes. We were playing a hole on which we had a shot on our opponents, and we were lying 2 (net 1) against their 3. My turn to play, and under pretty much any other circumstances I would have gone for the green (which has a ditch running 30 yards in front). But no - because we were in such a good position I decided to just play a relaxed wedge and lay up in order to avoid any possibility of duffing a 6 iron into the ditch. You can all guess what happened next, of course - sweetest contact of my life, going 20 yards further than expected and trundling on into the ditch. SWMBO was NOT amused.
Click to expand...

That is a technical issue, not a strategy one. Hope you won the match though?
 
the concept of playing the man has relevance in matches between similar handicaps but the more shots in play, and the wider the capability gap in terms of distance etc, the more it becomes a recipe for disaster.

the number of times in a round that a real decision is fundamentally affected by your opponents situation is very small

the consideration of his position, and likely outcome, is way too much to effectively process and still perform

you end up thinking about his game not yours

you continually take on low percentage shots, fail, and struggle with the next situation

play your game to the best of your ability - worry about where you are in relation to your opponent when putting!
 
Really try and hole a good putt early on - of whatever distance - and really, really take care and don't miss silly ones.

Keeping your side of street clean and tidy (even if you are not winning holes and you may be losing holes) this means that on subsequent holes if you are on or around the green and still in the hole your opponent doesn't have 'putting' or other 'weakness' in your play as something he can count on coming from you.

Make your opponent feel he has always got to WIN a hole - don't let your carelessness allow him to get into a 'he'll mess up so I can relax and play my game' thinking. Then he plays well - as your play takes pressure off him.
 
Wow what a match!

I could write a book on that one!

Firstly the fella was a decent sort! Only young and obviously a good player!

Halved the first couple with a double and a bogie!
Lost the 3 rd as I went out of bounds!

Won it back on the 5th with a bogie!
Went one up when he messed up the 7th and I bogied...
halved the 8th when I didn't have a shot!
Lost the 9th after hacking my way through the trees, so all square at the turn.

So I am getting more and more confident.

I went one up on the 11th with a bogie then a couple of worldly recovery shots on 12 and 13 to halve both, really knocked the stuffing out of him! The one on the 13th had him shaking his head! Par 3 with a ditch at the front, my tee shot comes to rest on the down slope of the ditch on the wrong side up against the little bridge! I have two bunkers to get over and not much green! I open up the 58* and clear the bunkers and hold it on the green! I couldn't do that again if I tried 100 times!

Halves up to the 16th where I messed up and he parred to win, all square again!

All square on the par 5 18th, he birdies and I par with another worldly 3rd shot from the rough with a hybrid to the middle of the green!

I then lip out to win on the first extra! I then duff a chip which ends up halving the 2nd!

The 3rd again, he drives about 300 yards and I dump mine in the pond! I end up with a six and he messes up to bogie and half!

It's now nearly dark and he messes up his approach to the 4th and I mishit my 2nd skipping over a ditch onto the green leaving me two puts to win!!,

Which I'd did!!!!!!!!!


Sorry for going on and on but the wife wasn't interested and I'm on the train most of the day tomorrow so I can't tell anyone else about it!!!!

The fella was a young gent and was obviously gutted but he did say he had never been in a match like that before!!
 
Congratulations Jack, sounds like a great game. Can you just make sure you get your handicap cut a few more before we play our Matchplay in a couple of weeks!!!
Not sure I'm liking the sound of all these worldie up and downs :)
 
peterlav said:
Congratulations Jack, sounds like a great game. Can you just make sure you get your handicap cut a few more before we play our Matchplay in a couple of weeks!!!
Not sure I'm liking the sound of all these worldie up and downs :)
Click to expand...

Should play another two comps before we play, so I will try my best!!

I think I used up my quota of miracle escapes last night!!
 
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