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How to prepare for Match Play?

theoverswinger

theoverswinger

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On Monday will be the first of four monthly matches in my club for Golfer of the Year. Each match will be played in a different course.

Any tips on how to prepare for Match Play?
 
5-6 foot putts. The more you make early, the more likely you'll be given the 3 footers late in the round when the pressure turns up
 
PhillyV said:
5-6 foot putts. The more you make early, the more likely you'll be given the 3 footers late in the round when the pressure turns up
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I would think the opposite. You give your opponent short putts early (for halves) and make them putt them later, when the pressure is on.
 
Smallville said:
I would think the opposite. You give your opponent short putts early (for halves) and make them putt them later, when the pressure is on.
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Oh I forgot. Tournament rules are to putt out. While Match Play is ongoing, scores will still be recorded for Stroke Play. So nobody can give or accept gimmes.
 
Putting and course management. Secondly remember each shot counts.


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The main rule for me is that no matter how lop-sided a match seems to be, it is NOT OVER until it's over.
 
I'm not saying you should do this, but my buddy relayed a story to me from a guy who played #1 on Yale's golf team. for match play, the coach told his players to never use positive words of concession like "that's good." only things like "pick it up" or "take it away." it was a mind game.


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I would work on short game. It can be demoralizing to your opponent. You get up and down from 5 yards off the green and he misses a 10 ft birdie putt to halve the hole. He'll feel like he just lost. A good short game will keep the pressure on all day.
 
If you have a bad hole, get past it. Put it out of your mind.

If you have a good hole, don't get too confident.

Play every single hole start to finish, and never give up on yourself. (with no conceding of putts, the gamesmanship aspect is sort of lost). Try and put up as many winning holes as early as possible, and put the opponent under pressure.

Good luck!
 
Mental strength to throw away bad holes and believe you still have a chance to beat the guy.
Well thought out strategy. Very important in match play. Each hole is its own contest and you want to make the other guy try and do things he does not do well. If you get up early concede anything that isn't for a win as often as you can. That way later in the match you can make him putt those short one when he hasn't dunked any all day. It really adds pressure to even the shortest putts.
 
theoverswinger said:
Oh I forgot. Tournament rules are to putt out. While Match Play is ongoing, scores will still be recorded for Stroke Play. So nobody can give or accept gimmes.
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Strange.......Gimmes is part of match play.

Just don't let one bad hole bother you.
 
Never give up, each hole is a new chance. And, if you get ahead, don't get complacent. Keep your foot on the pedal. It's just as easy for your opponent to get back in it, don't give them an opening.
 
Never dwell on a bad shot.
You are never out of a hole.
Making 3-6 ft putts all day kills the morale of your opponent.
Interesting - I played (effectively) Match play yesterday against three guys who all were lower hcp players (bt. 5-8 strokes).
I won 4 holes outright, and pushed another 7 or so. I was only out of 4 holes. The best player (club champ) only was out of two holes, but the other guys were out of at least 4 each, one guy was out of probably half. He did not win one skin.
So, message is, you are NEVER out of a match, even with a bad hole.
 
I think finding some friends to play match play against as often as possible will help the most. For some reason it makes me more nervous or "drove up" than stroke play. So I have to deal with nerves more than anything else in match play.
 
theoverswinger said:
Oh I forgot. Tournament rules are to putt out. While Match Play is ongoing, scores will still be recorded for Stroke Play. So nobody can give or accept gimmes.
Click to expand...

That's weird. You play each game differently. You might have to attempt a crazy shot to stay in the match or hole, but it could hurt you on stroke play.
 
Smallville said:
That's weird. You play each game differently. You might have to attempt a crazy shot to stay in the match or hole, but it could hurt you on stroke play.
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Yes it's a little weird. There was a low capper last year who shot 101 but won his match. The match is still the more important game, there's just a chance that someone can win both the match and the stroke medal.
 
theoverswinger said:
Oh I forgot. Tournament rules are to putt out. While Match Play is ongoing, scores will still be recorded for Stroke Play. So nobody can give or accept gimmes.
Click to expand...
So if you're putting for bogie and your opponent is in the bunker in 6, you have to play the hole out?
 
Tadashi70 said:
So if you're putting for bogie and your opponent is in the bunker in 6, you have to play the hole out?
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It's gonna make for a long day

Good luck with your tournament!
 
theoverswinger said:
Oh I forgot. Tournament rules are to putt out. While Match Play is ongoing, scores will still be recorded for Stroke Play. So nobody can give or accept gimmes.
Click to expand...

Match play and stroke play should never be played at the same time for a number of reasons, primary among them is that there are different rules for each form of play.

Obviously, it is what it is and you're not going to refuse to play in the tournament, but they should consider fixing that next year.
 
Aggression!!!! Take risks. That being said make sure they are reasonable risks. Win holes early for the mental edge.
 
Know match play rules. If you win a hole you have honor at the tee box of the next hole. Ready golf does not apply. This is a tournament. If your opponent tees off anyway despite losing the hole because you putted last and were last to the tee box, despite the fact he striped his drive dead center, you should make him rehit his tee shot after you hit yours because he did not respect your honor. It is in the USGA match rules. However if he duffed his tee shot, too bad, let him keep it.

USGA amateur matches are strange since the USGA wants you to still putt out the hole for handicap purposes. Whereas in the UK it's handled properly. Scores really should not be kept during match play. If I'm having a horrid hole and want to concede the hole after putting one in the woods I should be able to pick up and move on in match play.

The requirement to putt out may be only for HC rules. Putts may be conceded, but still have to be holed out, taking all of the pressure off of the putt. Still I find this set up dumb.

Also remember that things that are two-stroke penalties in stroke play are loss of hole in match play: grounding a club in a hazard or bunker, etc.

One shot at a time. There are no difficult shots. They're all just shots. You can go +4 on one hole and win the next hole.
 
Hox30 said:
Aggression!!!! Take risks. That being said make sure they are reasonable risks. Win holes early for the mental edge.
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I disagree about aggression. Play your normal game, be smart, don't give any holes away. Mr par is your friend. If you get beat with a birdie so be it.
 
Don't over think things, and don't get caught up in having to give strokes if you are, play your normal game.
 
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