Match PLay Tactics...QUICK PLAYING IN 3 HOURS

[vinnyv20032003]

Any special tactics to get into partners head in match play...Should I play different?

[villa]

If you're confident in your ability then take one less club than normal off the tee.

I love being able to hit first in to the green and putting pressure on your opponent to do the same.

 

People will try and tell you to play your own game but deep down we all know that doesn't work.

[scs1070]

You just need to rememebr that each hole is it's own match. So if your comp is in the woods looking at bogey...you may want to play a little conservative....and whne he is looking good, you want to be aggeressive. If you mess up...let it go, there are 17 more to go.

[vinnyv20032003]

Thanks guys great tips!!! Keep em comin

[BILL12x]

You just need to rememebr that each hole is it's own match. So if your comp is in the woods looking at bogey...you may want to play a little conservative....and whne he is looking good, you want to be aggeressive. If you mess up...let it go, there are 17 more to go.

 

Well said.

 

The only way you should try to get into someone's head is through your play. If you do it with your mouth, you only make yourself look bad and it might piss him off enough that you won't win another hole. Besides, if you try to use headgames on me, I know you must be scared of my game.

 

I was playing an interclub match a few years ago with someone that wouldn't quit with the head games, such as - "Let's see you get inside THAT shot." and "Watch out for that lake on the left.", etc.

 

About the 7th or 8th hole, he was screwing around and hadn't decided on a club yet and I was ready to go. He was maybe 5 yards further away than me and we were already more than a full hole behind with the next group waiting for us. I went ahead and hit my shot and put it to about 1 foot. He looked over at me and said "Nice shot. Too bad it doesn't count. You can replay it after I play my shot since I'm away."

 

I replayed my shot and never lost another hole, closing him out 4&3.

 

Head games often backfire and even if they don't, the guy trying to use them makes himself look bad.

[SadTrombone]

Match Play is such a different animal...in my most recent match play event I had:

 

2 up lead after 2

3 down after 10

1 down after 14

Putts to tie on 15 and 17

 

Lost 2 down on the 18th.

 

You HAVE to stay in the present...one shot at a time.

 

-mini

[vinnyv20032003]

Well guys, first of hopefully many matches....was 5 up after 5 and won 5 &3

[scs1070]

I don't want to highjack the tread, but I was playing a match against a guy that was right handed and putted left handed. Long story short I made him putt a 2 footer on the first hole and he asked me what gives....I told him anyone that putts left handed has some issues, and I just wanted to make sure he could make those.

 

Then the next day a guy was running his mouth so I made him putt out everything. Eventually he missed an 18" putt and went livid.....I won the match.

 

MAtch play is definatly a different beast.

[vinnyv20032003]

Love to hear stories like that! Good to hear yah making them putt out everything

[El Guapo]

Show him the picture of his wife in your wallet!

You can also use every euphamism in the golf lexicon during the round.

 

I happen to be a good driver of the ball and can save par more times than not. I have often found that by being able to grind out par after par after par, it will wear the competition out. If they know they have to birdie to beat you, they tend to go for shots that otherwise would be left in the bag. I have won many matches by simply staying as steady as a metronome. My dream opponent is a "fast" player. All I have to do is slow down a little on one hole and I'm in their head.

[BILL12x]

Some people get so upset when you make them putt the short ones!

 

The way I feel about it is that if it is so short that I think you should give it to me, then I must be able to always make it. If you want me to give you a putt, show me you can make it a few times first. I'll give you a couple of them, then make you putt them again later in the round.

[hbear]

Your opponant is NEVER out of the hole...don't ever think "I've got this hole wrapped up."

 

I've seen pars after an OB tee shot....

drivers into the woods...chip out...then hole out from the fairway for birdie.

Or even worse is him draining a 50' bomb for birdie, when you have a 12-15' putt coming up thinking you had him.

If you think "I've got this hole..." and something like that happens...it can rattle you.

 

On the flip side, don't ever think you are out of it.

I've seen guys make double from 120yards in, and your bogey after a mistake wins.

 

And for myself...I don't ever concede putts...(unless it's like 6").

If someone gets mad at having to putt a short one...then I feel they have some doubt if they will make all of them.

 

I expect to putt everything out (like a strokeplay event) and so should my opponant.

[DrSchteeve]

Golf is painfully slow enough without making slow play a strategy....

[vinnyv20032003]

In my last match I had told myself before the round to play at my pace (which is slow), the player I was playing against loved to play fast. Well I didnt even have to play slow because the course was so busy the round went very slowly. It worked out great, he was so pissed off between me being up 6 after 9 holes, and how slow play was that he almost walked off. He stayed and play picked up for him on the back nine and he tryed fighting back, but I beat him 5 & 3.