Matchplay

strokes1

Playing my first ever matchplay game this week! Im off 18, opponent is off 15!
Any Tips/Strategies please?

GreeBo

strokes1 wrote: »

Playing my first ever matchplay game this week! Im off 18, opponent is off 15!
Any Tips/Strategies please?

Keep the ball in play at all times, dont take yourself out of any hole by going for a miracle shot.
Off those handicaps you are both going to make mistakes out of no where, especially under pressure.
Trying to make up for a bad tee shot by hitting a 3W out of rough to catch up to your opponent for example. Just dont do this.
Play for your bogey and keep some pressure on.
Figure out the three holes where you have a shot and play them for a guaranteed bogey. Chances are that your opponent is going to try to par it to beat you and will makes a balls of it. But you must keep yourself in play on the holes you have a shot. If that means hitting 3 7 irons then so be it.
Also, dont be afraid to change clubs if your opponent hits first and puts themselves in trouble (eg shifting from driver to a rescue or laying up instead of going for the green)

Garda S Horgan

strokes1 wrote: »

Playing my first ever matchplay game this week! Im off 18, opponent is off 15!
Any Tips/Strategies please?

Assume you're opponent will sink every chip and hole every putt.
He won't, so you'll feel better.
In matchplay, it's easy to get into the situation where you are saying "He's getting everything" but he is not. If he has a 6 footer and it goes in it's better for your head to assume he was going to make it in the first place.
Of course, go out there thinking that you're better and you're going to win.
Too easy.

Yours in advice,
GSH.

CaptainPendulum

GreeBo wrote: »

Keep the ball in play at all times, dont take yourself out of any hole by going for a miracle shot.
Off those handicaps you are both going to make mistakes out of no where, especially under pressure.
Trying to make up for a bad tee shot by hitting a 3W out of rough to catch up to your opponent for example. Just dont do this.
Play for your bogey and keep some pressure on.
Figure out the three holes where you have a shot and play them for a guaranteed bogey. Chances are that your opponent is going to try to par it to beat you and will makes a balls of it. But you must keep yourself in play on the holes you have a shot. If that means hitting 3 7 irons then so be it.
Also, dont be afraid to change clubs if your opponent hits first and puts themselves in trouble (eg shifting from driver to a rescue or laying up instead of going for the green)

+1 to this....bogeys are your friend. If there are dangerous par 3s I would lay up and take your 4. Also play careful off the Par 5s. 2 rescues followed by an 8 iron should leave you on/very close to the green. If your opponant sees you are a steady eddie it will unnerve him big time.

PhilipMarlowe

Firstly, matchplay is great.
You can top and slice and duff your way up one hole and if you lose it then it's just one hole lost. Once you stand up on the next tee with a good attitude then you're back in the game...

Basically, it's all about having a good attitude. I find it helps my game because it raises my concentration levels... I find it easier to focus when you have the bogeyman beside you

The advice of the two lads is perfect.... keep your ball in play and expect the unexpected!
Say you hit two lovely shots onto the green, hit a good put that catches the edge and rolls 4ft by... he drives into the trees, hacks down the fairway a bit, dumps it in the bunker, well you have to expect that he is going to hole the bunker shot so you are focusing on holing the 4 footer for a half. If you are of the mindset that you have this hole in the bag then any good/lucky shot from your opponent will be like a kick in the nuts.

You have to play to keep your ball in play. Even if you are off the tee first and take a conservative shot, once it's on the fairway then there's pressure on your opponent. I've played a few guys new to matchplay and their biggest 'flaw' was not keeping the ball in play and going for hero shots, even when receiving a shot on the hole. E.g. Driving into trees and trying to get on the green from there when a shot back into play would leave maybe 60 yards to the green, a chance of a par, a 'safe' 5 and a probable half. The hero shot usually doesn't work so instead they are in worse trouble and I can now win with a par.

Enjoy it anyway.. it's an experience. Treat every new hole as a new 'mini' match. Put the ones you lose out of your mind quickly and keep going until the end.

alxmorgan

Great advice guys. I'm due to play my first matchplay soon too.

Actually ye might explain this to me. I'm off 18, partner off 19.

In foursome matchplay our opponents are off 17 and 20.
In fourball matchplay our opponents are off 5 and 10.

So in foursomes is it combined handicaps divided by 2 - so 19 for us and same for them ?
Also is it stableford or strokes ? What I mean is if we've both had 7 shots on a par 4 already do we just halve and move on ?

In the fourball I think someone said lowest man goes to scratch and rest are cut by the difference so 5, 10, 18 and 19 become scratch, 5, 13 and 14 ?

thanks

strokes1

cheers lads!
How is the card marked in matchplay? Do you mark each others score/stableford points and who is winning holes?

IITYWYBMAD

strokes1 wrote: »

cheers lads!
How is the card marked in matchplay? Do you mark each others score/stableford points and who is winning holes?

Anytime I've played, it's been without a card. Just keep the score between ye as you go along.

moycullen14

The key to matchplay is managing expectations, particularly winning a hole your opponent 'expects' to win. Conversely, don't lose holes you expect to win - by never expecting to win a hole! Chip-ins & long putts are pure gold.

Don't, whatever you do, extrapolate towards a result. The number of times people lose a match when they are 3 up with 5 to play is amazing.

If your opponent is convinced you are not going to do anything stupid, you're half way to victory. It is no coincidence that old fellas who knock the ball down the fairway with no great distance, are tidy around the greens and have a rake of shots are almost unbeatable in matchplay.

You play your game and try and make sure that your opponent is playing your game too!

You may or may not want to involve yourself with a little gamesmanship. Try the following.

Keep reducing the length of gimmes as the round progresses. If you have given someone a two foot put and ask him to put a one foot putt on the next, you are saying you expect him to miss the tiddler - guess what, he'll start to consider it too! Congratulations, you've got inside his head!

When you hit a good shot, shout 'Oh, f**K' This is particularly effective with a long putt that goes in. It is incredibly infuriating.

When you win a hole, announce on the next tee 'We got a half there?' If your opponent agrees then go back over the shots - in a painstaking manner - again, incredibly annoying. Otherwise, he has to admit 'No, you won that!', admitting your superiority.

A variation on this is to suddenly remember/forget shots. For example, when you finish a hole say 'Oh, did I have a shot there? that was a win so'

Topics of conversation are very important:

For a doctor or lawyer, bring up how much money the other earns. I never yet met either one that wasn't obsessed by the earning potential (undeserved) of the other. Really, any job has its hot buttons - make sure you press them. For Kilkenny hurling fans, the 5 in a row should guarantee at least one duck hook, etc, etc.

Matchplay really has very little to do with golf. It is psychological warfare, pure & simple. The best compliment you can get is for your opponent to think you're an awful, annoying b**lox!

Golfgraffix

Unless it is half an inch, never give a putt for a win. May sound harsh but hey its matchplay

J

Garda S Horgan

moycullen14 wrote: »

The key to matchplay is managing expectations, particularly winning a hole your opponent 'expects' to win. Conversely, don't lose holes you expect to win - by never expecting to win a hole! Chip-ins & long putts are pure gold.

Don't, whatever you do, extrapolate towards a result. The number of times people lose a match when they are 3 up with 5 to play is amazing.

If your opponent is convinced you are not going to do anything stupid, you're half way to victory. It is no coincidence that old fellas who knock the ball down the fairway with no great distance, are tidy around the greens and have a rake of shots are almost unbeatable in matchplay.

You play your game and try and make sure that your opponent is playing your game too!

You may or may not want to involve yourself with a little gamesmanship. Try the following.

Keep reducing the length of gimmes as the round progresses. If you have given someone a two foot put and ask him to put a one foot putt on the next, you are saying you expect him to miss the tiddler - guess what, he'll start to consider it too! Congratulations, you've got inside his head!

When you hit a good shot, shout 'Oh, f**K' This is particularly effective with a long putt that goes in. It is incredibly infuriating.

When you win a hole, announce on the next tee 'We got a half there?' If your opponent agrees then go back over the shots - in a painstaking manner - again, incredibly annoying. Otherwise, he has to admit 'No, you won that!', admitting your superiority.

A variation on this is to suddenly remember/forget shots. For example, when you finish a hole say 'Oh, did I have a shot there? that was a win so'

Topics of conversation are very important:

For a doctor or lawyer, bring up how much money the other earns. I never yet met either one that wasn't obsessed by the earning potential (undeserved) of the other. Really, any job has its hot buttons - make sure you press them. For Kilkenny hurling fans, the 5 in a row should guarantee at least one duck hook, etc, etc.

Matchplay really has very little to do with golf. It is psychological warfare, pure & simple. The best compliment you can get is for your opponent to think you're an awful, annoying b**lox!

The best compliment you can get out golfing is to have the other person say that they enjoyed the round of golf with you and that it was a good game.
Matchplay is all about the golf. The mindgames should not intrude on etiquette. What you've described there is bad etiquette.
If you spent 4 hours on the course annoying someone trying to play a match then expect to have your name tarnished and while you think you're being a cute hoor and an expert in mind tactics, everyone else will jsut think you're a knobjockey.
You'll want to tell everyone about your mind games later and it will be a complete snooze fest.

In my view, if you're going out with the mindset of the game not being about golf, then you're already on a loser.

Trust me, people will have their own mind issues going on. If you can try to limit yours and to just play your game and keep the ball in play then it will be ok. Most players will have enough mental torment of their own without hearing more from the person they are playing with, and if the person is not questioning themselves then the chances are that they are comfortable with mind games and will tell you to shut up and give you the cold shoulder for 4 hours, and you'll end up the injured party.

If you lose, after engaging in mind games you're also open for any amount of torture in the club house later. thats pressure you don't want to be adding to yourself.


Yours etc,
GSH.

CaptainPendulum

Garda S Horgan wrote: »

Matchplay is all about the golf. The mindgames should not intrude on etiquette. What you've described there is bad etiquette.
GSH.

+1. Let your golf do the talking.

Trampas

play percentage shot.

bad putt is better than a bad chip.

if you bogey every hole I would be surprised if you lost

alxmorgan

Garda S Horgan wrote: »

The best compliment you can get out golfing is to have the other person say that they enjoyed the round of golf with you and that it was a good game.
Matchplay is all about the golf. The mindgames should not intrude on etiquette. What you've described there is bad etiquette.
If you spent 4 hours on the course annoying someone trying to play a match then expect to have your name tarnished and while you think you're being a cute hoor and an expert in mind tactics, everyone else will jsut think you're a knobjockey.
You'll want to tell everyone about your mind games later and it will be a complete snooze fest.

In my view, if you're going out with the mindset of the game not being about golf, then you're already on a loser.

Trust me, people will have their own mind issues going on. If you can try to limit yours and to just play your game and keep the ball in play then it will be ok. Most players will have enough mental torment of their own without hearing more from the person they are playing with, and if the person is not questioning themselves then the chances are that they are comfortable with mind games and will tell you to shut up and give you the cold shoulder for 4 hours, and you'll end up the injured party.

If you lose, after engaging in mind games you're also open for any amount of torture in the club house later. thats pressure you don't want to be adding to yourself.


Yours etc,
GSH.

+1

coddlesangers

Matchplay is great, its a brilliant test of your golf. Remember, you are never out of a hole, keep going, as bizzare things happen at that handicap level (as a manager of many pierce purcell squads, I can attest as to bizzare happenings). With the exception of mr mind games post above, the majority of replies on here are correct, keep the ball in play regardless of how much your inner Seve is yelling at you to rip one....On relations with your opponents, in interclub matchplay it has not been unknown for it to be necessary to watch VERY CLOSELY the activities of your opponents in rough, hazards etc. Most of all, enjoy it.

GreeBo

alxmorgan wrote: »

Great advice guys. I'm due to play my first matchplay soon too.

Actually ye might explain this to me. I'm off 18, partner off 19.

In foursome matchplay our opponents are off 17 and 20.
In fourball matchplay our opponents are off 5 and 10.

So in foursomes is it combined handicaps divided by 2 - so 19 for us and same for them ?
Also is it stableford or strokes ? What I mean is if we've both had 7 shots on a par 4 already do we just halve and move on ?

In the fourball I think someone said lowest man goes to scratch and rest are cut by the difference so 5, 10, 18 and 19 become scratch, 5, 13 and 14 ?

thanks

Matchplay is always strokes.
Foursomes is usually half the combined, fourball is 3/4 the combined each. For fourball you figure out your handicap per above and then the low man moves to scratch.

You keep playing each hole until you have either both holed out or someone has conceded the hole.

BoardsMember

And low man goes to scratch, the other get as many shots as their adjusted handicap is from the low handicap.

Anatom

Garda S Horgan wrote: »

The best compliment you can get out golfing is to have the other person say that they enjoyed the round of golf with you and that it was a good game.

Matchplay is all about the golf. The mindgames should not intrude on etiquette. What you've described there is bad etiquette.

Absolutely +1 on this. I have no time for eejits whose only "joy" in life is to niggle someone else, whether it be on a golf course or anywhere else.

If you're concentrating on winding up your opponent by asking him how much he earns you'll be the one who'll suffer as you try to invent something else to ping him with.

You'll have enough going on in your own head trying to do as the others have said above to keep your ball in play and not succumb to the inner Seve in all of us.

alxmorgan

Inner Seve ? I have enough hassle holding off my inner Kevin Na

mr.mickels

Matchplay is great fun, even though its years since I was in competition. From my memory one of the common errors from higher handicappers was taking too much time over their shots in a match, take the same amount of time you would in strokeplay, and also most often coming up short with the chips and the putts

samdeman

strokes1 wrote: »

Playing my first ever matchplay game this week! Im off 18, opponent is off 15!
Any Tips/Strategies please?

dont be afraid to cheat, everybody does it, its expected in matchplay. whatever you do dont get caught or you will give us all a bad name

pinseeker

samdeman wrote: »

dont be afraid to cheat, everybody does it, its expected in matchplay.

Cheat as in what way samdeman.The eveybody does it statment must mean you have specific way in mind.

GreeBo

The cheating conversation ends here lads.

alxmorgan

Not even going to justify the cheating mention with a response...
..but as for mind games. To be honest I'd be embarrassed.
I mean its a game and meant to be enjoyed. If the other guy plays better and wins fair and square then thats that.
I would just feel ridiculous saying something like "Strange swing you got there but if it works for you"
I mean its obvious as day what your doing. Not for me

PhilipMarlowe

Also, bear in mind that someone new to matchplay may well be young and telling them anything other than sensible advice like concentration, strategy, enjoyment is beyond ridiculous.
If someone is genetically programmed towards being an asshole they won't need advice in that respect.

BoardsMember

...do you breathe when you swing the club?

Sorry.

samdeman

samdeman wrote: »

dont be afraid to cheat, everybody does it, its expected in matchplay. whatever you do dont get caught or you will give us all a bad name

anyone got a sense of humour anymore?!!!:)

samdeman

and not even one thanks for my wit!!!:mad:

BoardsMember

One thanks duly given

the anser

There was a conversation here recently on 'Sledging' and the consensus seemed to be to leave it on the football/hurling/rugby pitch- no place for it in golf.
Some of the so called mind games mentioned earlier falls into that category and should be treated similarly.

BraveDonut

"How much do you earn?"

"Mind your own f**king business.....next question!"

strokes1

Well lads I can honestly say I am hooked on matchplay! Thanks for the good advice! I was beaten on the 18th last night at 8.45pm!!!! He went 2 up after he birdies par 3 4th! I was 3 down after 8!I beat him on the 3 holes I had shots on! I was 2 down at the 13th! We halved the par 5 15th in elevens to leave him 1up!!! Crazy game!! I completely let him off the hook but I made him put an 18 incher on the 15th which he missed! I got back to a/s on 16th! But just couldn't finish it off and was 1 down on the 18th which we both halved in bogies! Really enjoyed it!

THEIRISHMOB

strokes1 wrote: »

Well lads I can honestly say I am hooked on matchplay! Thanks for the good advice! I was beaten on the 18th last night at 8.45pm!!!! He went 2 up after he birdies par 3 4th! I was 3 down after 8!I beat him on the 3 holes I had shots on! I was 2 down at the 13th! We halved the par 5 15th in elevens to leave him 1up!!! Crazy game!! I completely let him off the hook but I made him put an 18 incher on the 15th which he missed! I got back to a/s on 16th! But just couldn't finish it off and was 1 down on the 18th which we both halved in bogies! Really enjoyed it!

If you love matchplay, get 3 friends and enter the First Amateur World Cup of Golf in Killarney in 2012. your first opponents could be American, Chinese, English. Now theres a buzz
Open to anyone as long as you all hold passports for the country you repersent.

You can register provisionally now for free.
Teams per country limited so register now. I will also be giving one team free entry (EVERYTHING- Golf,accommodation,entry) for the week.
all you have to do is join us on Facebook. "amateur world cup of golf" and keep watching.
Come on Ireland

BoardsMember

strokes1 wrote: »

Well lads I can honestly say I am hooked on matchplay! Thanks for the good advice! I was beaten on the 18th last night at 8.45pm!!!! He went 2 up after he birdies par 3 4th! I was 3 down after 8!I beat him on the 3 holes I had shots on! I was 2 down at the 13th! We halved the par 5 15th in elevens to leave him 1up!!! Crazy game!! I completely let him off the hook but I made him put an 18 incher on the 15th which he missed! I got back to a/s on 16th! But just couldn't finish it off and was 1 down on the 18th which we both halved in bogies! Really enjoyed it!

If the exclamation mark count of your post is anything to go by, you are hooked on matchplay.

It really is a fantastic form of golf, great fun, and if you have had a good battle and done yourself proud you can walk off, even if you have lost, holding your head high. No two matches are ever the same, and each one you play you learn more about that form of golf. Often you'll think back on a round and realise you had some "bogey" shots and hit them perefectly, your mindset is completely different when you're in the zone. If you cant get in the zone it can be a cruel game though.

Poker Face

What can you do when your handicap sec hasnt a clue of rules???

Played in a foursome match last week. Im off 8 so is my partner and we played a 6 and 11 so with only 1 the differnce we gave the 1 shot. We were bottom of the draw so other team contacted us to arrange the game so I hadnt looked at the draw in the clubhouse

Now when we are checking out who to play next down in corner of the sheet is "Handicap Allowance 3/4 difference".

Our next oppentants are both off 20 and 24 so we should be giving them 14 shots but according to our hand sec we have to give 21!!!!

Been on to out Hand Sec and he says he is correct that its 3/4 :eek:. Does anyone have a link where I can print off the rule as I cant find it on the rules of golf pdf file on http://www.gui.ie/template1.asp?pid=24&area=1

Ive also tried congu website but no luck there either.

I just want to be able to show him in black and white the rules.

Jul3s

Poker Face wrote: »

What can you do when your handicap sec hasnt a clue of rules???

Played in a foursome match last week. Im off 8 so is my partner and we played a 6 and 11 so with only 1 the differnce we gave the 1 shot. We were bottom of the draw so other team contacted us to arrange the game so I hadnt looked at the draw in the clubhouse

Now when we are checking out who to play next down in corner of the sheet is "Handicap Allowance 3/4 difference".

Our next oppentants are both off 20 and 24 so we should be giving them 14 shots but according to our hand sec we have to give 21!!!!

Been on to out Hand Sec and he says he is correct that its 3/4 :eek:. Does anyone have a link where I can print off the rule as I cant find it on the rules of golf pdf file on http://www.gui.ie/template1.asp?pid=24&area=1

Ive also tried congu website but no luck there either.

I just want to be able to show him in black and white the rules.

It's not set in stone afaik and if iirc it's usually 3/8 the difference for foursomes and 3/4 for fourballs, but if it clearly states on the competition sheet that it's 3/4 then you handicap sec. is correct.

PhilipMarlowe

Not easy finding stuff since the congu site got changed.... but it comes under appendix F of the UHS 2008 - 2011

Found a pdf from the EGU (English Golf Union) site which is also under congu...
http://www.englishgolfunion.org/showpage.asp?code=0001000200090008 and click the handicap allowance pdf link

Jul3s

Licksy wrote: »

Not easy finding stuff since the congu site got changed.... but it comes under appendix F of the UHS 2008 - 2011

Found a pdf from the EGU (English Golf Union) site which is also under congu...
http://www.englishgolfunion.org/showpage.asp?code=0001000200090008 and click the handicap allowance pdf link

Good find, I stand corrected, it appears it is 1/2 the difference for all foursomes competitions.

tayto lover

GreeBo wrote: »

Keep the ball in play at all times, dont take yourself out of any hole by going for a miracle shot.
Off those handicaps you are both going to make mistakes out of no where, especially under pressure.
Trying to make up for a bad tee shot by hitting a 3W out of rough to catch up to your opponent for example. Just dont do this.
Play for your bogey and keep some pressure on.
Figure out the three holes where you have a shot and play them for a guaranteed bogey. Chances are that your opponent is going to try to par it to beat you and will makes a balls of it. But you must keep yourself in play on the holes you have a shot. If that means hitting 3 7 irons then so be it.
Also, dont be afraid to change clubs if your opponent hits first and puts themselves in trouble (eg shifting from driver to a rescue or laying up instead of going for the green)

I think its three-quarters of the handicap difference in matchplay so you will only have 2 shots but the rest of the advice is good.