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When
you play stroke play, you're playing against
the golf course and a field of other golfers.
In Match Play you're playing directly against
your opponent. They are right next to you.
You both get to see how well each other is
playing. This is what makes the Match Play
format so exciting and it will change the
way you approach the match.
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Here
are just a few strategies and tactics that
change with Match Play :
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Reacting to Your Opponents Play |
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The
object in match play is to win individual
holes. If your opponent hits a sweet shot,
that forces you to try to hit an equally great
shot. If your opponent shanks a shot into
the trees, that gives you an opening to play
it safe. |
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In
match play, it doesn't matter if you take
9 strokes to play a hole if your opponent
is taking 10. Your decisions on the types
of shots to play are directly related to your
standing in the match (winning or losing)
and the hole (in a good position or in bad
shape). |
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The
Green |
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The
way the match play changes a golfer's game
is best highlighted on the green. Pretend
you've got a tricky putt. In stroke play,
you would be very careful not to hit the putt
way past the hole, because in stroke play,
a high score on an individual hole can ruin
the round. |
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Conversely,
during match play how aggressive you are with
your putt depends on how the game stands on
this one hole. If your opponent already holed
out an dyour putt is to halve the hole, you
must be very aggressive with the same tricky
putt. If you run it 20 feet past, it doesn't
matter because the hole is lost whether you
miss it by 1 inch or 20 feet. |
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If
your opponent has an easy putt remaining,
you must try to make the putt - but you should
temper your aggressiveness a little bit. There
is always a chance your opponent will miss
his easy one, and you want to be able to make
your comebacker. |
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If
your opponent has an equally difficult putt
remaining, then be a little more careful with
your putt. Running it way past the hole, leaving
yourself a difficult comebacker, is a bad
play when a halve is otherwise the most likely
outcome of the hole. |
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The
Tee |
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Typically you want your tee shots to be down
the middle and long. But in match play, when
you first tee off, it becomes even more important
to find the fairway. A badly hit tee shot
is an opportunity for your opponent and a
good tee shot puts pressure on your opponent.
However, if you're trailing in the match,
you may have to be aggressive with your tee
shot. |
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If your opponent hits first, his shot has
a major impact on your decision. If he hits
a bad ball, then it might be best for you
to hit 3-wood or a long iron to better the
odds of keeping your ball in the fairway.
When your opponent has made a mistake, you
can be more conservative. |
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Performing
Under Pressure |
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Match
play is usually played more aggressively than
stroke play from the very first shot. You
want to put the pressure on your opponent
early, then keep it there. Because it's you
against the opponent in front of you, the
pressure is likely to increase. Fall behind
and you're likely to feel the pressure of
having to come back. Take a lead and you're
more likely to feel relaxed. |
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There are times when it's a better strategy
to be conservative, and some golfers feel
the best starting strategy is to play your
normal game until someone wins a hole. This
is similar to the theory of giving your opponent
a chance to make a mistake. However, falling
behind early is a big risk, and some golfers
believe aggression is called for from the
first tee. |
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A
player trailing will usually become more aggressive;
a player with a lead will generally play more
conservatively. Either way, match play requires
that you react to your opponent's successes
and failures. |
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Conceding
Putts |
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You
should play every match expecting to make
every putt. Don't expect your opponent to
concede anything and be prepared to play out
every hole. Your opponent may offer concessions
at various points, but you must be mentally
prepared if they don't. |
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Conversely,
you must decide how to approach concensions
for your opponent. Offering your opponent
a concession increases the odds of them conceding
some of your putts, too. If you fail to concede
an early short putt and your opponent may
not concede anything to you. |
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Is
your opponent a good or bad putter? A great
putter is probably going to make those short
putts anyway. So pick a distance - say, 2
feet - and, at least early in the match -
concede any putts within that distance. If
your opponent is a bad putter, make him putt
everything outside of 6 inches. |
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Some
experts believe you should concede every short
putt early in the match. If it meets your
length criteria, concede it. Why? So you can
stop conceding later in the match when it
is more important. Say the match is all square
on the 17th hole, and your opponent faces
a 2-footer with a little break. You've conceded
every 2-footer today, but this one you're
going to make him putt. The fact he hasn't
had to make any of these in the match to this
point increases the odds he'll miss this one. |
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Obviously,
at no point do you want to concede a putt
when you believe there's a good chance that
your opponent will miss it to give you a win
or a halve, and only rarely would you concede
a putt that gives your opponent the hole (if
the putt is two inches, yes; two feet for
the win, no). |
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Taking
a Chance |
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You're
standing 225 yards from the green. You can
get the ball to the green, but 225 yards is
right at your limit. And you must go over
the sand trap in front of the green in order
to do it. Do you go for the green? Or do you
lay up? |
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It
d epends on how you stand in the match and
on that particular hole. If you're ahead,
maybe it's not worth the risk. If you're 3-down
and the match is on the 14th hole, maybe you
have no choice but to risk it. |
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Then
again, how does your opponent stand on the
hole? If he's in a bad spot, then perhaps
the hole is winnable without trying the risky
shot. |
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The
Juggling Act |
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The
match play format is a juggling act. You must
juggle the need to be aggressive enough to
win individual holes against the situations
at hand - where do you stand in the match?
How do you stand on the hole? How does your
opponent stand on the hole? |
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You
must also control your nerves. Don't get too
confident when you're winning. Always assume
your opponent is going to make his putt, or
put a good stroke on that approach to the
green. |
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Additionally,
don't panic if you're behind early in the
game. You'll need to make something happen,
but that doesn't mean trying every low-percentage
shot that presents itself. |
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Summary
of the Match Play Format |
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What
do the final scores mean? |
