These notes are for my clubs and balls. English not my first language I have use Google Translate and check by friend who speak English. If you not agree with some things here that is ok, you play your way, I play my way. Good luck, Kilbraur.

 

Match Play Strategy and Tactics

 

Two times now in two days in ALT shot games I has been on team who 4 holes down. Two times we make the coming back and win on last hole. This makes me think to write these notes. Everyone know the St. Andrews course, I is use it for examples.

 

You are playing the course not your opponent.

 

You is playing the course, your opponent is playing the course. It a matter of who play the course better. You has maybe never play your opponent before, that not matter, you has played course many times, that what you do again. Don’t make the mistake of trying to match your opponent in everything he do. You play the course the way you has learn to play it. You will have your favourite approach shots to a hole, you have learned them and trust them. Your opponent will have his favourite approach and it may be different to yours. Don’t try to match what opponent does. Let opponent worry about his game. Don’t play your opponent, be smart and play the course.

 

Everyone has one lucky shot in a game

 

Every game I play I get lucky once in each game, so do you if you is think about it. So does your opponent. When he play a winning shot or make the unbelievable putt, you not let it affect you, you tell youself that was his lucky shot of the game, yours will come in next few holes

 

It not a long drive competition

 

Opponent have different club or ball to you, he drive more far. It big temptation to try to match the drive. Don’t do that. You can lose the long drive competition but still win the hole. Long drive not win a hole, how good do the long driver putt? How close go his 2nd shots? Do he get the birdie on all par 3 holes like you is do? (yes you do because you read my other notes on par 3 holes) If you try to match opponent drives you get into lot of trouble by going to rough or have bad position for 2nd shot. Game not won on driving it won on getting up and down in 2 shots.

 

Play safe when ahead, let opponent take the risks.

 

When you ahead, play safe for the par. Your opponent has to take risks to try for the birdies. People who take risks make more mistakes than people who play safe. Opponent 2 down on St. Andrew’s 17th has to risk attacking a pin on a slope behind a bunker, you don’t.

 

When behind judge the right time to take risks.

 

When you behind your opponent he can play safe and you has to take risks to get birdies. If you is playing 18 holes and you 1 down at the 10th, you got 8 holes to go. Don’t start to take the risks too early because you can go more far behind. Also 8 holes plenty of time for opponent to make mistakes. In that situation I would wait until the 16th before I decided it worth taking a risk to get even score. I rather be 1 down on 16th than 2 down on 11th. Give your opponent time to make mistakes before you take risks.

 

Rattle the cup and rattle you opponent

 

Nothing affect an opponent more than you putting first and holing it. When he hear that ball rattle into the cup, it rattle him, he now under pressure to make his putt. I not take silly risks but I give putt a little extra power, make it rattle loud. Now we wait see how good he are. Ok it are virtual game maybe sounds are turn off but it same idea. Someone see ball go convincingly to the pot they now got pressure.

 

Beware the tactical concede

 

St Andrew’s 2nd hole, you have 5 foot straight putt uphill. Your opponent closer but his 4 foot putt slightly above hole to the side (that a nasty sloping downhill putt) You more far away, must putt first but opponent concedes your 5 foot putt. If you automatically concede his putt to be nice back then you is make the big mistake. He conceded your putt because he knew he had big chance to miss. You concede he escapes with a half. Don’t let opponents escape so easy, beware the tactical concede. Before you concede anything ask youself if you would like to try to putt it, if you is say no then make opponent try it. Make opponent try to win a hole, don’t be pressured into give away a half.

 

Avoid distractions chat off blacked out

 

When I a beginner, just the amateur, I beating a pro at the match play. I winning one hole up. 2nd shot to last green. Suddenly orange button go flashing, opponent be quiet all round, now he wants the talk. I lose of course. I learn from that early mistake. Now I is say Hi to opponent and wishes the good luck, then I is stick piece of black tape over the chat button. I not want to be lose mine concentration. Friendly games are of course not same, then I chats to all. Match play, I not let opponent get to concentration.

 

Little story for you. In ALT shot game I playing 2nd shot to 8th on Best Of The Famous. Opponent say to me “tricky wind blowing left to right, careful of the water” I hit maybe 5 feet from pin. I say to him “thanks for advice now it you who needs to be careful of it, good luck” You could write end of this story youself now, you know what happened! He lose the hole, the game and his ball. Silly boy try to put the idea to my head and it stay in his head. Remember, avoid opponent distractions.

 

Learn the last holes well

 

Learn the last holes, you play them less often, they could decide the game.

How many times you play first hole St.Andrew’s? How many times you play 9th hole? People play games that are won before the 9th. People start ranked or practice rounds and scoring badly so they quit. You play the first holes of a course a lot more often than you play the front ones. In match play it come down to last hole, make sure you know it as well as the first hole, especially the green.