Match Play Golf Strategy - How To Play Match Play

Do you often play match play format or just occasionally? If you're a regular match play player then I bet you already know most of the below strategies. But if you're playing match play every now and then this match play strategy will come in handy.

As we looked at in one of the previous articles, strategy is an important part of golf. Without thinking strategically and having tactics, golfers often play without purpose, but introduce a strategy, even a simple one, and an amateur golfer starts out on the path to shooting lower scores.

Strategy is useful overall in golf, but we shouldn’t necessarily apply the same strategy to every format of the game. For example, your strategy when playing stroke play on your own is likely to be different to your strategy when playing better-ball with a playing partner. At this junction, we’re going to focus on strategy for match play scenarios.

What is match play?

For those who do not know, match play is a format of golf where players play against each other, but the scoring is a little different.

In golf, the most traditional format is stroke play, where the score each player achieves on each hole is simply counted up. In stroke play whoever has played the least number of strokes after the designated number of holes wins.

Match play is a little different. Strokes are still counted, but whoever takes the fewest strokes on hole one simply goes 1-0 up. If they win the next hole, they go 2-0 up. If the opposing player wins the third hole, the score goes to 2-1. And if the players tie on a hole, the score remains the same.

Best ways to approach match play

There are several things a golfer can do to improve their chances of being successful under match play conditions. Here they are:

Play your own game

When it comes to match play you are of course in direct competition with an opponent. Make sure your opponent doesn't confuse you. You must play your own game.

Don’t be swayed by what your opponent does. If they do something great, don’t let it get you down, and similarly, if they make a mistake. Try not to revel in it too much, instead focus on what you need to do to score well.

Keep it simple, play to your strengths

Especially for the amateur player, golf involves a lot of experimentation. If you want to keep evolving as a player, you’re going to want to try new things and work on your weaknesses, though if you’re playing match play, it can be useful to put that sort of thing to one side. During match play competition, you should look to keep it simple, be aware of your strengths and play to them.

Remember that it’s match play

Even if on one hole you hit the ball out of play twice and end up making a big score, you’re only going down by one.

This means that unlike stroke-play, where giving away five or six shots in one go would likely spell the end of your round in terms of winning, you’re still in the fight.

Remember that golf is almost always about ups and downs. While you may have had a bad hole, your opponent will likely have bad holes to come, so try not to let mistakes affect the remaining holes.

Start fast, put your opponent under pressure

As anyone who has played even just the smallest amount of golf knows, the game is played largely in the mind. 

If you can put your opponent under pressure early doors during a match-play round, you’ll likely gain a sizable psychological advantage. Play smart, be sensible, but look to get on the attack early on.

Make your opponent work for it

If you hit a bad drive and your opponent crunches one down the middle, don’t give up and think that the hole is gone. Focus and make sure that your next shot is a solid one, and make your opponent work to win the hole, even if they do have a positional advantage. Just like a match play round won’t be decided by a single hole, a single hole will not be decided by just one shot!

Attack greens

Approach shots are very important when we talk about match play strategy. If you can get inside your opponents ball on the putting surface on a regular basis, then chances are you’re going to hit lots of putts to win the hole.

You won’t make them all, but if you have more winning putts than your opponent, you’ve given yourself an advantage. Be aggressive on the approach shots 😉

Conclusion

Do you often play match play format and are you using any tips of the above match play strategy? I would advise you to try different strategies and see what works for you. But also try to "read" the opponent and see what works and what not with every individual.