The timeless attraction of match play golf arises from its lively head-to-head format, where you’re in direct competition versus others in your group, either individually or as part of a team. Match play prioritizes strategy, mental toughness and psychology – it’s a game within the game and mastering these elements will help you win more golf matches and become a better player. In this article, we’ll provide pointers gleaned from years of playing matches – consider it your guide to better match play.
Key Takeaways:
- In match play, the focus is on winning or tying individual holes
- Each hole is win, lose or tie so it calls for a different approach than stroke play
- Yes, you’re playing the course but ultimately you are linked to your opponent
- Different strategies apply to team vs individual play
Match Play Primer
Below are key match play basics and specifics. For additional details on match play and keeping score see our article on What is Match Play in Golf.
Match Play Basics:
- Each hole is its own contest
- Win a hole by completing it in fewer (net) strokes than your opponent
- Win a match when you are up more holes than are left to play
- Tied holes are “halved”; neither side wins and there’s one less hole to play which clearly benefits whoever is ahead
Match Play Specifics:
- Whoever is furthest from the hole plays next. With team matches though, if it’s your team’s turn, either player can go, not just the one furthest away. However, be aware that the opposing side can concede your stroke and have you pick up your ball
- In a Four-ball team match with a partner each person plays their own ball and the best ball (lower of the two scores) gets compared to the other side
- You can concede a stroke, a hole or the entire match at any time. The concession is final and cannot be declined or withdrawn. In effect, you control your opponent’s ball
- IMPORTANT: If a player continues after a stroke has been conceded, their partners score will not count, only the conceded score
- In match play you can however take practice putts on the green after the hole is over
- There’s no penalty for playing out of turn but the opponent can have you replay the stroke
- Penalties for rules violations are generally loss of hole (e.g. playing wrong ball) or a one-stroke penalty (e.g. lift & clean ball off the green if no local rule permitting it is in place)
Why Match Play Requires a Different Mindset
Golf in general is a very mental game. There’s a famous quote by Arnold Palmer, “Golf is a game of inches. The most important are the six inches between your ears.” How you manage the round and carry yourself, especially in challenging circumstances, significantly impacts your success. In match play, psychology is magnified because the opponent is right there next to you, most likely reading your behavior just as you’re trying to read them. Keep in mind that you don’t have to be perfect, only as good as or slightly better than the opposition.
Each hole is its own separate competition so stay present, execute and move on. Blowup hole? No problem, you only went down one. A cheerful attitude and uplifting energy tend to amplify themselves, while negative energy also perpetuates and rarely helps the cause.
The Mental Edge — Using Pressure to Your Advantage
Match play is largely about applying and responding to pressure so try to use it to your advantage. Especially important in match play, these mental cues apply to all forms of golf competition – it’s a challenging game! Hard as it may be, make an effort to:
- Remain calm, confident and focused
- Have a short memory, you can’t change the past
- Stay in the moment, the next shot is all that matters
- Remain unflappable (at least outwardly) or reset quickly after an outburst
- Pick up cues from the opponent’s body language
Tactical Decision-Making on the Course
The most straightforward piece of advice here is that match play will put you into situations where you absolutely have to make a putt to tie and avoid losing a hole. In this case, be sure to make an aggressive stroke as the next putt doesn’t matter. Tighten the line and by all means don’t leave it short.
On the other hand, you might have a putt to win the hole (meaning two putts to tie) so take a gentler approach that gives the ball a chance to go in yet leaves no worse than a tap in (provided that a tie doesn’t hurt you like if the match itself is on the line). Mistakenly blasting the first one past the hole (or leaving it woefully short) flips the switch and puts you in the uncomfortable position of having to make the next one to avoid losing the hole.
If your side is away in team play, either player can go so it may make sense to secure a score that ties the hole and frees up your partner for a shot to win (you have say a three-footer to tie so you go first and then your partner follows with a longer putt that can win it).
In either case, make it a point to know where everyone stands once you reach the green. What everyone lies on a net basis and what’s needed to tie or win the hole informs your action plan, particularly in a team setting.
Tactics also come into play on the tee and through the green. Make the necessary adjustments and judge when to take a risk. Your opponent rinsed a tee shot or went out of bounds? Play it safe. They stuck it close? Be aggressive and try for the same. They’re on in regulation with a stroke in hand and you’re in the rough behind a tree? Time for a hero shot.
Another time honored tactic is conceding short putts (3 to 5 footers) early in the round and then forcing them to putt out later on, especially if you sense they’re hoping you give it to them. Or you might make a good putter hole out a short one that they might otherwise expect to be given. If they miss, they can short circuit – I’ve seen this happen and it’s a prime example of winning the mental game.
Reading and Reacting to Your Opponent
While it’s obviously paramount to get yourself in a groove, paying close attention to the opponent’s body language and tendencies will boost your chances. Take account of strengths, weaknesses, emotions and demeanor.
Do they seem nervous or are they perhaps struggling with the putter? Make them putt when they’re looking for a gimme – missing a shortish one will further erode their confidence.
If they’re playing well, complimenting them on their play or being chatty may throw them off.
Are they deliberate? Try to speed things up, walk ahead, get them thinking they have to play faster.
Do they like to play fast? Maybe slow things down and they’ll get frustrated.
Decide whether a bit of trash talk might help your cause. Or if you’re playing great, act surprised. “Gee, shucks, I have no idea how all these putts are going in.”
Basically, anything you can subtly do to get them thinking about something besides the next stroke or plant a seed of doubt in their mind, without of course being a jerk, is fair territory in match play.
By the same token, take stock of your partner in a team setting and be prepared to pick them up if necessary. The “ham and egg” approach where neither player plays well overall but one or the other rallies from one hole to the next keeps many a team in the match and is a tried and true recipe for demoralizing the other side.
Situational Strategy — Playing From Ahead or Behind
Situations, that’s what really makes match play unique. Yes, you have to hole out in as many or less strokes than the other side but your plan of attack depends on what they do. Can you take a conservative approach because they’re in trouble or be aggressive since there’s no other choice? And when you’re ahead, particularly late, the pressure is on them to win while you can play for ties. Conversely, when behind you have to step it up, take risks and go for wins. Either way, stay composed and expect the unexpected.
Crazy things happen in a golf match. I once came to the last hole of a back and forth tournament match, a par 5, all square versus a scratch golfer, with no stroke in hand. It took 5 strokes just to reach the green (wayward tee shot, backward shot, tree trouble, chip out, green) while my opponent had but a wedge from the fairway to get on in 3, so not looking too good. Amazingly (for me) they hit their approach short, plugging in a greenside bunker. Two shots to get out and now they were lying 5 too. We wound up halving the hole with double bogey 7s and went to extra holes where I fortunately prevailed on the 2nd one, again without a stroke. So hang in there in match play, you never know, you might snatch victory from the jaws of defeat as well!
Common Match Play Mistakes (and How to Avoid Them)
Here’s a rundown of typical match play blunders, and trust me, I’ve experienced all of them on multiple occasions!
Beating Yourself
Hey, it’s just a game, you’re not going to win them all so try to stay positive and not get demoralized, no matter how bad your last shot/hole was or how good your opponent is playing. Keep the emotions in check and acknowledge that there are ups and downs, both mistakes and successes will occur.
Not Keeping Track of Strokes
Being aware of how many handicap strokes are in hand or being given, which translates to knowing what everyone lies on a net basis, is critical to determining how to proceed – do you have to hole out just to tie or do you have multiple putts to tie/win? I’ll never forget a critical hole in a tight Four Ball match where everyone was in trouble and the opponent wound up with a triple bogey. In their depressed state they mistakenly conceded my five footer for double bogey, not realizing how many strokes I was lying, thinking I was putting for bogey instead and had two putts to win. Always nice if you can win a hole with double bogey!
Playing Too Aggressively When You Don’t Have To
I recall watching a Four Ball Final that went to an extra hole. One of the players was on in two with a stroke (net one) and had three putts to win the match – it was for all intents and purposes over. But they got too aggressive on the first two putts and painfully four-putted, allowing the match to continue and eventually result in a loss three holes later. I still blame their caddie for not settling them down and relaying that they had three putts to win – I feel scarred just having witnessed it.
Focusing Too Much on the Opponent’s Score
Golf is a game of tempo, ebbs and flows. Your opponent may get hot and rally. Stay composed and try to weather the storm. Focus on your next shot instead.
Allowing an Opponent to Putt When It Would Give Their Teammate a Read
Sometimes this is unavoidable but if one of the opponent’s is out of the hole, never let them putt if it would help their partner. This is a major error in match play. And remember that you control their ball and can have them pick up. If they putt once you’ve conceded that’s the score that gets recorded for their team, regardless of what their partner lies.
Conceding a Putt That You Shouldn’t
Especially if it’s to decide a match, outside of a tap-in. Or if it’s missable, regardless of distance, particularly a downhill putt. Short putts can always be missed, it even happens to the pros. You can of course be overly generous early and not allow your opponent to get in rhythm, perhaps adding pressure later on by forcing them to putt out as the match draws to a conclusion.
Pro Tips for Winning the Mental Battle
Winning consistently in match play requires a distinct mindset and strategy. Even among professionals it’s a shift from the conservative, score-focused tactics of stroke play to an aggressive, opponent-aware, and high-risk, high-reward approach.
Develop a short memory, supreme confidence and the ability to read and manage momentum shifts, sensing when to take chances and when to play it safe. This self-awareness includes appraising your own strengths and weaknesses and how they apply to the course along with keeping things fluid based on your opponent’s last shot. That and sinking a long putt or holing a chip shot to tie or win a hole always helps demoralize the opposition;-)
Stay calm and keep the pressure on – that’s what the best match play players do.
Golf Match Play Strategy FAQs
How to beat a better player in match play?
Anyone can be beaten so hang in there, take advantage of stroke holes, make good decisions and pray for a bit of luck!
When are ties good?
Ties are obviously beneficial when you’re ahead but they’re also good momentum wise if you’re giving strokes and manage to tie the hole. And if you’re up as many holes as are left a tie on any of the remaining holes wins you the match.
How do you recover when you’re behind in a match?
Hard to say exactly but lock in, remain steadfast and keep fighting. Falling behind is not as big a deal early on although when late with only a few holes remaining it’s time to go for broke, there’s no margin for error. Keep in mind it’s also challenging for the player trying to close you out and if you’re able to chip away at their lead the pressure shifts to them.
A personal aside. I stood 5 up on the 13th hole in the final of an A Flight Club Championship and my opponent holed a 30 foot putt to halve the hole (missing it would’ve ended the match right there, 6 & 5). I was dormie and only needed to tie one of the remaining holes to win but he rallied and won 14, 15, 16, and 17 to go into 18 only 1 down. Mercifully (for me) we tied 18 so I was able to claim a 1 up victory. Whew!
How do you win more holes in match play?
Well as Ben Hogan famously said, “shoot the lowest score”, at least on a per hole basis. Ben’s other advice regarding match play was outwork, outthink and intimidate.
Another great tip I got was from a fellow who always seemed to win matches: I hang around and try to keep the pressure on until the other player beats themself. In other words, your opponent will eventually make a mistake without you necessarily having to force the action in a close match.
Conclusion
While I’m by no means an expert golfer, match play affords the opportunity to be a tough competitor – it’s one of the core reasons I love golf. Having the chance to contend in matches against better or worse, courtesy of the handicap system, truly makes it a game for a lifetime.
The saying, “Medal (stroke) play tells you who’s the better golfer, while match play reveals who’s the better player,” neatly highlights the difference between the two main scoring formats and how critical mindset and tactics are for success in match play.
The added elements of psychology and strategy are why I prefer match play over stroke play any day, plus it’s really fun in a team format. I am also convinced that engaging in consistent match play competition will make you a better golfer in the long run. By focusing on winning the battle, hole by hole, instead of managing strokes, you can surely improve and enhance your experience of the game.
Try playing a match next time out and apply some of these tips to help yourself out. Finally, stay dialed in by letting Golf Crow track the match for you – less time spent on accounting leaves more time available to focus on your game and outsmart and outplay your opponent.
Have fun, hit ‘em straight and not too often!
References
USGA Match Play Overview, FAQs and Rules
www.usga.org/content/usga/home-page/rules-hub/topics/match-play.html
‘Just put the hammer down’: Tiger Woods explains his simple Match Play strategy
golf.com/news/match-play-strategy-tiger-woods
Jordan Spieth’s match-play secret? He plays like he’s always 2 down
www.golfdigest.com/story/jordan-spieths-match-play-secret-he-plays-like-hes-always-two-down
Four-Ball Champions Share Match-Play Tips
www.usga.org/clubhouse/2016-ungated/05-ungated/four-ball-champions-share-match-play-tips.html