Match Play - how to close a game!

[hawkeye]

I'm playing on a team - 5 pairs of foresomes, combined h/c of 14, no max or min individual (7 & 7, 1 & 13, +1 & 15 sort of thing).

My partner and I made the team, lost our first match away (though we won 4-1) and played a trial last night against the subs from the last match. We played very solid golf: +4 through 15 holes and we were 3 up (3 to play).

We lost 16,17,18 and 19 to lose our place on the team.

The week before last I played a mixed foresomes match - 2 up with 4 the play and ended up going down 19 (won though...)


How do you close out a game? Going down 19 is fast becomming a regular occurance - and with bigger matches coming up I would like to know how other people finish off a match. Any tips - do you play the same game,attack, protect, or just don't think about it?

[Lefty731PM]

How do you close out a game? Going down 19 is fast becomming a regular occurance - and with bigger matches coming up I would like to know how other people finish off a match. Any tips - do you play the same game,attack, protect, or just don't think about it?

I have to say that I find questions like these very odd, coming from people with such low handicaps.

The answer is simple. We choke. We start thinking about what NOT to do rather than what TO do. We get conservative and try to play safely and that upsets rythm. then, when you lose a couple of holes in a row you start thinking about not doing it again. Choking (or getting nervous) is natural. You have to trust your swing and play your natural game, but in match play it's best to modify what you do if your opponent has played first. Eg. If it's a par 5 and he's sliced his second into the trees, lay up and bank on a regulation par to win the hole.

[RX Phoenix]

Stay in the moment past the urge to choose a course of action and just play your ball instead of thinking about how to finish the match. Good shots will finish the match.

[chingali]

We played very solid golf: +4 through 15 holes and we were 3 up (3 to play).

Just play your normal game, no need to do anything special unless as mentioned the other player/team is away and get in to trouble off the tee in which case you would go conservative.

Think about it, if you are three up with three to play, all you need to do to win is make a half on one of the last three holes. Broken down like that it's pretty simple isn't it?

[JaY_B]

Make sure your opponent never KNOWS he is getting to you, regardless of whats happening in your mind always put on a game face. Also remember that if your 4 up with 9 to play, you are in the stronger position, make pars and your most likely going to win, don't play safe, but play sensibly, stay out of trouble and put all the pressure on your opponent, not yourself.