How to beat a consistent player

[DaSportsGuy]

A guy I'm in a tournament against and I play with alot isn't the flashiest player on the course. He just beats his drives right down the middle of the fairway about 225 yards. His short game isn't the best but he manages it well. He's also a very scrappy golfer. He's a bump and run guy and always plays the percentages. My problem is I have no clue how to beat him.

We hit the same shot shape and our club distances are nearly the same(I may have a couple yards a club on him). I try to play aggressive but when my aggressiveness bites me his conservate style of play brings him right back.

In our little tournament which includes three others including myself, I've dug myself quite a hole. We're playing a four week tournament in which we play 18 holes every Sunday. We've played 27/72 holes so far and I'm already down 25 strokes due to my terrible and embarrassing play thus far. Luckily we got washed out after nine holes in Round 2 so I can regroup after the worst 9 holes of my life.

I'm just so frustrated and don't know how I can begin to chop away at my deficit, especially since he is so consistent.

Anyone have any tips?

[saevel25]

Stop worrying about what you can't control. You can't cause him to play different. If being aggressive is your style, then play it, but be prepared to live with the results. But you can't be aggressive all the time. Today i had two shots that i would say one was aggressive, and one was conservative. One was a restricted backswing, i could try to muscle it out and go for the green or just punch out an an angle, i punched out at an angle. I missed a par putt on lip out. Final hole i had to go under a tree limb and over a bunker, probably keep the ball max 15 feet off the ground, about 30 yards to the bunker. I take my 9 iron and hit a low pitch shot that barely clears the bunker and rolls to the back of the green, 25 feet for birdie. On the last show i could have gone for the front of the green, ditching the bunker, but knew i could make that show and i had confidence in my bunker play.

So really its know what you can do, what your comfortable doing. You can't control him so stop worrying about it. As soon as you play your game and start pulling off shots you know you can, it might start bothering him.

[rhodes81]

Tell him how much you admire his consistency and his willingness to never take chances. Every time he lays up or takes a safe line, make sure you tell him how that decision was so much better than the riskier shot he avoided. Most players can thrive on a barrage of "I wouldn't try that shot" or criticisms of their decisions, but it takes the truly self secure player to live up to a compliment on their consistent play. I have seen many players best aspect dissappear as soon as someone brings it to their attention, myself included.

[James_Black]

Are you doing matchplay or strokeplay?
if it's strokeplay..... I can't help you.

But in matchplay.... go crazy aggressive(this is how I play against better players) don't lay up, go for the green the worst that can happen is you'll lose 1 hole.

[killerduck]

Are you doing matchplay or strokeplay?

Actually the worst that can happen is you'll lose 10 holes! lol

I've beaten lower/better golfers in match and stroke before. But generally you're only truly competing directly against someone in match play. Do what I did to beat a lower, power hitting golfer. (At the time he was off 7, I was off 17 - match play OTS) Make all your 4-6 foot putts. Practice your putting. Ultimately, that beats more golfers than taking 3i over the water hazard etc...

[Meddle]

Sounds like you let him get in your head. Just play your game, hit shots you know you can hit, and only focus on yourself out there. Don't worry about what he is doing because you can't control that. Visualize and execute your shots, and make your putts. The score will take care of itself.

[Chief Broom]

Start playing like he plays. Your aggressive play is what has put you in this deficit and the only chance you've got is to settle down and start making pars. Unless you're a pro you don't make a lot of pars by going for the hero shot. Get that mentality out of your head and put away the big guns and instead start using the clubs and shots you know you can hit. Three decent 7 irons will get you on the green of most par 5's. Think about it...

[Woters]

Simple...steal his clubs out of his car & win by forfeit!!

I think as someone else mentions here that you have allowed the guy into your head. You have created an illusion that you cant beat him, ergo you wont beat him. Some of the best advice I ever got was play the course not the man & add the scores up at the end. If you lose you lose but that extra pressure of playing against someone you have trouble believeing you could beat will be gone.

Or get him drunk BEFORE you tee off & watch him duff it high & right haha

[saevel25]

Match Play, you can play his game and try to keep it close until the end, or you can go aggressive, make a few putts and force him out of his game.

Stroke Play, just don't care what he does, you can't control what he is going to shoot, only what you can shoot.

[rjfan91]

25 shots is a lot to make up over 45 holes...

I don't really have a style that I stick to. But, I do like to make decisions based on what type of round I am playing.

If it is a pure stroke game, I play high percentages. In stroke, 1 blowup hole can kill a round. I average roughly +15. However, in a normal round with aggressive shots, I will accumulate the majority of these in 3 or 4 holes. In a tournament stroke-play round, I don't try to carry water to a par 5 on my second. I take a 7i and hit the fat part of the fairway to the right. I may not make eagle or even birdie, but I won't make double or triple. Heck, I make sure I can't go for it by taking a 5w off the tee. It keeps the water/traps out of play.

If it is a points/match game, I will play aggressive depending on the situation. This is because the risk is probably worth the reward. If I lose a hole, meh. If I'm up big, I play percentages.

Keep in mind that you have to play to YOUR strengths. If you suck at hitting a 3i off the deck, don't try to carry water with it. If your strength is putting, don't aim at the stick from longer distances or if there is trouble short/long. The decision-making stuff is what makes this game fun. I could swing a scythe in my back yard if all I wanted was to swing a stick.

[tm22721]

You can't do your best until you stop trying to beat people and start beating the course (par that is).

[treebound]

Is the 24 strokes behind handicap adjusted or is it the raw stroke count. With a posted handicap index of 19.something you're playing bogies, and if you're loosing about a stroke a hole against him then that puts him close to scratch plus a couple strokes. If you're not adjusting for handicaps then just play your own game and sit back and enjoy the show. Live and learn.

To catch up with him you're going to have to maintain about a stroke every two holes from here on out. Going from loosing a stroke a hole to gaining about half a stroke a hole will be a feat to watch. Perhaps you can mount a charge and bag a couple of Eagles and birdies to catch up quicker. Your only real hope (to my thinking) is if the course moves the pin placements to penalize the bump n run players like you say he is.

All I've got to really say is "good luck", have a good round, and post a followup when you're done.

[Fairway_CY]

In a tournament stroke-play round, I don't try to carry water to a par 5 on my second. I take a 7i and hit the fat part of the fairway to the right. I may not make eagle or even birdie, but I won't make double or triple. Heck, I make sure I can't go for it by taking a 5w off the tee. It keeps the water/traps out of play.

Winning answer right here. For the longest time, I found myself trying to hit shots that I pretty much KNEW I couldn't hit because I only got to play 5 - 7 times a year. Beginning last year, and running on into this year... I've learned to be more conservative. I've stopped trying to hit 'highlight' shots and have begun to play the percentages. If I DO attempt to reach a par 5 green in 2... I make sure that if I top a shot or blow it right (my tendency), I will not be in further trouble and STILL be able to reach the green.

I've also learned to play within myself... meaning, basically... I don't care what the par on the scorecard says, I care ONLY about what my adjusted par is. I take my handicap strokes and add them to the par for that hole and THAT'S what I play for. If, by chance, I play the hole great (birdie a hole in which I'm getting 2 handicap strokes, for example)... it makes it all the better. But, by playing to THAT par... it enables me to not worry if I hit a poor tee shot or something. I can always recover. Anyway... you've got some great answers here. Good luck in catching this guy. If you don't happen to catch him... don't let it get in your head if you face him in another tournament further down the road. CY

[stiffdogg06]

Play the course, not the golfer.