How to Win a Golf Match

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You’ve had your golf swing analyzed. You’ve taken lessons. You’ve invested in good golf clubs. You try to get out on the course regularly. But, no matter what you do, you just can’t seem to figure out how to win a golf match.

First, there’s a greater difference between match play competitions and regular stroke play than many golfers realize. But, fortunately or not, like everything else relating to golf, the differences are largely in your mental approach to the game and the strategies you use on each hole.

5 Tips for Winning a Golf Match

The following tips should help you make the adjustment to match play tournaments and improve your chances of actually winning them.

  1. Practice Properly – Match play is more about consistency and winning each hole. On the driving range, work on the accuracy of your drives. On the practice green, take mostly long or short putts, they are the ones that can make you lose, or gain, the most strokes. While conceded putts might be part of match play, always assume you’ll have to hole out on every green.
  2. Don’t Try to Impress on the First Hole – Even if you’re a low-handicap golfer, save the intimidation factor for later. The risk of going for the jugular off the first tee is that, if you at all misplay it, it could affect your game for many holes to come.
  3. Be Ready to Change Your Strategy Quickly – The more aggressively you play, the higher the chance of misplaying a shot. If your opponent is playing well, you’ll have to stay aggressive. But, even if you start a hole in aggressive mode, be ready switch gears if your opponent gets into trouble. Continuing to be aggressive when you don’t have to can backfire.
  4. Treat it Like It’s a Normal Round – While you play the course with your match-play strategies in mind, over-thinking it and getting too involved in the ‘match’ thing can destabilize your game.
  5. Get to Know the Golf Course – If you’ve never played the course on which your match will take place, try to get in a round before the match. And if you’re looking for an excellent Durham Region golf course to set up a match-play tournament, look no further than Royal Ashburn.

If you liked this post, check out our recent article on how to swing a golf club: the stance.

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