Stroke play, many golfers say, is the true test of a player’s skill. When you have to count every shot, it tests your ability to make shots. But match play is as much of a test of a player’s skill as stroke play. You still have to hit good shots to beat your opponent. While many players with low golf handicaps excel at match play and stroke play, some weekend golfers are better stroke players than match players.
To be a great match player you must believe in yourself. Great match players may face opponents who are better drivers, better iron players, or even better putters. Their opponents may even have a lower golf handicap. But great match players don’t let these things shake their belief in themselves. Instead, they welcome the challenge. They take golf lessons, read golf tips, and practice hitting shots until they’ve master the right skills. Then they go out and trounce their opponents.
Below are 6 other golf tips that will help you win your next match:
- Stay in the present
Staying in the present, we tell students at golf instruction sessions, is critical to playing great golf. Get lost in the process of hitting each shot when you play a match and accept the results that come. Staying in the present means focusing on hitting the next shot and not letting a bad shot or bad break trip you up. Forget the three-foot putt you just missed or the easy chip you blew on the last hole. Pick a target. Visualize the ball flight. And swing away.
- Stay positive throughout the match
This golf tip compliments the golf tip above, but focuses on the whole round. Stay positive throughout the match. The worst thing you can do is to get down on yourself when having a bad day. After awhile you start feeling sorry for yourself. When you’re feeling sorry for yourself, you miss opportunities to score. You never know what can happen in a match. You can start out 4 to 0, but come back and win the match.
- Take conservative over aggressive
When you get impatient bad things happen. Put another way, if you have a chance to choose between being aggressive and being conservative, choose conservative. You’ll always be okay no matter what. Getting too aggressive can cost you if you’re not successful. If you’re playing in a tournament, the rough is thicker, the pins are tougher, and the greens are faster. Play conservatively in matches.
- Have a pre-shot routine
Golfers with low golf handicaps tend to have pre-shot routines. They follow this routine every time. No exceptions. Develop a physical and mental routine that works for you, we tell students in golf instruction sessions. It keeps you focused on what you need to do to hit a good shot. It keeps you in the moment. And it keeps your nerves under control when the pressure is on.
- Ignore unsolicited swing advice
Listening to unsolicited swing advice can mess you up during a round. You probably have several well-meaning friends all ready to give you swing advice. If you’re doing well, you don’t want to listen to them. What they say can disrupt your game. Once something gets in your head, it can be hard to get rid of it. You don’t want to change what you’re doing if you’re playing well.
- Have fun when playing
Some golfers try to be perfect in matches. They get themselves so worked up trying to achieve perfection it’s ridiculous. Seeking perfection boosts the pressure on you. Accept the fact that you will make some mistakes when playing. Also, don’t build the match into a life and death battle. It’s easy to fall into this trap. When you want to win badly, you can build the match up into something it isn’t.
Match play is a challenge. Even golfers with low golf handicaps sometimes let the pressure of match play get to them. If you want to be a great match player, you can’t let the pressure get to you. Relax. Have fun. And use the golf tips above to become a great match player.