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I got a match 4 club champs this weekend(1st round) I was wondering if you guys have any advice regarding tactics eg I know about the rules and stuff but its a guy i dont really like and I want to beat him without hurting my reputation.

Andrew

keep saying "wow" and "thats massive" when he hits his driver .
He'll keep trying to hit even harder and go deeper into the trees
you lay back behind him with your 3wood off the tees
you'll stay in play more . be hitting into the greens first and putting him under more and more pressure
throw a 5wood headcover on your driver and your driver headcover on your 3wood
only pull the driver out when you really need it
that'll screw with his head .hehe

Well, with match play, you're not trying to beat the course. All you need to do is beat your opponent and the mental side of the game plays a large factor in match play.

I always enjoy the opportunity to put pressure on my opponent. Meaning, if you have honors on the tee, a good tee shot will place pressure on your opponent to hit a good one after you. If your opponent hits a better tee shot, you still have the opportunity to put pressure on your opponent by hitting a shot on the green. If your opponent is waiting to hit, you might not even want to aim for the pin. A simple shot on the green could put enough pressure on your opponent to miss. You don't necessarily have to go for the "jackpot" all day. Put enough pressure on your opponent and there's a good chance he'll cave.

So that's pretty much my strategy. Going into a match, I'll just try to keep things simple. Keep the ball in the fairway. Hit greens. Make par. This pretty much applies to any round of golf but I find when I play for myself, I tend to go for broke more often. The driver will never stay in the bag on the tees and forget laying up. Now, if you're behind, you'll probably want to take more risks but hopefully, this will be the position your opponent will be. When you're forced to take risks, there's a better chance of making mistakes and this is why I like to "play it safe" as much as possible in match play.

cool thing about match play is that if you have a blow up hole it does not ruin your round. In a stroke play event a triple bogey would **** but in match play it does not matter, all you lose is one hole. Shake it off and concentrate on the next hole and you should be all right

If he has a couple of short par saver putts early in the round, concede them. Of course, he can practice the putt after the hole is over (so long as he doesn't hold up play) but later in the round the pressure will be greater if he really needs to make one of those shorties. Also, if he leads off the tee and puts it in the rough, don't hesitate to back off to some club you know you can hit in the fairway. Seize any opportunity to go 2 up as it is a huge advantage. When you're leading, play sound but not conservative...fairways and greens. Good luck.

Shade

Great advice given. But remember not to put too much pressure on yourself, especially since you say you don't like the guy and want to keep your reputation. Play your game, not his!

Be as friendly as you can allow yourself to be. In spite of your opponent, you still need to play the course. Expect him to make good shots so you won't be disappointed when he does. Expect him to make all his putts within 10 feet, so when he does you're prepared. If he misses a shot or putt, its a bonus in your mind.

Good luck. Try to enjoy the experience.

Pars win Match Play. Period! Most holes are won in Match Play with pars. Your opponent may make an occasional birdie, (hopefully you will too) but more holes are won with par. Concentrate especially hard on getting up and down when you miss greens. Nothing wears down an opponent faster than one putt pars when he's outplaying you tee to green. Stay calm, cool, and collected, even if you're panicking inside, and your opponent will think nothing rattles you. That will effect his mental game as well. Good luck!

was playing match with a good friend of mine, big money on the line (a whopping total of $5 for the match) so of course it was horribly important, my friend is a 7 handicap, i'm about a 12, so i got 3 strokes on the front, and 2 on the back. He was playing horrible on the front 9, and i was right in the middle of every fairway, hitting most of the greens in regulation, and he was just all over the place..so i was 4 up going into the 10th. My buddy turned his game around and started hitting greens and everything, i decided NOT to lay up on the short par 5 and landed in the water..so i lost that hole. Ended up he was 1 up on the 18th tee. Ripped my drive and hit a PW to about 3 feet, put the pressure on him and he ended up bogeying the hole. So we were dead even..so yea, it's all about putting the pressure on your opponent, so just make sure to do that and you should be fine.,.