Match play strategy
Smart Match Play Strategy for High Handicappers
Higher-handicap golfers can save strokes in match play by choosing the boring success more often.
Take the easy win
The fastest gain in opponent pressure is avoiding the shot that brings double bogey or worse into play. For match-play scoring, aim wider, use more loft, or accept a lay-up when the lie is asking for humility. A calm bogey from a difficult match play spot often beats a heroic swing that never clears the trouble.
Keep these rules handy
- Choose the club that removes the first obstacle in match play.
- For match-play scoring, swing smoothly when contact matters more than distance.
- For match-play scoring, leave a full next shot instead of a nervy half-swing.
- Treat a smart exit in opponent pressure as a saved stroke, not a surrender.