Mind set

Joined Houghwood golf club in Lancashire at the start of this year. Hilly course but that's what I'm used to. My performances in the medal comps and the stableford events have been woeful to say the least but when it comes to matchplay.................Can't seem to do a thing wrong. Allowing for the odd missed putt on gimme's my stroke score would be far better than a normal medal match. I started to think about taking the same mind set into other comps and although I have not played in a comp at the club with this I have played in a couple of society events and won them both, along with a 5 day golf break in Spain where my performance was vastly improved although I did not win. Do you fellow golfers have a different mind set when playing different types of events or like me, just take the one for all games, be it matchplay, medal etc? To clarify......In a medal match I now pick a player in my fourball of a similar handicap and mentally play him at matchplay for the round. If I've won the hole on the fairway shall we say, I continue with the same thoughts against another player in the fourball who is in a similar position as me for that particular hole. Thoughts on this please...............alternatives?

Mind set is totally different in Medal as against Match-play for most golfers. In Medal you keep the ball in play and always take the safe option. In Match-play, don't believe the Pro's who say they approach it the same (they don't). In MP you play your opponent and your strategy will change dependent on what they do.

Agreed with David, match play is a different kettle of fish. You've got to react to what your opponent does. Many a time they've hit a poor shot and I've reached for a hybrid rather than a Driver, just to make sure I hit the fairway.

You talk about not putting a foot wrong, but how many times have you won a hole with a bogey or double? In matchplay it counts as hole won, in medal play its a couple of shots dropped. Match play is a very, very different game.

I tend to play more aggressive than I would during medal play and stableford.