How to beat a golfer who is better than you

Golf is unlike almost every other sport. For starters, you can go out and play on the same courses used to stage major championships. How many club cricketers do you know who have ever walked out at Lord’s? Can you imagine an amateur tennis player tackling Centre Court at Wimbledon? Or a Sunday footballer strutting his stuff at Wembley?

But we can tee off at the Old Course at St Andrews and stop to pinch ourselves at the thought of all the legends who have been there before us. We can lose a bucketload of golf balls at a windswept Carnoustie and convince ourselves we have had a jolly good time. This happened to me but I would not have swapped the experience for anything. I have actually been lucky enough to have played all the courses on the Open rota and have even recorded the odd birdie. 

I have played at Pebble Beach and Torrey Pines for goodness sake.

It is also a sport that, because of the handicap system, allows a high handicapper to take on a proper golfer and give him a game. 

Nature of The Handicap System

(Image Credit: Kevin Diss Photography)

Let’s not get into the rights and wrongs of the handicap system here. I prefer to think that most of the men and women I play with and against have genuine handicaps, even though the reality may be rather different. But that is a different story.

So the question is, how can you beat a golfer who is clearly better than you are?

I may have a different take on this to most people. 

Most high handicappers will be fatalistic about taking on somebody who is much better than they are. I really don’t see it that way. If I am playing off eight and my opponent is a 20-handicapper all the pressure is on me because I am giving him or her a load of shots. 

If I do not turn up with my A-game then I am surely going to lose. It is me who should be fearing the worst. 

In each of the past two years I have played high handicappers in our seniors singles knockout and have come to grief on the 18th hole but have actually walked off knowing that I gave it my best. I was so impressed with the play of one of them that I have asked him to partner me in a pairs competition. He knows his limitations and plays to them.

You know that at some point the 20-handicapper is going to have a disaster but he is also just as likely to make a couple of pars at holes where you are giving him strokes, and that means you need a birdie just to half the hole.

Play Your Own Game

A good golfer will probably hit the ball further than you. Whatever else you do, do NOT try to keep up with him. Attempting to hit the ball too hard is a recipe for disaster. Always swing within yourself.

When you get to par threes, never look at what club your opponent is using. You know how far you hit the ball. Play your own game. So what if he hits an eight iron while you are using a hybrid? It doesn’t matter. 

Be Smart With Your Strategy

Do whatever it takes to keep the ball in play. A big hitter is going to miss some fairways. If you are playing every second shot from the short and prepared then you already have an advantage because at some point one of his wild drives is going to be punished.

When you stand on the tee at a 450-yard par four, make the decision to play the hole as a par five. Take whatever club from the tee that will guarantee you end up in the middle of the fairway. Ensure you take no more than three shots to reach the green. You never know - you just might hole out for par, meaning your opponent probably needs a birdie for a half. 

Shot Selection is Key

Even low handicappers make mistakes. If he hits his drive out of bounds or into a lake it is absolutely crucial that you do not do the same thing. Do whatever it takes to keep the ball in play.

Do not take on impossible shots. Most top professionals seldom take dead aim at the flag. Make sure that you play the approach shots that take bunkers and water hazards out of play.

If you should find a bunker look for the easiest way out. It’s better to escape the sand by any means rather than leaving it in there.

Get Into Your Opponent's Head

If you keep finding the right place, trust me when I tell you that it will drive your opponent crazy. And maybe he will then start trying to force shots and hitting the ball too hard.

Think carefully about conceding short putts. There is a school of thought that says you should give lots of short putts early on. Your opponent will expect you to keep doing this but at some point you make him hole out - and you will be amazed how often those putts are missed.