Goober Posted March 18 Share Posted March 18 Question for the group as it is something I have been thinking about. If you are playing match play and are competing, are you rooting for or against your opponent, shot by shot? Meaning as they tee off, do you hope they find bunkers, etc. There is no right or wrong answer, but was genuinely curious as it came up recently. Quote Link to comment
DaveP043 Posted March 18 Share Posted March 18 Its an interesting question. In a perfect world (for me) we'd both play well, and I'd win. I've played in a few matches like that, and they're the absolute best. But I can't say I'm rooting FOR my Opponent. I try to stay kind of neutral, to expect them to play well on each shot, while I understand that they WILL make some mistakes. I don't necessarily hope for a mistake, but I'm usually not saddened either. Does that evade the question enough, or should I go on? cnosil, Goober and silver & black 3 Quote Irons Titleist T200, AMT Red stiff Rogue SubZero, GD YS-Six X T22 54 and 58 wedges 7-wood 5-wood B60 G5i putter Right handed Reston, Virginia Link to comment
Blueberry_Squishie Posted March 18 Share Posted March 18 All the Australians giggling at this thread title. StrokerAce, Goober and MattF 2 1 Quote Cobra F9 9.5° (Hzrdus Yellow X) Cobra Speedzone 15° (Tensei Blue X) Srixon H85 19° (Hzrdus Black 85 6.0) Mizuno MP20 MMC 4-PW (KBS $ Taper 120S) Mizuno T20 51°, 55°, 59° (KBS $ Taper 120S) Scotty Cameron Phantom X 5.5 34" Srixon ZStar Link to comment
Goober Posted March 18 Author Share Posted March 18 I was going to add that back in the 90’s. Was invited to a 2 man match play event.The first round we played the winners and were beaten 8 up.We got slaughtered.Our opponents were a dad and son team.The son held the whole team and was striking the ball exquisitely.So instead of cheering against I was just observing what he was doing better than me.Even asked him after the round about his swing and he confirmed what I saw.So yes we got stomped, and no I didn’t cheer against.But can say I learned a tip or two by watching his masterful play DaveP043 1 Quote Link to comment
Ron Whitmore Posted March 19 Share Posted March 19 Neither. Just play the course. Greathills 1 Quote Link to comment
Bobbers Posted March 19 Share Posted March 19 When I play blackjack I always assume the dealer has a "10" as their hole card, i.e. they're going to do well. Same applies to my thinking in golf, I assume the opponent is going to do well and use that to help me focus. Rooting "against" someone is giving them too much of my attention and is nothing but a distraction for me at least. Quote Ping G430 Max 10.5* Ping G430 SFT 3 wood and Ping G430 HL 7 wood SR flex Ping G430 4,5,6,7 hybrids SR flex Cleveland Launcher XL Halo 8,9,P,G, SW irons A Flex Cleveland Smart Sole S wedge A Flex Cobra Nova putter Link to comment
MattF Posted March 19 Share Posted March 19 Fairly certain I know where you saw this elsewhere and it's a good thread. I hope they play well but I play a bit better. I will cheer them on because despite what others may think, I'm not a Richard. 21 hours ago, Blueberry_Squishie said: All the Australians giggling at this thread title. StrokerAce 1 Quote In the bag: Driver: Darkspeed X 9° UST Mamiya LIN-Q M40X Blue 7F4 Fairway: Apex UW 19° & 21° Project X HZRDUS Smoke RDX Black 5.5 Irons: JPX 923 HMP 5-PW UST Mamiya Recoil 95 F4 Wedges: T-22 Denim Copper 48°, 52° & 56° UST Mamiya Recoil 95 F4 Putter Sycamore 005 Wide Blade Bag: Fairway 14 stand bag Balls: Chrome Tour Cart: CaddyLite ONE Ver. 8 God Bless America, God save the King, God defend New Zealand and thank Christ for Australia! Link to comment
Hook DeLoft Posted March 27 Share Posted March 27 I hope the lousy bum has a seizure. Just kidding. I have been known to think “miss it, miss it” but I generally try to just play my game and be a gracious loser or winner. Quote 14 of the following: Ping G430 Max 10.5 degree Callaway 2023 Big Bertha 3 wood set to 17 degrees Cobra F9 Speedback 7/8 wood set at 23.5 degrees Callaway Epic Max 11 wood Ping Eye 2 BeCu 2-SW Mizuno 923 JPX HM HL 6-GW Hogan sand wedge 56 degree bent to 53 Maltby M Series+ 54 degree Ping Glide 3.0 Eye2 58 degree Ping Glide 3.0 60 degree Evnroll ER2 Ping Sigma 2 Anser Cheap Top Flite mallet putter from Dick's, currently holding down first place in the bag TaylorMade Mini Spider Bridgestone XS Link to comment
hckymeyer Posted March 27 Share Posted March 27 Hope they play bad, but expect them to play well. Either way try to play my game and just be a little bit better than them. I can honestly say they only time I've ever rooted for an opponent in match play was one time in a double's best ball match. We were getting absolutely demolished but one of our opponents was on a heater. It reached a point half way through the match that I was just rooting for him because I wanted to see how low he could go. He shot 64 on his own ball. It was impressive. StrokerAce 1 Quote Driver: SLDR w/ Fujikura Ventus Black 3w: '16 M2 hl w/ Diamana D+ 82 5w: Launcher HB w/ HZRDUS Yellow Hybrid: 22 deg. Launcher HB w/ HZRDUS Black Irons: 5i - gap Launcher CBX w/ Nippon Modus 3 125 Wedges: 54 CBX & 58 Zipcore w/ Nippon Modus 3 125 Putter: Red 7s Link to comment
barney_bogey Posted March 27 Share Posted March 27 Hmmm... I'm probably not alone in saying that I seem to play better when my group/partner is also playing well. So it's a two edged sword. That said, I try not to hope for other people's failure in general. Better player that day will win without my putting bad juju in the air. B StrokerAce and fixyurdivot 2 Quote Odyssey XG #9 Cleveland CG15 wedges 54/58 Takomo 101 irons PW-4 Rescue hybrid 3 M6 3W & Driver Bridgestone e12 Link to comment
StrokerAce Posted March 27 Share Posted March 27 my league the last 2 years was match play and I don't ever recall rooting against an opponent. what I do pay attention to is when they make a mistake and trying to capitalize on it - i.e. both of them are OB so I might take a "safer" club to not join them OB MattF and barney_bogey 2 Quote Driver- Cobra Aerojet LS Woods- Cobra LTD 3w 15*, 5W 19*, F9 24* Irons- XXIO X (6-A) Wedges- Callaway Jaws Raw (54/58) Putter- Bettinardi BB56 Ball- Maxfli Tour X Buggy- Motocaddy M7 GPS Remote Electric Caddy Bag- Motocaddy Dry-Series Proudly testing for 2024: Link to comment
Golf2Much Posted March 27 Share Posted March 27 (edited) I try and not get caught up wasting brain cells and emotions on how the other guy is playing. The game gets tough enough thinking about how I'm playing. I tend to believe they will make the shots so I have to focus and play the best that I can to beat them. Once you take your foot off the pedal, something always happens to bite you. I was playing in my first official match play event at a new club I joined. It was the par four third hole. I limped one off the tee, mis hit my second and ended up pin high in a trap left of the green in three. He was on in two putting for birdie and counting the hole as a win. I holed out from the sand for par and flustered, he three putted for bogey. Expect the worse! Edited March 27 by Golf2Much barney_bogey 1 Quote Ping G430 Max driver 10.5 degrees with an Alta Quick45 gram senior shaft Callaway Epic 3 wood, Project X Evenflow Green 45 gram senior shaft Callaway GBB Epic Heavenwood, with a Mitsubishi Diamana 50 gram senior shaft Ping G 20.5 degree 7 wood, with a stock Alta 65 gram senior shaft Ping G 26 degree hybrid, stock Alta 65 gram senior shaft Callaway Paradym X irons, 7-AW with Aldila Ascent Blue 50 graphite shafts Edison wedges: 50, 55 and 60 degree, KBS Tour Graphite A flex shafts Putters: L.A.B. Direct Force 2.1 putter, 34.5" long, 67 degrees lie 2022 MGS Tester: Shot Scope Pro XL+ with H4 2023 MGS Tester: Callaway Paradym X Irons Link to comment
RickyBobby_PR Posted March 27 Share Posted March 27 If you’re thinking about their play good or bad you are already mentally out of it. Play your game and react to the situation at hand and whatever they do good or bad doesn’t matter. barney_bogey 1 Quote Driver: PXG 0811 X+ Proto w/UST Helium 5F4 Wood: TaylorMade M5 5W w/Accra TZ5 +1/2”, TaylorMade Sim 3W w/Aldila rogue white Hybrid: PXG Gen2 22* w/AD hybrid Irons: PXG Gen3 0311T w/Nippon modus 120 Wedges: TaylorMade MG2 50*, Tiger grind 56/60 Putter: Scotty Caemeron Super Rat1 Ball: Titleist Prov1 Link to comment
Micah T Posted March 28 Share Posted March 28 I want my opponent to play well. The last thing I want is to watch my opponent scuffle all day. Quote Driver - Cobra LtDxLS 3 Wood - Ping g410 LST 2iron - Titleist U505 Irons - Ping i59 Wedges - Vokey Sm9 Putter - Mizuno Mcraft IV Link to comment
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