When is a gimme not a gimme?

By Paul Gueorgieff

When is a gimme not a gimme?

There is one tactic in matchplay golf that I have never understood.

The interclub season in Wellington is into full swing and as a consequence there is plenty of matchplay golf.

In a recent match of mine, my opposition gave me a putt to halve the hole.

As we walked away from the green I said to my opposition that I would not have given the same putt to him. He replied that as the match developed he might not be so generous.

There is a supposed tactic I’ve heard over and over again. The theory is if the match becomes tense, that three foot putt you had been given earlier in the match, is suddenly not given.

So what, I say.

Matchplay is all about winning more holes than you lose. It doesn’t matter if you win your holes early or late. The only thing that matters is winning more holes than you lose.

If you win six holes and lose five holes, you win. If you win most of those holes early in the match, that is of no consequence. All that counts is winning more holes than you lose.

So that makes me think why would you give that three foot putt early in the match, but not later in the match?

Yes I understand a three foot putt late in the match might be more tense than a three foot early in the match.

But that doesn’t mean a three foot putt early in the match will be holed. A missed three foot putt early in the match is no different to a missed three foot putt later in the match.

We often analyse the game backwards when we lose.

Often we will say something like: ``I three-putted the last to lose one down.’'

But we never say something like: ``I three putted the first to lose one down.’'

I have always been taught to never become upset at not been given a putt. If you really think it is a genuine gimme, then you will have no problem knocking it in.

I have always been taught to not feel obliged to giving a three foot putt just because the opposition gave you a three foot putt. Some three foot putts can be harder than other three foot putts.

Some years I was playing an interclub match and my opposition holed a couple of medium-sized length putts on consecutive holes. I thought what a good putter this guy is.

On the following hole he missed a shortish putt and strangely conceded to me that he had developed the yipps on short putts.

It goes without saying that I virtually gave him nothing from then on and his problem of the yipps was confirmed.