The misunderstood law of the gimme

Ian Poulter took serious umbrage during the Seve Trophy at the Wynyard Club the other month when he was asked to hole a two-footer towards the end of a tight foursomes match.

It was on the 16th green against Niclas Fasth and Henrik Stenson.

To illustrate the point, Poulter laid his putter down from the hole to his ball as if to say: "Can you not see how close I am?"

Still fuming on his way to the next tee, he instructed partner Bradley Dredge not to concede anything to the Swedes for the remainder of the match.

It was one of several spiky moments that made this Seve Trophy by far the most compelling in its short history.

And this particular incident was one club golfers could particularly relate to.

Because we all concede putts to each other every time we play - outside, of course, from in the sacred monthly medal/bogey.

Often too generously, in my experience.

Be honest - when was the last time you played a competitive strokeplay round without missing at least one putt that would have been conceded in other circumstances?

That's because the concept of the gimme is badly misunderstood.

It isn't supposed to be an act of mercy, or a way to show generosity.

And it certainly wasn't designed to spare a golfer the embarrassment of lipping out from 18 inches.

As much as anything, it's a time-saving device.

It's a way of saying to your opponent: "Look, your ball is hanging over the very edge of the hole, you can't possibly miss from there so why don't we just pretend that you've gone through the whole rigmarole of marking, cleaning, replacing, lining up, plumb-bobbing, having a couple of practice strokes and then tapping it in just as you surely would do 100 times out of 100."

In other words, you don't concede a putt because you think your opponent OUGHT to get it - you do so because he can't possibly miss.

I'm not even sure why gimmes are part of matchplay - after all, there are no such allowances in strokeplay - but there's no doubt they add enormously to the psychological warfare that makes matchplay by far the most captivating form of the game to watch or play.

For example, if you're a bit shaky yourself over the short ones, there's a lot to be said for initiating a generous, warm-hearted spirit to the match whereby you concede anything within about four feet.

If your opponent is docile he may never realise that this policy is completely the opposite of what it appears - namely an attempt to ensure he never asks you to hole one out from an awkward distance that you might not really fancy.

Alternatively, to show your distaste for an opponent, or perhaps with the aim of dragging a superior player down into a war of attrition, you can get him to finish one off from a matter of inches.

Try it - and wait for the reaction.

It worked on Poulter.

But if you do indulge in such mind games - or maybe you just don't believe in conceding putts - make sure you appreciate that you're likely to reap what you sow at a later stage of the match.

So be prepared.

When the boot is on the other foot, the only reasonable reaction is to hole the tiddler with supreme competence.

Don't try to make a point, don't abandon your usual routine, don't attempt to smack the ball so hard into the back of the hole it jumps up six inches before dropping in, and certainly don't go for a dismissive one-hander while sneering at your foe.

Just hole it.

If the putt in question really ought to have been conceded, and if there really was no chance of you missing it, this will become obvious in the way you competently knock it in.

But there is one thing worth remembering.

There isn't a golfer in this world who hasn't missed the most agonisingly pathetic little tap-in of a putt at one time or another.

We all know full well - though we might not like it - that the very next two-footer we eye-up suspiciously might be one with our name on it.

The one that just doesn't come off the blade properly. That lurches to the left almost before you've hit it. That never even sees the two inches of break you allowed.

Remember that the next time your opponent remains deathly silent after your approach putt finishes next to the hole.

Deal with it. Knock the putt in.

Should you miss, furious though you may be, it's no-one's fault but your own. If it makes you feel better, blame a rogue spike mark or something.

But whatever you do, don't hold your opponent responsible.

Because what just happened has vindicated his decision perfectly.

By missing you proved him right - it wasn't a gimme.

And by the way, Poulter holed his tiddler - but lost the match anyway.

Dan Murphy