Who Is He?

The modern day match play master. Poulter's approach to the game of golf, and life in general, is often as colorful as his choice of clothing. This 16 time tour winner has clearly got some game to back up his bravado. Although never quite able to fulfil his potential with a major championship, his ability to thrive under the utmost pressure in three victorious Ryder Cups currently rank as the highlights of his career.

What He Does

Poulter is a good swinger of the club, if not a great swinger of the club. He has a tendency to get a little quick with his tempo under pressure. However, it is really around the greens when Poulter's game comes to life. It seems like whenever the pressure is ratcheted up during the closing few holes of a Ryder Cup game, the more Poulter revels in the situation. He seems to have the ability to stalk a putt and almost will the ball into the hole.

What Can You Learn?

Poulter's stand out skill is clearly his mental approach to playing match play. He has the skill of playing the man rather than playing the course down to a fine art. Too often in match play, club golfers beat themselves rather than beating their opponents. Poulter's 'never say die' attitude means that he never knows when he or his playing partner is beaten.

What Should You Avoid?

Although Poulter seems to produce his best golf under the utmost pressure of the Ryder Cup team formats, he has yet to produce the same sustained level of performance during a major championship. It could be deemed that Poulter places too much pressure on himself, and too much expectation on his ability during these tournaments. If only The Masters was a match play event!