Matchplay guide: Laura Davies

As the World Match Play and the Ryder Cup put the focus on matchplay golf, we asked experts for their insight. Click on a name below to learn the secrets of success.

LAURA DAVIES - European Solheim Cup team 1990-2005

I play the opponent. If they make a mistake I try to back off a bit, if they're in a good position I might go for it a bit more. You have to watch very closely what they're doing.

But you can be a lot more aggressive than in strokeplay - cutting corners, taking pins on, being bold with putts. You're after birdies, but you don't really care if you make bogey or double bogey. You can only lose one hole.

I hope I'd never get psyched out by an opponent just because they were showing huge confidence - it's probably just bravado anyway

You're more likely to win with six birdies and a triple than three birdies and the rest pars, even though you'd be on the same strokeplay score.

In matchplay, you've always got to expect your opponent will hole it so you've got to try to keep one step ahead. Never accept being two up, always try to get three up.

I'm actually very poor at coming back from a big deficit. If I get ahead early I usually win, but if I get down by three or four I find it very difficult mentally to overcome it.

But the idea is just to try to win one hole back at a time because that's all you can do. Don't look too far ahead.

If you're four down with seven to go, just try to nip one back, don't think you've got to win four of the next six to be all-square going down the last.

MATCHPLAY EXPLAINED Matchplay: Lowest score wins hole. Victor is winner of most holes in round. Format used in Ryder Cup Strokeplay: Least number of shots overall wins. Format used in majors Fourballs: (Or better ball) - Two teams of two, each player uses own ball. Best score wins hole. Matchplay Foursomes: Two players alternate shots using same ball against another team of two. Matchplay Ryder Cup explained

As for pairings, in fourballs as long as you get on and don't dislike each other, it's not a problem.

But foursomes needs people who are pretty good friends because you can get in a situation where you spend the whole round apologising if things aren't going well and you don't really want that.

My best victory was against Rosie Jones in the very first Solheim Cup in 1990.

She was having a dig at me because I wasn't using my driver at the time and I wasn't confident at all. She putts very well but every time she made a putt from 20-30ft, I would hole mine as well, so that was a good one to win.

A trick that sometimes works is to give three or four-foot putts early on - these are bread and butter for pros anyway - and then when it gets to the business end make them putt everything, sometimes just to try to irritate them.

Body language doesn't really worry me. I hope I'd never get psyched out by an opponent just because they were showing huge confidence. It's probably just bravado anyway.

The World Match Play takes place at Wentworth, Surrey, from 14-17 September. The Ryder Cup is set for the K Club, Co. Kildare, Ireland, from 22-24 September.