I suck at golf games

spookymuffin

I just don't get em. I like playing the games, but I'm not very good at them and I would like to get better. My main pain right now is Super Swing on the Wii. No matter how hard I try, I always seem to either tie or lose to the CPU. So, I have some questions:

1. How do I adjust for wind? This seems to be a killer for me, I don't know how to battle the wind and get my ball to go where I want.

2. Distance. Most games show you how far you are from the hole, but no matter what I do, I always seem to either overshoot the green or land 30+ yards from the hole. This is super frustrating, because the CPU always seems to land 2 yards from the hole every time.

3. Bunkers and the rough. Do I need to be overpowering my shots when I land in these areas? I shoot out of a bunker, and my shot goes 1/2 as far as I'd like it to go, and other times, it'll be somewhat where I want it.

4. Putting. I suck at this, plain and simple. I don't know how to read the grid lines on the ground to make an accurate put. If I'm more than 5 yards from the hole, I'm not making it unless divine intervention takes place.

Ganluan

I'll post advice for the real game of golf, since it applies here too:

1) The higher the shot, the more wind will effect it. Your wedges and low irons will be greatly affected by wind, as they usually have the highest trajectory. Your driver still needs to adjust for wind, but not nearly as much. Also keep in mind that if the wind is behind you and strong, you can go down 1 or 2 clubs and still get the distance you want.

2) When thinking of your distance, you should have a "carry" distance and a "total" distance. Most games show you where the ball will LAND, which doesn't account for rolling at all. This is the opposite of wind - the higher a ball flies, the shorter it will roll, so leave plenty of room for roll of your driver swing.

3) Normally in rough or the bunkers, you only go for long distances if you have a good lie. Depending on the game, your accuracy will most likely go to crap the harder you try to hit out of the rough or a bunker, just like real golf. It's better to play smart and get it to a good spot than try to crush it out of those lies.

4) Greens are represented very differently in different games, but basically, the faster you putt, the less "break" (changes in the slope) will affect you. This means if you have a really long putt that you need to hit fast, you can easily power through smaller slope changes. As well, putting downhill will exaggerate slopes, and putting uphill will lessen their effect (since normally you're hitting harder). So, if the grid shows the slope is downhill and there's some slanting to the right partway there, hit the ball at less than full power and aim to the left (how far you aim to the left will depend on the game and how it represents those slopes).

spookymuffin

I can't be the only one in the world that plays golf games. If so, please let me know and I'll stop. O_o

embrik

I'd love to help, but the golf games I play are PC or XBOX 360 related, so I can't help with your control scheme. Do they have tutorials and/or practice areas in that game? They always do in the ones I play with, which can be very helpful for practicing and perfecting your swing.

whuppins

stryker's advice covers a lot of the stuff you need to know. Most of this stuff is just general golf info, since you didn't clarify if you were actually familiar with the real game.

1.) Just to clarify, when he says "high" he literally means how far up in the air your ball goes. "Low irons" means 7, 8, 9, wedges, etc... clubs that pop the ball up higher and travel shorter distances. As in real golf, popping a ball up will get it caught and carried by the wind. Also to reiterate, when the wind is blowing more or less 'north-south' (i.e., it's at your back or you're hitting into it), you'll need to take a club or two more or less accordingly. You just need to practice and see how different speeds affect the number of clubs to go up or down.

2.) Don't forget about elevation! A seemingly slight difference in elevation between you and your target will kill both the flight and the roll of your shot, and likewise a downhill slope can make it seem like your golfer is on steroids. Pay attention to the change in elevation between your ball and where you're aiming, and make sure to adjust your club accordingly. Even a 2 yard change in elevation can drastically affect your distance.

3.) Just FYI, rough and bunkers are supposed to drastically cut down on your distance and in many cases your accuracy -- you ain't getting your full distance out of that stuff, no matter what. If you have a superb lie, you can generally hit what you want, but in a lot of cases, if you're in the deep rough or a fairway bunker, you just need to suck it up and hit a short, safe shot back out into the fairway. You need a club that can dig the ball out of the grass/sand, so don't go hitting any high irons or woods out of these hazards unless you're Tiger Woods.

4.) stryker's advice is very good here about how speed and uphill/downhill slopes affect break. Most golfers prefer putting uphill, since they can minimize the amount of break they have to account for. So, if you check out the countours of the green before you make your approach shot, you should be able to figure out the "safest" area of the green to aim for.

spookymuffin

embrik wrote: »

I'd love to help, but the golf games I play are PC or XBOX 360 related, so I can't help with your control scheme. Do they have tutorials and/or practice areas in that game? They always do in the ones I play with, which can be very helpful for practicing and perfecting your swing.

I use the button scheme for this game, I don't want to throw my elbow out swinging a Wiimote around the house. Any advice would help, especially for approach/putting. The grid thing makes no sense to me.

whuppins wrote: »

If you have a superb lie, you can generally hit what you want, but in a lot of cases, if you're in the deep rough or a fairway bunker, you just need to suck it up and hit a short, safe shot back out into the fairway.

I'd love to take your advice on this one, but over and over again I've seen the CPU go from a bunker 100 yards out and land 2 yards from the hole. They birdie on every hole. I can't win if I take position shots like that.