wesili:
Looks like the upgrades all cost $.
lol, so much lag while putting, that I have to use the EZ swing.
Upgrades do cost money, but many players never spend a cent - they do the free offers to fund their equipment. However IMHO this improves the enjoyment of the game as you can score better - but that is a personal view.
I did not make any upgrades until I made Master - in hindsight, I would upgraded sooner.
That said I would still wait for a while before upgrading with the exception of getting 2 good wedges as suggested in the posts above - these will make a lot of difference along with a cheap ball that offers some benefits.
As for your meter you need to read the http://www.wgt.com/forums/p/635/2552.aspx
The problems regarding lag is caused by your computer and it is not optimised for playing WGT - no ifs or buts!
Using the EZ Swing putter you may as well giive up playing as you will never learn.