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How to drive further

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Mon, Aug 6 2012 9:34 PM (11 replies)
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  • GregChokerNorman
    2 Posts
    Sun, Aug 5 2012 5:54 AM

    I'm a noobie.  Pay out on my if you will - I don't care.  I just want to know what the future of my virtual golf holds.  My guy hits 220 yards if everything goes perfectly.  This is not nearly enough for tournaments!  I was playing a tourny today (black tees), and sometimes I couldn't hit far enough to reach the start of the fairway.  I hope the answer is not "buy a better driver".   As I go up in levels, will my avatar hit further?  Is there anything else I can do to train him?

  • WGTicon
    12,511 Posts
    Sun, Aug 5 2012 11:26 AM

    hi

    only way to hit further is with new equipment. leveling will allow you to unlock better equipment for purchase.

    -wgticon

  • courteneyfish
    15,796 Posts
    Sun, Aug 5 2012 11:31 AM

    Watching videos and doing surveys and offers will earn you enough to uprate your clubs. I'm on my second new set and I haven't spent a dime. 

    http://www.wgt.com/user/offers.aspx

  • GregChokerNorman
    2 Posts
    Sun, Aug 5 2012 3:41 PM

    Good feedback, people!  Many thanks for your insight.  It's a little disappointing that the game is set-up this way, but I'm pleased to hear there is a method to up-rate equipment without cost.  I understand the game is free and the makers have to make money, but I don't support this method.  I'll do it as per Courteneyfish's recommendation (much appreciated for the tip!).  Cheers, Greg.

  • alosso
    21,073 Posts
    Sun, Aug 5 2012 11:39 PM

    While your skills matter to hit the ding and for course management, some characteristics are available only in the Pro Shop:

    - Length,

    - Spin and trajectory,

    - Accuracy and forgiveness

    These are features of clubs and balls.

    - visual impression

    by custom avatars.

  • jvr86
    799 Posts
    Mon, Aug 6 2012 12:17 AM

    use the starters clubs, EZ SWING clubs have a very very bad precision. Anything can happen with those clubs, except going where you want lol.

     

  • ETVKPProductions
    24 Posts
    Mon, Aug 6 2012 2:29 AM
  • LeonDelBosque
    1,551 Posts
    Mon, Aug 6 2012 6:23 AM

    Buy a better driver, lol

  • GRAHAMJC63
    6 Posts
    Mon, Aug 6 2012 6:54 AM

    Hey Courteney,

    sorry to hear you experienced of "foul mouthed male players" here at WGT.

    I noticed you're not befriending male players just after I sent you a friend request; please don't think I'm a dummy, lol.

    And please remember not all guys on this site are rude and foul mouthed.

    Hope you enjoyed the Isle of Man TT also.

    Best wishes,

    Graham

  • godelescher
    636 Posts
    Mon, Aug 6 2012 9:15 AM

    Assuming the OP meant how to get the most out of his existing driver....

    There are three basic factors involved with maximizing your driver; elevation, wind, and topography. You have to take all three into account. Sometimes, all three factors will be in your favor and you can nut a monster drive, but more often, you will face some good variables and some bad ones at the same time. Knowing how to adjust for those will improve your driving.

    However, if you don't know how to maximize the yardage from your driver, all of the courses will frustrate you. Here are some basic tips for getting the most out of your driver, and they are true whether your using starter clubs and wgt balls or R11s and Nikes:

    Course Layout

    Fairway below you: Depending on how far below you the landing area is, you'll want  backspin. The greater the elevation change the less backspin you need.

    The reason for less backspin on greater elevation changes is because the ball will hit the ground at a steeper angle.

    The goal is to get the ball up in the air as high as possible to let the wind help you, but you also want to squeeze out as much roll as possible once it hits the ground. So if the fairway is 10' below you, add more backspin, but if the fairway is 30' below you, use less backspin.

    Fairway above you: Every time the ball bounces, some of the energy stored in the ball is transferred to the ground, that's why balls don't just bounce along forever.

    With the fairway above you, the ball will reach the ground sooner, but the shallower angle of impact will take more advantage of the forward roll.

    The longest drives with the fairway above you will use only enough backspin to mimic the angle of impact you would normally get on a level fairway. The higher the fairway, the more backspin you'll need, up to about 50%.

    Any more than 50% B/S and you'll be working against yourself (wind effect notwithstanding).

    Wind Effect

    A Tailwind: will obviously help your drive, but there is always a sweet spot where the opposing vectors of carry and roll intersect to give you the longest drive possible. Too much backspin and you mute the roll, too little backspin and you haven't taken full advantage of the wind.

    The stronger the wind, the more backspin can be applied, generally speaking. With less than 10 mph of tailwind, as little as 25% backspin can be too much. In 30 mph of tailwind, 75% backspin may not be enough to reach the "sweetspot"

    Much of the decision depends on the trajectory of your driver (high trajectory needs less help getting up in the air) and the ball you're using (some balls are more affected by the application of spin than others).

    Unless you're using starter balls or you're playing in a hurricane, the "sweetspot" will almost never be at 100% backspin.

    A Headwind: generally relies on roll more than carry, but that doesn't automatically mean apply topspin. If your concern is reaching the fairway, applying topspin will be a mistake.

    If you have a plenty of room and a short carry to reach the fairway, topspin can increase your drive in the same way backspin helps with a tailwind, but not to the same degree!

    Avoid applying topspin unless the wind effect is very strong or you have a high trajectory driver. The ball loses energy much faster on the ground than in the air, so unless the wind is very strong and your ball naturally flies very high, a center-ball hit will almost always be a better choice.

    In rare cases where the carry is more important than the distance, it is sometime a smarter shot to give up optimal yardage just to reach safety. In those cases, a hair of backspin might be called for, even with a light to moderate headwind.

    Crosswinds: throw a wrench into the spokes. Since wind is rarely directly behind you or directly in front of you, you have to take crosswinds into account also.

    Backspin amplifies the effects of crosswinds, topspin mutes it. This is the result of how high the ball flies; the higher the flightpath, the more it's going to get pushed around by the wind. Take this into account when deciding your shot.

    Topography

    The third factor is topography, or the actual course itself. There are many times when you can use hills, bumps, and swales to your advantage.

    RSG #4 is a good example. With a headwind, you can squeeze an extra 5-10 yards out of your drive by hitting a high shot (a little backspin may be necessary) that lands on the backside of the hill on the right side of the fairway at the dogleg. Landing in the rough there kicks the ball forward and back onto the fairway.

    Kiawah #10 is another example if you can catch the downslope past the bunker along the right side.

    Bethpage #9 has a landing area on the left side of the fairway past the bunkers that, if you can carry it, will give you another 10 yards of roll and a good lie.

    The list goes on and on...

    The point is, the longest drives are not just the result of wind and elevation. Topography, or more specifically, course management and familiarity, will also play a major factor in getting the most out of your driver.

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