Hi eddomer,
Here is some of my advice. Like many things in life, a
diligent and careful consideration of multiple relevant factors can help one make a
well-informed decision and so I tried to pack a lot of information into one post (particularly the Iron Sets and Wedges sections). However, I think that, at times, over analyzing can be just as bad as impulse buying. I hope I didn't do that. See
for yourself. Enjoy!
COURSE MANAGEMENT
If it is difficult to score low on a particular course (or just certain holes), it is probably a good idea to play some rounds in single-player practice mode with the free ball (so you can take free mulligans) to better learn equipment limitations, increase mastery of course management with a consistent set of playing conditions (instead of large variations in playing conditions), while gaining XP points to get higher levels and then buy products that you have given thoughtful considerations to. (Also, I've read that when playing multiplayer Scored and Ranked rounds with players of higher tiers, you will get their green speeds which are faster than what you're tier's default speed is.)
At least, get a general sense of where you prefer each shot to end up (and where you know you don't want it to end up) on each hole and which clubs may be best suited for achieving those objectives. I'm not saying to practice one course until it is super boring. In fact, if I recall correctly, I've played Oakmont F9 one time in about the last six months (and that was 6 days ago) just to keep a course relatively "new." So, I don't mean practice only one course so much that you make it one big divot.
eddomer:It's rare for me to finish a round
at par.
I believe, with your current irons and driver, you should be able to easily
shoot well under par in an 18-hole round from the Easy tee box (Medium tee box since your advancement) on any course if you have a enough understanding of how differing playing conditions affect the course you're playing (some Tournament events put you on a tee box farther back than your tier's tee box). I've shot under par with my equipment (we have equivalent drivers & same irons; I see you've upgraded to my 3W too since this thread began) from the Legend Tees at Congressional in practice mode.
You can buy the WGT Course Notebook and save notes for each hole (notes will be on WGT's servers and may be deleted "after one year of inactivity," presumably meaning one year without completing a game). Or, you can save your own notes locally (on your own storage media, i.e., hard/thumb drive). There are other note programs crafted by WGT users that are perhaps better than WGT's current version of the WGT Course Notebook (search the forums with a keyword search). See here for important info regarding the WGT Course Notebook.
EQUIPMENT MANAGEMENT
eddomer: My progress is very slow. I'm stuck on the pro tier, and seem to not be improving, regardless of having changes clubs and balls frequently.
(Important Note: Some players do not want to advance tiers without "earning" it in only Ranked Stroke Play rounds. Currently, tier advancement can occur as a result of scores in Ranked Stroke Play rounds, including tournaments, and as a result of Scored Match Play games (as far as I know, the results of Practice Match Play games have no affect on scoring average—see here for a discussion on the topic). Some players may not want a higher-tiered player to play poorly, or purposefully lose a match, and thus cause "unearned" tier promotion.)
Upgrading equipment frequently while not understanding course management (where to/not to hit drives and approach shots, etc) can be futile. I think it is important for one to understand a general idea of when and where a particular club will be best used to reduce scores before purchasing it. In addition to understanding a club's assets, understanding the liabilities of a particular club is also important (see info about trajectory below).
I used to play lots of multiplayer practice games (and still do) to see other players equipment and how it performed to get a good guesstimate on what clubs I wanted to buy and to see how others played different courses (e.g., what shot types they used, esp. short-game shots). Therefore, I gained real course experience and level XP points while considering what clubs to upgrade to.
Also, it may be good advice to take it easy and not be in a frenzy to advance tiers and (I’m not saying you are in a frenzy) and spend lots of money with uninformed purchases. In my opinion, impulsively buying equipment and “NEW” items without due considerations is not a good habit in this game or anywhere in life.
Drivers
The 275yd TaylorMade R1 TP 9.0 White Driver (Aldila 65 shaft)(L48+) that you have is a very good driver (I have the same one in black). Of course, a 280yd+
driver would be better for distance, but your current one is very good. The 282yd TaylorMade SLDR 9.0° Driver (White) (L79+) is probably the best driver upgrade (in terms of level, cost & its attributes, e.g., avg. dist., trajectory, forgiveness, etc.) in the Pro Shop right now for you, but it is at level 79 (not too far away from L66).
Pro Shop: Drivers Page
Fairway Woods
MainzMan: I'd also consider adding
the R11s 3 wood to your bag
I think this suggestion is good. I also have the
TaylorMade
R11S 3 Wood (L41+)* rated at 230yd. There are other 3 Woods but this one has a High trajectory for (presumably) a steeper landing angle than lower trajectory 3 Woods. There is a High-trajectory
PING
G20 3 Fairway Wood 14° (L58+) rated at 235yd, but
it only has 2.5 forgiveness. It does have a slower meter and if
you are good at dinging and 2.5 forgiveness is not a problem, then it might perform better than the R11S 3 Wood (L41+).
Pro Shop: Fairway
Woods/Hybrids Page
Iron Sets
MainzMan: Having a slower meter
will also mean you won't need such an expensive ball to slow it down, instead
of paying 650 credits for a sleeve of those Nikes try the L33 Callaway at only
250 credits. The meter will probably still be slower than you're used to
if you get the Rocketballz irons and the performance is still very
good.
If you can’t cope with an ultra-fast swing meter with low-cost balls, and do not want to become dependent on "expensive" balls, then you might want to switch to slower-meter irons as MainzMan
suggested. An Iron Set with a slower swing meter and less-expensive balls can
be a lot less expensive in the long term for performance similar to your current MAX
Precision Iron Set (L45+) and expensive balls.
Yes, the swing meter will be significantly slower if you opt for MainzMan's suggestion of the TaylorMade
Rocketballz Iron Set (Steel) (L68+). However, I think it is very
important to consider more than simply meter speed. These irons currently have a "Med" trajectory rating! This means that the ball may fly a lot lower
than your current irons rated at High trajectory. Even though they will get 5 more yards from the 3 iron, this lower ball flight in
addition to a 1.0 rating reduction in spin might cause a significant decrease in ball control after
the ball lands (your current MAX Precision has 4.0 spin & these TM Rocketballz have 3.0).
The difference in ball flight might not be a big problem if one
plays on courses with little increase in elevation from ball to green.
However, on USGA courses such as Congressional, Bethpage Black, Merion, Oakmont (#9 front right pin), and others, approach shots with Med trajectory may be very difficult to stop on elevated greens (Congressional #2 & #7 & Bethpage Black #17 are a few examples of elevated Par 3 tee shots). This
difficulty to hold the green with Med trajectory irons is increased even more when playing from tees
farther back (as you advance tier, your tees will be farther back), double-digit tailwinds, and green speeds ≥ VERY FAST. So, these, and any, Med trajectory irons may be a very regrettable choice compared to keeping your current irons and waiting for Higher-trajectory irons rated with longer distance, which means an even steeper landing angle (assuming maximum power and maximum backspin is applied with equal playing conditions for the comparative iron shots) for better ball control on elevated greens.
Even if the Rocketballz Iron Set (Steel) (L68+) also had a 4.0-spin rating, I still don't think I'd suggest switching to them from your current MAX Precision Iron
Set (L45+) because of the trajectory and precision difference (a loss of 1.5 precision is not small). But, with only a
3.0-spin rating, I believe the Rocketballz Iron Set (Steel) (L68+)'s Med trajectory would be such a difficult
switch to cope with that the slower swing meter may not be much of a consolation and
so the switch from your current High-trajectory irons to these Med-trajectory irons might
be perceived as a downgrade instead of an upgrade. If one went straight
from the WGT › STARTERS Starter Iron Set rated at High trajectory (only 180yd 3iron & .5 spin) to
these Med-trajectory irons, I think such a switch would be an upgrade.
I currently have the same Iron Set that you currently have and give advice from long-time
experience—I've had the MAX Precision Iron Set (L45+) since 7/31/13. When I bought them I knew that the meter would be very fast because I had
tested them out during a free-rental period during the July 4th weekend last year.
Moreover, I also tested out that TaylorMade Rocketballz Iron Set (Steel) (L68+) during another free-rental period in late December last year (I even recorded video of game play with them). The Med-trajectory rating on
the 3 and 4 irons can be so low that one might need to buy a ball rated with 4.0 spin or more just to attempt to equal the ball control of the
High-trajectory MAX Precision Iron Set (L45+) paired with a lesser-spin ball; and Med trajectory playing to 20ft or so elevated greens from the rough may be a terrible hassle. In my view, the liabilities of the Rocketballz Iron Set (Steel) (L68+) outweigh the assets of your current MAX Precision Iron Set (L45+). It is my opinion that improvement in average putts per round as a result of thoughtful course management with your current irons will lower your scores more than a switch to these Med-trajectory irons (these irons may "higher" your scores).
But, depending on your intentions, each item in the Pro Shop may
vary in value to you irrespective of anyone else's opinion. Spending 2,195 credits for these Med-trajectory irons and then another 2k+ credits for different irons soon afterward may be within some people's budget. We all have
intentions and preferences and so irons with Med trajectory might be exactly
what some people want.
Here is a set of slow-meter irons with High trajectory: G20
Iron Set (Steel) (L59+). These irons have 2.5 forgiveness, the same as your
current set. Here is a
comparison of your current Iron Set and some other possible upgrades: MAX
Precision Iron Set (L45+) vs. Rocketballz Iron Set (Steel) (L68+)
vs. G20 Iron Set (Steel) (L59+)
There is another PING G20 Iron Set (Steel) with slightly better
attributes than the L59 G20s but it is at (L83+).
Other very good High-trajectory Iron Sets with a
220yd 3iron are the SpeedBlade
(L75+) and RocketBladez (79+) irons
which currently have identical attributes but perhaps perform slightly
different, according to some reports. I played with both Iron Sets during a free-rental
period and I don't recall that I perceived a difference in performance (testing was cursory & with the unlimited ball). The SpeedBlade
Iron Set (Steel) (L54+) has Med trajectory, I do not recommend (and did not test) those at
all.
Pro Shop: Iron Sets Page.
Wedges
I like the MAX
Spin Wedges because I mainly use the unlimited ball and I need
spin. They currently cost 895 credits but I bought them as a long-term investment last summer and figured that spending that much for a wedge with very good spin would pay off
in the long run instead of buying spin balls again and again. If you plan to
buy spin balls, these might provide too much spin.
I only have the 64° rated at 60yd and the 56° rated at 90yd.
If I recall correctly, I forewent the MAX Spin 60° Wedge rated at 75yd
partly because the 56° Wedge’s Punch shot is rated at 75yd and I think I can
get better course-management value with another club (even a 215yd or more hybrid) instead of buying
the 75yd MAX Spin 60° Wedge. The 90yd 56° Wedge’s 5.0 spin can cover
the 30yd gap between itself and the 60yd 64° Wedge pretty well, even on pitch shots.
However, if you choose to stay with your current MAX Precision
Iron Set (L45+), you will continue to have a PW that has a Full shot rated at
100yd and a Punch shot rated at 85yd, and so you might want to get that 75yd MAX
Spin 60° Wedge and forgo the 90yd 56°. (Keep in mind that high-lofted degree wedges that are separate from any Iron Set usually perform better across different lies even if they are rated with the same avg. dist. as the PW that is part of an Iron Set and so the MAX Spin 64°/56° combo still might be the best two-wedge combo even if you stay with the MAX Precision irons, that is the combo I have.)
And if you plan to upgrade your
iron set to something like the SpeedBlade Iron Set (L75+) which has a 125yd PW, maybe opt for the 64° and 56° combination and add a third wedge rated ≥100yd. (I suggest staying with the MAX Precision Irons Set (45+) instead of buying the Med-trajectory TaylorMade Rocketballz Iron Set (Steel) (L68+), wait for the High-trajectory SpeedBlade/RocketBladez (L75+/79+) irons.)
MainzMan: You currently have the level 39 ATV 64
degree wedge, I’d think about adding the 60 and 54 to this.
Other than the MAX Spin wedges, the mid-level ATV wedges (levels 38-39 & perhaps 64) are
pretty decent. I have one of
them as well, but because I use the free ball, it doesn't generate enough spin on flop
shots to stop the ball as fast as I'd like. And again, it is important to that note these ATV wedges are rated at Med/High trajectory which could mean a lot less stopping power and more roll as compared to wedges rated at High trajectory and the same spin rating, especially on elevated
greens and downwind. (That
trajectory might affect some elevated shots, but the ATVs are still decent, versatile wedges and perhaps esp. for certain 9-hole Skill Challenges they might be better than higher trajectory wedges. If you plan to consistently use a high-spin ball, the mid-level ATV's Med/High trajectory probably will not be too much of a liability at all.)
So maybe the low-level Cleveland wedges (levels 26-31) are better because they currently have a rating of High trajectory. Or you could wait to get to levels 74-80 and get the high-precision Cleveland wedges rated at High trajectory. I’m considering replacing my 3.5-precision MAX Spin 64° Wedge (L52+) with the Cleveland CG16 64° Wedge (L80+) because it has 4.5
precision, something very important when trying to hole pitch shots.
Here is a page of some, not all, of the current mid-level
ATV Wedges, all of the current Cleveland
CG 16 Wedges, and all of the current MAX
Spin Wedges.
Pro Shop: Wedges Page
Putting
As in certain areas of life, assuming that one has all factors accounted for when one does not can have disastrous long-lasting consequences. Not understanding that wind can affect putting** can cause long-lasting damage to green-reading competency and thus prevent improvement of average putts per round.
Better guesstimating how windage will affect a putt's line and distance may often require lots of controlled practice. So, when trying to improve reading of long putts with wide breaks, practice putting on courses other than the "Best Of" courses because they are a combination of multiple courses and so setting low wind for a practice round might produce lower single-digit winds on a USGA hole and give double-digit wind on a hole from the UK's links courses and thus interfere with green-reading competency.
Understanding how to adjust to green speed will also help reduce putts per round. There are several methods explained in these forums for judging a putt's power with each green speed—one about avatar movements, and two others with more of a mathematical calculation based on percentage of the swing meter here, and here.
TIP: Use the small up▲ and down▼ arrows to the very left of the putter's swing meter to change meter increments or use the mouse's scroll wheel (if available). Some may suggest using a meter increment at least two times greater than necessary for a putt's required power level to eliminate the need to go to maximum power (or close to it) on the swing meter which should mean easier dings (but, perhaps doing so will reduce precision). So for example, if a putter has a 50ft meter increment, use it for all putts ≤ 25ft on greens speeds ≥ VERY FAST. For all putts ≤ 25ft on green speeds ≤ FAST, maybe use the 100ft meter increment if putting up a very steep hill (and the 50ft for putts down a steep downhill) to eliminate the need to go to, or past, 50% power on any putt with the 50ft meter on those slower green speeds.
Also, use the unlimited ball when practicing putting in single-player practice mode so that mulligans will not degrade a purchasable ball by two hits. Taking mulligans can become expensive because each mulligan stroke degrades a degradable ball by two hits even when putting.
Pro Shop: Putters Page. WGT's Putting Tutorial.
Tech Quality, Game Settings/Options, and Ergonomics
There are many tips related to computer and web browser configurations on the forums (search keywords in the search box to the right) that may help improve game-play experience such as web browser choices (FireFox, Chrome, Internet Explorer, etc) and using only one specific browser for only WGT and also set its home page to www.wgt.com/gameclient.aspx.
(This post has info about System Requirements clearing a browser's cache & more info, specifically on pages 4, 5, & 6 here.)
Other important factors to consider are:
- Physical equipment quality (dual/quad core CPU, 2GB vs. 4GB RAM, internet connection speed, etc),
- Physical equipment setup (computer, monitor, chair arrangement etc. i.e., ergonomics)
- The amount of background software programs in use during play
- In-game "Game Options/Game Settings" such as FLASH QUALITY, FLAG ANIMATION, and REFLECTIONS
Having reflections and flag animation enabled can cause slow computer performance. A poor-performing computer may cause the green's grid dots to move at inconsistent speeds and corrupt green-reading competence. Having a smooth-running computer, consistent game settings, and an easy-to-use computer setup with comfortable and healthful body positioning can help to reduce and prevent repetitive strain injuries (RSI) and thus help to lower scores.
More good advice that I've learned is to not be so "hooked" on playing and consequently neglect other important matters including, but not limited to, making sure not to sit still in one place for too long.
I hope this helps,
JMan
___________________________________________________________________
*All
hyperlinks may be come inactive and/or website changes may
change where the hyperlinks point to.
**This
link is from May, 2009 and I am not aware if there have been subsequent changes to
how wind affects putting.