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No Help Tournament

• DonReed2 19 Posts

  Tue, Mar 19 2019 11:04 AM

  I have been playing for some months now and have enjoyed the time. I have played against most tiers with the exception of Champion. I have watched videos of the higher tiers playing matches and marvel at their skill. BUT, I wonder just how good they would be if they could not use the various mathematical formulas to determine shots and putts. I think the vast majority of the players in the game use the eyeball method of judging shots and putts. Having just watched the Players, I did not see any pro using a calculator just their little notebook. Any ideas?

• Robert1893 7,719 Posts

  Tue, Mar 19 2019 12:32 PM

  The top players would be just as good. For most part, given their thousands of rounds played, the tools they use are confirming what they already know as much as they are helping to determine the shot.

  And to state the obvious: that's just my opinion. It's what I think. Others may have a different opinion or think differently. And that's absolutely fine. I'm just offering my opinion, which is just an opinion. 😀

• alosso 21,070 Posts

  Tue, Mar 19 2019 12:45 PM

  The top Pros do a lot of number work, together with their caddies. They know exactly how to hit that 235 yds shot, including the conditions.

  In comparison to real golf, a few things are missing here:

  - the impression of distance, completed by other players and the distance markers,
  - the feel of weather,
  - the feel of movement and power ("muscle memory")
  - the optical recognition of level and breaks on FW and greens.

  Instead, we have
  - quite a few numbers on distance + level + wind,
  - the grid on the green,
  - power indication with the meter.

  Some take into account that this is a computed program and try to put each given variable in the mix,
  some take it more by feeling and leave a few questions un-calculated -muscle memory of the brain.

  I had a CC fellow who would putt exclusively by feeling - he advanced further than me, and fast! I can't do that - need the putting power table. I suggest that the top players do/did a lot of calculations, and they will do so to win the VUSO, but with their experience, they will win most of their common games by intuition.

• DoctorLarry 4,311 Posts

  Tue, Mar 19 2019 1:08 PM

  A few comments.

  First, the pros and their caddies spend a ton of time learning, not only the game, but each particular course.  It seems like the great caddies are almost the equivalent of the calculators in this game with their understanding of each hole on a course and the skills of the player.  I imagine some of those "little notebooks" are worth a fortune!

  I would never be able to learn much about this game without the added information alosso mentioned that is not present in real golf.  This is indeed a 2-D computer game that is played with a display and input devices like keyboards, mice, trackballs, touchpads, etc.  Hard to develop muscle memory there!

  Seriously, I have seen some of the top players whiz through a round without doing anything more than some mental calculations or probably looking at charts or tables on their screens.  That is equivalent to the pros (and amateurs) in RL using their notebooks AND caddies!  The great ones can do that and still handily beat us with our fancy calculators and rulers, etc.- well, at least me, they can!

  I have a prediction sheet and charts and tables that I have built up from other people's advice and experience and from my own experience including a lot of mapping and note-taking (memory not good enough!).  It is helping me learn and predict.  More and more, I try to estimate the direction, club, and power before I use it to see how I am doing.  I also play some without using it to see how bad I still am!  (Which is not as bad as I used to be!)

• Robert1893 7,719 Posts

  Tue, Mar 19 2019 3:28 PM

  @alosso and Larry

   

  

• DonReed2 19 Posts

  Tue, Mar 19 2019 6:21 PM

  Believe me I meant no disrespect, I just wondered.