Links Corner Forum

I thought it might be interesting to post a few shot tips I've learned, and hopefully others will post some, too.

When playing in Windy, or in gusty winds when the wind is blowing hard from your right toward your left side, you can hit a fade shot (Left to Rt) toward the middle of the fairway, and the ball will wind up going pretty straight. If the wind is half strength, the fade will move your ball to the right too much, so aim more to the fairway's left side.

The same is true for a wind blowing in the opposite direction only for that you hit a draw shot.

In breezy conditions, with wind blowing toward your left side, a fade shot won't fade as much. That breeze makes your shot much more playable. The opposite wind works the same only you hit a draw for that.

When playing Fc Fc, divide all downhill putting distance by 2.

Take all the loft off of a LW and the ball will fly 121-ish yds and roll 8-ish more yds (numbers may vary some).
Take all the loft off of a PW (correction) and the ball will fly 147-ish yds and roll 3-5-ish more yds (numbers may vary some).

Your turn!

Pete

As the eyes get older, the Brakeline Indicator is much easier to read than the grid lines.
The value of using "flop" shots should not be underestimated.
80 yards in, forget you have any other club than the LW except when blasting from sand over 26 yards.
When there is no "chipping on green", you can use LW "flop" shot on those extra long putts.
"plugged lie in sand", add 50% for "pick shot" Deduct 50% for the "blast" or "explosion" shot. (105 version)

Over the years, as a clicker I've relied on Flop/Punch shots with all the clubs in the bag. A punched 5i is roughly the same distance as a stock 3i, but will not roll out as much. Pretty useful on firm greens, but allow for backspin on softer greens. This is generally true with all punch shots. I'll consider more flop shots on softer greens. Less backspin.

I've also started using a punched 3w, that was mentioned somewhere on this site not long ago. Thanks to whoever mentioned it! I used it at Pete's Shadowlands event the other day. 290yds into the wind, over swung a bit and it rolled up on the green. Made a Jordan-esque(sp?) 50+ footer for eagle. One word of warning : a mis-hit punch shot may have exaggerated effects!

I play mixed or 1.07 conditions.

Standard disclaimer: Results may vary.

Using the Classic swing gauge (I know, amateur hour ), if you are in a greenside bunker that is not too deep, you can select to Chip from there rather than use a full swing. The benefit to this is that the progress bar on the swing gauge moves slower, so it is easier to hit the "mark" to get a perfect shot. With a full swing it is easy to do that last click too soon (hits it fat) or too late (flies too far).

Hmm... One can turn off the top cam and green grid for a more golf-like experience

I thought that I was the only one who knew about the punch 3 wood! It really comes in handy on Par 5's...as long as you're confident!

Adelade wrote: ↑May 14th, 2021, 3:33 pm Hmm... One can turn off the top cam and green grid for a more golf-like experience

The top cam is a necessity for some courses. Where the tee is not elevated also fairway as well as sand traps are obscured by planting of tall grass on links style British/Irish courses this is attempted to be offset by using aiming marker that in fact do exist on real courses attempting to show the way to go. Some course designs have a back tee with forward tees in front and at the same height instead of descending down the slope to a drive area down below or to a downhill green that in both ways are obscured, but then this is caused by a lack of thought here in LInks by some course designers. In order to play such holes a top cam is definitely needed that is if a meaningful hole preview is somehow not available instead or also available.

gene_golf wrote: ↑May 14th, 2021, 10:39 pm

Adelade wrote: ↑May 14th, 2021, 3:33 pm Hmm... One can turn off the top cam and green grid for a more golf-like experience

The top cam is a necessity for some courses. Where the tee is not elevated also fairway as well as sand traps are obscured by planting of tall grass on links style British/Irish courses this is attempted to be offset by using aiming marker that in fact do exist on real courses attempting to show the way to go. Some course designs have a back tee with forward tees in front and at the same height instead of descending down the slope to a drive area down below or to a downhill green that in both ways are obscured, but then this is caused by a lack of thought here in LInks by some course designers. In order to play such holes a top cam is definitely needed that is if a meaningful hole preview is somehow not available instead or also available.

On a different subject, one of the versions of Links prior to 2003 had a "DROP" feature where you could take a drop literally anywhere on the course and look around, as if you were in the practice mode. However, if would not let you hit from where you dropped unless it was a legit drop. It would always make you go back to your original position when you chose to swing. I used that feature a lot for checking out landing areas that could not be clearly seen. I really loved that feature and was disappointed as hell when they did away with it in the next version.

Another feature I remember was done for amusement. They may have considered it an "Easter egg". If you hit a short shot into a hard object, the ball would bounce straight back and shatter the camera lens. You'd hear glass smash, and your monitor would look like is was shattered with cracks all through it.

Just reminiscing about the "old days"

Dan

Jimbo wrote: ↑May 14th, 2021, 7:39 pm I thought that I was the only one who knew about the punch 3 wood! It really comes in handy on Par 5's...as long as you're confident!

If need distance to reach par 5 can go with driver off the deck. That is if in fairway where being in rough is not a factor as limits distance and height for almost all clubs except for short irons where has less of an effect. Also driver comes out lower and hitting it from downhill lie almost looks as if topped a shot. Then again a flopped driver goes 269 yards whereas a punched 3 wood goes 270 yards by their listings, or if have a 2 wood in bag it goes 275 yards. In real golf teed up shots can go a little farther than shots from fairways, but I do not think this comes into play in Links physics. It is amazing though the realness of physics that has been incorporated into playing Links that makes it superior to other golf sims and have I not played the 2 newest ones out. From what have heard they make for easier designing of courses when it comes to shortcut in time to do elevations. Interesting to see GoBucks comment about punch and flop shots. Just looking a flopped 6 iron goes the same distance as a regular 7 iron being 160 yards and have not thought of carry and run out for their physics---just thinking of distance primarily. This gives thought of 13 possible clubs to put in bag and wonder of those using more woods than say just 3 when they play as weaker players in real life might compensate using woods since cannot power through on their iron shots providing all the possible distance they can go. Links has possibility of 2, 6 and 7 woods, also a 1 iron that are not usually in stock club sets people can buy---but could say that 6 and 7 woods might take the place of hybrid clubs in use by players today. There is no gap wedge as possibility, but that does not matter as when choose clubs can set distances that they go where a gap wedge as the way understand it is---between pitching and sand wedges.

This is not a shot tip, but it helps me to improve my results.

Before I play a course, I test the surface on the course, e.g. the rough, deep rough, heavy rough and whatever else there is on the course, of course without wind. I do strokes that should be 200m, 100m long and various chip shots. So I can see what comes my way if all of the above tips have not helped, to hit the fairway.