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Post by Deleted on Sept 19, 2017 12:41:29 GMT -5
Hi guys, new member here looking for some advice after finishing Q-School. Following a strong R1 (currently top of the leaderboard with -14..... got my 5 minutes of fame at least as it isn't lasting!) it all went due south thereafter and I finished the tournament in -37. I believe, well know, that my downfall was my struggle with taming the Tour clubs (I've read that these are mandatory on the top tier and this is where I'd like to be one day so might as well get used to them now).
Anyway, literally every shot I hit is fading to the right. Drives, approaches, you name it, I fade it. Some stay in the cone - just - and some like to see what's happening on the other side! Now I could move the marker a little more to the left or add some draw to compensate but no doubt when I do that I'll hit it straight thus hitting it straight more consistently is what I'm trying to achieve.
SO, for you guys who are using Tour clubs and can keep it in the cone and relatively straight more often than not (preferably PS4 players using stock DS4 controller - V2 in my case - but all players input welcome), what method do you use to achieve this?
As an example, I'm a left-handed player using the left thumbstick. Forefinger on the backswing and thumb on the downswing. Sometimes I look at the controller, other times I look at the TV. There are times when I'm looking at the controller that I absolutely could not hit it any straighter yet it still bloody fades?! Tempo isn't really an issue, though when I'm looking at the controller it's sometimes slow on the backswing but I know that's something I CAN work on.
I'm determined to master these Tour clubs as, whilst I'll never compete for trophies, I believe I'm good enough to get to the top tier (gotta have some confidence I guess!) and at least beat the cut as much as I miss it so any guidance you can offer will be gratefully appreciated.
Skip.
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Post by Knock25Out on Sept 19, 2017 13:29:08 GMT -5
Im just thumb looking at the screen. I have a bias to wing things left so i just play a few clicks out to the right to compensate. My little trick is to click the swing stick before the first tee and swing until i get a couple of practice swings in a row to my liking. It really is just a feel thing and working around the flaws of your swing. Though i will also say the answer no one wants to hear and practice just makes you better. The two finger approach is a little quirky but whatever works for you. Tempo on the backswing doesnt really seem to make a difference so just focus on the downswing component as far as tempo is concerned.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 19, 2017 13:40:41 GMT -5
Im just thumb looking at the screen. I have a bias to wing things left so i just play a few clicks out to the right to compensate. My little trick is to click the swing stick before the first tee and swing until i get a couple of practice swings in a row to my liking. It really is just a feel thing and working around the flaws of your swing. Though i will also say the answer no one wants to hear and practice just makes you better. The two finger approach is a little quirky but whatever works for you. Tempo on the backswing doesnt really seem to make a difference so just focus on the downswing component as far as tempo is concerned. You use Tour clubs with your THUMB?! Christ I've tried thumb only and the only thing I can resemble my shots to then is a boomerang as the ball swings so much it practically comes back to me! As you rightly say though, whatever works for you. Heck I might even try using my nose or other parts of my body (maybe my trouser snake when the wife has gone to bed)! |
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Post by frank70 on Sept 19, 2017 15:19:44 GMT -5
Im just thumb looking at the screen. I have a bias to wing things left so i just play a few clicks out to the right to compensate. My little trick is to click the swing stick before the first tee and swing until i get a couple of practice swings in a row to my liking. It really is just a feel thing and working around the flaws of your swing. Though i will also say the answer no one wants to hear and practice just makes you better. The two finger approach is a little quirky but whatever works for you. Tempo on the backswing doesnt really seem to make a difference so just focus on the downswing component as far as tempo is concerned. You use Tour clubs with your THUMB?! Christ I've tried thumb only and the only thing I can resemble my shots to then is a boomerang as the ball swings so much it practically comes back to me! As you rightly say though, whatever works for you. Heck I might even try using my nose or other parts of my body (maybe my trouser snake when the wife has gone to bed)! If you can shoot -37 on this weeks CC-A course ..... you don't need any specific help. That's a very competitive score on that course. |
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Post by Deleted on Sept 19, 2017 15:39:45 GMT -5
You use Tour clubs with your THUMB?! Christ I've tried thumb only and the only thing I can resemble my shots to then is a boomerang as the ball swings so much it practically comes back to me! As you rightly say though, whatever works for you. Heck I might even try using my nose or other parts of my body (maybe my trouser snake when the wife has gone to bed)! If you can shoot -37 on this weeks CC-A course ..... you don't need any specific help. That's a very competitive score on that course. I'd dread to think what I could score if I could hit the damn ball straight!!! |
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Post by bassman70 on Sept 19, 2017 15:50:20 GMT -5
For what it's worth, I don't hit the ball straight. I usually hit a very small fade. Just figure out if you're going to hit a small draw or a small fade. Just go with what is natural for your grip and thumb or however you move the analog stick. I used to try and hit it straight in the beginning and that KILLED my scores. I figured out I can keep it fairly straight, but will almost always hit a small fade. Once I embraced that, I adjusted accordingly. Yes, there will be times I hit it straight and the shot will be 25 ft from the hole vs 10 ft. That just means you need to make a putt. I don't ever try to hit it straight because it is such a difficult task compared to TGC1. Anyway for me, playing like this has been successful as I've finished 2nd and 12th in the past two tourneys on PGA. You just have to find a swing that is consistent. Once you find your swing type, the scores will get lower  Good luck. |
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Post by Deleted on Sept 19, 2017 16:59:18 GMT -5
For what it's worth, I don't hit the ball straight. I usually hit a very small fade. Just figure out if you're going to hit a small draw or a small fade. Just go with what is natural for your grip and thumb or however you move the analog stick. I used to try and hit it straight in the beginning and that KILLED my scores. I figured out I can keep it fairly straight, but will almost always hit a small fade. Once I embraced that, I adjusted accordingly. Yes, there will be times I hit it straight and the shot will be 25 ft from the hole vs 10 ft. That just means you need to make a putt. I don't ever try to hit it straight because it is such a difficult task compared to TGC1. Anyway for me, playing like this has been successful as I've finished 2nd and 12th in the past two tourneys on PGA. You just have to find a swing that is consistent. Once you find your swing type, the scores will get lower Good luck. Do you know what? Trying not to focus on hitting it too straight may well be the best advice possible so cheers for that! I shall definitely try and relax a little more as I played a few holes tonight and they were going all over the place, bar the middle! |
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Post by mrohde4 on Sept 19, 2017 23:37:07 GMT -5
First question. If you're left handed and the ball is "fading," wouldn't it be going to the left?
I also use the left stick and found that the backswing has more influence on my accuracy than the downswing. That being said, when I'm 'fading' or 'slicing' to the left, I try to pull the joystick more to the left of center (I.e. 7:00 o'clock) on my backswing. I've found this will sometimes produce more draw action toward the right.
All that aside, I agree with the above that it's all tempo, tempo, tempo. Forget about trying to hit straight, just be smooth and the results will work themselves out.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 20, 2017 0:19:10 GMT -5
Im just thumb looking at the screen. I have a bias to wing things left so i just play a few clicks out to the right to compensate. My little trick is to click the swing stick before the first tee and swing until i get a couple of practice swings in a row to my liking. It really is just a feel thing and working around the flaws of your swing. Though i will also say the answer no one wants to hear and practice just makes you better. The two finger approach is a little quirky but whatever works for you. Tempo on the backswing doesnt really seem to make a difference so just focus on the downswing component as far as tempo is concerned. You use Tour clubs with your THUMB?! Christ I've tried thumb only and the only thing I can resemble my shots to then is a boomerang as the ball swings so much it practically comes back to me! As you rightly say though, whatever works for you. Heck I might even try using my nose or other parts of my body (maybe my trouser snake when the wife has gone to bed)! I use my thumb only and used to never look at my DS4 controller. I hit right of center in the cone feedback 99% of the time, mostly a fade in the cone.. sometimes outside of it with the Driver or 3 wood. I now look at the analog when I backswing. No pen marker or anything, just look down at it. Just holding the controller with my right hand settled in my lap. Then I transition my head up towards the screen before I start my downswing to try and catch the visual on screen to see when to downswing. It's still a work in progress as I get Fast downswings 5% of the time or so depending on the day. Occasional Slow downswings when I think to much about "grooving it" and not actually following through properly. I also get P/P swings where I come up short. A "short swing" as it were. But I like the accuracy results I have been getting by looking down at my controller, so I work now on getting that down and the tempo, while not bad, I still work on. |
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Post by North47 on Sept 20, 2017 5:25:48 GMT -5
For me what works best is, I take a few practice swings to find the right position for my thumb on the stick. Then when taking my shot, for the backswing my thumb will be on top of the stick, but when the stick is fully down and I'm at the top of the backswing I let my thumb slide off the stick so I'm pushing forward with the side of it. The reason I do this is because I find that my thumb will naturally go straight for the backswing, but if I were to keep my thumb on top of the stick for the downswing it's natural movement will be either left or right depending on how fast I push forward. But with my thumb pushing forward from the side of the stick instead I have a more natural straight shot.
Again as others have said, it's all down to personal preference and what's comfortable for you. I know somebody who places their controller on their knee at an angle and uses either the palm of their hand or 2-3 fingers.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 20, 2017 10:22:20 GMT -5
Does anyone use thier pointer finger for the backswing and the thumb for the downswing? That is how I have done it for years. My miss is right if I miss hit. Minus the occasional fast DS. I also have my swing on inverted. On normal I pull hook it a lot for some reason.
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Post by mrohde4 on Sept 20, 2017 11:30:22 GMT -5
Does anyone use thier pointer finger for the backswing and the thumb for the downswing? That is how I have done it for years. My miss is right if I miss hit. Minus the occasional fast DS. I also have my swing on inverted. On normal I pull hook it a lot for some reason. I also use this "chess piece" grip, right hand on left joystick. I don't know how people play with just a thumb, that's incredible to me. The chess piece grip gives the most stability and consistency. I've been recently theorizing that each club has a different ideal joystick path for accuracy. Similar to different swing paths for different clubs in real life golf, I've found that higher lofted irons are most accurate with a "6:00 to 12:00" path, with longer clubs needing a more inside "7:00 to 1:00" path for ideal accuracy results. The rest fall somewhere in between, so 6-iron would be 6:30 to 12:30. My golfer is left handed btw. Just a theory, nothing more. Tempo still most important. Gonna go get my alumninum foil hat and return to the bunker now. |
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Post by Deleted on Sept 20, 2017 12:27:20 GMT -5
Yea people that just use the thumb are really good because I have tried it and I spray it all over the place.
.I agree that different clubs have different tempos. The opposite of real life my best club in this game is the driver . Irons being second . The 3 wood and my 2 hybrid I seem to get the most fast swings on. Im always nervous hitting them if there is any water left. I still have not figured out the flop a shot out of the bunker. Always goes long. Of course the chipping out of the rough is a mystery to me on when it spin or not.
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Post by paulus on Sept 20, 2017 12:36:41 GMT -5
I'm a thumb only guy. Not always consistent - I have taken to placing my controller on the desk in front of my monitor which has helped gain me a little more consistency in recent weeks.
Will try out the "chess piece" grip on the driving range tonight...
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Post by mrohde4 on Sept 20, 2017 12:59:38 GMT -5
I'm a thumb only guy. Not always consistent - I have taken to placing my controller on the desk in front of my monitor which has helped gain me a little more consistency in recent weeks. Will try out the "chess piece" grip on the driving range tonight... Best of luck. Takes a little time but it has become a game-changer, especially with the new game. I find it works best when your fingers and wrist are on the side of the joystick and not behind or on top of it. if that makes sense. |
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Good luck.
