putting speed in this game is garbage

[betweentheeyez2]

Here is lorin's exact words on the yellow marker before the changes. 

"Wherever you set the yellow marker, lets say at 45 feet, it tells the game that this is your intended distance. Now, lets imagine the backswing goes from 0 (putter not moving) all the way back to 100 (the putter at its furthest back). And let's say, for the purposes of this demonstration, that your putter's max distance on a flat, medium speed green is 90 feet. So to achieve 45 feet, you would need to pull the putter back to 50 in that 0-100 scale, right? Well, the yellow marker has told the computer that 50 is your intended power and it smooths the edges around that 50 mark by 1 or 2 on each side. So if you pull back to 48-52, you will get the same results. This is done to account for the lack of pixel-perfect fidelity in the controls. That is how it can effect a putt."
It can be found here www.hb-studios.com/forum/index.php?topic=7889.0.

So the smoothing of the yellow marker before was greater on short putts and very minimal on long putts.  Now I assume this has probably been cut in half or more so you need to be on the nuts for it to work.  I tried to do doyle's advice and practice without the marker but its to sensitive.  I even made a practice green that was completely flat and putt with the view from the side but to hit various distances was not realistic.  Its very hard to hit 5%, 10% ect based on the length of the backswing as this determines the how far the ball goes.  Why mess with the putting when flopping and driving were the easiest thing in the game.  I am not sure if I will bother to play much anymore.  This game is no longer fun.

[Doyley]

Try to imagine your backswing filling up a power meter - only pull it back far enough to get the meter to your desired distance. This is where practicing with without the marker comes in handy. Once you lock in how far (how long) to backswing (set power) you'll be much more accurate. Using the marker has always been an aid for helping adjust to incorrectly set power. The actual putting of the game has not changed at all - it's just the effect of the aid that has been adjusted. If you didn't use the marker before the patch, you would notice no difference now.

[anquila1978]

I have to disagree Doyley on the ps4 if you are outside 10ft then you can pretty much kiss goodbye to making it and inside 10ft the sensitivity of the analogue when pushing through can result in the ball coming off faster and then your line is wrong.

Nevermind a 30ft putt up hill, just accept a three putt and any chance of competing in comps

I landed 1 foot offline on a hole ended up 35ft away with an incline of 24, followed Lorin demostration,I moved the marker to 64ft, gave it a couple off extra ft be because of the incline, pulled back about 3/4 of full swing, quite a bit beyond the back foot, smooth follow through and

Lo and behold the putt went 20ft leaving 15ft which I consequently missed resulting in bogie and the end of any competitive chance in the tour I was playing (not this one)

On the other hand I have had putts racing past the hole like friction was a myth.

[Graham]

Please note that I do love this game and think it is very close.

That being said, I have to agree with Anquila on this one. I have found lag putting from long distances tough based solely on the visual cues (for me at least). The putter should never be taken back as far back as the model in game does. The putting stroke will differ in length but the speed through the ball will be greater on the long putts (especially up hill). I have a hard time getting my golfer to hit the ball hard enough regardless of where I set the marker because the visual cues feel off to what I am expecting to happen.

I have the same issue with the animation for the chipping stroke as well. The chipping stroke is simply supposed to be a smaller stroke to just get the ball rolling. It should never get anywhere close to parallel with the ground.

The reaction of the ball on uphill putts seems like putting in maple syrup (yes I am Canadian lol) but I think a lot of it could be alleviated (for me at least) with a more accurate animation leading to a better feel (I can't make myself take the club that far back).


Thoughts ladies and gentlemen?

[Mitchblue]

From a not so good player who is also a PS4 guy, I can make long putts. I can't make the 3 footers but I can lag rather well from longer distance. Not every time because well I suck. But I never actually used the marker before the patch..I just go by feel. In time I suspect it will be easier for ya..As the saying goes more practice..anyway keep at it.

[samserious77]

Jan 23, 2015 5:48:03 GMT -5 Mitchblue said:

I just go by feel.

same here

[Graham]

I definitely need more practice. It is just frustrating that what I see visually (as a golf pro) makes sense to me, an I don't get those results. I only play by feel. I am not the type to sit and do math in my head to factor in everything. I adjust for conditions and go. So to see that I need to take that big a putting stroke doesn't come to me naturally. Still love it and not going to cry and whine about a video game lol. Just want to see if anyone else has the same feelings at all.

Side note. I do find myself trying to make sure I have downhill putts to ensure I can get the ball to the hole. This is completely foreign to 99% of golf strategies. Love that this game isn't just pick up a controller and be awesome right away.

[Deleted]

putting is fine, just peak at the leaderboards, all 3 systems have good players who understand the putting.

[roddymacd]

I don't have a problem with the putting always been a good part off any golf game I've played, in saying that a couple off the boys I play with regularly have trouble with up hill putts and you can see its in there back swing they just don't commit to the stroke, you just have to have the confidence to pull back and don't quit on the follow through.

[DaveC_87]

Jan 23, 2015 6:02:11 GMT -5 samserious77 said:

Jan 23, 2015 5:48:03 GMT -5 Mitchblue said:

I just go by feel.

same here

Same here.  Never understood the need to perform math calculations to play a golf game. I think the putting is great.  I actually wish they made driving and irons more difficult and less consistent.

[Deleted]

Jan 23, 2015 7:59:32 GMT -5 DaveC_87 said:

Same here.  Never understood the need to perform math calculations to play a golf game. I think the putting is great.  I actually wish they made driving and irons more difficult and less consistent.

But golf is a game of math.

Think about it,  each iron has a different loft to it, its a % of 100, different lofts net different distances under the same club-head speeds. Then you can factor in club-head speeds vs the loft to get real world distance under zero winds, then you factor in the winds to further that ma thematic equation. And do not forget to factor in elevation changes as well, that compiles that equation even more.  And when all that is sorted out, there is ball lie, yet again, adjusting that equation further.  and if you really wanna get technical, factor in the air density vs the ball movement.  Winter drives are shorter than Summer drives.  Then the dampness of the ground, the hardness or softenss of the greens,  the list goes on and on and on,  great golfers in real life adjust for all of these things.

This aint no chess game, this is algebra 101.

[SmilingGoats]

I feel like the putting is the most realistic mechanic in the game at this point. But I'm one that putts by feel also, not visual cues. While visual cues maybe helpful for pulling back, the speed at which you push forward is most certainly going to affect the distance. If you decelerate on your push forward, the ball won't go as far...just like in real golf. If you push forward with break-neck speed, you'll blow past the hole. It takes a lot of practice to get the right feel for it, but once you do, it is quite realistic...in my opinion.

[Pubknight]

As someone that plays a lot of real life golf, I understand the complaints in this thread.
I putt (in real life) with a bit of a pop-stroke.
When trying to putt in game the way I would in real life, it just doesn't work.
You absolutely have to use a longer backswing stroke.
Have a look at posts 22 and 23 in this thread: www.hb-studios.com/forum/index.php?topic=8818.15.
The critical piece there is that contrary to the full swing mechanic, *downswing speed with the putter has no effect on the distance*.
(that's not my opinion... that's from the devs)
It's all about the backswing length. (and making a smooth swing)

I've been working at my in game putting a lot, with much improvement.
Here is my advice:
- play around with different views/angles, both in the shot cam and putting cam (for PS4 pressing down on the left stick flips through the views)
- find a view that gets you the best angle to see the putter draw back in relation to your feet/body. For me, I use the 'top down' shot view for the majority of putts, and the putting cam 'side view' for really long putts
- do a few rounds placing the aiming marker as far away as it will go, this minimizes its affect on your putt, and gives you a chance to 'calibrate' your distances

I know for me, the in-game backswing length I need is almost always longer than I feel it should be.
That doesn't make it right or wrong, that just makes it what it is.
So it's a matter of training yourself to know how far a drawback you need for various length putts.

What I do is I have a handful of set drawbacks for various distances that I have calibrated for medium speed greens.
But you have to pay attention at the opening course screen too, as green speeds can have a pretty drastic effect.

Here's my benchmark: A 15' putt has the putter draw back so the putter face is about in line with the outside of my back foot.
Middle of my foot is about 10-12'
Big toe is about 8.

But it's a matter of finding that angle that lets you see that.

Try out the putting cam side view for testing. It really gives you a good idea of how far back the putter needs to go.

I encourage you to stick with it, because after you figure it out it really is rewarding.
Then it's like real putting with respect to green reading adjustments.

I'm not an expert by any stretch.
But I've gone from awful to ok (some may say pretty good) by working on it.
And now, I barely use the visual cues... I just kind of know 'how long' I have to draw the putter back for for various distances.
It's become a total feel thing.

[DaveC_87]

Jan 23, 2015 8:10:06 GMT -5 @tastegw said:

Jan 23, 2015 7:59:32 GMT -5 DaveC_87 said:

Same here.  Never understood the need to perform math calculations to play a golf game. I think the putting is great.  I actually wish they made driving and irons more difficult and less consistent.

But golf is a game of math.

Think about it,  each iron has a different loft to it, its a % of 100, different lofts net different distances under the same club-head speeds. Then you can factor in club-head speeds vs the loft to get real world distance under zero winds, then you factor in the winds to further that ma thematic equation. And do not forget to factor in elevation changes as well, that compiles that equation even more.  And when all that is sorted out, there is ball lie, yet again, adjusting that equation further.  and if you really wanna get technical, factor in the air density vs the ball movement.  Winter drives are shorter than Summer drives.  Then the dampness of the ground, the hardness or softenss of the greens,  the list goes on and on and on,  great golfers in real life adjust for all of these things.

This aint no chess game, this is algebra 101.

In real life, a lot depends on feel and how they are swinging certain clubs.  Every shot is not a math calculation.  I understand the need to make adjustments based on all the things that you mentioned, but it mostly comes down to club feel and swing mechanics / performance.  I just wish that TGC was a little less consistent.  If a PGA pro hit a ball 20x with a 9 iron with no wind on level ground, there will still be some variation in where the ball lands.  It will not land exactly 132 yards every time.  In TGC, if you hit a straight stroke with a 9 iron 20x in the same conditions, your ball will end up really close to the same distance every time.