Setup for Consistent Play

[MachOne117]

A couple of specific questions then one general question pertaining to swing consistency (tempo and plane). 

1. Does the controller battery level seem to make much of a difference to you?  I’m on PS4 and so far haven’t been very attentive to controller battery level when I play, but it seems like it might make a difference. Any thoughts or objective data on this subject?
2. Does playing online (society) seem to have more swing variability than offline/local play to you?  I feel like my tempo and plane are much better offline during practice rounds. Is this a known thing/true or is the tournament pressure just getting to me and I need to get an e-sports psychologist to help me with my mental game?
3.  What do you do that you feel reduces variability?  I’m talking about things like where/how you sit, where you rest the controller (lap, table, mid-air), distance from console/PC, or anything else like that.  I know “practice is the key” and “you’ve got to put in the time”, but I’m just wanting to see what people may do to setup a better foundation for consistency.

[MachOne117]

Hmmm... no thoughts from anybody.  Usually means either 1) brilliant questions that people can't fathom the answers to, or 2) stupid questions that people can't be bothered to respond to.  I'm gonna go out on a limb and say these fall more on the side of option 2.  

[ClassAct147]

I always play wired so I'm not sure if battery charge levels make any difference.
All I know is my tempo varies wildly from day to day. Yesterday was so fast I could barely touch the stick without getting red fasts, while today is the complete opposite.
Different game everytime I switch it on..

[trentmcneely]

I also always play plugged in so can't really tell you about that. Stands to reason though that a low battery could change feedback, especially with how precise the tempo has to be.
Tempo is 100% different in different games and I'll never believe anyone who tells me otherwise. I'll find my perfect tempo on the range each day, but it never carries over to the practice "play now" rounds, or to actual society rounds. I don't play much matchplay, but I've seen several people say the tempo seems different there also. I also find there are certain holes that I seem to hit very fasts on every drive over the course of a tourney without any others during the round. Like ClassAct said, it seems to be a different game each day.
I have a few different sitting positions and controller angles that I'll run through each day on the range and go with whatever is giving me the best tempo/plane that day. Sometimes my putting swing will work the same as my regular swing, and sometimes the line is always off so I'll have to find a putting swing that day too. Maddening but rewarding when it all comes together.

[blueblood1995]

Apr 5, 2021 20:00:46 GMT -5 trentmcneely said:

I also always play plugged in so can't really tell you about that. Stands to reason though that a low battery could change feedback, especially with how precise the tempo has to be.
Tempo is 100% different in different games and I'll never believe anyone who tells me otherwise. I'll find my perfect tempo on the range each day, but it never carries over to the practice "play now" rounds, or to actual society rounds. I don't play much matchplay, but I've seen several people say the tempo seems different there also. I also find there are certain holes that I seem to hit very fasts on every drive over the course of a tourney without any others during the round. Like ClassAct said, it seems to be a different game each day.
I have a few different sitting positions and controller angles that I'll run through each day on the range and go with whatever is giving me the best tempo/plane that day. Sometimes my putting swing will work the same as my regular swing, and sometimes the line is always off so I'll have to find a putting swing that day too. Maddening but rewarding when it all comes together.

Completely agree with the change in tempo. After much thought however, I’m wondering if this is a major problem because just like in real life my tempo one day can be different to another. I get were playing digital golf here so we would hope for much greater precision but on the other hand I’m wondering if this is programmed in to more accurately simulate real world play? I doubt it but it’s an interesting thought.

[twofor22]

I'm not sure if it has anything to do with that divot derby being added but ever since it has been I've given up trying to find any consistency day to day. The tempo varies way more than it should, one day I'll have to push the stick very firmly just to get a perfect and avoid slows, the next I have to slow it right down to avoid red fasts on everything.

I get that my own tempo moving the stick will vary, and it does on almost every shot, but not that bloody much. It shouldn't be producing wildly different results from essentially the same movement. Before, I could usually feel if I'd slammed it too hard or weakly pushed it and the results would mirror that, but now it feels like a total lottery and it's taking away the enjoyment of playing.

[ClassAct147]

Tempo has been crazy for me since the start of the year. I said above that it changes from day to day but it's more than that. It can change without warning during a round, so for part of the round I'm slamming the stick to avoid slows, while later in the round I need to swing with such delicacy it's like I'm trying to defuse a bomb!
Very very difficult to play well in such conditions. I would like to see how the top scorers would handle it....or is there a loophole🤔

[dingersinger]

Playing on PS5 and wired, I find my game tempo is quite consistent. I can almost always feel when my tempo is off, and it's due to user error not game error

[MachOne117]

Some good stuff to consider from all the responses so far.



1. I may give wired connection a try. I've read that latency is higher when wired, but that would be fine if it's more consistent shot-to-shot and day-to-day because you can compensate consistently.

2. It definitely seems/feels to me that local play vs. online play can make a difference in the swing (especially tempo). I don't really understand that because I would think the computing would be done on the local machine and (very quickly, probably imperceptibly fast) be displayed to opponents through the servers. I also realize that what I "feel" or what "seems" to me (or any of us) isn't necessarily truth/reality.

3. I've started sitting closer to the PS4 and it might be making a bit of a difference in my consistency. I was sitting about 10 ft away on a couch, and now I'm sitting (less comfortably) about 4 ft away. I also make small controller angle/grip adjustments throughout the round if I'm consistently out of plane.

[dingersinger]

One other thing I thought of - used to play on a TV, now I play on a monitor. Lower input lag on the monitor has made getting the right putting distance, or partial swing distance, much easier than when I played on the TV.

[ABU_Bear]

Apr 6, 2021 10:25:35 GMT -5 dingersinger said:

Playing on PS5 and wired, I find my game tempo is quite consistent. I can almost always feel when my tempo is off, and it's due to user error not game error

by all accounts it's a completely different game on PS4 and PS5

I agree with everyone saying the tempo is random at best in Society and online play

I can play PGA Career and rope p/p's and grey perfects all day long

[nevadaballin]

Consistency - herein lies the biggest difference between real golf and video game golf.

IRL, the struggle to be try to be consistent from shot to shot, let alone round to round is as real as it can get. It’s what every practice is about when we go to the driving range and putting greens.

In the video game world, if we cannot be consistent on every single swing/shot then we get overcooked mentally bc we *expect* to be consistent.

As for the questions:

1. I play on PS4/5 and I’ve never noticed low battery making a difference.

2. I’ve always wondered if there was a lag issue when playing online rounds because there are times when the swing lags really hard - and I have insanely good internet. If there is an issue in online play I can’t pinpoint the reason. Maybe it is the course being too full of assets?

3. I play from a recliner and in a fully relaxed position. I also use the left thumb stick even though I’m right handed. I also use my thumb, not some variance of finger Olympics

Good luck finding that sweet spot that works for you.

[YouStayClassySanDiego]

I'm a M&K player with a wired mouse, so batteries not included. My process for more consistent play: Close all other windows except Pandora, which is on my Rebeloution station. Headphones on, music up, everything else shut out. As a side note, kudos to all the streamers who can manage to play really good tournament golf with all the distractions of streaming it.

[williamwes626]

I play PS4 plugged in and I've kept the same clubs in my bag for months and most are a balance of accuracy and power so the clubs are a bit forgiving except my hybrid which is more for distance out of the rough or sand. Since I started playing the True Sim tour on 'Legend' swing, it's helped my 'Master' swing a lot. Kind of like an on deck hitter in baseball uses two bats or a ring around their bat and then it's easier with one bat at the plate. I got a promo 3 weeks after I started practicing with 'Legend' swing.

Also, for putting, I keep my hands and controller on my lap to keep it steady and with other shots I'll either just hold it or have my hands only leaning on my lap if my swing plane is off. I also practice swing more than anyone I've seen play - I'll take 2 or 3 practice swings on the majority of shots. Any time we switch clubs for the next shot, tempo will be affected because the difference of clubs affects the timings to achieve 'perfect's - ie a driver takes longer to swing than a 6-iron.

[cseanny]

Any time we switch clubs for the next shot, tempo will be affected because the difference of clubs affects the timings to achieve 'perfect's - ie a driver takes longer to swing than a 6-iron.

Lw through Driver have the exact same tempo.  All flops have the same tempo as Lw-D.  Splashes hit at normal shot tempo's produce 91%, while chips and pitches produce 85% at normal shot tempo's.  Verified through metronome.