 Choosing
a Swing Interface
There are three ways you can swing the club in GBC:
2-click, 3-click, or Mouse Meter. Our guide will focus
on thes click meters. (Mouse Meter is lacking in so
many ways, I can't recommend it).
In regard to swing meter setup, avoid overswinging
at all costs! With the game's targeting engine, you
won't really need to. In most cases, you'll be able
to set up your shots for the 100% power mark. You
will be best served by tuning your senses to hitting
that mark. This serves two purposes: It gives you
a good idea how far your shot will travel and it provides
a consistent starting point for the timing reference
you'll need in hitting the direction mark, which in
GBC is far more critical.
 2-Click
If you're familiar with Links LS, this will be your
method of choice, especially if you've installed the
patch. Meter movement is reminiscent of of LS. However,
it is very difficult to master in the "Very Fast"
setting. Most gamers will be playing GBC using the
Fast meter, which will test your 2-click skills on
a scale slightly more difficult than LS. In my experience,
the GBC 2-click meter is best suited for the Medium,
or slower swing meters.
 3-Click
The 3-click method may seem to be the least analogous
technique, but once the patch was installed, I had
to adopt it to maintain my status as a scratch or
better golfer, using the "Fast" meter. It is far easier
to hit the power mark using the 3-click method with
the two fastest meters, and therefore, easier to groove
your timing for the direction press.
Regardless of which meter you choose, always back
away from the ball and take some practice swings at
the start of the round. Once you've hit the marks
three consecutive times, you're tuned for play. You
can save time by hitting the right mouse button right
after your swing command has registered on the meter.
This will immediately reset the meter for another
go.
 Creating
a Golfer
Even though there are ready made players awaiting
your call to action, the true fulfillment is realized
through creating your own on-screen surrogate. You
can adopt one of 10 stock characters (7 male and 3
female) Any of them can be designed to play right
or left handed. If you're skilled with one of the
higher quality paint programs, you can alter their
appearance by changing cosmetic features or color
of their apparel. I'm told it's a delicate process,
so only those who are not artistically challenged
should apply. A few customized characters are available
at Fantasy Fairways if you'd like to take the safe
route. You can also endow your golfer with shot tendencies,
such as trajectory, hook or slice. All of these are
selectable to varying degrees. I made my surrogate
represent how I play in real life, which has made
the game feel a bit more familiar.
 Choosing
Your Career Path
Once you've selected, equipped, and named your golfer,
it's time to make the most important decision you
will ever face. You have the option of letting your
handicap set the swing meter speed, or selecting the
swing meter speed of your choice, and thereby, your
available attribute points. For the GBC newcomer or
even the Nicklaus series veteran, I highly recommend
the first option. You will not only get a chance to
wade into the interface slowly, but you'll get to
experience something that has never before been seen
in computer golf - player development, in a role playing
sense!
 Career
Path 1 - "Use Handicap to Set Swing Meter Speed"
Prepare yourself for a modest start. The program
assumes that your player is a high handicapper, even
though your handicap has yet to be calculated. In
doing so, it initially sets your swing meter speed
to "Slow". Be forewarned, if you've had experience
with just about any other click interface on the market,
you'll likely find this one almost too slow to manage,
initially.
Spend some time practicing with the meter before
you start playing any round that will count toward
your handicap. The best way to do this is to bring
up the Game Task Bar and select Practice Swing. Take
a practice swing and watch the timing marks that are
left on the meter as you hit the power and direction
commands. Instead of waiting on the swing to animate
and the meter to reset, hit the right mouse button.
This resets the meter and you're ready for another
go. Using this accelerated warm-up technique, you
should get a feel of the meter speed in 20 swings
or so. In fact, an abbreviated version of this drill
(5 or 6 swings) is a good idea at the start of any
round, no matter what your level of experience is.
Now that you have a feel for the meter, it's time
to venture out to the course. Remember, as you start
out on this path, your attributes are at minimum;
you're going to be hitting looping drives, no matter
how high you've set your "natural" shot trajectory.
This means that clearing hazards will require a consideration
that months or years of playing with computer surrogates
hitting pro-trajectory shots will have taken out of
your game - roll!
Now, when you face that 130 yard approach over a
lake, which now requires a 6 iron, the shot isn't
going to stop as quickly as the 9 iron that you were
used to hitting. It's also not going to stop as quickly
as your normal 6 iron since it will be descending
at a less acute angle, and coincidentally, it will
have less backspin. This may force you to shoot for
the fat part of the green, but it's part of the game
at this level and one that's been missing from computer
golf until now. In the long run, you'll be richer
for having gone through the experience and you'll
appreciate what you've gained because you've "earned"
it!
 Putting
Mastery of the putting game is the best way to lower
your score in GBC. It is also the easiest, once you've
paid your practice dues. There are a few tried and
tested principles that I've proven out in my experience
that can help with this process:
On all putts, once you've made the determination
of how hard to hit it based on all the factors, add
an additional 5% to 10% (5 for hard, 8 for normal,
10 for soft greens) to the power level you've settled
on. If there's more than 5 degrees of break in the
putt, you can stretch that to 15. The hole is very
receptive to high speed putts in this game, but it's
also rather discriminating against slow putts that
die at the lip, especially on the low side.
In assessing breaks, use your natural instincts
to visualize the putt based on the information you're
being fed by the grid and/or rug. Now, edge your target
arrow a little bit further toward the high side of
the hole. Lateral slopes invariably affect the putt
more than they appear. Until I came to this realization,
I missed 90% of my putts on the low side of the hole.
While surveying your uphill putts of 15 feet or
more, be sure to check the contours within 4 feet
of the hole. They will have an exaggerated effect
on the ball as the putt is dying. Make sure that you
allow additional high side correction (in addition
to what's stated above) to account for this.
Keep in mind that when you are faced with a severe
lateral break, the elevation information you're seeing
is almost made invalid. For example, you may be looking
at a 28 foot right to left putt on a 10% grade, where
the info bar is telling you that the ball is 4 inches
above the hole. By the time you allow for the break,
you may be actually directing the ball into a slope
that will have it ascending 10 inches, before it begins
its descent.
On putts of 40 feet or longer, use your alternate
cameras (accessible via the numeric keypad) to assess
the putt from different angles, particularly the reverse
angle.
I can't say this enough - ALWAYS hit a putt harder
than you think you should! The rare occasions where
this will get you into trouble will be more than offset
by the increased birdie tally!
 Chipping
I can safely say that chipping is the easiest phase
in GBC. All but the most skilled cybergolfers will
be doing plenty of it in this game, thanks to the
difficulty in hitting greens in regulation. Therefore,
it will pay you to take advantage of the strokes you'll
save by applying a few simple rules:
The program will automatically select the partial
swing meter for you in situations where chipping is
deemed the best option. Before you begin making adjustments
to the setup, pay close attention to both the default
chip trajectory and landing point (as indicated by
the targeting arrow). In situations where the terrain
between the ball and the hole is fairly flat, and
you're on the fairway or light rough, you won't need
to make many changes. Allow for green slope after
the ball begins its roll and make a slight allowance
for stance. A chip shot struck from light rough will
roll just a little hotter than the fairway. Knock
off about 5% to 10% of the default distance with the
targeting arrow, or stop the partial meter just after
it enters the red zone on its approach to the 100%
mark.
Heavy rough, weeds, and desert rough will present
a tougher test of your imagination. Again, on relatively
flat terrain, the default shot the program presents
is a good starting point. Use it as a reference from
which to make your adjustments. There are two keys
to playing shots from these lies: a chip shot will
roll more than the default shot seems to factor -
you'll need to reduce the shot power by 10% to 15%,
a pitch shot will not roll as much as you would expect
- you can more or less shoot at the pin when hitting
a lofted pitch.
Things get interesting when you have to deal with
sharp elevation changes around the green. The default
chip shot from a depression is not going to be close
to what you need. Plan on changing to maximum loft
via the targeting arc and then extending it to a point
somewhere on the green or fringe. Pay attention to
the trajectory of the the ball, as indicated by the
targeting arc. If you're having to play to a green
that's sitting atop a raised table, the shot will
have a flatter trajectory at touchdown, and will roll
like a scalded dog.
In cases where the ball is considerably higher than
the hole, you may find it necessary to set the chip
shot down in the fringe, fairway or possibly even
the rough, in order to have it stop near the hole.
Don't forget that the margin for error in doing this
is less, especially in the case of using the rough
as a brake. Get a little too cute with this shot and
you could wind up with a tougher shot than the one
before. It's best to set up a shot like this in a
practice round and experiment with it until you get
a feel for it.
 Pitching
The default chipping club - the lob wedge, effectively
becomes a pitching club once you get beyond 70 feet
of the pin. One of the quirks of Jack 6 is the relatively
excessive amount of backspin imparted on 25 to 40
yard pitch shots, particularly using the lob and pitching
wedges. As with the chip shot, pay attention to the
default shot trajectory and distance indicated by
the targeting arc, before making any adjustments.
If you're in the fairway, you probably will need to
add a little distance to the recommended shot. This
will compensate for the excessive backspin.
Pitches from the rough will not stop as quickly
as those from the fairway, but they will come to a
halt quicker than you would expect. You can almost
go with the default shot, in terms of distance. Experiment
with varying trajectories to find a pitch that best
suits your game.
One final caveat for the chipping and putting games
- the wind in GBC is overbearing. Even medium winds
will have an effect on your shot, starting with chips
of 25'. Spend some time practicing these shots under
varying wind conditions; you'll be surprised at how
much a 20 yard lob wedge pitch will move against a
25 MPH crosswind!
 Full
Shots
You'll be using the full swing meter in executing
this shot, and as in real life, hitting full shots
is where you'll find the most room for error. Concentrate
on hitting the 100% power mark, in all but the most
extreme conditions. Leave the power driving on the
practice range. This will all but eliminate one of
the variables in the total swing equation. Most of
your attention should be on nailing the direction
mark. An error of two meter gradients can mean the
difference between a 15 foot birdie putt, and a explosion
shot from a greenside bunker.
There's a hidden advantage to be found in striking
full shots from the rough - direction mark errors
on the swing meter are not as severely punished as
those from the fairway. In fact, the heavier the rough,
the less profound the hook or slice will be, thanks
to the neutralizing effect of the grass on sidespin.
Granted, severe errors will produce shots that are
just flat duffed, but you can go three or four gradients
from 6 o'clock from the rough and still not be in
bad shape. I feel more confident overswinging just
a tad, knowing that my errors won't be punished as
severely.
 Driver
& Fairway Woods
Nowhere is the importance of direction timing more
critical than it is with the driver and fairway woods.
Deviations from a square hit with these clubs is almost
excessively magnified. Know your tendencies - if you've
established a shot tendency to fade, work that tendency
into your planning. If a hazard comes into the picture,
allow yourself a little room on the bail out side
of the hazard. Don't count on a lot of roll from any
of these clubs unless you catch a severe downhill
slope, or you hit the green. In the case of the latter,
the ball will tend to skip unless you've tailored
a high trajectory shot. It will still skip more on
the green than it would in the fairway, in most cases.
You can hit the driver from the fairway, but more
often than not, the 3 Wood will get you more carry,
and ultimately travel further. However, the driver
may serve you well in cases where overhead clearance
is minimal.
Your first consideration in setting up for any wood
shot is the slope of the lie, with the exception of
"Gusty" wind conditions. A 10 degree side slope is
going to have more impact on the woods than even a
15 MPH crosswind, countering the tendency. Some designs
leave slopes in the teeboxes, so you'll need to be
watchful for conditions where this is the case. I
leave the grid "on" to alert me to this potential.
Your toolbar slope indicator isn't always going to
be telling the full truth!
 Long
& Middle Irons
Once you've graduated to the tournament tees, you'll
be playing plenty of long and middle iron shots. These
shots are perhaps the most difficult to execute and
control in GBC. Two key factors are responsible for
this - the effect of the slope of the lie, and the
flatter trajectory of the shot. Leave the grid on
to depict the slope around the lie. Again, the toolbar
slope indicator is graduated too coarsely. Use the
targeting arc to maximize your shot trajectory for
a softer landing, if headwind is not a factor.
 Short
Irons
Think of your 7 iron through lob wedge as surgical
tools in this game. This is your chance to recover
strokes and score birdies. You still have to factor
slopes, but the wind will be your main consideration.
A ball hit with a short iron into a headwind is not
going to roll, and in the case of the lob and pitching
wedges, will often back up 5 to 15 feet. Take this
into account while planning these shots.
 Playing
the Wind
In the world of GBC, the wind becomes the primary
elemental force of nature. Dealing with it in the
"Gusty" setting is going to require the constitution
of a Jedi Knight, plus the application of a few tactical
conventions. As with real golf, you'll want to hit
a lower trajectory shot when faced with a headwind.
This is easily accomplished via the targeting arc.
However, I find that it's not beneficial to reduce
the trajectory to minimum, 25% of normal trajectory
yields the maximum distance for me. It stands to reason
that this will vary with your characteristic trajectory,
but most people will find that higher natural trajectories
will serve them better in this game.
With a trailing wind, consider not only the increase
in shot carry, but the loss of backspin on the ball.
It will roll hotter upon landing because of a flatter
descent, and the nullifying of the backspin. The shorter
clubs produce shots which are disproportionately less
reflective of wind boosts in both their carry and
roll. For example, a lob wedge from 65 yards with
a 15 MPH tailwind will result in an overall distance
increase of 2 to 3 yards.
Cross and quartering winds are the real nemesis
in GBC. There are all sorts of approaches for attacking
them. One school of thought is to aim straight at
the target, and factor a hook or slice of sufficient
magnitude using the target arc to negate it. This
approach becomes a little too analytical and involves
new parameters that don't lend themselves to intuition.
I go for the second school of thought, which is to
aim wide of the target and let the wind bring it back.
This will require hitting the ball harder, even in
cross winds, because the portion of the shot that
is into the wind will take more distance off than
the tailwind will add, once it takes effect.
A key consideration in playing these shots is what
I call "error fudging". If you are going to make an
error on the direction click of the meter, let it
be against the wind. For example, if you are facing
a 90 yard shot with a pitching wedge into a 20 MPH
right to left cross wind, make a mental note in your
mind that if you're going to miss the direction mark,
let it be late (between 6 and 5 o'clock). More often
than not, you won't have allowed for enough movement
anyway, and this will play to your advantage. If you
happen to miss the direction mark by clicking prematurely,
you're really in deep kimshee. The wind will take
an error of this sort and magnify it exponentially.
 Sand
Play
Unless you're plugged in the trap (which rarely
happens in post patch GBC), the sand will do little
more than take distance off your shot. It will spin
almost as much as a fairway shot, but you'll be hitting
about two to three clubs more than normal. Direction
timing errors will be penalized more than a fairway
shot, however, so pay the most attention to getting
it right. Greenside bunkers are easy to escape with
the lob or sand wedge, using the partial swing meter.
I find it easier to hit the shot as high as I can
(using the target arc) and start the planning for
a shot that will be airborne about 70% of its flight.
On the plugged lies, plan on hitting the shot with
a power of about 125% of the stated distance, and
work from there.
Camera
Perspectives
If you've got the hardware to support it (Pentium
II 400+), play this game using the perspective in
which it was meant to be played - "Close". I find
that I swing the club better using this view, even
though there's no real logic for it. The real benefit
is the immersive, personal enjoyment you'll get out
of seeing the course (and the shot) closer to the
perspective of your surrogate.
You can always use the hole overheads for targeting
(although I advise against this after you've played
the course a couple of times - you want to keep the
"fog of war" intact) and the targeting PIP.
Fast
Forward to End of Shot
One of the more useful tools I've found in GBC is
the fast forward or skip animation option. This can
be done at any time during the shot, from the moment
of impact, to the final resting place, by clicking
the right mouse button. The ball will quickly then
be shown at its resting place in the main view, using
the camera that was active at the time the button
was pressed. The shot data (carry, total and distance
to pin) will also be immediately displayed
Most computer golfers aren't out for a leisurely
stroll in the virtual countryside once they've gotten
familiar with a course, and occasionally want to accelerate
the action by foregoing part of the presentation of
the ball's trek. A good rule of thumb for using the
right mouse click is to follow the shot as long as
you think there's some doubt about its outcome.
Fast Forwarding is especially desirable in multiplayer
online games, where every bit of fat that can be trimmed
from the proceedings will facilitate smoother game
flow. However, I wouldn't advise using it until you've
put a few guidelines concerning its use in place (see
"Online Play").
Computer
Players
Unfortunately, GBC isn't blessed with the smartest
computer golfers in the world. They'll play like Vardon
Trophy winners off camera, but when you put the spotlight
on them, their brains turn to mush. The biggest problem
they have is trees, or other tall obstacles - they
seem to be oblivious to the fact that they're there.
If you must play with a computer player, I would advise
it only on courses with few or no trees. I've seen
some decent performances from computer players at
Cochise, Royal Kurland, and Royal St. Georges (all
desert or British links courses). Everything else
is an invitation to disaster.
Offline
Tournament Seasons
One of GBC's biggest attractions for me is its "Season
Play" option. You can create your very own tour season
of any length you desire, using as many different
courses as you can put your hands on. In creating
my season, I used the real life tour as a model. A
lot of tour pros play 35 to 40 tournaments per year.
I only have 24 courses installed on my machine. So,
I decided to make my personal season half of the average,
setting it up for 20 events. I designated 4 of those
as "majors". For a complete challenge, plan an event
at as many different course types as you have. On
my hard drive are parkland, mountain, desert, seaside,
wooded and British links courses in my current season.
I would advise against using computer players in
your group on all but the treeless courses (this can
be set during an "Edit Tour" session for each individual
event). Also, make sure that you set the field to
be of players +/- 2 shots of your handicap. This will
make it more competitive.
If you've followed my advice, you'll be playing
most of the tournaments by yourself (at least on-screen).
To enhance the tournament feel and perhaps ignite
your competitive fires, check the leaderboard at least
4 times per round. Pick out a player you'd like to
compete against (if you're not at the top of the leaderboard),
and track your progress against him. In the second
round, you'll need to pay particular attention to
the leaderboard if you are in danger of missing the
cut. A target score will often dictate what you need
to do make the final 36 holes.
Online
Play
GBC is blessed with the finest multiplayer online
game in the business! GBC's Ready Golf
is the only way to go in my book, and you'll want
to make sure the game host has it enabled. You can
see as much of your opponent's shot as you desire,
thanks to the Fast Forward (right mouse button) option.
Be careful though - fast forwarding should be used
judiciously, otherwise you can miss key developments
as they relate to both yourself and your competitive
standing with your competitors. I'll repeat my rule
of thumb for fast forwarding - wait until the shot
outcome is no longer in doubt before hitting the right
mouse button.
It's easy to get right mouse button happy and click
your way right past a key shot by your opponent. I've
had playing companions express shock at a birdie or
an eagle that I made because they'd presumed otherwise
due to the lack of having born witness. However, it
can also cause your opponents to think of you as something
less than a sportsman when you've fast forwarded right
over their 35 foot putt for an eagle and walk away
from the hole ignorant of the fact that it even occurred.
A few other protocols that are good to observe include:
avoid typing long lines of text in the chat window.
These spill over into the play screen, occasionally
usurping space essential to the display screen. Enter
multiple lines to command messages that run longer
than 8 words.
Try to avoid putting out before your opponent or
playing companion reaches the green. A struggling
player feels undue pressure when he realizes that
his companion has finished the hole, and they've yet
to reach the green!
Pay attention to the messages from the commentator.
They convey crucial information about what's happening
off-camera. For example, the message could appear
that your opponent is taking a drop (after hitting
into a hazard) and this could have an effect on how
you play your next shot
If you are hosting a round on a course that you are
familiar with, and your companions may be seeing it
for the first time, warn them of hidden hazards or
dangerous positions as the need arises.
John
Cauthen
©2000 DIGITAL SPORTS PUBLISHING
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
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