I can’t speak for everyone even though I think most clubs would concur with a fair bit of the below,  and that’s largely because nothing is original on my part at least.  When I first turned Legend Lizard69 reached out and shared much.  He is a fantastic player, and what looks similar to what he would recommend is from him, and what does not is not from him.  What I am really saying is that I have pooled together all the information I think is needed to get to a good standard.

 

In some respects this game is comparable to RL.  No RL very good player without knowing exactly far each club goes with different power,  understanding spin and differing shot types.  Yardage charts, course notes together with an armoury of well understood shot types must exist here the same as IRL. Also sSame as IRL getting all that down is no 2 minute job.

 

What also compares to real life is that better equipment can lead to better scoring in the hands of a good player who has taken the time to learn everything.  The scores don’t compare, but the basic principle is there.

 

I can’t emphasise enough that there are simply no easy, and zero time easy routes.  You are in the wrong game if that is what you are looking for.

Let’s start with Equipment.

 

You have the reading in other FAQs for this, but fair to say high trajectory irons is where it’s really at for irons.  Woods have got very good very soon, and plenty of advice on wedges and putters as well in the other FAQs.

 

OK Tee to Green:

 

You need to map of the tee any club you need to know how far it goes.  Think dog leg fways, long par 3s and so it’s every club.

There is much advice in the main forums about which cheap ball you can do fine with, but for TM and up I am not going to commit to one below a L33 Cally for very good play.  Any Nike ball is obviously also fine.  Treat ball swapping as you would iron swapping, and this is especially so with higher performing balls.  No point getting upset  if usually if the guy next to you is playing with a carefully mapped  club / ball combo, whilst playing exact  (to the pixel) spin and you are close enough is good enough.

 

Now you have your carefully chosen one club / ball combo, and need to map (develop yardage charts):

 

Go to Beth #10 in low cross wind in practice mode (restart until low cross wind).  Now you map your woods and long irons off the tee.  You then map your 3W and long irons from the fway to green;

 

Beth #11 test the above off the tee, and also fway.  At this hole you can also test your mid and short irons.  When it comes to PW I look to find a sweet spot about a ¼ back from NBS, and do the rest with power for those 112 to 118 ish shots – up to you though;

 

Beth #11 repeat all the above as appropriate;

 

Kiawah #1 is also recommended to do the above / to test the above findings.

 

Below L certainly I don’t think you need to go mad on the above,  and I would even question that you need real good balls at all.  At though with a Legend set of clubs of Legend Tees it’s really only the start for those that want to really compete.

 

The below is an example of what you are working towards.  Differing versions exists, and I will often choke down a 5 iron to say 95% power with FBS, and how you build those shots in is up to you in your personal chart.  The below chart is a good basic one that is based on 100% power, and differing EXACT spin settings :

 

 

Yards     None    25%    50%   75%  100%

3    XXX    XXX     XXX     XXX    XXX   222
3t             XXX     XXX     XXX    XXX    XXX
4    XXX    XXX    XXX    XXX    XXX    XXX
4t             XXX  XXX    and so on    
5    
6    
7    
8    
9    
P    

 

See Below Bottom Also*

 

 

Driver and 3 Wood I keep Separate.

 

BTW I should point out this club recommends the use of three evenly spaced wedges for RR play (certainly easily by L tier).  This point brings us nicely onto wedge play:

 

Good wedges are essential to good scoring.  You can see the clubs thoughts on club discussion, and the main forums are a great source of information too.  Whatever good wedges you choose you will get out of them the time you put in learning them.

 

The 100 yard HL Cleve wedge actually goes 102 yards (good ball).  It will roll up to 105+ yards (varies per ball), and will choke down to 90 yards easy enough.  Below that the 88 yard type shot is tricky, but course management and skill can manage that.  Now that’s full shot only, it also punches.  A whole array of yardages are available punched. 

 

IMO check the bags of quality top players to see what they use, and work from there for all clubs.  No disrespect to anyone here but make sure they are playing what you intend to play when looking.  A 50 average red tee player may arm themselves with different clubs, and that may be OK off the reds but it’s not much of a guide for full RR play. 

 

Don’t be fooled by WGT averages basically.  Look at score history and which type of comp that is gained from, and the real elite are on the money boards.  Sadly those money boards contain cheats as well, and so delve more (main forums) to get a feel for who is genuinely very good – they do exist.

 

 

AROUND THE GREEN

 

Real shot saving territory, and a v good short wedge is essential.

Vital shots to have a good understanding of are chips, pitches and punches and full shots.  At 66% power and a dash of BS that top level 60 yard cleve will full shot in at 32 yards.  You can easily set it to FBS and punch 22 yards choking down the power.  On the latter you will get away with that most holes (great shot even to have) but try it FBS at say PH you may well whoosh back.  All these shots are available and just for example 53 yards is a punch shot with full top spin etc….Map it all how you like with whatever preferred shots, but confidence 3 through 105 yards is your goal to be tap in close is your achievable goal.  25 yards out my go to shot is a pitch (FBS my 80 yards wedge 100%), BUT St As B9 Par 5 I might roll too far, and so I find a punch offers me more control (60 yard wedge choked way down high 50s / low 60s% power and FBS) …..All ball park stuff to work with for  your wedge / ball combo.

Flops are also something you should have in the armoury, and they can get you out of trouble especially from bad lies when the green roll is also against you.  Some people prefer it as a go to shot.  I do not but it’s up to you.

 

ROUGH:

 

Anything around the green, and really up to some good distance away the following works wellfor basic Merion type rough:

 

30/40 Basic Distance x 1.1.  Thus 30 yards becomes 33;

40/50 Basic Distance x 1.2

 

You donlt get spin from the rough that you can rely on though, and so you need to study the green roll out and consider that before selecting your shot (use putt / chip view for that).

 

 

Sand:

 

If you find yourself in 30/40 sand immeditaley around the green add 10 yards to the distance.  No short routes and experimentation / hol eknowledge is needed, but it's your start point.

 

 

 

PUTTING:

 

 You have worked hard getting close often enough, and now want to go in for the kill at high level.  Well there is no simple here is how as such, IMO.  I encourage you to go to the main forums and study putting threads, and also watch the videos of top players.  I have videos showing my standard / style via my page (Jimbog1964).  We have good players internally who will discuss what methods they use, and had one such members discussion here in this link.

 

If you want to get a basic start and how think on it:

 

Choose your putter carefully (see FAQs on equipment), and NEVER EVER use the do it all by missing the ding only method (see the FAQs on balance / forgiveness). 

 

Always check any doubtful putt with reverse view in putt mode as well as reverse chip and / or pitch mode;

 

Always move the aim marker from behind the avatars feet to PAST the hole, noting all the topography;

 

Use the dots to help access the break also, and feel will come over time for the different speeds.  The slicker the green the more especially down hill will break - logical as soaks up break more the slower the roll

 

Ball park for the differing speeds is as follows:

 

To ALL the below results elevation needs to be taken into account on a +/- basis and applied AFTER the below:  

Slow = +20% distance or simply x by 120%

Slow 7.4 stimp = 115%

Standard = x 110% (aggressive power but how I like to to putt)

Standard 7.9 Stimp 110% at 30 feet.

Fast (old money) stimp 9 = x 90% over 10 feet;  but  inside 10 feet forget that and add a foot.

Very Fast stimp 10 =  x 85%, but inside 10 feet forget that and go 1:1

Legend Tournament stimp 12 = x 25% 

Champion stimp 13 = 70%

Other speeds exist, and easy enough to split any differences etc. - always check the stimp.

 

Now in the main forums you will see variations around my numbers, and by all means go with whatever works for you. 

 

OK an example of a calc for a dead linear up 2" slope up on Champ from 12’ out:  Easy enough math is 8.4 basic + 2 (amount up) so hit 10.4 power.  emember inertia though, and so those numbers are just the start point to practice from.  Also greens vary a bit from course to course, and so feel over always just mechanical is preferred.

 

Same is IRL inertia considerations are VERY key.  Remember YOUR putter and ALL it’s nuances ( behaviour for all scale settings that you use).  Your putter is a key selection, and a friend that will be with you for a long time.  DO NOT change putters on a whim and expect great putting with those whims.  Practice makes perfect, and experience counts here more than anywhere else, and that’s saying something.

 

You should understand how balance / precision works (see FAQs.   You also obvioulsy need to know how far back to draw your putter, and I prefer a ruler for this (my ruler is the WGT putter pal).  IRL I know how wide my putting stance is very precisely, and I know how far back my 10' etc power is (body parts lined up for all of it).  Here as IRL it's feel after that.  Never up never in is also my philosophy, and any miss I aim to be 2' past. I will add that some like to use Avatar moves for draw back power, but IRL I aligh hands with knees as I look down and for me putter pal feels as close as any video game is going to get to that.

 

With putter choice in mind (see the advice on putters in the FAQs) decide if you want to be a ding only putter or if you want to also miss sometimes, by a little little, to help hold a line after moving the aim aiming.  Personally for longer putts I will usually try and ding, but 6' ish out I will often mis just a little to help hold a line on a slight break.  

 

 

 

Adjusting for Wind:

 

WIND (I have found also roughly applicable to wedges on full shots) - See below for a more precise guide but this as a good basic way, unless it gets above 20 MPH obviously.

7mph +/- 3%

10mph +/- 4%

12 mph +/- 6%

18 mph +/- 7.5

20mph +/- 8%

 

More precise and preferred method (second nature 2 second mental stuff after a short while):

 

Front / Rear (Head / Tail winds)

Yardage to decimal then multiply by half the decided wind factor, and then add or subtract the result to the distance in front of you. Example below:

150 yard shot with a 10 mph headwind. I would convert the yardage into decimal form. That would give us 1.5. I would then multiply that decimal by half the wind. That would be 1.5 x 5. That gives me 7.5. I would then add 7.5 to the original distance. So, that is 150 + 7.5 = 157.5. That's about the distance I would need to get closest to the hole

Note: High head wind is bad if trying apply yardage charts to high spin balls.  Go with minimum spin as a rule of thumb. 

 

 

 

Cross winds I really just go by feel (working around one aim box for 5 MPH and two boxes across for 10 MPH at 150 yards and so on) rough start, but really is just a good feel thing for me. To help a bit more imagine a triangle which starts at you rfeet and passes through thos epoints at 150 yards.  Closer less affect and so don't aim so wide, and farther out you need to adjust for the greater affect by aimiing wider.  

 

For those that want more of a mechanical start point consider the following (which I personally never use):

 

Wind strength at 45 degrees:

10 12 14 17 20 23 24 26 27 30 33 38 41 42

The cross wind component:(Mph)

07 09 10 12 14 16 17 18 19 21 23 27 29 30

 

 

If you are going to misding try to miss smart, and this means against the wind.  Missing against the wind is in fact a preferred shot type for many, and in strong winds especially I often this.

 

Always check all camera angles when working out what that cross wind affect really is too.  Get strange results (or think you do) note that shot for next time - experience counts as well here as anywhere.  Overall though you will get  a good feel pretty soon.

 

 

ELEVATION: 

 

Simply add 1 yard for each 3 yard's up.  For downhill 1 yard for each 3 down, BUT then subtract 25% from the value when downhill. 

 

Out on course:

 

All my videos can be accessed via my page, "Jimbog1964", just click where it says YouTube link in my blog.  I also encourage you to watch the videos of some top players.  For our newer members though following the training programme with us mine are enough to get you on the road.  They will be particularly relevant to Legend I appreciate, but they can be very easily transposed to TM and below as the methodology does not change.  Yes learn it as a TM (or below) and you are ready to settle in to Legend quickly.   Like I say though there is some work involved to get good at this game.  Anyone wanting a quick 5 minute route to real good scoring is looking at the wrong game, but you can shoot better if you want to put the effort in.  

 

 

As a member once you have got roughly acquainted with everything that this page deals with remember you have access to the club's forum.  There just ask away, over any finer points.  Senior players will also get out on course with you and skype talk over a fun round should you wish.  Any member is happy to have a round with any member, and A/S is a particularly a fun way.  

 

There is nothing new in anything we advocate.  We just stick to the basics and try to do that well, and frankly that's near RG standard when down.  Some holes just play different though, but that's part of the learnong process.  Donlt be put off by that as you likely won't even realise until you are shooting sub 30 often - that slight lack of knowledge really wonlt get in the way of too many 30s ever, and so that will just happen as you improve.

 

Lastly don't run before you can walk.  Get it all down initially at say Beth B9, and then try Beth F9 - all low wind.  Beth F9 is actually as easy as it gets once know it with Legend equipment.  Confidence up increase the wind, and stretch yourself by playing all courses all conditions.

 

The below video is a good basic one to get the general idea of how all the above goes together.  Obvioulsy if you have different balls & / or balls you can't compare anything exactly to what happens in your game, but the principles of all the above don't change.