We've also reproduced below a set of hints and tips to let you get the most from the game. You might like to print them out to refer to while you try to master the art of chipping, putting and looking cool while slicing out of bounds..........
This online Player's Guide is excerpted from the full PGA TOUR 96 Player's Guide that is available now. If you find these tips helpful, look for the book at your local software retailer or order direct from Electronic Arts.
From the development of the game to the best strategy for blasting out of a sand trap, the Player’s Guide puts vital information from EA SPORTS insiders at your fingertips. In addition, the PGA TOUR 96 Player’s Guide offers a comprehensive look at golf to provide you with an in-depth understanding of the sport’s rich past as well as its present.
Playing PGA TOUR 96 without the Player’s Guide is like playing golf without your favorite putter!
Last updated: 12 April, 1996
You need to understand the Swing meter before you can make accurate shots consistently. When you start your swing, a dark blue Power bar begins traveling up the Swing arc. When you stop your backswing, the Power bar leaves a mark to indicate where it stopped and begins traveling back down the Swing arc. The farther up the arc the Power bar moves, the greater distance you can get on your shot.
BOTTOM LINE: LEARN HOW TO USE THE SWING METER. YOU CAN PLAY A DECENT ROUND OF GOLF, IF YOU JUST HIT THE BALL STRAIGHT.
Like the great pros themselves, you should strive for consistency and good placement off the tee. If you hit like a gorilla but can’t control the ball, more often than not you’ll find yourself in trouble on your second shots. It’s a good idea on the course and in the game to hit the ball clean and stay on the fairway; you can waste two strokes hacking out of the woods instead of coming up nice and well placed for your second shot.
Many players choke on the tee shots, and if you’re one of those who find themselves topping the ball when driving, or always hooking into that water hazard you know you have to avoid, try to limit your preoccupation with your second shot. Others are so eager to finish the hole on their drive, (they can envision themselves already 4 under for the round at the first tee) that they have to force themselves to play the drive just like any other shot, but with better conditions.
Once you’ve mastered the drive and are feeling pretty confident, then
try boosting your power level.
BOTTOM LINE: SHORT AND STRAIGHT GETS YOU TO THE GREEN MUCH QUICKER THAN LONG AND OUT OF BOUNDS.
Throughout the Player’s Guide, you will find tips on club selection as they apply to a specific situation (i.e., playing out of a sand trap). However, below you’ll find some general tips for club selection. When you’re playing a round, your caddie will give you the club he thinks is appropriate for the shot, but the final choice is always yours. When considering distance potential, remember to take into account ball lie, wind, and backspin potential. Below is a chart recording distance potential for the clubs. Remember, this is a general chart and can change according to skill level and ability.
DISTANCE POTENTIAL
Club Type | Range (Yards) |
---|---|
Driver | 260 |
2 Wood | 248 |
3 Wood | 236 |
4 Wood | 224 |
5 Wood | 212 |
1 Iron | 227 |
2 Iron | 215 |
3 Iron | 203 |
4 Iron | 191 |
5 Iron | 179 |
6 Iron | 167 |
7 Iron | 155 |
8 Iron | 143 |
9 Iron | 131 |
Pitching Wedge | 119 |
Sand Wedge | 100 |
Putter | * |
Tips on Club Selection
The ability to control the ball with backspin is one of the skills that separates the pros from the rest of us. Still, it’s never too late to learn, and if you want to stay alive on the TOUR, it’s a necessity. So take a lesson in hitting with backspin.
When aiming for the green, you’ll want to account for the amount of roll or backspin on the ball. Backspin takes effect after the first bounce. The ball hits the green, bounces forward, then grabs on the second bounce and rolls backward.
If you hit the green with a wood from far away, the ball will rocket off the putting surface into the rough or hazards beyond. If you hit the green with a medium or long-iron, there’s a chance the ball will stop on the green after the first bounce if the green is large enough.
Backspin works great when approaching a green, or on a par 3 hole. You cannot spin the ball with woods, in real life or the game. Even high irons are tough to spin; normally we only consider it when using a 5-iron or lower. It is especially effective on small, tight greens where the landing area is not very large and you need some way to slow the ball upon landing.
Under windy conditions try a higher club and hit the ball lower and roll-it-up to the pin to avoid the wind "grabbing" the ball or knocking it down short. One last note on spin is its effect on distance—be sure to use an extra club when applying a lot of spin, as the ball can typically spin backwards 15 feet or more.
BOTTOM LINE: YOU CAN PLAY A DECENT ROUND OF GOLF WITHOUT USING BACKSPIN, BUT IF YOU WANT TO COMPETE AGAINST THE PROS AND WIN, LEARN TO USE IT.
Drive for show, and putt for dough! Ask most players of both real golf and PGA TOUR 96 and you’ll find they all fall apart when they step on the green. They can drive, use their irons, chip for birdie, pitch like a pro and play from the sand, but get them on a putting green and they crumble quicker than ancient Twinkies. What you need is confidence and practice. Below are some tips to help you gain the first—the second is up to you.
Reading the breaks of a green poses one of the greatest problems for consistent putting. All of the platforms described in this play guide have the option of using a putting grid when on the green. The grid provides critical information on the contours of the green. Used in conjunction with the InstaView (PC users only) and the commentary provided by voice or text, it's virtually like walking the green. Some rules of thumb you can use for adjusting your Bull’s-Eye or aiming cursor while using the grid:
A tip on long putts we use when playing real golf is to draw an imaginary 4 foot "ring" around the hole and try to simply get inside this ring rather than the actual hole itself—this way you are sure to make a two-putt instead of blowing it with a three-putt or worse. Try it out on PGA TOUR 96.
If you land on the fringe, or apron, PGA TOUR 96 assumes you want to putt, and always selects your putter. Sometimes the hole is too far away, and you may elect to chip or pitch to the green. Try a chip with an 8-iron for the best results.
BOTTOM LINE: PUTTING CONSUMES SOME 43% OF THE STROKES FOR BETTER PLAYERS, THEREBY SERVING AS A GREAT EQUALIZER BETWEEN POWER AND FINESSE PLAYERS. MASTER THE PUTT AND YOU’LL BE A CHAMP ON ANY GREEN.