Living room golf

When the snow was falling, the courses were shut and the golfing fraternity was cursing meteorological analysts for the bleak outlook, I satisfied my thirst for golf (to a degree) by playing Tiger Woods 2010 on the Wii.

Last night the missus and I went to the cinema to watch the luscious, 3d action spectacular that is Avatar, which among other highlights includes a joyous and deliberate demonstration of 3d technology with a putting scene.

Experts believe that by the year 2014 the majority of homes will contain a 3D television and this got me thinking. Take the ground breaking Wii motion plus technology that has made Tiger Woods 2010 the greatest console simulation of golf, ever. Hone it and develop it. Add 3D tv technology and we could all possibly have the ultimate, fun golf training aid in the comfort of our own living room?

So how could it help I hear you ask. It can certainly aid tempo but for me the stand out area it can help you improve your game is course management. Previously I used to approach each hole by smashing the driver and then hoping to be left with a full shot to the green. On short par 4’s this was often a half shot, which I’d sometimes get right and other times get wrong. Now with the exception of the Driver, 3 Wood, and 5 Wood/Lob Wedge which I don’t own (yet), the clubs in my bag are the same as, well the clubs in my bag. I now listen to the commentary on each hole and think my way onto the green. I now hit more FIR, more GIR and am scoring consistently lower. I hit more pitches within the golden eight distance (see review on Pelz) and as a result drain more birdies, especially on the courses with tougher greens. To get the full effect you need to turn up the difficulty so you can’t use ridiculous post shot spin options to help your shot stay online. Speaking of online you can even play against the pro's 'live' during real tournaments.

So if you own a Wii, next time you are rained/snowed off try using Tiger to improve your course management, and let me know if it works for you

If you don’t own Tiger 2010 on the Wii click below to buy it, you won’t be disappointed!



PS Don't forget your Wii Motion Plus Accessory!

Comments:

Mark
HiI have got my handicap from 21 at the start of 2009 to 9.4 now. It can be done and course management/equipment is at the heart of the improvements. Course management CAN be learned very quickly, but takes a lot of mental strength to apply on the course. Not sure that a video game will help in real conditions, but hey, no harm in trying.

Homer
Sorry but I can’t see it working. See my thoughts on the GM forum but course management is a skill learned in the heat of battle and by making mistakes for real