I once caused a golfer extreme pain. Not by hitting him in the head with one of my wayward drives—I’ve never actually done that, though not for lack of trying. No, this golfer was in pain—actual physical pain—at the sight of my sorry excuse for a swing. My swing was an ugly mixture of awkward movements that looked like they were slapped together from the swings of two or three different golfers. That wouldn’t be so bad if those golfers were Tiger Woods and Sergio Garcia, but no such luck. It wasn’t pretty, and this golfer tried—and failed—to show me how to swing a club properly. I don’t know what happened to that guy, but there’s a good chance he ended up in therapy.
If only real-life golf were like Links® 2004, where everything makes so much more sense. Seasoned gamers already know that Links has had real-time swing for a while now, but this is the first time Links has come to the Xbox. And I’m here to tell you: Links and the Xbox make beautiful music together. Everything you loved about the swing mechanics in the PC version of Links is even better in Links 2004.
I Have the Power! The mechanics are simple. You swing the club with the left thumbstick, and the first thing you’ll notice is that swinging the ‘stick is much more intuitive than using your mouse. It really does feel like you’re swinging the club. As you pull back on the thumbstick, your onscreen counterpart goes into his or her backswing, and Links registers the power of the swing. If you’re at Beginner difficulty level, it will designate a recommended power level, but at higher levels you’re on your own. Then you “swing” the thumbstick in the other direction, and the power level you reached plus the speed of your movement determine the power of the swing. Watch out, though, because if your swing was offline, your ball will hook or slice in truly ugly ways. I was a little too familiar with the way those botched shots looked; they reminded me of some bad days on a real-life course.
Finesse Moves If that were it, the swing mechanics in Links 2004 would be merely good. But that’s just the beginning. First off, some types of swings require a soft touch. If you go for the power swing when you’re putting or trying for the pitch-and-run, for instance, you’ll come to grief in no time. Those shots require a more gentle motion with the stick that puts some finesse into your swing. The follow-through is just as important with these swings as it is when you’re using woods or irons, though, so don’t forget to complete the swing as well as you started it.
Spin-meister At a deeper level of finesse lies the spin you put on the ball, andLinks is once again there to give you all the control that a golfer could want. So you’re looking at a short green and think that your ball might just scamper all the way over to the rough on the back side? No problem. As you’re going into your swing, pull back on the right thumbstick to put the sort of backspin on the ball that will bring it back toward the pin. Or, on the other hand, if you want your ball to keep running after it lands, push forward on the right thumbstick to minimize backspin. Moving the right thumbstick to the right or left puts sidespin on the ball, for those times when you’re feeling cocky enough to try a draw or a fade. You’re the master of your shot, and with Links 2004, your mastery is complete.
There’s even more to tell—things like blasts, chips, flops, and punches—but that’s a story for another day. For now, rest easy in the knowledge that Links 2004 has the most refined swing mechanics a golf aficionado could ever want. With sweet visuals and straight, powerful swings, this is a game that will put a big smile on your face. And it might even ease the pain of that golfer who tried to help me so many years ago.
