Tiger Tips—Surviving the Round

Published September 17, 2007

Winning strategy in Tiger Woods PGA Tour® 08 mirrors good golf strategy in nearly every way and requires the same basic tools: discipline, focus, and finding the fine line between adjustment and over-correction. The following tips should put you on the way to finding virtual golf success. Good luck.

Use the right-stick to get under the ball.

Be Gentle
The Tiger Woods series utilizes the analog swing mechanic, although this year's version reintroduces the three-click swing mechanic if you wish to use that method. But with the analog swing, the natural impulse is to jam the left control stick forward when beginning your follow-through. However, your power comes not from how hard you press the stick, but from both the length of your backswing and your Power Boost (tap A repeatedly during your backswing). Unless you're looking for a bad slice or nasty hook, press gently forward at the top of your backswing for an accurate and still powerful shot.

Natural Tendencies
If you consistently fade (a gentle slice) or draw (a gentle hook) the ball, you may have a natural tendency to press a little to the left or right on your swing. You may not even notice you're doing this. While it's always preferable to press directly forward on the left control stick, make sure to adjust your shot direction to compensate for your natural fade or draw. This is particularly crucial off the tee as you make use of less accurate clubs like the driver or 3-wood.

Putt to Slope Ratio
You'll very rarely find yourself putting on a perfectly level green, so adjusting the power of your putt to compensate for uphill and downhill slope is crucial. The general rule of thumb is to add one foot of power for every inch of slope. For example, if the hole is five inches above you and ten feet away, you'd want to apply fifteen feet of power to your putt.

Careful on the downslope.

This works relatively well. But downhill putts may require a touch more adjustment, so exercise even more caution than you think necessary when dealing with a lengthy downhill putt.

Shot Options
Golf is not a simple game, yet so many Tiger Woods players just haul off and cut loose on the ball without considering their options. Many of the available pre-shot adjustments can give you an immediate advantage, so don't ignore them. For example:

Use the Punch shot type for cutting through the wind and running the ball along the ground to your target with greater accuracy.

• ŸUse the right control stick to close or open your club, depending on the situation. For example, you may want to drive through the wind, but not use a punch-shot, so press Up to close the blade for a lower-angled shot. Likewise, if you need to clear a nearby tree, try opening the blade (press Down) for greater loft.
• If your approach lands just on the edge of the fairway a few inches from the green, try breaking out the putter instead of the game default pitching or chipping option.
• Remember to Fade or Draw your shots to clear obstacles as well as follow the natural course of the hole if it doglegs to the left or right.

Below the Hole
Just like in real golf, putting downhill in Tiger Woods PGA Tour 08 is a dangerous proposition. It's simply too easy to slide the putt past the hole and watch helplessly as it trickles down to the bottom of the green. Always direct your approach shots beneath the hole whenever possible so you end up putting uphill.

If you're unsure which section of the green is below the hole, use the height measurement on the HUD to compare and contrast different areas on the green. Shifting the camera with RB on your approach or pitch shot can also improve your depth perception, and allow you to see the slope of the green more easily.

Take it easy with the driver.

Pro Beginnings
So many fans of Tiger Woods PGA Tour 08 seek a realistic simulation experience, and for veterans, this usually means cranking up the difficulty a notch. You may want to consider holding off on a higher difficulty level though until your skills have reached at least Pro level. You begin essentially as an amateur golfer in skill level, so PGA Tour events and Tiger Challenges can prove frustratingly difficult in the early going if you are already playing on Hard or higher.

Cut Short the Bingo
The newest game mode introduced in Tiger Woods PGA Tour 08 is Bingo, Bango, Bongo, which awards three points for each hole played: one for the first player to land on the green, another for the player closest to the pin when they land on the green, and the last point for the lowest score on the hole.

Provided you're confident in your approach ability, you can create a competitive advantage from the start by cutting short your drive behind your opponent. This way, you'll ensure you'll have the next shot, and as long as you can land on the green, you're guaranteed the first point.

Skill Up
Many new players to the Tiger Woods series will toil away at events and wonder why their skill meter never reaches the next tier, for instance, moving from Rookie to Pro. Unlocking new thresholds for your skills requires you to play through the Tiger Challenge. Namely, you need to challenge and defeat the licensed golfers.

In order to stay at the top of your game and play competitively in the tougher challenges, consider maxing your skills as soon as you reach a new skill tier. Tackle a few mini-games in the Skills Training section as soon as you unlock a new tier and raise those skills to higher levels.

With these tips, you should be able to survive a round with Tiger, at least on Xbox 360™. You're on your own in the real world.

Article by Ryan Treit