Mini-Review
I've only had time to play a handful of rounds so far - competed the amateur tour, competed in the Masters (as an amateur) and I'm midway through the Nationwide Tour.
Have they completely eliminated the need to adjust for the speed of the green in TW13? Last year I posted my putting strategy as follows:
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First adjust for elevation: For every inch up/down in elevations, add/subtract a foot of distance from your putter.
Next determine your speed:
Slow Conditions = Take approximately 10% off the putt
Average Conditions = Take approximately 20% off the putt
Fast Conditions = Take approximately 30% off the putt
Tournament Conditions = Take approximately 40% off the putt
Now compensate for the break: You're on your own. No formula - just practice and feel.
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If you tried to play a fast green the same as slow one you would blast every putt past the cup. This year when I take a little off for the faster greens I'm always short of the cup. So now I only adjust for elevation and break and ignore the speed of the green - it doesn't seem to make a difference. Last year Augusta was like playing on glass, now it doesn't play any different than any other green.
It took me a little time to adjust to the new putting meter and I thought it was quite a bit more difficult than last year. Now that I've acclimated to it, and without having to take green speed in account, I think it may be easier.
The new swing system is fine. The only significant difference I've notice is you need to be more precise if you need to shave a small amount (like 10-20%) off the club. Last year, if I needed 85% of a club on approach, I would take a full back swing then pause at the top for 1, 2 or maybe 3 seconds (depending on how much distance I needed to shave) before starting my down swing. The longer you held to the club at the top the more distance it would shave. You can't do that anymore... if you hold the club at the top for more than a half second or so it resets your swing and you have to start over. Now you need to adjust the distance marker on the course and then hit the white line on the swing meter - it takes a little more precision.
Off the tee is a little silly. I don't think it's possible to miss a fairway, even when you flub your swing the ball still goes relatively straight. Teeing off for distance I take a full back swing into the red zone with a fast tempo the ball flies straight every time.
The biggest change in degree of difficulty is pitching. I haven't completely figured it out yet and I find I'm hitting long more often than I'd like.
Hitting from the rough is weird. Last year they told you how bad your lie was and the percentage of impact on your swing. In TW13 I feel like I don't need to compensate for the rough at all.
Conclusion:
- The new swing meter is good and requires more precision. Although it is nearly impossible to miss the fairway off the tea.
- Pitching is considerably more difficult.
- Hitting from bad lies has been neutered.
- Any degree of difficulty added the putting is only because the swing meter requires more precision. This has been negated by minimizing any need to adjust for green speed.