If you’re like me, you’ve had to put up with playing on a machine where the ball “pulls” to one side or the other.  So, if the ball pulls left, a normal shot straight forward will get pulled left by the flaw in the dirty trackball or rollers.  And then, to compensate, you have to think before EVERY SHOT to hit the ball forward slightly right of where you’d normally aim.

This also goes for pulling back also, as in this example, the ball would pull right on the pullback.  So, your mentality is to pull back slightly left of where you normally would, and shoot forward slightly right of where you normally would.

This is a pain in the ass, but in my area, the trackballs don’t get a lot of attention from the vendors.  I try to avoid these machines, but I’d rather play a round using a slightly messed up trackball than play no round at all!

In extreme cases, it’s easy to tell which way it’s pulling just by rolling back and forward before you begin.  But for less noticeable cases, or when you’re playing a different machine for the first time, use this test!

On the first tee, pull up the Options and go to Equipment Setup.  Go to the Buy Balls screen.  Now, position the cursor in the middle, dead gap between the first and second panes surrounding the golf ball details.  If you’re hovering over one of the three panes, you’ll see it highlighted, but when you move the cursor to the narrow line in between the panes, nothing will be highlighted.

Now, move the cursor to the top of this dead area, and slowly pull the trackball straight back.  If the cursor trails off to the right or the left, you’ll know the trackball has a pull.  Do the same thing from the bottom, rolling the ball straight forward slowly, and you’ll usually see the pull in the opposite direction going forward.

This test can also be used to determine how accurate you are when pulling straight back or pushing straight forward!  So, if you’re having accuracy problems when shaping shots, go here and make sure your shots back to B or forward to 2 are indeed going where you want.

This was another great tip given to me by Juan Schwartz that you should be able to use to test the trackball on any machine you’ll be using — good luck!

I got this great tip from one of the pros who helps me out:

“For any shot under 50/50 (50% A or C and 50% 1 or 3) it will cut off distance. Anything over it will add distance.”

So, keep that in mind when you are applying curve to a shot!  If you are adding just a little curve, expect some distance to be cut off.  But, if you are playing close to a C3 or A1, you’ll definitely add distance!

Here’s a tricky shot that can make you look like a genius when you pull it off. We all know the shape of the C2 shot, where it goes out straight and curves left towards the target, and we know the shape of the B3 schwerve, where the ball heads out right but comes back to a target in front of you. We also know an A3 is a straight-line shot out to the right. But what do you do when you have to thread a gap where you need the ball to head out to the right, but straighten out towards the end, so it ends up coming straight-in to a target off to the right? Enter the outside J!

I needed a name for this shot, and when I realized the shape of the shot when going out to the right is like a ‘J’, it was pretty easy. So how do you pull it off?

It’s tricky, and you won’t use it very often, but you should have it in your arsenal. First, figure out how far to the right you need the ball to end up (for this shot, you should need the ball to end up about a half-rotation right of target). So, pull the trackball back just slightly left of B, but no more than halfway between A and B. This tells the game you want it to end up right of target.

Then, shoot the ball forward out to 3! This tells the ball to begin its angle way out to the right. So, when you pull it off, you’ll see the ball take off out to the right, but it will soon straighten out and end up coming in straight ahead to your target (hence the ‘J’ shape)!

Usually, you can get the ball to a right target more easily by rotating right and hitting some form of C2 or B3, but the J shot is for situations where you’re threading trees or find yourself behind some obstacle and have an offset look at the pin or target.

Of course, the same theories apply to the backwards J shot too, where you need to hit it out left instead!

Be careful shooting the outside J with a right-to-left wind, because the ball will have a much harder time coming back against the wind! Also be wary of pulling back too far left of B, or else you might just see the shot behave like an A3 instead.

Here are several situations when you might see the pros shoot this shot:
1) You’re offset so you don’t want it to come back to straight
2) There’s a big break on the green
3) There’s a strong crosswind to the left and you need to “undercut” it so that it will ride the wind back left more than actually cut back toward the hole.
4) You have a shorter shot with a strong crosswind to the right. Here you might turn left once and shoot the outside J so that it fights the wind a little bit. It might make a 12 mph wind act more like a 6 mph wind which helps you have more control of the shot once it hits the green.

It’s not an easy shot to master, but give it a try sometime and see what happens!

As an amateur player, I’ve come across some more questions regarding the trackball and how its behavior affects your ball in certain circumstances. I’ve addressed some of these questions in this article so that all of us can come away with a better understanding of exactly why the crappy shot we just executed was so bad.

First of all, brush up on this article by Sobe on the GoldenTee site:

Now you know most of what there is to know about A1 and C3 shots, while also getting an inside look at the trackball! But, always wanting more, I had some additional questions in mind that I got answers from by the expert community!

Q: Do the sensors only read the pullback angle up until your golfer is at full backswing?

A: Yes. This means two things.

First, you don’t have to crank the ball backwards, although for most guys, that’s the easiest way to generate a pure pullback angle. If you want, you can pull back gently until your golfer is at full backswing. From that point on, pulling back any more has no effect.

Secondly, you can’t change your pullback angle if your golfer is already at full backswing. Instead, you have to “reset” your golfer by rotating left or right (for example), and then perform the pullback again.

Q: Sometimes, when you pull back part way, you can push forward slowly to decrease the backswing. What effect does this have on your final pullback angle for the shot?

A: This created some controversial discussion. Here are several takes on what happens:

1) A1 spinny with the club coming down: club is pulled back all the way to A, start spinning, the club starts coming down by itself, but with slow downswing speed. Ball doesn’t go very far because of the slow downswing.

5-wood pulled back all the way, then nudged down to halfway, then thumb at normal thumbage speed. Ball goes a lot farther than expected. Why? I think because you pulled all the way back to begin with.

2) It will start the shot from the stopped point. However it will have read the first part of the forward swing. Stopping the club will not reset this. You really shouldn’t push the club forward and stop it because knowing exactly what read it got off the little bit it was pushed is damn near impossible. So it will affect the angle but to know how is dependant on where it was pushed forward.

Q: Is there a “maximum velocity” at which you can hit the ball forward? Meaning, is there a speed at which distance maxes out? Can humans reach this speed?

A: Yes, yes, and yes. There didn’t used to be a known max on the RPMs, so there were some crazy ways to hit the trackball to get just a “little more” distance. They finally put a max (or restrictor) on it to keep people from killing themselves while playing and to level the playing field a bit.

Q: How are distance and angle affected if you pull back “past” A or C or shoot forward “past” 1 or 3? Does this decrease distance because of how the sensors are hit? Are the max angles at exactly A and 1?

A: There are angles past A, C, 1, and 3. The max cut will yield the max distance. Some people refer to the “past A, past 1″ (and C3) as an overcut. Spinning the ball while you do that is the Spinner (Spinny). If you don’t use these shots at some point in a game, you’re probably not maximizing your potential score. There are also variations of these shots (an overcut A, but hitting between 1 & 2, for example) to get a different effect.

Sobe has a seemingly contradictory stance on this topic also:

“Don’t Overcompensate:
When you hit the trackball forward outside of 3 (towards ‘choose club’) the shot will actually cut inside as if it was hit closer to 2 1/2. No, the trackball isn’t broken - you just missed your line, my friend.”

Q: Does it matter if you pound down on the ball as opposed to a smooth, straight follow-through? It’s hard for me to shoot forward at 1 or 3 the same way I shoot forward at 2, so I usually pound down on it since I can’t follow through as well. So, I’m wondering how this is affecting my distance.

A: Pounding down on the ball will reduce distance. Here is more explanation:

Pounding down on the ball has a much different effect then a smooth hit. The biggest difference is the RPMs are going to be way off. I guess the best way to describe it is comparing the shot to a change up in baseball. You can swing your arm as hard as you want, but it will not spin the ball as fast.

I am also a firm believer that you have way more control over a smooth shot as compared to the beating that gets put on the balls. A smooth shot is much more consistant. You get into a mode where you know the “feel” of a shot. To achieve this you have to have a consistant motion. That cannot be achieved pounding down on the ball.

It also wears the balls out quicker when they are being hit down on.

However, within Sobe’s article, he has another take on this approach:

“Top players know that hitting down on the trackball is not the proper way to play Golden Tee. Hitting across the ball smoothly is the way to maximize performance. But hitting down on the trackball is the most important element of a successful C-3. It will take practice and a little patience but trust me; it really works. Some shots, especially softer ones, have a tendency to come off the clubface straight even though you hit out towards 3. This is caused by the movement of the trackball within its casing. So, by hitting down on the trackball you’ll help prevent this from occurring. Try it - you’ll notice the results right away.”

Q: How much can accuracy and distance be affected by a “dirty” trackball?

A: Depends on how dirty! Accuracy and distance can be affected by a dirty trackball, but it’s hard to say how much.

The schwerve (schwervy) refers to a B1 or B3 shot, and it’s important enough that I wanted to bring it back for discussion. I see several players lose strokes because they are scared to play this shot, but I think it’s just because they don’t fully understand it and its potential!

Usually, you use a schwerve as a mini-hook around an obstacle directly in front of you. So, your target is straight ahead, but maybe you have some tree branches you’re scared of clipping. The simple solution is to play a little B1 or B3 to go around the branches and come back in at the target.

More advanced players use the schwerve to optimize their angle of approach into the flag where the slope of the green or the wind might otherwise move the ball away from the pin. Let’s say the flag is on the extreme right side of the green. If there’s a moderate wind blowing left, or if the green slopes left, it’s going to be difficult to stick it close to the pin. More than likely, amateur players are going to end up in the middle of the green (if they play safe), or run the risk of missing right, off the green (if they play aggressively). In these situations, the schwerve allows you to fight the wind or the slope by coming in at the opposite angle. So here, you’d play a B1-type shot to come in at a right-to-left angle, increasing your chances of sticking the ball by the cup.

Of course, wind is always going to be a consideration. You won’t always be pulling back exactly to B. Remember, you pull back to where you want the ball to end up, so that’s the first thing you figure out. Then, you can apply the “schwerve” to optimize your angle of approach!

For free practice hitting a schwerve, just try it while teeing off on an easy, non-drivable par 4. Keep your eye on the point in the middle of the fairway where you expect the ball to end up, and then note where it actually does end up. Also note the degree of curve you just created on the shot and the angle at which the ball came in towards the target. Practice this with all the clubs in your bag, because the angle and distance the ball comes back towards center varies with each club. Here is a list of roughly what you can expect from each of the clubs by hitting a full B1 or B3. For example, the driver will come back about 10 degrees past center, but the 7-iron will come back only about 10 degrees short of center (assuming a flat landing surface with no wind):

Driver — 10 degrees past center
3-wood — 5 degrees past center
5-wood — about center
2-iron/hybrid — 15 degrees past center
3-iron/hybrid — 10 degrees past center
4-iron/hybrid — 5 degrees past center
5-iron/hybrid — about center
6-iron — 5 degrees short of center
7-iron — 10 degrees short of center
8-iron — 15 degrees short of center
9-iron — 20 degrees short of center
SW — 25 degrees short of center
LW — 30 degrees short of center

Notice how the low-lofted clubs come back past center, but the high-lofted clubs don’t come back all the way to center. Keep this in mind when practicing these shots! Also remember how much the wind affects the high-lofted clubs as opposed to the low-lofted ones! Finally, notice that if you pull back to B but hit between 1 and 2, the ball only hooks about half as much, and the wind will take it more here as well.

One final note to remember — when trying to stick a green with a schwerve, remember that the backspin will take it the direction its headed. So, let’s say you schwerve a 5-iron into the green with a B3. With no spin, it would land a little right of center but roll to about center. But, WITH backspin, it will land just right of center, but then the backspin will pull it slightly left of center.

So, hopefully you have a better understanding of the schwerve, and now you can go out and practice it on the course! Feel free to leave comments if you have anything to add!

Another lesson I understood only just recently is the impact of a straight-angle shot out of the rough vs. a curved shot. I was aware that curved shots lose a lot of distance when applied from the rough (or sand, etc), but I didn’t realize how far these straight 180 degree shots can go! I never really had these shots in my repertoire, but now I use them quite a bit — an A3 or C1-type shot is a great way to maintain distance from the rough while also fighting wind or slope by coming in at an angle! Also beware of how far woods travel in relation to high-lofted irons — I missed quite a few greens long before I realized the impact this kind of shot has. You’ll also notice the distance you lack if you don’t pull back on shots from the rough. Get some practice with these shots to recover from errant tee shots and still hit the green with ease!

Only just recently did I learn of a big mistake I was making that was surely costing me several hit greens.  I had no idea that the machine reads only your initial pullback of the trackball, and not any adjustments you try to make after it unless you reset your approach. I have always been in the habit of pulling the ball back once, and then pulling it back several more times until I have the angle I want. Little did I know that it only reads the first pullback and what I was doing had no effect at all! That one realization alone should greatly improve my game, or yours for that matter.Going along with that lesson was the habit of overcompensating for trackballs that don’t come straight back. For instance, if a trackball gets dirty, a pullback you think is straight may actually tail off to the left or right at the end. I figured the machine read that last movement before the ball quit spinning and that I had to compensate for that.  But, it really only reads the pullback until your golfer’s swing is fully cocked, ignoring what happens afterward (so you don’t need much of a pullback at all — only until you’ve created a full backswing).  How about that!  This will look like a stupid post to the pros, but if you’re like me, I bet you didn’t know these facts either!

This is where everything begins in Golden Tee. You have to know how to create all the different kinds of shots that Golden Tee allows you to shoot. A picture of the trackball is shown below, and this section gives you tips on how to create all the shots you’ll need:

You don’t have to pull the trackball back before every shot in Golden Tee, nor do you want to! A big tip is that you can get a more accurate shot by just blasting the ball forward to the direction where you want it to go.

1
This shot creates a straight-line shot off to the left. I use this shot to fight against small to medium winds blowing to the right. By shooting the ball in a straight line left of target, the wind will blow the ball back right towards the target.

2
As expected, this shot will go straight forward, but the wind will blow the ball depending on the direction.

3
This shot creates a straight-line shot off to the right. I use this shot to fight against small to medium winds blowing to the left. By shooting the ball in a straight line right of target, the wind will blow the ball back left towards the target.

Palm or Thumbs?
So should you blast away at the trackball with your palm, or should you flick the ball forward with your thumbs? There are situations that call for both.

If you want maximum distance from your wood or iron on any one shot, you’re probably best to hammer the trackball with your palm.

If you’re trying to land the ball at a specific yardage, you can go either way. If you’re more comfortable gauging distance with a palm shot, then stick with that (you can always take some speed off). If you want to give your palm a rest, or if you want to finesse the shot so that it doesn’t go quite as far as you’d like it to, thumbs are a good option also.

If you have a short chip, it’s probably best to get the feel with your thumbs. Palm shots when trying to hit a short wedge can often end up too long.

Putting is up to personal preference, but the majority of good players putt with their thumbs. I used my palm for a long time for putts and did pretty well with it, but I recently switched to thumbs, and I’m starting to see the benefits. Thumbs seem to allow you to putt more accurately than sliding your palm up towards the target, but again, personal preference prevails!

You can more distance and create all kinds of angled shots in Golden Tee by using the two-step shot type. Tips on each are outlined below:

A1
This shot creates a giant hook to the right. The ball will start off heading roughly 45 degrees to the left, and it will end up coming in roughly at a 45-degree angle to the right. This shot is great if there is a tree directly in front of you and your desired landing area is off to the right past the tree. The shot would curve right around the tree and come in towards the landing area at an angle.

A2
This shot creates a hook to the right. The ball will start off heading straight forward, but it will hook right at roughly a 45-degree angle. This shot is great if you have a clear path forward but really need to hook it right to the landing area. It’s also great for fighting against heavy winds blowing to the left.

A3
This shot creates a straight-angled shot to the right. The ball will travel in a straight line roughly 45 degrees to the right of where you are facing. I rarely find a need to execute this shot (except maybe for fighting the wind), since you can just rotate to the right and hit it straight forward.

B1
This shot is good for shooting around an obstacle in front of you to a target in front of the obstacle. The ball will start off heading at an angle to the left, but it will come back around and end up roughly straight ahead of you, coming into the landing area at only a small angle.

B2
Straight back, straight forward! This shot is great for long, straight drives.

B3
This shot is good for shooting around an obstacle in front of you to a target in front of the obstacle. The ball will start off heading at an angle to the right, but it will come back around and end up roughly straight ahead of you, coming into the landing area at only a small angle.

C1
This shot creates a straight-angled shot to the left. The ball will travel in a straight line roughly 45 degrees to the left of where you are facing. I rarely find a need to execute this shot (except maybe for fighting the wind), since you can just rotate to the left and hit it straight forward.

C2
This shot creates a hook to the left. The ball will start off heading straight forward, but it will hook left at roughly a 45-degree angle. This shot is great if you have a clear path forward but really need to hook it left to the landing area. It’s also great for fighting against heavy winds blowing to the right.

C3
This shot creates a giant hook to the left. The ball will start off heading roughly 45 degrees to the right, and it will end up coming in roughly at a 45-degree angle to the left. This shot is great if there is a tree directly in front of you and your desired landing area is off to the left past the tree. The shot would curve left around the tree and come in towards the landing area at an angle.

First, you’ll always have the shot types and how to execute them right in front of you on the control panel on Golden Tee, so you don’t have to memorize how to shoot all these shots. Experience will also play a major role in your comfort level with the execution of these shots.

Secondly, I came across a great tip that goes a long way towards trackball advice. Basically, you want to pull the ball back towards where you want the ball to end up, and you want to shoot forward towards where you want the ball to start. So for an A1 shot, as you are pulling back towards A, visualize the ball ending up in a straight line out from A to 3 (which would be roughly 45 degrees to the right). And as you shoot forward towards 1, the ball will start off in that direction (roughly 45 degrees to the left).

Play around with the angles as you get more experience with these shots. For instance, if you need a small hook to the left and want to start the ball off just a little to the right, pull the ball back between B and C and shoot it forward between 2 and 3. It’s all about learning just how much hook will do the job for the shot you need!