Q&A's...
Am I the only one that uses ball spin?
Not at all...
You see, NTM's just like architecture, it's all about measurement and proportions... that said, it's time for some Q&A action.
Hey Oli, what about Backspin and forward roll technics, how exactly does it work?
When you're done with the power gauge, you hold up or down to do a forwardspin (FS) or a backspin (BS) respectively and then push the A button to stop the second low/nice/high gauge. You'll screw 7 out of 10 shoots though, if you'll use it in a casual way... mostly those techniques are utilised best to revise an incorrect power gauge input, i.e. you wanted to get a 100% shot, but the gauge stopped at 95? Do the forward spin...
I can recommend to do the FS on the tee shot. The Shot Maker can do a 302 yard shot this way, instead of a 300 one. Doesn't hurt. The BS works also quite good on the fair way and won't do you any harm.
ALAS, don't use the BS when hitting on the green. This is VERY dangerous, because your ball jumps high on this lowest grass and in combination with a BS is can throw you back on the fairway or worse, even if you land in the middle of the green island. The FS is less dangerous, still, it can distract your landing on a hill that is located on the green. The ball can easily roll down. Then you'll have to deal with ground distortions...
To use or not? Try it out and get a feeling of it. It is useful (mostly for fairway shots) but is otherwise a hard to handle affair. Recommended to pros only.
Also, an imortant note! If you use a BS/FS in combination with a hook or a slice, the ball will move to the right or to the left and NOT back or forward. Shots with lower distances tend to weaken this unlikable side effect...
Also Grain on the green, is it for the green as position on the screen or from where you're standing?
Grain is a very important distortion factor to consider. Though it has literally no meaning when your about 20 cm from the hole on an even ground, it can cost you a birdie, if you don't counteract on longer distances while putting. But to asnwer your question: It is the position on the screen, which is defining.
Example: Grain bolt is showing to the upper part of the screen (North), you stand on the north side of the hole and have to put down (i.e. South). Grain is against you and if you play with the Shot Maker, I strongly advise you to do so with one slat more than recuired.
Hills on the green are also a big problem 'cause the shading sometimes doesn't feel consistent, any thoughts on that?
How do you handle elevation change?
Ground elevations on the green are the incarnation of bias when it comes to putting, since there is no wind on the green to consider. This is the most important distortion factor and remember, one knoll can offer you multiple distortions at once, depending on the position your ball is on.
Basic rule is: You stand before an elevation and have to put right across it? Then your ball will fall more to the right and you'll have to move the cursor more to the left. If the flag is beyond a knoll, that would be a double distortion. First to the right while going up, then to the left, while descending... in this situation it is advisible to do nothing at all, since one distortion evens up the other.
And yes, you can't rely on graphical appearances alone, since an elevation on hole #2 my look the same as on #8, but boy, do they play differently... you have to remember these differences, while approaching different holes.
Also I'm conflicted on the difficulty settings...
Yes, a common problem. On the AES the MVS setting is equal to 4 on an MVS setup. It is the classical arcade difficulty, where you begin quite easy and end in a coffin
. So, basically they make you pleased with two easy rounds of what ever you play and then it's quarter muncher time... MVS is not the default setting on the AES but is necessary,
if you want your records to be accepted by the international highscore coterie.
Nedless to say, I only touch the MVS setting on my setup. The wind is the crucial factor and you'll get plenty of it on the MVS difficulty. Without it's deadly influence, I could quite easily break the -24 world record, anyone could.
...how do you change region on your AES without changing bios?
It is one of the first modded consoles. Mod was done long before the era of Raz
. 1995, by some Swiss wizards named GT Elektronik. It only has a region and a 50/60Hz switch on the back. I never opened it, so I don't know what they used to get the change right to a japanese BIOS. Probably an original japanese chip, since it could be bought separately in '95, I guess... I use it to get clean records.
...when you use a memory card, does it save after each hole or only after game over?
As PA already answered your question, just let me add that the memory card is an excellent practicing device. You play your hole and when you screw it, you just reset the console and start right on the same hole from the beginning...
...unfortunately your score is not deleted either, so this is also a very effective cheating vehicle. You can practically break any record with it and the poison remains untraceable. That is why I thought about a video. Of course not with a capcure gadget, but with an external camcorder pointed at a CRT. Will seriously think about it.
Do you ever deliberately hit over 100%? Is there any downside to it?
Yes. I fancy it sometimes. It is much easier to hit the 110% than exactly hitting the 100. So, if I'd have to hit exactly a 220, then I rather take a 200 wood and blast the 110%. I don't know of any downside...
Do you ever deliberately hit the ball high/low? Pro's/con's?
You bet. Just think of a tree some yards away, growing roots, standing right there in your way. A high hit is inevitable. Downside is, that you loose some yards a nice shot would add to your shooting distance. Also, the higher you go, the more important the wind will become. So, if you hit it low, it won't distort your air route that much...
...there's more, though. Hit the ball high on an elevation on the green and it will often not roll down, because of the growth in energy from falling down from a higher altitude. It literally gets stuck in the grass
.
That's all folks... for now at least. The most important thing is to practice anyway... and of course the three rules to good play: Carefully. Carefully. Carefully. Now get them double digits!
Edit for typos.