Fantastic courses await in EA Sports PGA Tour, with this guide designed to teach you how to add shot shape and control the spin of the ball.
By improving these skills you will definitely see your scores drop, helping you pick up all the trophies on the tour!
Check out our EA Sports PGA Tour shot shaping and spin guide below to add some finesse to your game.
EA Sports PGA Tour Shot Shaping
Shot shaping in EA Sports PGA Tour will help you avoid obstacles and approach the greens and holes from better angles, as well as adding different types of spin to the ball.
To shot shape you will use the right stick in the Pre-Address stage, where you can add the following:
- High Shot: A high shot has a steep trajectory and a high apex, allowing the ball to stop quickly on the green.
- Low Shot: A low shot has a flatter trajectory and a lower apex, allowing the ball to roll out more on the fairway or green.
- Draw: A draw shot curves from right to left (for a right-handed player), and has slightly less spin, causing the ball to roll out slightly more.
- Fade: A fade shot curves from left to right (for a right-handed player), and has slightly more spin, causing the ball to stop slightly quicker on the fairway or green.
Take note that when adding draw or fade to your shot, you will also need to change the angle and direction you move the stick on the swing path.
The path will mimic the shot shape, either going from bottom left (around 8 o'clock) up to centre (12 o'clock) or bottom right (around 4 o'clock) up to centre.
The closer your swing matches the line present in the on-screen display ball, the better your shot.
READ MORE: EA Sports PGA Tour First Impression Review
EA Sports PGA Tour Spin Control
Learning how to control the spin of the ball is an essential skill in EA Sports PGA Tour and it isn't something that can be easily taught.
This is because there are so many factors that will impact the spin of the ball that you will have to learn the more you play the game.
For people that regularly play golf or have a good knowledge of the sport, this will come easier, with the title recreating spin that you would expect in real life.
Here is a rundown of the main factors that affect the spin of the golf ball and how it will land and stop or roll:
Club
- Driver: A driver has a low loft and a larger clubface, producing less backspin and more sidespin, causing the ball to roll out more on the fairway or green.
- Wood: Woods have a higher loft than a driver, producing slightly more backspin, but still causing the ball to roll out more than a higher-lofted club.
- Hybrid: A hybrid club has a higher loft than a wood, and a smaller clubface, producing more backspin and a higher ball flight than a wood or driver.
- Iron: Irons have a higher loft than woods or driver, producing more backspin and a higher ball flight, allowing the ball to stop more quickly on the green.
- Wedge: Wedges have the highest loft of any club, producing the most backspin, causing the ball to stop quickly on the green.
Shot Type
With so many shot types to pick from in EA Sports PGA Tour, here is an explanation of how the most used ones will affect the spin of the ball.
- Drive: A drive shot will typically have less backspin and more sidespin, causing the ball to roll out more on the fairway or green.
- Approach: An approach shot with an iron or wedge will typically have more backspin and a higher ball flight, allowing the ball to stop more quickly on the green.
- Finesse: A finesse shot will typically have the most backspin, allowing the ball to stop very quickly on the green.
- Pitch: A pitch shot with a high-lofted wedge will typically have a high ball flight and a lot of backspin, allowing the ball to stop quickly on the green.
- Spinner: A spinner shot will typically have a lot of backspin, causing the ball to stop quickly on the green and even spin back towards the player.
- Flop: A flop shot with a high-lofted wedge will typically have a lot of loft and backspin, causing the ball to stop quickly on the green.
- Chip: A chip shot with a higher-lofted club, such as a wedge or iron, will typically have less backspin and a lower ball flight, allowing the ball to roll out more on the green.
You can take a deeper look into all the Shot Types on EA Sports PGA Tour here.
Shot Shape
- A draw or hook will produce a right-to-left spin, causing the ball to roll to the left.
- A fade or slice will produce a left-to-right spin, causing the ball to roll to the right.
For more information, see above in the 'EA Sports PGA Your Shot Shaping' section.
Swing Execution
A shot with good technique will produce the desired amount of spin, whereas poor technique can cause the ball to spin too much or too little, leading to inconsistent results.
- Overswing: Swinging too hard or overswinging can lead to more sidespin and less backspin on the ball, causing it to curve more in flight and roll out more on the ground.
- Underswing: Swinging too lightly or underswinging can cause lead to less sidespin and more backspin on the ball, causing it to fly higher and stop more quickly on the green.
- Fast: Hitting the ball with a fast swing speed can cause the ball to spin more, resulting in a higher ball flight and more backspin, causing it to stop more quickly on the green.
- Slow: Hitting the ball with a slow swing speed can cause the ball to spin less, resulting in a lower ball flight and less backspin, causing it to roll out more on the ground.
Ball Reactions on Terrain Type and Course Conditions
- Hard Fairway: A hard fairway will typically cause the ball to roll out more upon landing, reducing the amount of backspin and causing the ball to bounce forward.
- Soft Fairway: A soft fairway will typically cause the ball to stop more quickly upon landing, increasing the amount of backspin and reducing the distance of the shot.
- Hard Green: A hard green will typically cause the ball to bounce more upon landing, reducing the amount of backspin and causing the ball to roll out more.
- Soft Green: A soft green will typically cause the ball to stop more quickly upon landing, increasing the amount of backspin and reducing the distance of the shot.
- Uphill Slope: An uphill slope will typically cause the ball to stop more quickly upon landing, increasing the amount of backspin and reducing the distance of the shot.
- Downhill Slope: A downhill slope will typically cause the ball to roll out more upon landing, reducing the amount of backspin and causing the ball to bounce forward.
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Velocity & Spin Impact from Adverse Terrain and Lie
Adverse terrain like rough will impact the velocity and spin of the ball.
- Hitting from the Rough: Hitting the ball from the rough will typically cause the ball to spin less, reducing the distance of the shot and making it more difficult to control the direction of the ball. The amount of spin will depend on the depth and thickness of the rough, as well as the type of shot being played.
- Hitting from the Bunker: Hitting the ball from a bunker will typically cause the ball to spin more, resulting in a higher ball flight and more backspin, causing it to stop more quickly on the green. However, the bunker shot can be more difficult to control the distance and direction of the shot, and the amount of spin will depend on the type of sand and the technique used.
Lie refers to how the ball is sitting on the ground, including the angle and position of the ball relative to the clubface.
- Good Lie: A good lie, either with the ball teed up or sitting on a flat surface will typically allow the golfer to produce more backspin and a higher ball flight, resulting in a shot that stops more quickly on the green.
- Bad Lie: A bad lie, such as a ball buried in the rough or sitting in a divot, can make it difficult to produce spin and control the direction of the shot.
Wind
- Headwind: A headwind will typically cause the ball to spin more, resulting in a higher ball flight and more backspin, causing it to stop more quickly on the green. However, the headwind can also cause the ball to drift left or right, depending on the direction of the wind.
- Tailwind: A tailwind will typically cause the ball to spin less, resulting in a lower ball flight and less backspin, causing it to roll out more on the ground. However, the tailwind can also cause the ball to fly further than expected, making it more difficult to control the distance of the shot.
- Crosswind: A crosswind will typically cause the ball to spin to the left or right, depending on the direction of the wind, resulting in a hook or slice. The amount of spin will depend on the speed and direction of the wind, as well as the type of shot being played.
READ MORE: EA Sports PGA Tour Course List
Altitude
- High: At higher altitudes, the ball will spin less due to the thinner air.
- Low: At lower altitudes, the ball will spin more due to the denser air.