Golf is a game that requires not only physical strength, but mental acuity as well. Professional and amateur golfers alike should make sure to carefully plan each shot, analyze the current hole, and keep their bodies in sync. In PGA Tour 2K21 you don't have to worry about most of the technicalities because the game takes care of that for you. Still, you'll need to master the finer points, and one of them is driving.
For those who may be new to golf, driving the ball is what you'll be doing most of the time between when you hit the tee at a hole and when you hit the green. There will be times when you need to chip or pitch, but don't worry too much about it just yet. When driving the balloon you will be using the pilot most of the time. However, you can also use a 5 Hybrid or a 5 Iron at times, especially on shorter par 3 holes or longer par 4s.
Now that you have a good idea of what driving is, let's go over some simple steps to get you in the right direction.
Know the commands
When you start the PGA Tour 2K21 for the first time, you will be prompted to select the stick you want to use for driving and putting. Players can choose between LS / RS (Xbox) or L3 / R3 (PlayStation) to take photos in PGA Tour 2K21. As to which one to choose, it's up to you. However, you have to choose the stick that matches your dominant hand. For example, if you are right handed, you can choose RS / R3. And for lefties, choosing LS / L3 might be best for you.
Now that you've selected which stick to use, let's review the controls. To enter your backward movement, move and hold LS / RS or L3 / R3 down. To switch to your downswing, that is, when you actually hit the golf ball, move LS / RS or L3 / R3 up after you have completed the backswing. However, you have to push the stick upwards so that the ball goes in the right direction. If you don't, the photo may skew left or right.
Look at the circle at the bottom right, as that will indicate how straight you are with LS / L3 or RS / R3.Swing calibration is important
Before you do anything in PGA Tour 2K21, spend some time in Practice mode. Not only will you be able to play and get a good feel for the controls, but players can also calibrate their swing. Calibrating your swing will give you a better idea of how you should time your swing, but it will also allow the game to calibrate the perfect descent timing to suit your shot. We'll explain in more detail why this is important in a moment.
Choose your club wisely
When starting PGA 2K21 for the first time, your character will be saddled with a bag of clubs by default. The good news is that starting new clubs is relatively easy. Clubs can be purchased with coins which can only be obtained from complete in-game objectives and final rounds of golf in Local, Online, and Career modes. Ideally, you'll want riders and irons that can have a good distance, but also some forgiveness. A club's forgiveness is an indicator of how much room for error you will have when flying the ball. If you're someone who tends to pull the left or right stick up a less than straight line, choose a club that has a lot of forgiveness.
Hit the white marker
When you attempt a player in PGA Tour 2K21, you will notice at the bottom of the screen a bar with a white marker inside. This white marker will show the percentage of power you are currently supposed to swing at. The point is to hit that marker with your recoil, and to do that you will want to shift LS / RS or L3 / R3 up as soon as the bar line hits that white marker. You can move up slightly before or after the line hits the marker, but if you do, keep in mind that there are occasions when it could cause you to either lose power on the shot or put in too much and slice it.
Use aim and formatting tools
When planning a ride it is important to use the target marker, which can be adjusted using LS / RS or L3 / R3, depending on which stick you are not using for driving. Moving the marker allows you to aim for the ball, but be sure to keep the wind direction in mind. If you don't, the ball may blow directly into an area of rough grass.
Also, you may want to use the in-game shaping tools. These shaping tools allow you to hook the ball in a specific direction, which might help you avoid some dangerous dangers. To do this, use the stick you are not using to shoot to move the target while holding LB / L1.
Deactivate Swing Timing to start
The timing of the swing in PGA Tour 2K21 can affect your shot in a number of ways. If you manage to hit the shot with perfect power (meaning you've hit the white marker), your shot should not slice or hook. On the contrary, the shot should be relatively straight, as long as you push LS / L3 or RS / R3 up. However, even the slightest deviation from this marker could confuse the reader. On top of that, the speed (or timing of the swing) of how you ride also affects the shot. Coming too fast or too slow will also be a factor in determining the destination of the balloon. But here's the problem with all of this: It's really hard to get the timing right consistently.
Due to this odd and somewhat flawed mechanic, we recommend that you initially turn off Swing Timing. This will allow you to forget about the timing, which means you will only have to focus on the white marker. Once you get the hang of it, you can worry about the timing.
Other recommendations
Here are some of our other recommendations:
- Try to play on a lower difficulty from the start - It can help you learn the mechanics of the game better.
- Learn the courses - Some courses play differently from others, so knowing the course layout, as well as its firmness and speed can help you when replaying this one.
- Practice, Practice, Practice - Like in real golf, cutting down on your time takes time. Don't get frustrated too easily. All you have to do is work on it.
