No Grid?? aack!

[BirdieExpress]

I've never played a round of no grid, never wanted to, never saw any point in it. But I dropped into a tourney with a no grid round (I didn't know at the time i started the tourney). I was happy I at least got it into the hole the first few holes and i got a little better as the game went along, but there has to be some simple tips someone could throw out to at least make it seem like ....... fun?.

I'm ok with prodding to the left and in front of me in the fairway to check my lie, but I have no clue on the greens. Toward the end I started to watch every shot into the green on 1x replay just so I could get a good look at the green (slowed down the game a bit, though). The BLI only gives so much info, and I saw how I could move my aimer to the left and right of the hole to see how much the elevation changes, but I was hopeless in translating that into aim.

Any tips?

[canuck]

hello
I have never used the grid , only used the BLI.
FOR THE BLI , the arrow gives the direction of slope.
on the bli pole , the higher the color ..the steeper the slope.
just move the bli along your putting line to figure out the aim.
chris

[BirdieExpress]

hello
on the bli pole , the higher the color ..the steeper the slope.

Thanks for the tip and I just went and played a few holes on Augusta just so I could get plenty of slope, but I didn't notice any color changes on the pole. I'm sure what you say must work, but I am not seeing what you see. The yellow color on the bottom stays the same size, it just appears smaller as I move it away from me (proportially the same size on the pole). I didn't notice any other colors changing on the pole. I'm still lost....

[Roughrider]

"...the higher the color", meaning the higher on the pole.
RR

[tryandtyoneon]

hello
on the bli pole , the higher the color ..the steeper the slope.

Thanks for the tip and I just went and played a few holes on Augusta just so I could get plenty of slope, but I didn't notice any color changes on the pole. I'm sure what you say must work, but I am not seeing what you see. The yellow color on the bottom stays the same size, it just appears smaller as I move it away from me (proportially the same size on the pole). I didn't notice any other colors changing on the pole. I'm still lost....

The amount of yellow on the bottom of the pole is related to the amount/severity of the slope

If it got smaller as you moved it away from you, that's only because there was less break further away from you

[BirdieExpress]

I see it now, but it seems like it takes a lot of break to make it change enough to notice. practice, practice.

[RoyHiggi]

And now I know which tourney it was The easy to hard one with Cambrian windy firm fast no grid to finish on. Of all conditions to play with no grid if you aint used to it that is about as hard as it gets. Well done for finishing and well done for a solid score too.

[BirdieExpress]

Thanks for the kind words and I can see where it could be fun with enough practice. I dropped a couple of strokes with 3-putts on the way in and it really irked me because they didn't seem to have much break, but they had just enough for some really close misses and I don't see how they could possibly be read without just guessing. I was lucky to hole a couple of median length putts, but unless I was within 4 feet I think I missed almost every putt! I just wanted to hit them dead weight with plenty of allowance for break, take my 2-putts (hopefully) and move on. The secret to no grid putting must be to knock them to gimme distance from the fairway!

[Armand]

BirdieExpress,

I can attest that it is not completely guess work when not using the grid (and not using or not understanding the BLI). I play Links this way all the time - no grid, no BLI. It does take a little getting used to, no doubt, and although I'm not sure, I would think it helps to play in higher resolutions (I use 1600x1200). In case you're interested, the statistics for my LWT game at Kiss Tours can be found here:
http://www.kisstours.com/cgi-bin/2.1/pl ... player=670

You'll notice I don't score very well and don't hit nearly as many GIR as others. But from the putting stats, I think it demonstrates that putting without the grid or BLI can be done reasonably well.

Like you did in your round, I find it MUCH more important to get the speed right (within a couple of feet) than the line. If you're making the move to no grid, perhaps it's the first step to removing the BLI as well!

Armand

[BirdieExpress]

Nice stats, looks like you are right in there with the rest of them. But, remove the BLI??? That's just crazy.... Start promoting that kind of stuff and the next thing you know people will be trying champ/mod/nogrid.

[ErnieB]

Start promoting that kind of stuff and the next thing you know people will be trying champ/mod/nogrid.

[MGT_BlackBeard]

No grid is the only way to go for me anymore. I used to be a grid player when i first started and learned how to count the steps and add or minus depending on the speed of the green and all that bs. Since I've switched over to no grid full time, I've began enjoying links alot better, not only is it much harder, but it's alot more realistic. Using the BLI, I've found is alot more fun because its the same as lining up a putt irl, there is no adding or subtracting or formula to use besides what you feel is the right line!!

[cobbs]

I agree. No grid is a lot more fun and more realistic. But it seems that when I create a tournament with all round with no grid not many people play in it. So in the Easy to Hard tournaments just the last round is no grid, sometimes and no caddy.
I play RTS so I never really have a chance to actually win one of these tournaments but I try to compete with any other RTSers that are playing. I still need more practice though.
I hope everyone enjoys the Easy to Hard tournaments.
Any suggestions to make tham better? Last weeks was full and this weeks looks like it might fill up.

[Larry_Warrilow]

although i am still a grid guy (but not a counter), i have been in agreement with armand about the realism and executability of no-grid, no-bli play for a long time.

just as an example, on a short 4 foot putt, if you place the (non-bli) aiming pole 3 feet to the right of the hole perpendicular to the line of your putt, you will have information at the lower left of the screen showing you what the grade is between the marker and the hole on that side of the hole. those who now see the system from this hint, can now extrapolate what other techniques with the aiming pole will provide usable putting information.

you always have exact information as to the elevation difference from the ball to the hole, now you just need to figure out with the pole what the general contour on the line is. it may not be as exact as with the grid or bli, but the putting stats would sure be a lot more realistic.

all that being said, we all know that over the years, when the members have had a real choice between realism and ease of play and scoring, realism takes a back seat. lw

______

[RoyHiggi]

Cobbs as I am sure you have realised you can't please all of the people all of the time.

As I said somewhere else recently I was somewhat disappointed recently when a bunch of ex linksters told me one reason they no longer played Links was that it was too easy to stik the pin and hole putts. I suggested playing elite and no grid events and their reaction was that would be too hard. The vast vast majority of Links players do not want it to be hard, it's as simple as that.