Mario Golf: World Tour might look cute and bubbly, but it’s a game that delivers many of the complexities of real world golf. Given golf’s high level of difficulty, perfecting the art of swinging a club is no easy task, and for many it’s a life-long journey.
I’ve been an avid connoisseur of golf games since as long as I can remember. Mario Golf: World Tour has been a new challenge for me, but while it delivers some of its own mechanics, it shares a lot with other golf games.
I’ve put together a guide of 10 tips that’ll help you achieve excellent results on the green. Check them out in the gallery below.
10 Tips for Mario Golf: World Tour
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Hit harder, not softer
One mistake a lot of players make is hitting the ball too softly. Think about it. If you're putting and hit the ball a little too hard, as long as it hits the cup it has a chance of going in. If you hit it too soft, it will never get far enough to have a chance of sinking.
Next time you're setting up for a putt, think about how hard you need to swing to make the ball travel to the hole, then add a little extra for good measure.
If putting down a hill you may want to be more conservative as a hard swing can set your ball skyrocketing off the putting green.
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Perfect your swing for infinite Power Shot
One unique feature of Mario Golf: World Tour is one related to the Power Shot. If you achieve a Nice Shot (a perfectly accurate hit) with Power Shot enabled, your Power Shot is refunded. Normally when you hit Y to enable Power Shot, you use up one of your 6~ charges. That isn't so if you manage to hit the ball perfectly.
Furthermore, your best avenue to success if learning how to be consistent at swinging accurately. If you manage to have a 80% or higher success rate with Nice Shots, you will have practically infinite Power Shots at your disposal.
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Upgrade your character
Even the smallest differences are amplified on the golf course. In the case of your character, being able to hit three yards further is a big advantage.
After each round head to the shop to see if there's anything new available for your character. New clothing, clubs, and balls improve your stats with minor numbers that mean big things for your game on the course.
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POWER!
The best players in golf games are the ones who can consistently hit perfect shots. Once you're comfortable with your swing, you'll want to invest in upgrades or a character that has a high power rating. More power gives you huge leverage for approaching the tee quicker. You'll find yourself earning more Birdies and Eagles than ever before once you have power behind your swing.
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Spin to win
Spin is something often overlooked but a huge weapon you should employ in your game. During a shot you can hold the analog stick in a direction to affect where you hit the ball. Additionally, you can hit combinations of BB or BA (you must use B instead of A when entering your accuracy for these to work) to perform a back spin, or AA or AB to perform a top spin.
A back spin (down) will allow you to hit the ball a little further in the air, but once it lands it will stop quickly. Meanwhile, top spin (up) gives the ball a lower trajectory while giving it a lot of momentum once it hits the green. These afford you the ability to not be at the mercy of slope.
There are also side spins (left or right) which allow you to maneuver the ball around obstacles such as trees.
Practice your spin and you'll have a lot more control over where you place your shots.
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Rough, sand, and elevation
When your ball is stuck in sand or rough, you need to take into account that the ball won't receive as much power from your swing. Additionally, when hitting from a lower elevation to a higher one, you'll want to swing harder to account for the elevation difference.
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Set yourself up for success
If you're familar with pool, you're likely aware of how important it is to think ahead. In Mario Golf: World Tour, you want to think of your current shot and what it'll mean for your next shot. Sometimes that means avoiding risk so you know that your next shot is something you can make into the cup. Always think ahead.
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Lie
Although lie isn't explained in the tutorial, it's a critical variable in your swings. In essence, the way it works is if your ball is on a spot of ground that isn't perfectly flat, the ball won't travel in a straight line.
If the ground is sloping down to the right, your shot will go right. If the ground is sloping down to the left, your shot will go left. The same applies to if you're on a hill facing up or down. Take these elements into consideration next time you swing.
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Don't forget about the wind
Wind has a tremendous affect on golf balls, and moreso as the ball stays in the air for a longer period of time. You can view the current wind conditions on the top right of the screen. Don't forget to check this before every shot so you can compensate for how it'll affect the ball's trajectory.
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Trajectory doesn't tell the whole story
Before a shot you can see a preview of where your ball will travel using the trajectory line. However, it doesn't show you everything. Once your ball contacts the ground it will travel, affected by the curvature of the ground. If you want to have complete control over your shots, and set yourself up for easy putts and approaches, you'll want to study where your ball will be landing before each shot. This applies to chip shots as well.
