New skill level

Just contemplating a change of playing level.
Currently I'm playing at pro click & thinking about upping the stakes to champ or even elite click.
I've had a look at both & it seems the only difference in elite is that you are unable to aim in the overhead view. As I do that constantly it makes it rather difficult. How do the elite players handle this? Do you play a round at champ first noting where to aim etc or just wing it.
It seems that the rough is a lot less forgiving in champ/elite than pro. Bunkers/putting seem the same. Obviously missed snaps are treated more severely.
Comments from current champ/elite players would be appreciated.
I'd like to step up but still want to enjoy the game!

Cheers


Chris

Chris,

I Champ-Click and don't use the putting grid, just the BLI.

You've hit on the main differences to Champ, and although I do have the top cam on, it's only tucked away in the top right of my screen and used as a hole overhead, I don't actually do any aiming in it, although the aiming marker can be seen in this view when aiming in the main cam, something that doesn't happen with Elite.

Sidehill lies seem to have a little more effect than at Pro. My main 'gripe' is quite often with fairway bunker shots, even if you nail the 5 o'clock snapline, toy can occasionally end up with the shit going no further than 20-30 yds, as if you had duffed it, lol.

Again the snap can cuase putts to be missed, much more than you get at Pro.

Whatever you decide, good luck.

I play elite click at OWGT so here's my take on the differences. I can't vouch for RTS as I severly lack the skills to attempt it.

Difference between champ and elite in click:

1. No grid anywhere except on green analyzer.

2. No Top Cam or any other cameras to assist in aiming other than picking out landmarks to aim for

3. Sidehill lies steer the ball 50% more than Champ, i.e. if you calculate a left to right of 20 yards in champ then in elite it will move 30 yards. Downhill and uphill effects are the same.

4. Snap errors are slightly more penal. Not a significant amount but I know it will move just a little more offline when you miss a snap. In addition when you miss a snap, you incur a bigger drop off in the distance the ball goes. I've never been able to determine exactly how much it but it is probably in the range of 2-3% for a one dot miss. An example would be if you had a 100 yard shot and you missed the snap by one dot then the ball only goes 97 yards. I'm always playing a bit more club because my 6 oclock snap hits are few. Sand play around the green is also very affected by elite. A blast shot using the 7 oclock method is very touchy and the earlier the snap error you will get dramatic drop offs in distance. The closer you are to 6 then the distances are reliable. I won't even venture into what happens out of fairway bunkers because even with a perfect sand snap it just won't get there. Avoid them whenever possible because its almost a sure bogey.

5. Aiming is the the hardest thing to master. Any side hill lies from more than 200 yards are a crap shoot because with no grid you cant measure accurately the lateral movement and sometimes you just stick the marker out there somewhere and let her rip. The BLI does help somewhat in flatter sidehill lies in gauging how steep it is but on really steep slopes its pointless and becomes an experience factor of having played lots and lots of elite and just recognizing by instinct how much it moves. It really is out of whack compared to IRL because you would never aim 50 yards away from a hole.

6. Putting without grid is a hindrance but if you know how to read with the BLI then its the same as Champ except for that snap error and yes you can miss a 3 foot putt with a snap error.

7. I've never noticed a wind difference but recently it has been noticed that the course conditions setting may effect elite snap errors.

Bottom line is that you have to adopt a more conservative approach to playing elite with more fairway woods off the tee and avoiding steep sidehill lies and bunkers are a definite no-no. For me I average about 5 strokes worse in elite than champ. The fun part of Elite is you get to see parts of the course the designer thought no one would ever see and you get pretty good hitting out of the rough.

Hope this helps.

Chris,
I would say Joe pretty much nailed it with his reply. It is definitely a different mental approach and, in my case, the fairways hit stat is so much lower than in pro that there are many times when I'm playing for a bogey as soon as I've hit the tee shot. But it is surprising that, if you don't go all gung-ho and try to make a miracle 2nd shot, how often you make a par after mentally settling for a bogey.

I only play elite at OWGC and do so because for me elite is a level where par equals par so any time I have a sub-par round I know I've played well.

The no grid doesn't bother me as I have always used the BLI to putt (even in the days when I had the grid turned on) and I don't use the grid at any level anyway.

You asked about a practice round. At OWGC I never actually play a full practice round but, if there are a lot of blind tee shots, if I have time I will play in practice mode and, using an amateur player so that I know the ball will go straight, just play tee shots to establish the line (and length) to hit the fairway.

I would also agree with Joe on the putting. Only slightly missing the snap is far more punishing than Pro (and more than Champ also, or so it feels). I think I average about four putts around more at Elite when compared to Pro.

It's good fun but it's definitely a different game to Pro. Why not feel it out by playing a dummy tournament using the LTS files before you decide.

Steve

The main difference I find between clicking at Pro compared to Champ/Elite is that I would nearly always be aiming at the pin with Pro, as you could get away with a slightly missed snap.

Playing Champ I often drop to the 3w off the tee, if there is trouble lurking as it's just too risky at times with the Driver, even though should I nail it I'm going to have the extra 30 or so yards. I am always more wary with approaches too and will even play safely to he heart of the green when the pin is tucked away, to give myself a bit of a bail out left or right.

I find my course management playing Champ-Click on Links is very similar to how a play the game for real, where with Pro it's just take all the risks and shoot at pins all the time.

It's horses for courses and I would never push anyone to play at a skill level on the tour that they don't want to, but always welcome players making the change and taking on the added challenge.

OK thanks for the constructive comments.
Firstly the no grids is not a problem as I don't use them in pro click anyway.
My thinking is that I go to elite.
It seems to me that going from pro to champ doesn't really change anything. You plonk the aiming marker where you want in the overhead view & give it a wack!
Well you can't do that in elite. You have to put a bit more thought into your game it seems to me. I've played a few rounds using both & the difference is champ is too much like pro & elite is totally different.
It seems much more like real golf in the course management area that champ or pro. Mainly cos if you want to play really well you better plan really well!
So I guess I will regret this for the rest of my life but I can't have much longer to go so it doesn't matter that much lol!
So from the next tourney I'll go with elite click.


Cheers


Chris

PS I know I'll regret this when I finish last lol!