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Hold the controller! You can learn something from watching video-game Tiger blast it 300 yards on a rope. Here's what to watch for.
By Top 100 Instructor Tom F. Stickney, teacher at The Club at Cordillera in Vail, Colo.
• Course strategy Before a video round, determine which holes to attack and on which ones you'll settle for par. Also, study each hole and decide where to place every shot. Before long, Nicklaus-like strategy will find its way into your real rounds.
• Swing plane Watching virtual Tour pros' flawless swings will show you how to work the club. Plus, the graphics are outlined and front and center, unlike watching a tournament on TV.
• Club selection Notice which club the game's computer chooses for certain shots. A team of experts has determined the selections, so you can replicate those suggestions on the course when you find yourself facing conditions you've seen in the game.
• Pre-shot routine Take all course conditions into account before your shot, including wind direction and yardage. This is probably the thing you ignore most on the course, but it's such a huge factor in the video games that it'll soon become second nature in your real rounds.
Ease-o-meter: 2
