PGA Tour 2K21 tips with 8 essential things to know before you play

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PGA Tour 2K21 tips have become essential once again following the news that rival game EA Sports PGA Tour is delayed indefinitely. Fancy picking up PGA Tour 2K21 at a budget price and building yourself into a virtual club-swinging phenomenon? Then all your key scouting intel can be found below, right down to intricate strategic details such as understanding wind and use of the Scout Cam. Don't tee off until you've fully mastered these eight vital PGA Tour 2K21 tips.

1. Swing straight

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The very first thing you need to do is master your swing. To the bottom right of the screen, you will see a white bar (Swing Plane) that highlights the straightness of your drive. Spending time at the practice range is so important in making sure you master this skill. If you are facing a heavy wind resistance, a precise swing can be the difference between landing on the fairway or drifting into the rough. Pulling back on your chosen analogue stick is the backswing and pushing up is the downswing. Doing this as straight as possible provides the most accurate shot.

2. Time your swing correctly

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Another important aspect of your swing is getting the timing right. If your downswing is too fast, you hook the ball and reduce the power of the shot. Hitting the ball too slowly slices the ball, and overpowers your shot. Again, if you are not familiar with PGA Tour 2K21’s controls, spend time at the practice range to get this down to a tee (no pun intended).

3. Scout Cam is your friend

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The most useful tool in PGA Tour 2K21 is the Scout Cam. Pressing Triangle/Y before every shot automatically moves the camera to where the ball is going to land. The point of impact can affect every shot you take, so scouting the area makes a difference to your next move. You can assess whether the ground is flat or uneven, and whether there are any obstacles you need to avoid, such as a bunker, tall grass, or a body of water.

4. Pay attention to the wind

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At the top of your screen, you can see the direction of the wind, as well as the speed in which it is travelling. If you are facing a heavy gust, your shot will blow away from your chosen landing spot, so it is vital you take the effects of Mother Nature into account. For example, if the wind is blowing in from the right at 8mph, hit the ball a couple of feet to the right so that the wind carries it to the spot you initially intended the ball to land on. 

5. Make use of True Shot

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One of the best tools at your disposal is True Shot. By pressing and holding L1/LB, you activate True Shot, and from here you get a couple of options to refine your shot. If you are facing a protruding tree branch and need to ‘bend’ your shot, you can move the left trigger to apply draw or fade, essentially bending the curve around the obstacle so that you avoid hitting it. Not only that, but in True Shot you can adjust the angle by moving the left trigger up or down, meaning a high arch stops the ball from gliding across the fairway or putting green upon its landing. A more direct angle moves the ball further when it lands.

6. Putt to perfection

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A myriad of factors can cause a putting attempt to miss the hole. Wind speed is one of them, as is the angle of the ground, and the distance from the ball to the hole. The most useful tool is the ability to watch the path of the ball, and you can do this by holding in X/B. This shows where the ball is likely to end up, as a white line simulates your shot. If it ends up a few inches away from the hole, you know to hit it slightly to the left or right, and if the ball is going to end up falling just short, you can increase the power of your shot by moving the right trigger forward.

7.  Tailor the difficulty to suit you

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PGA Tour 2K21 has a wide range of difficulty options, meaning you can customise exactly how much help you receive when playing. HB Studios has made sure your experience is as satisfying as it can be by including the ability to adjust various settings to tailor its difficulty. You can make swinging more challenging by decreasing the scale of timing and power. The option to remove the Scout Cam and Lie Grid takes away the information you have on the terrain, and disabling various Pro Vision options means you can’t activate True Shot or include the Shot Suggestion.

8. Manage your Golf Bag

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Whilst there are a range of different shots to get your head around, picking the right clubs in your Golf Bag is just as important. Throughout your career, new clubs unlock, and you can spend Virtual Currency on a range of drivers, sand wedges, putters, and more. Pay close attention to the stats because they make a huge difference once you are on the course. Clubs with better Forgiveness allow for more error when swinging, improved Shot Shaping gives you wider draw and fade distances, and better Distance Control provides more range in your shots.

Freelance Writer

Chris is a freelance journalist, photographer, and charity consultant. He specialises in sports, both in real-life and in the gaming space. He's written for publications including GamesRadar, The Sun, Daily Mail, The Times, The Mirror, and more.