Tiger's new game offers realism, swing coach

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A screengrab from Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 09.

NEW YORK -- Even though the evolution of video game technology seems limitless, there is one goal that not even the best programmers and game creators will ever achieve: total authenticity.

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Tiger Woods with swing coach Hank Haney earlier this season.

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But Tiger Woods and the EA Tiburon crew that builds his video game are not ones to be restricted by those kinds of silly boundaries. Even though the latest version of his popular game, Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 09, can't offer a real course to play on, real clubs to use and a real ball to strike, it can offer a real swing coach to help you boost your performance and lower your score.

In fact, it actually offers Tiger's own coach, Hank Haney, whose guiding hand is one of the new features of the game, which was released this week at a kickoff party at a nightclub in the Gramercy neighborhood of Manhattan.

"He really does focus on the realism of the game itself," EA Sports president Peter Moore said of Woods. "Obviously, Tiger is a perfectionist in the way he wants the game to be portrayed. ... More than any other athlete we've probably had, he has his views on how the game should be played. This year with Hank Haney, that just makes it even closer to home for Tiger."

Indeed, along with an upgrade in the visual display of the courses (thanks to a new graphics engine) and a feature called the Club Tuner (which EA Sports says will allow players to "calibrate their clubs to fit their personal tendencies and preferences"), Haney's presence allows the game to take another step forward as it enhances its status as the preeminent golf video game in the market.

When Woods and his agent, Mark Steinberg, approached Haney about being a part of the 09 game as the Performance Coach, Haney didn't hesitate to jump aboard.

Even though Haney, who turned 53 years old last Sunday, does not exactly fit the demographics of a "gamer" -- the average age of a Tiger Woods PGA TOUR gamer is about 28 years old, the oldest average for any EA title -- he says he has dabbled a little bit in game playing. Plus, his nieces and nephews play the game, as do the participants at his International Junior Golf Academy.

He thought being part of the game would be fun. And he relishes the opportunity to talk about golf and how to help players improve. In his eyes, it doesn't matter if it's real or digital -- everybody wants to get better. So why not help?

"I give tips, I give drills and kind of analyze after the round is over what you need to work to improve your attributes, which are your skills," Haney explained. "I suggest some things you can practice and work on, ways to correct some of the mistakes you've made."

As in regular golf, some gamers are scratch golfers, while others are high-handicappers. Woods and the EA team are always trying to strike that delicate balance, to offer a game that appeals to the hard-core enthusiasts as well as the novices.

Haney will be key in helping those novices who might otherwise get frustrated and move on to something else. After the player finishes his round, the game will evaluate the performance and select the appropriate recorded response by Haney. The gamer can then go back and practice what he's been told.

"It's just a lot more like real golf," said Travis Sailer, one of the game's producers. "If you're hitting greens consistency, your stats are going to go up, no matter what mode you're playing in. But if they do drop, Hank's always there to give you a tip and help boost them back up."

Added lead producer Michael Cayado: "Hank Haney was pivotal in helping us develop, and also explain, a lot of the features, making it accessible for a novice versus someone who really is very hard-core."

What about players who are hard-core golfers in real life? Can they actually benefit and improve their games on actual courses by playing the virtual ones? Sounds like a stretch, but perhaps not as much as you think.

After all, Daniel Chopra played the Plantation Course at Kapalua in previous versions of Tiger's video game, and then ended up winning the Mercedes-Benz Championship earlier this year. No one's suggesting that there was a direct and significant impact. But any little edge certainly can't hurt.

"I think you can learn course management," Haney said. "You can learn about reading breaks on greens. There's a lot you can learn, absolutely."

Having the proper swing coach is one thing. But what about having the proper clubs? Again, the realism factor comes into play with the Club Tuner.

As explained by Sailer, a player can manipulate his power, his workability, loft, draw/fade and other aspects of his club with adjustable sliders. But if you want more power, for instance, you may have to sacrifice on the size of the sweet spot on the club face. If you want more of a sweet spot to stay out of the rough, you may have to dial down the power.

"With the Club Tuner, we put the debate of whether the game is too hard or too easy in the user's hands," Sailer said. "It leaves it up to them to decide."

So let's see ... a swing coach. Club selection. Near life-like visual presentation of real courses, several of which host PGA TOUR events.

Maybe this game is authentic.

Oh, wait -- while Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 09 does come with the ability to choose a red-shirted Super Tiger, it doesn't offer Bum Knee Tiger. So don't expect to win that big online tournament on one leg.

After all, that kind of courageous effort isn't easy to replicate ... even in a video game.