Last year’s version of the Tiger Woods series was met with mixed emotions during its release. It was able to introduce a few new features, most notably the EA Sports GamerNet, as well as bring back a fan favorite like the “three-click” swing mechanic. Unfortunately, it didn’t offer much in terms of actual gameplay enhancements, and even worse some of the modes that did exist often failed to work altogether. So, first and foremost you will be glad to know that Tiger Woods 09 is a big improvement over 08, but how much you enjoy it will depend on what you expect from a golf game. Those seeking a pure simulation might be disappointed, but the sheer number of new features alone should be enough to convince both veterans and newcomers to take a closer look.

At the forefront of these new features is the Performance Coach addition. Hank Haney (also Tiger’s personal coach in real life) will do his best to support you every step of the way as you climb the ranks of the PGA Tour. Initially, you will be asked to undergo a series of short tests that span four different categories (Power, Accuracy, Short Game, and Putting), and depending on your actions, you will be provided with an overall average score. This average will only be a starting point and will expand greatly as you progress through your career by using a combination of training drills and the Dynamic Attributes system. These training drills will come in the form of the Performance Feedback system, which will be offered to you after each round of golf. Hank will recommend a set of drills depending on which part of the course you struggled, and it’s up to you to pass these training segments in order to increase your rating. These usually include hitting a target from a set number of yards away, or putting the ball into a particular area of the green. It does grow a little tiresome having multiple drills pop up after long matches, but keep in mind these are accessible from the main menu if you wish to attempt them at a later point in time.

As I stated earlier, the new Dynamic Attributes system plays an important role in how you play and experience Tiger Woods 09. For the first time in the series your actions on the pitch will directly affect your skill rating. A breakdown for each main category will be provided after every round of golf, along with any increases or decreases that may have occurred. For example, constantly driving balls to the fairway will help your Power rating, while increasing your GIR (Greens in Regulation) percentage will do wonders for your Accuracy. Furthermore, the Short Game attribute will be on the rise anytime shots from over 100 yards land closer to the pin, and Putting will benefit as you lower your putts per green average. Although this may sound complicated, rest assured nothing could be further from the truth. Each of the respective categories has its own well-designed graph and diagram explaining each skill, and what exactly needs to be accomplished in order to reach the next level. The only downside to this is without previous training, you will enter your PGA career severely underdeveloped as a golfer.   

On the flip side of this upward progression seems to be a small feature that almost directly clashes with everything the Dynamic Attributes system has brought to the table. Allowing users to customize their character with pieces of clothing and equipment is nothing new and by all accounts should be welcomed in almost every sports game. The problem here is that certain items such as pants, shirts, hats, and watches can add permanent attribute boosts once equipped. I don’t mind buying a set of Callaway drivers that add a half or even a full point to my overall power rating (after all, they are made to increase performance), but seeing a Buick cap that adds .5 to accuracy, or a pair of Pirate pants that increases my putting skill by 1.5 points seems unrealistic and out of place. Especially since my golfer’s rating is supposed to be this ever-changing dynamic replication of my performance on the course, when instead I can simply fill any gaps or holes in my game with a little money. Perhaps restricting attribute boosts exclusively to pieces of equipment would have been more appropriate.  

The Club Tuner feature is also used for customization, only it applies to your club set instead of the individual golfer. It’s here that you can alter the power, workability, loft, spin, and bias of any club other than your putter. Your goal is to calibrate the clubs until you’ve achieved a sweet spot percentage that gives you a nice overall range of skills. You will also want to pay special attention to the club bias, as this will allow you to remedy any extreme hook or slice tendencies you may have inherited along the way. So if you’re having trouble hitting balls straight down the fairway, slowly adding club bias in the appropriate direction will correct the problem. Of course, if you want to perfect your swing the old fashioned way – through practice – you can do that as well with the help of another new feature.

This handy little tool is called the Instant Feedback Display. During each shot you will notice a small golf ball in the lower left corner of the screen, complete with a real-time indicator that tracks the movement of the left analog stick, or swing stick if you will. This will result in a solid yellow line that will indicate to you the exact path of your swing, therefore allowing you the opportunity to correct it through practice. If you see that the top portion of the feedback display veers drastically to the left, then you know adding right club bias or taking the time to perfect your forward motion is the only thing holding you back from the perfect strike. This will be useful during your career, especially for those playing on the Tour Pro difficulty setting.

This Tour Pro setting, along with the new Presentation Camera, is something that hardcore golf fans will definitely appreciate. This difficulty setting disables the after-touch spin control, power boost, and the Putt-Preview, therefore leaving the golfer with only skill to rely on. The ball’s overall sweet spot is greatly reduced as well, and there’s much less forgiveness in the left analog stick, therefore resulting in more frequent hooks and slices. Combine this with the aforementioned Presentation Camera – a television-style camera that offers multiple perspective changes – and you’re left with a much more realistic game of golf. Fans of Links 2004 will still despise Tiger’s lack of a new putting system, but this feature alone is responsible for huge strides in the right direction.

The EA Sports GamerNet is back and stronger than ever, too. Challenges set by other players from around the world now show up instantly in offline game modes, therefore allowing you to overcome these tasks and earn GamerNet points in real-time without stopping your current match. Of course, you can still go online and browse various challenges set by other gamers, and even access daily leaderboards if you wish, but bringing this feature to the single player mode is an aspect that stands out from the rest. It should also be noted that the online play has undergone improvements as well – seeing your opponents represented by real-time ball trails is visually awesome – and is such a fantastic system that I can’t believe we ever accepted anything less.

In the end, new additions like the Presentation Camera, Dynamic Attributes system, and the Club Tuning option are solid enough features that Tiger Woods 09 can label itself an improvement over last year. There will come a time when drastic changes must take place, however. The putting system is still underwhelming at best (repetitive animations anyone?), and even the new commentary team of Kelly Tilghman and Sam Torrance do little to match the PGA Tour’s overall atmosphere. The five new playable courses and four additional golfers will carry some weight, but it likely won’t do much to please a section of gamers that demand drastic change in gameplay. Don’t get me wrong, Tiger Woods 09 will be a fantastic treat for the casual fan, but a lack of overall innovation will keep enthusiasts from becoming too excited.