The Wii had accomplished many things but for me, the single greatest impact it’s had is how I play video game golf. I appreciate good graphics and all but the swing method in Tiger Woods was a revelation to me. It only got better when that Wii motion enhancer entered the picture. Well, what if you could use a real club? How about for tennis? Baseball? Well, you’ve probably seen cheap-op attachments they sell in stores. What does EA do to improve on those?

They only sent me a Golf pack to review. It contains a bigger club for me and a shorter one for my son, making this a nice Father’s Day present. The clubs are made from sturdy plastic with a foam head. The remote (and Motion +) fit snugly into the handle and work well for people of average height. Since most golf games require you to hold a button during the swing, you can’t really choke down on the club and work on your swing form.

Unfortunately, working on your swing is what these clubs would be best for, so for lots of people, this won’t feel much like a real golf experience. Other drawbacks include low ceilings and pets, kids, spouses who walk too close. Also, my unit has an imperfection somewhere that makes it feel like the club is going to break and go flying into the TV. Not good.

But when it works, it works. I was able to teach my son proper form, how to swing and how to graze the carpet to hit the imaginary ball more effectively.

So my verdict is that this is a worthwhile purchase for obsessive golfers new to the Wii who have lots of space and yearn for realism. Others may balk at the peripheral messing up their swing or causing too many problems in the home. I’m still apologizing to the dog and my wife winced every time I hit the ceiling on my backswing.

I’m sticking to the Wiimote only swing, but I think there are plenty of fathers or mothers who’d appreciate what this accessory has to offer. Just be careful around the kiddies, pets and mind the ceiling.

PICTURE

The variety pack.

REVIEWED

Two Golf Club pack

Tags: Misc