ANOTHER TAKE ON PRECISION AND FOGIVENESS

by **Paul** Fri 17 Jun 2016, 4:34 pm

Have you ever wondered why is it that your shot can be dead on pin on one shot and other times completely off? It's because the game is designed that way! Golfing on WGT is based upon mathematical algorithms that create everything from the shot to the ball roll out when it hits. Unlike real golf, mathematical algorithms have no variances. To create these variances WGT has employed such things as VEM, precision and forgiveness into the model to simulate or re-create those effects that every real golfer knows all too well that affect their shots.
The two factors that will affect your shot outcome the most are precision and forgiveness. Each and every club on WGT has a 5 dot rating for each of these categories. Using the picture below let’s say that precision is left and right of the pin location and forgiveness is long or short of the pins location. While the exact distance that each dot represents is not known for this example let’s say that a club with zero dots on forgiveness and precision represents 20 feet for each circle.

ANOTHER TAKE ON PRECISION AND FOGIVENESS Precision%20and%20forgiveness

ANOTHER TAKE ON PRECISION AND FOGIVENESS Precision%20and%20forgiveness

During each and every shot these 2 circles overlap. Each shot has multiple outcomes 1. You could be dead on with distance, but up to 20 feet left or right of the hole. 2. You could be dead the hole but 20 feet long or short of the hole. 3. You could be up to20 feet long and left of the hole…..4, 5, 6, etc. I think you get the point! ANOTHER TAKE ON PRECISION AND FOGIVENESS 12-22-2012%209-12-03%20AM

ANOTHER TAKE ON PRECISION AND FOGIVENESS 12-22-2012%209-12-03%20AM

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Now, using the example below let’s say that each dot added to the club represents 2 feet. The more dots a club has the tighter the circle becomes. If each dot represents 2 feet we now have reduced our circles from 20 feet down to 10 feet in our example. I know there are some on here that believe that WGT or the game selectively goes after them individually, this is either pure arrogance or narcissistic at best.
ANOTHER TAKE ON PRECISION AND FOGIVENESS 12-22-2012%2010-01-06%20AM

ANOTHER TAKE ON PRECISION AND FOGIVENESS 12-22-2012%2010-01-06%20AM

As you can see, with precision and forgiveness coming in to play on each shot, it doesn't matter if we ding the shot or not these variables will always affect the shot. Like many of you I have on occasion missed the ding by a decent amount and still came up with a great shot as well as the complete opposite. I am sure if each of you think back you have had the same happen to you.

by **Paul** Fri 17 Jun 2016, 4:39 pm

Not sure that you are exactly correct Bilko.
I think that precision refers to how closely bunched your shots would be if you made the exact same contact every time (i.e. consistency). A random variation is built into the algorithm.
Forgiveness refers to how far off the target the centre of that precision is if the shot is not dinged exactly (i.e. accuracy). Not hitting the ding will make the centre of the circle move to either the right or left of the aiming direction, and also fall short of the nominal distance.
For instance lots of shots hit with a perfect 100 metre ding will go straight for 100 metres on average but a single individual shot might fall within a circle of radius say 5 metres.
Miss the ding to the left and the circle will now be centred say, a few metres to the left and a bit short of 100 metres distance.
Having higher precision makes the circle smaller, and having high forgiveness means that the average deviation caused by missing the ding is smaller.

High forgiveness, high precision = tight grouping around the target (accurate & consistent)
High forgiveness, low precision = loose grouping around the target (accurate but inconsistent)
Low forgiveness, high precision = tight grouping, off target and short (inaccurate but consistent)
Low forgiveness, low precision = loose grouping, off target and short (inaccurate & inconsistent)

by **Paul** Fri 17 Jun 2016, 4:39 pm

I agree with your description of the relationship between forgiveness and precision. I thought I would try to interpret it visually... let me know what you think, perhaps there are other diagrams like this in the forum, I just haven't found any so far.
Target (or flag) is shown at the center as a square in each diagram. 5 random shots (blue crosses) are chosen within a given circle of precision. I think the overlap of given shots can help explain some player observations, such as "I missed the ding left and my shot went right! How is this possible?" etc.
I used a red circle as a reference to the best case (a dinged shot with high precision and forgiveness) again to show overlapping possibilities when hitting/missing the ding, and how sometimes bad shots can turn out pretty good (and viceversa) or other seemingly unusual results.
As you point out, the accuracy of a shot is a result of the player's proximity to a dinged shot AND a forgiveness factor that reduces or enhances the effect.
-Keith
ANOTHER TAKE ON PRECISION AND FOGIVENESS 2mplvz4

ANOTHER TAKE ON PRECISION AND FOGIVENESS 2mplvz4

by **Paul** Fri 17 Jun 2016, 5:09 pm

WGTniv:
The game is pretty simple. Precision controls your accuracy. Imagine it's like a circle that surrounds the flagstick when you aim at it. The size of that circle is related to the precision rating. The higher the rating the smaller the circle. Your ball can land anywhere in the circle on a dinged shot (left or right, long or short). It will ALWAYS land in the circle on a ding shot, though sometimes it may land in the center of the circle and sometimes it may land on the very outer edge or anywhere in between those two points. When it lands on the outer edge this is what you guys have come to know as "the beast". Was the shot pre-programmed? Does it know you're standing on the 17th hole at Kiawah? No, it's just unfortunate timing. The result you see is the logical spread dictated by the precision rating of the club over 100 or 1,000 or 10,000 shots taken on the site. No matter how big or small the sample it'samazingly consistent because it is after all only a simple mathematical formula. The shot data is spread out amongst all users, so there will be times when you run into a lot of "edge cases" (aka deviations, aka outside edge of the precision circle) and times where you seemingly can't miss the center (even when you mishit). This is the ebb and flow of the game and it's always been there. In the short term you will have "bad" days and "good" days. In the long term (providing they are using the same clubs) any one player will see the same amount of "edge cases" or "deviations" that the rest of the players do.

Cheers