Reading The Screen (aka the HUD or the UI)

Reading the Screen (aka the HUD or the UI)
There are over 25 pieces of information on the screen at any given time. This can be a bit overwhelming at first, but once you learn what each element is for, you'll use them all the time. In the image below, each element is labeled with a number and name. The description of each element is provided below the image.

1. Hole Number
The number of the hole you're playing.

2. Total Distance for Hole
The total distance from the Tee to the Hole for the hole you're playing.

3. PAR Rating
The maximum number of shots that a golfer should require to complete a hole. Getting the ball in the hole in fewer shots means you are "under PAR" and that's good. Using more shots than PAR is bad. There are special names for the different levels under and over PAR:
 * Condor = 4 Shots under PAR
 * Albatross = 3 Shots under PAR
 * Eagle = 2 Shots under PAR
 * Birdie = 1 Shots under PAR
 * PAR = Same shots as PAR
 * Bogey = 1 Shot over PAR
 * Double Bogey = 2 Shots over PAR
 * Triple Bogey = 3 Shots over PAR

4. Hole Height
The height of the hole in relation to where your ball lies. A blue number with a downward arrow means the hole is below/downhill from your ball. A red number with a upward arrow means the hole is above/uphill from your ball.

5. Landing Zone
The place where your ball would land if you took your shot and got max power and perfect impact. The Landing Zone is not a single place. It is an area within which the ball could land. Many things can affect whether or not your ball actually reaches the landing zone including, but not limited to:
 * wind
 * lie
 * distance modifier
 * shot power
 * shot accuracy

6. Wind
The speed and direction of the wind. Both the Speed and Direction can affect how a ball flies. Wind does not affect putting. Factors included in wind effects include, but are not limited to:
 * height of flight
 * length of flight
 * direction of flight
 * type of ball
 * spin

7. Minimap
A map of the hole you are currently playing.

In addition to the map itself, the minimap includes 3 icons: 7a. Hole Location

7b. Landing Zone

7c. Your Location (and direction)

8. Ball
Information about the ball, where it lies, and how it might be affected by its location. The picture of the ball matches the type of ball you're playing. Note: If you're playing a type of ball that "wears out", the ball will last the entire match, even if you "lose the ball" in the water.
 * 8a - Sidespin

The pink bar above the ball indicates how much left/right spin you can apply to the ball. If the pink is bigger on the left, you can apply more left spin than right spin.
 * 8b - Top/BackSpin

The blue bar to the left of the ball indicates how much topspin/backspin you can apply to the ball. If the blue is bigger on the top, you can apply more topspin than backspin.
 * 8c - Lie

The lie is the ground under the ball. The picture shows the type of ground (e.g. fairway, sand, dirt, rough) as well as the slope (e.g. up, down, left or right). The type of ground affects the distance modifier applied to your shot. The slope affects the direction your ball will tend to fly (e.g. sloping to the left means your ball will fly to the left).
 * 8d - Distance Modifier

This numeric range reflects the type of ground on which your ball rests. You can think of this as a best-case to worst-case scenario. For example, if the minimum is 50% and the maximum is 70%, the game reduces the power of your stroke to something between 50% and 70% of your stroke. So if you hit a perfect 100% on a 200 Yard shot, the ball will actually go 100 to 140 yards. The actual power applied is chosen at random when you swing. Since this modifier is a percentage, the longer the drive, the more it affects the distance of your shot.

9. Powershots remaining
A Powershot is a special Power bonus you can add to your swing. You get a limited number of these to use in any given match. The total number remaining is displayed to the right of the Shot Meter.

10. Perfect Impact (white)
Each stroke is comprised of three button presses: The 1st press starts the stroke, the 2nd press sets the power, and the 3rd press sets the accuracy. You get a Perfect Impact (PI) when your 3rd press hits inside the small white zone of the Shot Meter. A Perfect Impact is the most accurate shot you can get. It also adds a bonus to your power/distance.

11. Near Perfect Impact (pink)
You get a Near Perfect Impact when your 3rd press hits inside the small pink zone on either side of the Perfect Impact zone of the Shot Meter. This is a little less accurate than Perfect Impact but still a good shot.

12. Poor Impact (red)
You get a Poor Impact when your 3rd press hits inside the red zones on either side of the Near Perfect Impact zones of the Shot Meter. These shots generally land in the rough, a water hazard, or other challenging areas.

13. Critical Impact (black)
The worst type of shot, a Critical Impact happens when your 3rd press hits inside the black zones on either side of the Near Perfect Impact zones of the Shot Meter. These shots result in some strange behaviors including shooting straight up in the air and other less-than-useful things. They frequently land very close to where you shot from.

14. Shot Meter
The bar at the bottom of the screen. Use this bar to gauge the power you need for a shot and to set the accuracy of the shot.

15. Shot Type
The background color of the Shot Meter indicates....

[more to come]

16. Club Power %
The bottom edge of the Shot Meter splits the meter into 25%, 50%, 75% and 100%. This helps you do the math for your shots. If the Max Club Distance is 78 yards, and the hole is 39 yards away, 50% club power will give you 39 yards (not including other factors such as wind and hole height).

17. Max Club Distance
The top edge of the Shot Meter splits the distance of the club into equal 10 equal increments. For example, for a 100 yard club, each tick on the top edge of the Shot Meter is equal to 10 yards. For a 149 yard club, each tick is equal to 14.9 yards.

18. Max Club Distance
In addition to the Shot Meter, the Max Club Distance is shown under the club. This is the maximum distance you can expect to achieve with a Perfect Impact. It does not include the effects of wind, lie, or other modifiers.

19. Sway Estimate
The white bar under the club shows the relative amount of sway for each club. The size of the bar is relative to other clubs in the same set. This is important because the 2 1W clubs from different club sets can have vastly different sways, but their white bars may be exactly the same size. This is because the size is relative to other clubs in the same set.

20. Selected Club
The currently selected club.

21. Distance Remaining
The distance from the ball's current location to the hole.

22. Total Stats
The current stats for your character including all modifiers from your gear (clubs and the Beginner Ball if you're using it).

23. Selected Club
The currently selected club (shown here as a way of explaining the Total Stats).

24. Shot Points
Each shot you take has the potential to generate points. In certain types of play (e.g. Match Play) the points are used to decide who won a hole when the number of strokes is tied. Points are generated when you hit shots with high power or high accuracy or special finesse. The points reset to zero between holes but the total number is retained at the end to determine your ranking against competitors who tied your PAR count (i.e. number of strokes).

25. Shot Number
Your current stroke number for the hole you're playing. This is the number that determines whether you are under or over PAR.

26. Portrait
The picture of your selected character skin. You can choose a different character skin each time you start a match. You can create new character skins in the Home area while in Single Player mode.

27. Name
The player name you chose in Single Player mode.

28. Tourney Place
Your current place in the leaderboard for a match. This is only displayed while you're competing in a match.

Another excellent resource about the UI of Control and Spray:

Zenidol's Guide to Control and Spray

[more to come]