Mini Golf Tips: Aim, Power, Bank Shots and Obstacles
Updated
The core mini golf tips fit in one line: aim at the spot the ball has to pass, hit only as hard as the putt needs, and use the walls when the straight line is blocked. In most online mini golf you drag back from the ball to set direction and power, then let go. Below is how scoring and controls work, how to play bank shots, and how to get past the obstacles, with games from the golf games collection.
How mini golf is scored online
Mini golf counts strokes: every hit is one, and fewer is better. Many courses give each hole a par, the number of strokes a good round should take. Browser games turn that into stars or limits.
| Game | How a hole is scored |
|---|---|
| Minigolf Master | Par earns two stars and under par three; each hole also has a maximum number of strokes |
| Birdie Bounce | The fewer shots you take, the more stars you get, over 50 holes on 5 courses |
| Go Golf | Each level gives you a limited number of strokes |
| Golf Royale | You have 5 attempts to sink the ball, and can restart the level |
| Mini Golf 3D | Sand traps slow the ball down and water costs a stroke |
Aim and power: the controls
| Control | How it works | Games |
|---|---|---|
| Drag and release | Drag back from the ball to aim, let go to shoot | Pocket Golf, Abstract Golf, Golfing Island |
| Click the ball and drag | The drag sets both power and direction | Extreme FootGolf Evolution |
| Hold to charge | Hold to build power, aim, release | Birdie Bounce, Infinity Golf |
| Tap to aim, tap to swing | Tap the arrows to aim, tap Swing three times to shoot | Speedy Golf |
Golf Royale works like a slingshot: you pull the indicator back and release. Just Golf gives you guided aim on every shot, which makes it a good place to learn how far a pull sends the ball.
How to judge power
- Take a short test putt on a new course to see how far a small pull goes.
- Aim for the ball to stop at the hole or just past it. Go Golf warns that a slight overhit or misdirection costs you a turn.
- Change one thing at a time. If a putt misses, keep the direction and change only the power, or the other way around.
- Check the wind where a game has it. In Endless Golf a wind indicator shows each gust, and the gusts change the ball's path.
Bank shots: playing off the walls
A bank shot sends the ball off a wall and on toward the hole. Real courses are built for it: Wikipedia's article on miniature golf describes layouts that often need bank shots.
Off a flat, straight wall, the ball leaves at about the same angle it arrived. A simple way to aim is to picture the hole mirrored on the far side of the wall and aim at that mirror image. Each bounce takes some speed off the ball, so hit a little harder for every wall in the path.
These games give you walls and bumpers to practice on:
- Neon Mini Golf has 39 levels of bumpers, walls and teleporters. Drag, aim and release.
- Mini Golf 2D challenges you to finish each of its 20 levels in one shot, and Golf Club does the same over 30 levels.
- Tile Golf asks you to collect the coin first and then sink the ball, and doing both with a single shot scores more across its 21 levels.
- Side Golf gives you one hit per hole on 4 courses of slopes, turns, jumps and ramps.
Obstacles and how to handle them
| Obstacle | What it does | Where you meet it |
|---|---|---|
| Windmills | Can help the ball on its way | Micro Golf Ball |
| Gates | Stay closed until you open them | Micro Golf Ball |
| Portals and springs | Move the ball elsewhere or lift it up | Micro Golf Ball 2 |
| Teleporters and bumpers | Send the ball somewhere else or bounce it back | Neon Mini Golf |
| Sand and water | Sand slows the ball, water costs a stroke | Mini Golf 3D |
| Island edges | The ball falls off and you start again | Golfing Island |
| Stone, magic and metal blocks | Stone breaks, magic blocks must be passed in time, metal must be switched off | Golf Tour |
| Thorns, lasers and blocked routes | Stand in the line until you find a way past or open the route | Golf Field |
Moving obstacles are a matter of timing more than aim. The Wikipedia article above notes that windmill holes ask for split-second timing as well as an accurate shot. Set up your aim, watch one full turn of the obstacle, then release at the same point in the next turn.
Micro Golf Ball 2 adds lights that change the color of the ball, and Fun Golf puts the holes on different floors with obstacles that can destroy the ball.
Common mistakes
- Hitting every putt hard. A ball moving too fast can run past the hole or off the edge.
- Aiming straight at the hole when a wall, slope or obstacle sits in the line.
- Firing at a moving obstacle before you have watched its timing.
- Rushing a one-shot level. Speeding Ball and Side Golf give you one stroke per hole, so line it up first.
Beyond mini golf
Some golf games use longer holes and full courses.
- Speedy Golf plays an 18-hole, par 72 course in a few minutes. The caddy works out the shot for you, though the game itself warns that the caddy is not always right.
- Endless Golf sends long shots across deserts and snowy fields, with wind.
- Extreme FootGolf Evolution mixes soccer and golf: get the ball in the hole with the fewest kicks.
- Minigolf Master has difficulty settings, each with its own control scheme.
Mini golf FAQ
How do you aim in mini golf?
Pick the point the ball must pass first, which may be a wall or a gap, then aim at that. In most of the games above you drag back from the ball: the direction of the drag sets the aim and its length sets the power.
What is par in mini golf?
Par is the number of strokes a hole is meant to take. Finish in fewer and you are under par; in Minigolf Master that earns three stars.
Can you play mini golf games on a phone?
Yes, many use touch. Pocket Golf and Golfing Island use a drag on the screen, and Just Golf has you tap and hold to aim, then release. The site works in the browser of a phone, a tablet and a computer.
More courses are in the golf games collection, and more ball games in sports games.
