Aim Angle
51 then 52
Line up at 51 degrees with flag centered in power bar, then nudge one degree to 52 for the shot.
Power
100%
Full charge, no fade. Full power is easier to repeat than partial power like 93-96%.

Core goal: Land a hole-in-one on Desert 1 Showdown on the first swing, usually for the A Cut Above achievement. The community consensus is this hole is the easy ace if you use a two-step aim: 51 degrees to line up, 52 degrees to shoot, at full power. People arguing about 51 vs 52 is the number one miss.

1Setup Before You Swing

2The Exact Shot

The method is "same alignment every time," not "face the green and mash 52." The 51 degree flag-centering step is what makes 52 degrees work. Skip it and you are guessing.

3Key Decisions You Will Face

Shot is short at 52 and 100%
You moved the camera after the nudge
Relock to 51 degrees, center the flag in the power bar again, then nudge to 52. Do not re-aim left or right after the nudge.
Ball flies over the cup
You stayed on 51 at full power
51 degrees at 100% is the common miss. The flag-in-bar visual at 51 is the aim cue, not the fire cue. Nudge to 52 before shooting.
Cannot hit 51 or 52 on controller
Remap pitch or switch to mouse
Preset angles like 45 and 60 will not match this line. Bind pitch up and down to D-pad, or switch to mouse for scroll-wheel fine control.
Hunting the achievement
Do not use hold-R retry
Multiple players say a reset shot does not count as a hole-in-one for the achievement. Leave to lobby and start a fresh hole for each attempt.

4Alternative Angles

Use alternatives only after executing 51 to 52 plus 100% correctly several times. The main method is the community consensus for a reason. Switching angles too early prevents you from learning the repeatable routine.

5Common Mistakes to Avoid

Desert 1 Showdown Videos

52 degrees at 100% on Showdown in a private lobby. Note: hold-R retry may not count for the achievement.

Desert 1 Showdown at 51 degrees and 100% at the pin. Comments debate 52 vs 28 vs 19 degrees.