Do Golf Simulators Really Help?

One of the aspects of golf that makes it such a satisfying game is the degree of precision and skill one must attain to be genuinely good at it. Many beginners are surprised to learn it could take months just to be able to get the ball in the air reliably.

While the feeling you get when you hit the ball just right is indescribable, many hours on the course and at the driving range were traditionally needed to develop control. Golf simulators have changed that. In other words, if you’re asking yourself whether golf simulators really help, the answer is yes—they do.

Here’s how.

1. Maximize Your Time

On average, it can take anywhere from three to five hours to play 18 holes. Presumably, nine holes can be played in half the time. However, that’s still a huge time commitment, especially when you factor in the errors you’ll make as a beginner. Meanwhile, a full 18-hole round can be played in around 40 minutes on a simulator. 

What’s more, you can practice for as long as you’d like, whenever you’d like — regardless of weather conditions — even in the middle of the night. The time you’d spend walking or driving from hole to hole is eliminated, and more time can be spent improving your game.

2. Focus on Specific Aspects Repetitively

With a simulator, you can spend an afternoon just working on your tee shots or your fairway shots or chipping or putting on an individual basis. Practicing with a simulator allows you to focus on each aspect of the game repetitively to help your body gain muscle memory and develop consistency. 

Even better, you can accomplish this in a forgiving setting in which scoring doesn’t matter. Freed of this pressure, you can relax and work on your strokes without the pressure that comes with active play — or the need to look good for your peers. Practicing in the privacy of your home allows you to progress without distractions.

3. Find Your Flaws

The only way to get better at something is to learn what you’re doing wrong. The feedback golf simulators can help you see exactly what you need to change in order to improve. 

That’s just half of the solution, though.

Identifying flaws does no good without the guidance you need to eliminate them. The best golf simulator software provides direct feedback to help you improve. 

As much as you can glean from the services of a pro or watching instructional videos, there is no substitute for practice and immediately finding out what you could have done better and implementing it on the spot. 

4. Introduces Variety

Despite all the benefits of practicing with a golf simulator, for a lot of golfers, banging balls on the range is invaluable. There’s no doubt that there should be some mix of this and leveraging time spent in a simulator.

However, honing your fundamentals on a simulator will make that driving range experience far more satisfying and valuable. Plus, you can quickly switch through different types of practice with a simulator rather than move from a range to a short game area or vice-versa. Having the ability to readily go from one aspect of your game to another helps keep your concentration level high and reduces mental fatigue.

These are just four of the ways golf simulators really help. And yes, professional golfers use simulators for the exact reasons listed above. Simulators help them sharpen their games, and they can help you too.