Will A Golf Simulator Help My Game?

Short Answer is...YES! As long as you understand how to use your simulator correctly, introducing things like shot data into the mix will bring both practice and entertainment to your golf game. The ability to practice and play no matter the weather and no matter the time of day will be sure to help you get more reps and more practice than you are used to.

5 Reasons Why Golf Simulators Will Improve Your Game

Golf simulators are entertaining. They allow you to play sometimes hundreds of courses from the comfort of your own home. Many come with tons of games and challenges that your can play with friends or with golfers around the world.

But will golf simulators actually improve your game? Here are 5 reasons why a golf simulator will improve your game:

More Practice & Play

Rarely does the opportunity to practice more hurt your game. With a golf simulator, you have about as convenient of an option as possible to work on your game.

Even if you can just find 10 minutes out of your day, that’s enough time to play a couple holes or hit a few balls on the simulator. They also give you the chance to play on days (or months) where the weather prevents play.

Believe it or not, you can actually play a full 18 hole round in less than an hour on a golf simulator!

Swing Data on Every Shot

How many times do you hit balls on the range clueless as to what you're doing wrong?

With a golf simulator, you have instant access to many different data points on every shot.  This allows you to see exactly what caused a good, or bad, shot and gives you the information needed to improve your swing. In addition, golf simulators provide a tremendous opportunity to try new things.

How does your ball position affect your ball flight? Does staying back on the ball increase your distance? With a simulator, you can get instant feedback on how different swing changes affect the end result.

Dial-In Your Distances

Possibly one of the biggest advantages to owing a golf simulator is the ability to dial in your distances. Most golf simulators allow you to see your average carry and total distances with each club over a range session. This information is extremely valuable, especially with your shorter clubs.

One of the worst feelings in golf is staring down a perfectly struck shot only to watch it fall well short or long of the green. By knowing your exact distances you can gain a huge leg up on your playing partners. Also, by knowing your carry numbers you can easily adjust to varying playing conditions.

On days where the greens might be checking up more than normal, you’ll be well equipped to handle the change.

Play World-Class Golf Courses

For most of us, the same 1-2 courses account for about 90% of our rounds. After playing the same course 100 times, you start to play the course without even thinking. You know what club to hit on every hole, where the good spots to miss are, how the green breaks, etc.

Golf simulators allow you to select from a large variety of courses. Oftentimes, these courses are tour quality courses that will test your game to the fullest. Try your game out on the prestigious courses you see on TV and see how you stack up.

Benchmark Your Progress

Golf simulators allow you to easily benchmark your progress. Many golf simulators even do it automatically! So it really can’t get much easier. You can track scores or even track shot dispersion over a range session to see if you are tightening up your misses.

Many simulators also give you access to a variety of skills competitions and assessments. These assessments allow you to practice with a purpose and get the most out of your practice time. In a few months, you’ll know exactly whether or not your simulator has improved your game!

Like anything, the more you work on it the better you’ll get. Even if golf simulators didn’t have all the fancy stats, assessments, and data, a golf simulator would still improve your game just by allowing you to practice more.

It should be noted, however, that golf simulators don’t have to be all about game improvement. Many golfers use simulators strictly for entertainment, and a fun thing to do with family and friends.

Looking for more information about golf simulators? Check out some other helpful articles:

Golf Simulator Guide - The best golf simulators for in-home use

Golf Simulator vs. Reality - How does simulation play compare to the real thing?

What golf simulators do the pro's use? - A look at some of the top simulators used by tour pro's