There is a reason why practice is so important for success in golf and it helps you to drill your shots so that they become like second nature on the course. Practising using a golf simulator can help you feel more confident when swinging your clubs, as hitting the same shot a thousand times at home lets you know you can do it on the course.

Not only can you give every club in your bag sufficient time with the ball, but you can also use a simulator to practise in various weather and wind conditions. With analytical power that would make even the best golfing coach blush, golf simulators are a game-changer for many. But how can they make you better at golf on a real course?

Driving success

Your drive is arguably the most important shot on any given hole. Hitting it off the tee well means you are more likely to achieve a good score while slicing into the trees from your first shot means you’re going to have to work hard to recover.

When things are going well off the tees, courses can seem shorter and the game more enjoyable. A bad day from the tee box and every shot becomes a struggle. Golf simulators can help your golf game across all areas, but it is particularly useful for driving thanks to the detailed feedback you receive.

From spin and ball speed to club head speed, a simulator like TrackMan or SkyTrak can analyse various elements of your shots to point out where improvements can be made. Whether that is your accuracy from the tee, or your distance, using the virtual coaching function helps you to dial into the inconsistencies in your shots and work towards eliminating them.

Improving your short game

Simulators allow users to improve all aspects of their play and your short game is essential for getting the ball in the hole. From putting aids and greens to analysing your chips, pitches and flops, a simulator gives you the tools at your disposal to practise it all.

Simulators give you a feel for the course and you can run shots back time and time again onto simulated greens to understand how different shots act on various surface types and slope gradients.

How does a simulator improve your approach play?

Understanding and controlling the distance on your shots is critical for shooting low scores in golf. Using a golf simulator to improve your game helps you to understand distances better — an essential for approach play. You can learn how far you hit each of your clubs, meaning that no matter where you are on the course you understand the right club for the situation.

With ball tracking technology forming the basis of golf simulators, you can learn how to hit draw and fade shots to negotiate tricky obstacles or improve your approach onto the green for different pin locations. Approach play can be further honed with minigames designed to test specific skills that bring you closer to the hole and reduce your shot count.

Course management

Simulators are also a great way to learn course management skills, and with enough virtual rounds under your belt you begin to learn when you should take risks with tee shots and when to play them safely. The more hours you put into practising your golf game on a simulator, the better prepared you are for all eventualities. From knowing what your limitations are to approaching the green from different angles, a simulator lets you have as much time as you would like to hone your course craft.

Thinking of installing a golf simulator?

If you are looking to take your golf game to the next level, a home simulator can help get you there. At Golf Swing Systems, we specialise in the installation and provision of some of the best golf simulators on the market. Contact an expert member of our team to discover how we can help convert space in your home into the perfect golfing retreat.