The Hidden Benefit of Golf Simulator Practice

For over a decade, I’ve been producing game improvement content. I’ve received thousands of messages from golfers who are desperate for help and share their common frustrations.

By far and away the most popular complaint I receive is, “I hit it so well on the range, but I can never do it on the course. Where is that golfer?” Even the PGA Tour player I coach, who has won multiple times and played on Presidents Cup teams under unimaginable pressure, says the same thing to me at times.

So why are there so many golfers who can hit it well on the range and not on the course? Well, I can answer that question about 50 different ways, but in this article, I want to talk about one word…

Pressure!

The Wrong Environment

Golfers typically don’t create a practice environment that puts any pressure on their shots, which is often why they are so unprepared for these moments on the course. Left to their own devices, most players don’t have the discipline, creativity, or knowledge to do it properly.

Think of when you are practicing, and be honest with yourself. Do you have a true focus on your shot intention and target? Have you gone through any kind of routine, similar to what you would do on the golf course?

But most importantly, are you stepping up to the ball feeling any kind of pressure or expectation on your performance? Or are you simply just raking the next ball and hitting “over there” without any worries or concerns? I’m going to guess it’s the latter most of the time.

How Golf Simulators Have Solved This

Luckily, someone has solved the problem. We’re entering what I believe is a golden age of golf practice, thanks to simulator software that keeps getting better.

Almost every major launch monitor on the market now gives golfers access to tremendous software from companies like Trackman, Foresight, GSPro, Rapsodo, and SkyTrak, to name a few.

For example, if I’m just mindlessly hitting balls on my simulator that The Indoor Golf Shop built, I can quickly get my focus back with a few clicks of a button on GSPro. I can change the practice range to randomize targets to real greens, do a ladder distance control drill that is brutally hard, or, my favorite, load up one of the many practice combines so I can compete against high scores from golfers around the world.

And of course, perhaps the best form of pressure practice is to play a simulated golf course where every shot counts.

This Is the Difference

I can keenly sense the difference between hitting the 7-iron on range mode versus when I’m 90% done with a practice combine, and I can feel my best score in sight. In the combine, I’m actually a little nervous. I fear hitting a bad shot because it will undo all of the great shots I hit beforehand. I want to succeed. In other words, I’m starting to feel the same things I would on the back nine of a real tournament, or even a normal round with friends, with a little money on the line.

Golfers often don’t respect the differences between practice environments and the golf course. They are two entirely different scenarios. As I mentioned earlier, golfers who show up to the practice range don’t do a great job at bridging the gap between these two situations.

But if you are a golfer who is serious about improvement, and you’ve invested in a home simulator setup, you have some serious tools at your disposal now. Use them!

Over the past few years, I’ve been blown away by the advancements companies have made in the practice performance category. As simulation has become more popular, the competition to win golfers over with the best software options has become fierce. This arms race only benefits the player who values making their at-home simulator experience as realistic as possible.

Challenge Yourself, and Reap the Benefits

If you're tired of putting in the work and not seeing results, I’d urge you to start playing these games and take them seriously. Not only will you have a blast, but you’ll also be training your body and mind to perform better under pressure. So when your buddies press you for that $10 Nassau on the back nine, you’ll be more prepared.

To learn more about all of the software options available, don’t hesitate to reach out to The Indoor Golf Shop’s team of experts directly. They can help you with everything you need to accommodate your budget, sizing restrictions, and anything else to help you build the simulator of your dreams from beginning to end, as they did for me.