One of the major benefits of a golf simulator at your home is the ability to practice year round!
You no longer have to worry about the rain, snow, cold weather or time of day. Nothing can stop you now.
However, you must have a quality practice routine to truly get better. Let’s face it, we all want to play better golf and more consistent golf.
If we would only hit our best shots more often! How many of us have said that before?
Golf is a wonderful game full of challenges both mentall and physically to reach our full potential.
Several years ago, I made the investment and purchased a SkyTrak Launch Monitor package from Rain or Shine Golf and have enjoyed every minute of the purchase.
I can now play 365 days a year even living in a part of the United States where the winter weather is quite brutal. I have tons of fun with family and friends, competing and just enjoying the game from the comfort of my garage!
Yes, even in the winter I can play courses like Augusta, Pebble Beach, Whistling Straight, Bethpage Black, St. Andrews of many of the other top 100 courses in the world.
Update: I have now played over 1,000 rounds and reached a scratch level handicap in the summer of 2022. I averaged 4 birdies per round and played the best golf of my life. I attribute this success to the ability to play golf 365 days a year and even work on my game between rounds during the spring, summer and fall months! Take your game to the next level!
Still in the Market for a Golf Simulator?
Some direct links to Rain or Shine Golf for pricing and financing:
How To Practice with A Golf Simulator?
Here are 7 tips we would recommend to practice and get better with a golf simulator. These include:
- Utilize the game mode frequently.
- Utilize the auto-rewind feature.
- Dial in your distances with each club.
- Try different swing methods.
- Practice those shots inside of 100 yards often.
- Compete with friends.
- Have fun!
Tip #1: Utilize the game mode frequently
One of the biggest faults in the game of golf as people try to get better is that they probably spend too much time hitting at the driving range and not enough time playing.
It is one thing to be able to hit 7 iron after 7 iron on the driving range or to consistently pipe your driver down the middle with a perfect draw, but to be able to execute when you need to is the key. Can you handle the pressure of the 18th hole at Pebble Beach? Can you hit a slight draw without over hooking it into the water on that hole?
The game repetitions will make you better. You have to lern to hit those shots that make us most uncomfortable. The golf simulator course features allow us to do exactly that!
Too often we judge ourselves on the quality of the ball striking vs our actual score. It is sad, but golf has often become who can hit the longest drive instead of who can get the blal in the hole in the lowest amount of strokes!
Find those courses that make you uncomfortable and learn how to play. It is also a great opportunity to play some shorter courses to learn how to make birdies.
Can you break part on a 5,000 yard course. Is your short game good enough? These opportunities that you have with a golf simulator allow such great versatility to play courses that range from 5,000 yards up to 7,000 yards!
I have now played over 700 rounds in the past several years. My ball striking and overall ability to score has improved. My number of greens hit in regulation has increased by 3 holes per round from 10 to 13. This is an average and I have had rounds recently where I have hit 15-16 greens even under pressure of competition.
The game mode helps and we have all heard that the best golfers of the past, played golf more often and practiced less and learned how to score and get the ball in the hole. A golf simulator is your perfect option to make this happen!
Still in the Market for a Golf Simulator?
Some direct links to Rain or Shine Golf for pricing and financing:
Tip #2: Utilize the auto-rewind feature
This is one of my all time favorite features of a golf simulator. Instead of standing at a driving range hitting shot after shot to a wide open driving range that could be 120 yards, what if you had to hit a draw on #2 at Augusta or hit the tee shot on #17 at the island green at TPC Sawgrass.
Could you do it? I love the pressure situations of these holes and working on these shots. It gives a better feel for the actual shot.
Since the purchase of my golf simulator my number of driving range visits has decreased significantly because I now have the ability to hit real golf shots in the simulator setup. One of the most frustrating things about a driving range is the inability to really have consequences for bad shots!
I have my go to places on numerous different courses. If I want to learn to hit a baby draw with the pressure of not over hooking, I turn to #18 at Pebble.
If I want to practice my distance control on a narrow green from front to back I turn to #12 at Augusta.
The options are endless and you can find your spots that make you a bit nervous during rounds. Write those spots down and go back and practice once your round is complete.
On my home course that I play in actual golf, the 14th hole as a road down the complete right side with out of bounds looming. I find a hole on my simulator with a similar setup to practice and have the pressure of not losing my driver to the right! The best replication I have found is the par 5, 3rd hole at Le Golf National which has water all down the right side!
Tip #3: Dial in your distances with each club
If you find a flat hole you can truly dial in the distance you hit each club. Go ahead and hit ten 8 irons and track your data.
Do this with each club in your bag for the average that you hit each club. Note the shortest and longest that you hit each club during these 10 shots and have that as your range. Too often people go with their best shots for how far they hit their irons. This often leaves golfers short of the green and potentially in a bunker.
The golf simulator provides plenty of opportunity to truly use the data to get better! Knowing your yardages when you get to the course will be a major benefit.
With all of the range finders and gps watches in today’s golf market, knowing this information will give you a leg up on your competition!
Tip #4: Try different swing methods
If you are trying to learn a new swing or try out some of the great information that is readily available to us, the golf simulator is a great space to see if you can take your swing to the course without embarrassing yourself in front of your buddies by shooting a really high score.
Over the years, I have studied and tried the different swing approaches. I have settled on the Mike Bender approach to the game with the throwing of the club and allowing the arms and the hands to drive the swing. The Kyle Morris masterclass has been wonderful and I have been able to pick up some drills that I can utilize in my golf simulator space.
The great thing about golf in today’s era is the access to the best golf instructors around the world. Many have a great deal of free information and offer membership or online lesson for a cost. In the comfort of your home or garage you can learn a swing, try it out and see if you can carry it onto the course.
Or you can find a local pro and see if he or she can give you lessons in the winter in your golf simulator space. The options are endless, but I would encourage you to continue to learn about the swing and find ways to get better!
Here is a list of golf instructors that we have reviewed:
Tip #5: Practice those shots inside of 100 yards often
I have gained around 4-6 miles per hour on my driver. Most recently I have been hitting some drivers in the 280 to 300 range as the courses have dried out locally here. However, my scoring hasn’t necessarily improved because I am not hitting it that much closer from 110 yards as I was from 130 yards.
One of my goals for this coming winter is to be able to hit it inside of 18 feet from 10 yards at least 90 percent of the time. The tour average for proximity to the pin from 100 yards is 18 feet.
Over this winter, I will chart my distances from the hole for every shot in that 90-110 yard range.
From there I will utilzie my auto rewind feature to practice these different distances and flighting the ball lower or higher depending on the pin location.
Dialing in these distances and being able to control the loft can help me take my game to the next level!
I must also spend more time chipping. I have found that as I have started to hit more greens in regulation I do not have the same feel around a green with my 60 degree wedge that I once had when I was chipping 8-10 times per round. I know have to spend more time between rounds chipping more often and finding a system that works for me.
Tip #6: Compete with friends
It is one thing to play a round of golf by yourself or with a buddy when nothing is on theline. Invite some friends over for some fun competition and keep yourself sharp during the off season. A Saturday full of different match play or stroke play will help as the winter ends and spring allows us to get back outside.
It will make that tee shot on 18 with a one shot lead seem more sifngincant and will test your ability to handle the pressure!
The golf simulator game feature and a little friendly competition can do a lot to make your game better not only physically, but mentally!
Tip #7: Have fun!
The key to any of this is making sure you are having fun while practicing. If practice becomes more like work, you won’t make the progress that you could if you keep it fun.
I have fun that those little competitions with others or charting the number of times out o10 I can hit certain shots keeps the fun at a high level and provides enough pressure to make you concentrate!
Find your way to have fun and keep getting better!
BONUS TIP: Speed Training
If you have a wonderful space for your golf simulator, you should also highly consider training for speed. As we get older, our swings speeds will naturally decrease if we aren’t training to at least maintain speed.
You might find that you can still gain speed even as you age. Check out what Phil Mickelson has done as he reached 50 through raining with the SuperSpeed system. These swing clubs of 3 different weights provide an easy to follow protocol and a science based approach to getting better club and ball speed.
I personally have gain 4-6 mites per hour in my club head speed and the distance has been noticeable on the course!
Check out Super Speed Golf Here
Use discount code Golfjourney365 for some savings!
Looking to gain more Speed and Distance in your swing. Two Options:
SuperSpeed Golf – Read our Full Review
Gain 30-40 yards in 30 Days – Swing Man Golf
The most frequently asked question I receive…
How Accurate is the SkyTrak?
This is one question I receive the most. People want to know how accurate and realistic the experience is with a golf simulator, especially the SkyTrak. I would explain that the SkyTrak is rather realistic and rewards your great shots and punishes you on your bad shots. You can cheat the system and the SkyTrak provides excellent feedback.
So, I did a little comparison of golf scores to measure up the realistic nature of the SkyTrak. What better way than to actually compare scores shot over the past 15 rounds, both outside and with my SkyTrak Golf Simulator setup.
| Golf Simulator Score | Relative to Par | 15 Total Rounds | Real Golf Score | Relative to Par |
| 72 | 1 | Round #1 | 76 | 4 |
| 75 | 0 | Round #2 | 78 | 6 |
| 72 | 3 | Round #3 | 74 | 3 |
| 81 | 9 | Round #4 | 71 | 0 |
| 75 | 3 | Round #5 | 70 | -1 |
| 73 | 3 | Round #6 | 71 | 0 |
| 75 | 3 | Round #7 | 72 | 0 |
| 71 | -1 | Round #8 | 73 | 1 |
| 71 | -1 | Round #9 | 72 | 1 |
| 72 | 1 | Round #10 | 74 | 3 |
| 73 | 3 | Round #11 | 74 | 3 |
| 72 | 1 | Round #12 | 74 | 4 |
| 72 | 1 | Round #13 | 72 | 1 |
| 72 | 1 | Round #14 | 73 | 3 |
| 76 | 4 | Round #15 | 73 | 2 |
| 1102 | 31 | 1097 | 30 | |
| 73.47 | 2.07 | 73.13 | 2 |
Accuracy of Golf Simulator vs Reality – Data Breakdown
- Total Strokes (15 Total Rounds) = 1102 in Simulator Golf and 1097 in Real Golf
- Total Strokes Over Par (15 Total Rounds) = 31 in Simulator Golf and 30 in Real Golf
- Average Score = 73.47 in Simulator Golf and 73.13 in Real Golf
- Average Strokes Over Par = 2.07 in Simulator Golf and 2.0
Take Action – What You Can Do Today to Get Better
What does this mean for you? I believe in the following recipe to get better:
1 – Improve your motion in the golf swing by identifying a golf instructor. Here are some options:
Here is a list of golf instructors that we have reviewed:
2 – Train to swing faster and improve your swing speed. Here are some options:
Looking to gain more Speed and Distance in your swing. Two Options:
3 – Understand course strategy and work to break through your next barrier. Here is a series on breaking through:
We have provided guides on how to break 100, 90, 80 and 70. Check out more below, if interested.
4 – Practice Frequently
Did you know that I build a golf simulator in my garage and have played over 500 rounds of golf on my SkyTrak system? It has been a game changer and one worth checking out. Here are some of my other posts on golf simulators frequently asked questions:
- Is a Golf Simulator Worth It?
- How to Build a Golf Simulator?
- What is the Best Golf Simulator?
- Golf Simulator Accessories?
- How to Build a Golf Simulator for under $7000
- Top 11 Reasons to Buy a SkyTrak
- How to Build a Golf Simulator for Under $1000
- Why Build A Golf Simulator?
- What Space is Needed?
- Can A Golf Simulator Improve My Game?
- How Much Does A Golf Simulator Cost?
- Don’t Forget to Check out our 15 best golf swings of all time.