10 Tips for Maximizing Golf Simulator Practice to Improve Your Game

Golf simulator practice may not be the same as heading to the golf course or the driving range, but it can absolutely be effective.

If you are lucky enough to have a golf simulator to work with, I’ll show you how to practice more effectively and lower your scores without ever going to the course.

It takes a little while to get used to simulator practice, and you have to understand that there are sometimes issues with outliers and accuracy. However, golf swing mechanics are golf swing mechanics, and as long as you work on them correctly, you will improve.

Key Takeaways

If you are a little too eager to jump on the simulator and get started, you may want to bookmark this advice and come back later.

However, before you go, here are some key golf simulator tips to improve your practice:

• Use your simulator for both driving range and on-course practice. The features available will depend on the software package, so explore what your simulator offers.
• Incorporate training aids like HackMotion to enhance your practice sessions. These tools provide data-driven feedback that can accelerate your improvement.
• Leverage the abundance of stats and data simulators provide. Track your progress and focus on areas that need improvement to take your game to the next level.
• Simulate on-course scenarios to prepare for real-life challenges. This is one of the most valuable benefits of using a simulator.
• Don’t neglect your pre-shot routine. Practice it consistently on your simulator so it becomes second nature on the golf course.

If you prefer to work through some of this information by watching a video, take a look at this guide on how to maximize indoor golf practice this winter with your simulator.

What to Practice on the Golf Simulator?

A golf simulator allows you to practice everything from your full swing to course management to shot accuracy.

You will struggle to practice sand shots on a simulator, as well as some recovery shots. Also, depending on the simulator technology that you have, putting practice is a bit different.

I would consider getting an indoor putting green or mat to use in addition to the simulator to ensure you accurately address this area of your game.

10 Proven Tips for Effective Golf Simulator Practice

Golf simulators can be an endless source of entertainment. Whether your round of golf gets rained out or you simply enjoy a day away from the sun playing a course that you would not be able to play otherwise.

The possibilities with a golf simulator are endless, and golfers often overlook golf simulator practice. Don’t miss the chance to use your golf simulator to make you a better player.

1. Set a Goal for Your Practice Session

When you first start working with your golf simulator, you will probably make the same mistake that I did. You will head over to the range, start hitting balls, play a round, back to the range, etc.

However, at this point, you are mostly just exploring the technology and not working specifically on your golf game. As time goes by, you will need to start setting goals for your practice session.

Decide exactly what you need to work on, and use the features of your simulator to target these specific goals.

2. Don’t Forget Other Technology

The simulator is a lot of technology to handle at once. If you are not tech-savvy, you may feel a little caught off guard by all the simulator can do.

However, once you get settled with how everything works, you should incorporate other technology into your practice sessions.

As great as golf simulator technology is, it’s not the same as a golf training aid or feedback tool.

Using HackMotion with the simulator can feel like having a coach with you while you practice.

HackMotion provides data on wrist angles throughout the golf swing. Using HackMotion lets you see real-time results of what proper wrist angles can do for your golf game.

You’ll get data about your swing while also receiving insights from the simulator about your overall performance.

3. Incorporate Actionable Drills

While wearing your HackMotion and working with your simulator, you can do some golf drills that offer you real-time feedback on things like impact position and golf swing consistency.

Two of our favorites are the 9-to-3 drill and the Motorcycle Drill.

9-to-3 Drill: Training the Impact Position

The 9-to-3 Drill is a simple yet effective way to refine your impact position. By focusing on wrist angles, ball contact, and clubface control, you can build consistency.

Motorcycle Drill: Power and Clubface Control

The Motorcycle Drill trains you to move towards wrist flexion in the transition between backswing and downswing.

To fully understand how to perform the Motorcycle Drill and discover how it can transform your downswing, watch Rob Cheney’s video below.

4. Play Golf and Track Data

Leverage your simulator’s ability to track strokes gained data. Use this information to pinpoint areas of your game that need improvement, such as putting, approach shots, or tee shots.

If you are reluctant to track stats on course, start tracking them when using the simulator to help you gain insight.

Strokes gained is one of the more useful data points you can benefit from.

Category	What to Track	Actionable Tips
Tee Shots	Distance and accuracy	Test your driver and 3-wood to see which is more reliable for hitting fairways.
Approach Shots	Yardages and proximity to target	Practice key distances (e.g., 100-150 yards) to improve consistency.
Short Game Alternatives	Control on partial shots	Use the simulator to dial in wedge distances (e.g., half and three-quarter shots).
Putting	Stroke consistency and aim	Pair with a putting mat to work on pace and alignment for improved accuracy.
Shot Patterns	Dispersion and consistency	Focus on reducing left/right misses by tracking and adjusting swing mechanics.

5. Look for Distance Gaps

Early in the winter season, work through each of the clubs in your bag and hit five to ten shots with each.

Take a look at your entire bag and the results to see if there are any distance gaps that must be addressed.

Anytime you see 20-yard gaps between clubs, it could be a swing or equipment issue.

If you find that it’s simply a strength or swing speed issue, take a look at some of our winter golf season training plans for gaining speed and consistency in your game.

6. Create an On Course Situation

Do you ever finish a round and wish you could go back and practice one specific shot? Maybe it’s a 160-yard approach shot or a fade off the tee on a dog leg hole?

Whatever your on-course situation is that brings you some anxiety or fear, you can set it up on the simulator.

Trying to do this at a driving range takes a lot of strength from a visualization standpoint.

You can also try and simulate some weather conditions, and it’s impact on ball flight. If the wind throws you off, add some wind to your simulator rounds and see if you can wrap your mind around playing in the wind.

7. Learn to Control the Clubface

The angle of your golf clubface at impact determines the direction of the golf ball.

It’s as simple as that if the clubface is open, the ball goes right; closed, the ball goes left. Most golfers don’t know how to control their golf clubface.

The clubface is controlled by the wrists.

Using a simulator where you can practice shot shaping and the HackMotion, where you can dial in wrist position, allows you to learn to control the clubface and hit the shots you want to hit.

Work on a fade and a draw that you can consistently rely on, but don’t forget about hitting high and low shots as well.

8. Test Out Your Course Management Skills

How good are you at managing the golf course?

Test yourself on various holes and golf courses and determine if you are playing the course correctly. I love to play a hole with a driver off the tee box and then play it again with a hybrid or a 3 wood off the tee.

I’ll have a different scenario the second time I play it, and I can see how my course management adapts and whether or not I can still score well on that hole.

Golf course management skills don’t come to you overnight. They are most easily developed through repeated play, something you can easily do with a simulator.

9. Pre-Shot Routine Practice

One of the biggest mistakes golfers make with a simulator is they treat it more like a game than a practice tool.

Standing there trying to hit targets is kind of a game. However, if you want to take this information out to the golf course, you have to work on brain training in addition.

Your pre-shot routine needs to be consistent, and it should allow you to repeat the same swing over and over again.

Here’s a sample pre-shot routine if you don’t have one already:

• Visualize the Shot: Stand behind the ball and picture the flight path. Imagine the ball’s trajectory, where it will land, and how it will roll.
• Select a Target: Choose a specific target (not just “the fairway” or “the green”). Pick a small, clear point to aim for.
• Set Your Grip and Stance: Address the ball while focusing on your grip, alignment, and posture. Ensure everything feels comfortable and balanced.
• Take a Practice Swing: Make one deliberate practice swing, focusing on tempo and the key swing thought for the shot (e.g., “smooth backswing” or “complete my turn”).
• Commit to the Shot: Step up to the ball, breathe deeply, and execute the swing without second-guessing.

10. Distance Control Practice

Distance control is one of the areas of the golf game that I always found to be the most difficult to work on. At most driving ranges, you have a few pins set up at yardages like 75 or 100 yards away from you.

What if you want to practice the difference between a 60 and a 70-yard shot?

It’s so hard to tell if you are doing this effectively, but with a simulator, the process is incredibly easy.

With the data that the simulator gives you, you can finally learn how to shorten your backswing length and chance club selection to achieve every yardage in the bag.

Incorporate this with some short game practice drills. This video below will give you some drills to work on your short game feel, and accuracy and consistency including distance control practice.

What is the Downside of Practicing Golf on a Simulator?

With all of these positives and great ideas to improve your game, it felt necessary to warn you about some negatives of practicing your game on a golf simulator.

Keep these things in mind, but don’t let them stop you from practicing and getting better in the comfort of your own home!

• The golf simulator’s accuracy can be off by a few yards; you may have to adjust when you get to the course.
• Practicing from certain lies like sand and rough is something that is best achieved when you can feel it out on a real course or driving range.
• Golfers tend to forget to vary their practice and step away from the ball at times when using a golf simulator, don’t let the simulator suck you in; follow the routine that you need on the course to make your practice more effective.

FAQs

Here are a few of the most frequently asked questions about golf simulator practice.

Can you improve your golf game with a simulator?

Yes, you can improve your golf game with a simulator if you approach your practice session with goals, work on swing mechanics, incorporate training aids and devices, and track and analyze your progress.

Can you learn to play golf on a simulator?

Learning to play golf on a simulator is entirely possible. Make sure you have a high-quality mat so that it feels more like actual turf. If you eventually transition to the golf course, that golf club and turf interaction is key.

Are golf simulators realistic?

The better the golf simulator, the more realistic it is. More important than realistic in a golf simulator is accuracy. When a simulator is accurate, you get the most benefit from it.

Golf simulator vs. Reality – what’s the difference?

The biggest difference between golf practice on a simulator and golf practice on the course is the interaction with the golf ball at impact. When the lie on a simulator mat is almost always perfect, it’s a bit of a controlled environment that makes things a little easier.

Final Thoughts

A golf simulator is a tremendous addition to your golf game. However, until you learn how to use it for purposeful practice, you may not find it all that effective. Be smart about how you practice with your simulator, and you can see real on-course results.

Incorporating drills like the 9-to-3 Drill and the Motorcycle Drill into your routine can accelerate your improvement.

Combining simulator practice with tools like HackMotion provides actionable insights into your swing mechanics, helping you train more efficiently.