Better golf starts with better practice: Why golf simulators make a difference

For most golfers, a golf simulator is better for practice than a driving range because every shot comes with feedback, conditions stay consistent and you can rehearse real on-course situations. The driving range still has a place for warming up and hitting balls outdoors, but if you want practice that carries over to your score, a simulator gives you far more to work with.

This does not mean the range doesn't add value, it means the two do different jobs.

This guide looks at why range practice often fails to transfer to the course, what makes practice effective, how simulators and ranges compare on the things that matter, and how to combine both in a sensible routine.

Key takeaways:

• Driving ranges are good for volume and warming up, simulators are better for feedback and focused practice

• Practice transfers best when it includes targets, variety and honest feedback

• Simulators let you rehearse specific distances, pin positions, hazards and wind

• Indoor practice removes weather from the data, so the numbers reflect your swing

• Strokes gained and saved stats make it possible to measure whether practice is working

Why driving range practice often doesn't transfer to the course

Most golfers know the feeling. You stripe it at the range, then stand on the first tee and it falls apart. Stuart Wilkinson, founder of The Summit Golf Club, puts it well: "We've all been there and gone, 'I've been hitting it awesome at the driving range,' and then you go on the first tee and it hasn't really helped at all'.

There are a few reasons that happens.

No feedback on what actually happened

At most ranges you see the ball fly, but you don't know its true carry, how far offline it finished or why it curved. A shot that looks good against a wide open field might have found a bunker on the course.

Range balls don't behave like your ball

Range balls are built to survive thousands of hits, and many are designed to fly shorter. They spin and launch differently from the ball you play, so the distances you see are not the distances you'll get on the course. "It's a pretty average golf ball on a driving range," Stu says, "and you don't really know what that actually means."

The same shot, over and over

Range sessions tend to be repetitive: same club, same target, ball after ball. On the course, every shot is different. You change clubs, distances, lies and targets constantly, and there's only one chance at each.

What makes golf practice effective?

Coaches and sports scientists have looked closely at how golfers learn, and a few principles come up consistently.

Feedback: knowing the result of each shot, and ideally why it happened, speeds up learning

Variety: switching clubs and targets, rather than hitting the same shot repeatedly, tends to build skills that hold up better on the course

Purpose: working on one clear goal per session beats hitting balls with no plan

Pressure: giving shots a consequence, such as a score or a target to beat, makes practice closer to playing

Measurement: tracking results over time shows whether your practice is working

Repeating one shot again and again is often called block practice. Mixing up clubs, targets and shot types is called random or variable practice. Block practice can feel better in the moment, because you settle into a rhythm, but variable practice usually leads to better results when it counts. A good practice environment makes variable practice easy.

Golf simulator vs driving range at a glance

Feedback: knowing why a shot went where it did

Stu sees this as the whole point. Being able to practise intentionally with data, rather than simply hitting balls, is why he chose TrackMan. "I've had a massive slice on the driving range, what the heck, with no idea and no context."

Over a session, the data also shows your dispersion, which is how tightly your shots group around the target. Two golfers can hit the same average distance with very different dispersion, and the tighter group will almost always score better.

Practising real situations instead of hitting at flags

On the range, you aim at a flag that's supposedly 150 metres away and judge success by eye. On a simulator, you can stand over a shot with the pin tucked left behind a bunker, knowing you need to favour the right side of the green.

"That actual realism of pressure is where TrackMan and these general golf simulators come in," says Stu. "You're actually testing yourself in a real experience rather than smoking a ball into a flag that's supposedly 150 metres away."

Many simulators also have dedicated practice modes. In TrackMan's Performance Center, for example, you can set up a session that only gives you shots between 110 and 130 metres, move the pin around the green, and add wind if that's what catches you out. "You could say, I want it in the wind, that's where I struggle" Stu explains. It's variable, purposeful practice built into the software.

Range balls vs your own golf ball

Ball choice matters more than most golfers think. Premium golf balls are designed to spin more with short irons and wedges and less with the driver. Range balls are built for durability. If you build your club distances from range balls, you can be a club or more out on the course.

Most simulators let you hit your own ball, which means the carry numbers you learn are the ones you'll actually get. TrackMan works with standard golf balls, so you can practise with exactly what you play. The one common rule is no balls marked with pen, because the ink ends up on the screen.

Weather and conditions

Wind affects every shot outdoors, even when it seems calm. A light breeze can add or remove several metres from a mid iron, which makes it hard to know how much of a result was you and how much was the conditions.

In Auckland, weather also decides whether you practise at all. Winter brings rain and short evenings. Summer brings heat and humidity. "You hit summer and you go to the driving range, you're sitting there beating balls in 25 degree heat in Auckland. That is not fun" says Stu. Indoors, conditions stay the same year round, so your data is consistent and your practice doesn't depend on the forecast.

Time and access

Practice only helps if you actually do it. Many driving ranges have set opening hours, and busy weekends can mean queuing for a bay. Stu has been caught out himself. "Oh, sorry, we're busy. How long's the wait? Half an hour."

Simulator venues are usually booked in advance, so you know your bay is ready when you arrive. Some, including a few newer membership-based venues, open around the clock, which makes early morning or late night practice possible for golfers who can't get away during the day.

Measuring progress with strokes gained

One of the most useful ideas in modern golf is strokes gained. It was developed by Columbia University professor Mark Broadie and adopted by the PGA Tour, and it has changed how professionals assess their games.

Strokes gained compares each shot with how a benchmark golfer would typically perform from the same position. If you leave yourself in a better spot than the benchmark, you've gained strokes. If you leave yourself in a worse spot, you've lost them. Add it up across a round and you can see exactly which parts of your game cost you shots.

Stu explains how it works on TrackMan: "You can go, 'Hey, I'm trying to be a 10 handicapper,' and it will tell you for each shot, have you gained shots? Are you hitting at the level of a 10 handicapper or not? Or you can see how the tour pros do it." That kind of benchmarking is almost impossible on a driving range.

Where the driving range still wins

The range has real strengths, and plenty of good golfers use both.

• Watching full ball flight: seeing the ball fly against the sky helps some golfers visualise shape and height

• Cheap volume: a bucket of balls is usually the lowest cost way to loosen up

• Fresh air: for many Kiwis, being outside is half the enjoyment of golf

• Pre-round warm-up: hitting a few balls at the course before you tee off is still a great habit

• Short game areas: many ranges have chipping greens and bunkers, which are better outdoors

Stu is the first to say a simulator isn't a replacement for the real thing. "It's never going to beat a nice day with your mates wandering around the golf course, especially as Kiwis when we love being outside. But it's trying to create a facility that allows you to practise with more intent."

Which is right for your game?

How to combine simulator and driving range practice

You don't have to pick one. A simple weekly pattern for a golfer who plays most weekends might look like this:

• Midweek simulator session (45 to 60 minutes): map a few clubs, then spend most of the time on one goal, such as approach shots from 100 to 140 metres

• Short practice green visit (20 minutes): putting pace and short chips on real grass

• Pre-round warm-up at the range (15 minutes): a few wedges, a few mid irons, a few drivers, then go and play

• After the round: note where you lost shots, and make that the focus of next week's simulator session

This approach uses each environment for what it does best: the simulator for feedback and focused work, real grass for putting and feel around the greens, and the course for putting it all together.

Golf simulator vs driving range FAQs

Is practising on a golf simulator as good as the real thing?

For full swing practice it's often better, because you get detailed feedback on every shot and can rehearse real situations. Putting and feel around the greens are still best practised outdoors.

Does simulator practice transfer to the course?

It transfers well when you practise with purpose. Using targets, varied distances, pin positions and on-course scenarios builds the skills and decision-making you need in a real round.

Are simulator distances accurate?

On a high-quality launch monitor, yes. Simulator distances are often more trustworthy than range distances, because you can use your own ball and the conditions don't change.

Is a golf simulator more expensive than a driving range?

Per session, usually yes. But many golfers find they need fewer, shorter sessions to improve because every shot is measured, and memberships can bring the cost per visit down.

Can I practise my short game on a simulator?

You can practise pitches and longer chips, and the data on those shots is useful. Very short chips, bunker shots and putting are better practised on real grass.

Is there indoor golf practice on Auckland's North Shore?

Yes. Several venues offer simulator golf around Auckland, including The Summit Golf Club in Wairau Valley, which has three TrackMan bays.

www.thesummitgolfclub.co.nz