Golf simulators have revolutionized the game from the tradition of trekking and driving in a cart to an indoor, fantastic experience. The technology of golf simulators makes it accurate, easy to learn, and practice at your convenience. Although golf simulators are accurate and designed to amuse the player, some things about them differ significantly from reality.
Golf Simulators vs Real Golf
Novice golf players will enjoy practicing on simulators more than on the actual course. However, once they get to the natural course, they’ll experience a new level of golfing. For this reason, this post aims at highlighting the significant differences between golf simulators and reality.
Feel
The feel of outdoor and indoor golfing is the significant difference between the two variations. For those who have played on both courses, understand the perception here. While standing on the natural outdoor system, you have a feel for how to swing your club. Aspects like hole contour, the lie, and environmental factors all influence how you swing. Replicating some feelings when golfing outdoors and on virtual realistic golf is challenging. However, you can work around the challenge by investing in a high-quality projector and screen to make the two more similar.
Putting and Chipping
Due to the outdoor and indoor factors, putting and chipping are challenging for golf simulators. The launch mirror is often blamed for accuracy difficulties because sometimes it’s tough for them to pick on low speeds. However, this is not to say golf simulators provide inaccurate readings, but it’s tough to get a good feel on how hard to hit the ball.
On the actual golf course, you might have had the experience of cramming the last few holes, which gives you a perfect perception of the difference in depth perception. It’s challenging to putt with limited depth perception because you can’t judge the distance, and although the golf simulator is dark, the concept is the same.
Environmental Factors
When playing outdoors, a 20mph side wind affects your swing and ball flight. However, it’s different in virtual golf, as environmental conditions don’t factor in on your swing or ball speed. Most golf simulators have features where you can manipulate weather conditions like wind and rain. However, unless you have an industrial fan in your hitting area, you can’t feel the wind like in a natural setting.
Lie
Golf simulators give you the perfect flat lie experience, which is uncommon in most courses unless you live in Florida or Illinois states. Moreover, simulating play in virtual golf is tricky as many simulators allow a rough penalty, a calculated percentage taken from the total shot distance. You can manage this by getting a golf mat that varies in turf lengths so that you can change where you place your ball.
Bunkers
Players who dread the sand will enjoy golf simulators, as you don’t have to go out of bunkers to play. Simulating a bunker shot isn’t easy because you can’t fetch sand each time you hit the bunker. This means you play a typical chip on the mat in golf simulators.
Conclusion
Realistic and golf simulators are different game versions with as many differences as similarities. However, the two give a different experience to players, especially those who are lucky to use both. But in the end, whether playing on an actual golf course or simulation, you get to practice and enjoy the game.
