How much validity do you put in a virtual golf round?

[capking]

Just curious to what others think? Played a "round" at pebble today with my new irons and driver and beat my best round last year by 5 strokes.

[MtlJeff]

Depends what you consider validity, its not a real round of golf. But can it be an indicator that you are hitting the ball well? Sure

 

I'm hitting it better then I was last year, and my virtual scores are better

[PZero]

I don't consider my virtual rounds to be an indication of what I would actually shoot on a course, for better or for worse.

[Hawkeye77]

Zero. I usually end up working my way into some goofy positions, screwing up shoulder or neck from impacts, and grooving some faults that prove frustrating/fatal the past few years in March trips to California, once I get outdoors. I'd have been better off not playing.

 

Seems like many don't have the problems I do, but it screws me up. Putting on the simulators we have, and chipping, is totally unrealistic and worthless.

[bainsgya]

If you're counting GIR, then there is some validity, but around the greens there is no simulator that can come close to simulating real chips and putts.

[capking]

Ya the chipping and putting is horrendous, the putting especially. They almost cancel each other out, I find its hard to one putt. I think I had one. Had some gimmes from chipping though

[Springsteennut]

Everyone I know that plays seems to be 5 to 10 strokes better in virtual golf.

[capking]

Everyone I know that plays seems to be 5 to 10 strokes better in virtual golf.

Id even take the 5 haha, the tee was screwed up on the back nine, so I couldn't hit driver as well.

[ryan983]

Tee to green it is a pretty good indicator IF you are playing an accurate simulator/launch monitor. I've gone to auto putt on my simulator...once I'm on the green, I select the number of putts to add to my score and head to the next hole. Speeds up play considerably and it doesn't mess with your depth perception once winter is over and you got play outside.

 

Working on your putting should be done outside of a virtual round.

[Matt J]

I guess it depends on if you play an astro turf golf course ;)

 

I try and remember that every lie is flat on the sim, and like others say, I just drive and hit approaches. Chips, pitches, and Putts are best practiced outdoors.

[MtlJeff]

Everyone I know that plays seems to be 5 to 10 strokes better in virtual golf.

 

It's not that far off a statement. If you are a wayward driver of the ball, you definitely benefit from always getting good lies. I think that a higher index can benefit 7-10 strokes, a lower index less. My average score this year through maybe 10 rounds is probably around 72. If you factor in stroke and ratings of the courses i'm playing, that's probably 4-5 shots

[capking]

I'll still take it as a win, late season golf lessons paying off

[apprenti23]

Absolutely zero. You're playing a video game!

[goatbarn]

All depends on what model simulator you're playing on. GC2? Then at least you know all the data displayed is accurate.

 

Old Par-T simulator, nothing, because it's guessing at half the parameters.

 

Saying "simulator" is too generic.

 

I shot a 58 on my old Optishot simulator....which is obviously garbage.

 

Now on my GC2, my calculated handicap is within 0.4 index of my real handicap.

 

When people say pitching/putting is bad on simulator, are you saying the systems are not accurate for shot game? Or is it more likely that it's just hard to hit these "feel" shots on a 3d projected-2d image?

 

I'm leaning towards the latter...

 

I practice pitching all the time on my GC2, as I did on my Flightscope. What's a better way to practice precise carry short game shots than on a system that immediately spits out the carry?

 

Having owned 4+ golf simulators now, I can definitely say that it depends on what you're playing on.

[MMB1500]

None whatsoever.

 

Or to put it another way, I put about as much validity into it as the scores I shoot playing PGA Tour 2015 on the PS4.

[Forged4ever]

Absolutely zero. You're playing a video game!

LMAO, Thank You-

 

Let's see....

 

In a store, off a mat, absolutely no rough, regardless of where ya land, probably by yourself(even if you're in a group, WTF???), ball goes 20-25' or less, yea, sounds legit to me, lmao-

 

Well, one good thing, ya don't have to worry bout any lift and cleans, lol-

 

The weather sucks here and it's 4°, I hope yours is milder Bro :)

 

Fairways & Greens My Friend,

RP

[ryan983]

Absolutely zero. You're playing a video game!

LMAO, Thank You-

 

Let's see....

 

In a store, off a mat, absolutely no rough, regardless of where ya land, probably by yourself(even if you're in a group, WTF???), ball goes 20-25' or less, yea, sounds legit to me, lmao-

 

Well, one good thing, ya don't have to worry bout any lift and cleans, lol-

 

The weather sucks here and it's 4°, I hope yours is milder Bro :)

 

Fairways & Greens My Friend,

RP

 

Will repeat it again....it depends on the unit you are using.

 

I have a GC2 in my basement and assure you, people that suck outdoors still suck when they come over. Good players outdoors are still good indoors.

 

It isn't the same as outdoor golf but it's better than sitting on the couch doing nothing.

[goatbarn]

Absolutely zero. You're playing a video game!

LMAO, Thank You-

 

Let's see....

 

In a store, off a mat, absolutely no rough, regardless of where ya land, probably by yourself(even if you're in a group, WTF???), ball goes 20-25' or less, yea, sounds legit to me, lmao-

 

Well, one good thing, ya don't have to worry bout any lift and cleans, lol-

 

The weather sucks here and it's 4°, I hope yours is milder Bro :)

 

Fairways & Greens My Friend,

RP

 

Will repeat it again....it depends on the unit you are using.

 

I have a GC2 in my basement and assure you, people that suck outdoors still suck when they come over. Good players outdoors are still good indoors.

 

It isn't the same as outdoor golf but it's better than sitting on the couch doing nothing.

 

Exactly, because the GC2 is an accurate launch monitor.

 

Seems a lot of people maybe tried a simulator here or there and it wasn't setup right, or it was a model that didn't really measure everything the ball is doing, and then they come in and say ALL simulators are a joke/video game...etc.

 

I understand that's their opinion, but if you haven't researched them or owned one...etc., you really don't know what you're talking about!

 

Not all simulators are the same, most of them actually don't measure everything that's required for an accurate simulation. So if you don't know what's measured/not measured, and you have a bad experience, it's most likely that the simulator is crap. Not that SIMULATION is crap.

 

But I understand. If I never ate an apple before, and someone handed me a terrible, half rotten, apple from their backyard, I'd probably go around saying that apples are awful and I don't understand why people eat them.

[FairwaysToHeaven]

i've seen guys pop up their drive and then complain that simulator is just a video game when their total drive doesn't go beyond 200yds. a good simulator can absolutely give you an idea of how well your driving or hitting approach shots. putting is waste of time, and chipping is tough. impossible to judge ground interaction and spin yet an awful chip usually results in bad outcome on sim.

 

i also find alignment tough on tee shots. so basically overall score is meaningless, but a sim can definitely let you know if you're hitting it solid and what type of shot shape you're getting.

[SHIVAN]

Zero.

[Hawkeye77]

FWIW, my comments above relate to a very old version of full swing golf and swinging off a very worn piece of regular carpet. I don't discount what a quality sim will do and even on the one I can access, drives and regular iron shots give somewhat relative/consistent readings across the board (just not necessarily very accurate), if that makes sense. I just don't get much out of hitting a drive, trying to pick an iron shot off the mat and then that's pretty much it given the issues with chipping and especially putting. If it's approached as entertainment, it can be entertaining (although it's kind of like bowling in terms of how things progress). A lot of other golfers really think it works well for them, so I'm maybe not the best judge.

 

I'd love to have access to a real, quality monitor indoors and mats that don't punish me.

[E401k]

Zero

[gwlee7]

Just yesterday, after I shot my virtual 63 at Pine Valley, it brought my VGHIN index to a virtual +7. I need to get ready for my virtual invite to the virtual Masters but, I am going to be busy hanging with my virtual girlfriend (the virtually voluptuous Kate Upton) for the foreseeable virtual future.

[Hawkeye77]

Just yesterday, after I shot my virtual 63 at Pine Valley, it brought my VGHIN index to a virtual +7. I need to get ready for my virtual invite to the virtual Masters but, I am going to be busy hanging with my virtual girlfriend (the virtually voluptuous Kate Upton) for the foreseeable virtual future.

 

I always tell people if I get a hole in one, I'll buy them a virtual drink.

[PowderedToastMan]

I shoot the kind of scores I'd expect if I was on a course with only flat lies, no wind, exact yardages to every hole and zero walking or waiting. I don't see much disparity on my virtual scores, and actually have more confidence on the real course. The sims I've used, while generally very accurate, can occasionally produce some weird shots and also produce less curve. This works against me as I play a lot of curve with my woods.

 

A good shot on a sim is likely a good shot in real life (assuming you didn't get away with a huge fat shot). That being said, it is easier. Short little #8 at Pebble Beach is the easiest hole in the world on a sim; nightmare in real life.

[MtlJeff]

Look guys, it's -20 here and there's a foot of snow on the ground LOL. It's not like we have the option to go out and play pebble beach for real. Saying "zero" validity is fairly ridiculous and made a bit more for dramatic effect. You still actually have to swing a club and make good contact with the ball. My wife isn't going to walk into the room and shoot 73 at Pinehurst. I've seen plenty of people complain about the machines "not reading their shots properly", these are usually higher indexes. If you're playing with 5-6 foot gimmes and no mulligans, you still have to hit the ball really well to go shoot a 72

 

It's not a video game, because you are making real swings and hitting real balls. And zero validity would be the validity to what i shoot in a dream

 

It's not real golf, and you'll be probably 5-10 shots better on average. But it's better then sitting at home imagining you are golfing

[glk]

Wait, Canadians are banned from entering the us? Or is it just those from Montreal? So not zero but maybe virtually zero? Such a fun thread. It as a chilly, but sunny, 50 here in the holy city.

[capking]

Wait, Canadians are banned from entering the us? Or is it just those from Montreal? So not zero but maybe virtually zero? Such a fun thread.

Our dollar is in the toilet, it's not worth it to travel to the states.

[capking]

I'm not sure which simulator the place I went to has, it's the one with the big camera above you and has the markings on the ball.

[MtlJeff]

Wait, Canadians are banned from entering the us? Or is it just those from Montreal? So not zero but maybe virtually zero? Such a fun thread. It as a chilly, but sunny, 50 here in the holy city.

 

Well, technically i could play Pebble i guess, but airfare and green fees....well, let's just say it's not a weekly activity for many people

 

And like capking says, with our dollar the way it is, just going to McDonalds in the US requires a bank loan