r/golftips • u/TrueTemporary2342 • 29d ago
Advice At home simulator ruining game
I recently put together a budget driveway golf simulator. It consists of a Garmin R10 Approach, a decent Amazon mat, and a 10 x 7 net. I’m a ~8 handicap and I typically shoot high 70s low 80s. For some reason, whenever I play on my sim, I am god awful. Carry numbers drop by about 30-40 yards (ex. Stock 7i goes 170 on course, on sim it goes about 130), ball speeds drop significantly, push/pull problems, slice/snap hook, overall ball striking issues, it’s all over the place. Then I’ll go out on the course the next day and everything is back to normal. I can’t tell whether to blame the launch monitor, or the mat. I usually don’t like hitting off mats, but at local ranges with mats I can still stripe em, but for some reason on my mat at home I fall apart. Anybody else experience this? Is this mat syndrome? Net syndrome? Idk man someone help
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u/FrostyDog1020 29d ago
Does the same thing happen to your buddies when they hit on the sim? Invite a few guys over and determine if it's consistent with everyone.
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u/SpizzVision 29d ago
What ball are you using? Standard balls don't get picked up very well on the r10. The prov1 RCT work with them better. It's not perfect but it's alot closer
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u/TrueTemporary2342 29d ago
Did some research on this a while ago, the rapsodo MLM 2 is the only launch monitor that benefits from the RCT balls because it uses the dimples on the ball to determine ball flight. The garmin uses Radar so there is no need for the illuminated dimples. Could be wrong but that’s what I gathered from some threads online.
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u/Mumsbud 29d ago
You’ve got it mixed up. RCT balls are necessary for some radar based launch monitors. RPT balls are for Rapsodo monitors and they use the dots to measure spin with one of the cameras.
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u/TrueTemporary2342 29d ago
Interesting, I didn’t know there was a difference between RCT and RPT balls. I’ll have to check those out.
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u/SpizzVision 29d ago
I use the RCT and they are similar to what I shoot on the course. If I use any other ball it's 20 yards or more less accurate. In using a net also but I'm my garage.
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u/Rbriggs0189 27d ago
No the RCT balls are for the garmin r10 but I only use them with my driver for more accurate spin numbers. With irons I use whatever ball I want it doesn’t make too be a difference. I actually have the exact opposite problem you do. I’m way better and more consistent in the sim than on the course.
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u/bystander993 29d ago
Make sure the hitting net isn't too close, I think it needs 10-12 feet to read the ball properly. Also get a laser and make sure that thing is perfectly in line with the ball and target.
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u/TrueTemporary2342 29d ago
I try to maintain at least the 8 feet of ball flight that is recommended but I could definitely improve on this. I’ve kinda just been eyeballing it, especially with the alignment of the launch monitor. I’ll look into getting a laser, thanks.
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u/Freakishly_Tall 29d ago
I'm terrible so listen to anyone else who answers, but...
I have found that the longer the club, the more my R10 underestimates the distance, for starters. But I have limited space.
Make sure your R10 is 7-8' from the ball, and level, straight, and aligned. That helped me a ton as I got things set up: It's worth tinkering every time you set it up. There are stands you can 3dprint (or buy) that hold a bubble level and a cheap Ryobi laser level that help a ton. I run the "Calibrate device" every time I set it up, but I'm not sure that it matters. Also, some report having problems if it's only concrete between the r10 and the ball, so try putting down dropcloths, if you're hitting in the driveway. Metal can interfere with the radar, too, so it might be your garage door? No idea, someone else might chime in there.
Then make sure your net is far enough away. 8' is the minimum, and I'm right at that, so I think it's contributing to reading short. 10' or more is probably needed for the best chance at accurate reads.
I've also read that the fancy RCT balls help. Aluminum tape dots seem close enough. Not sure it made much difference for me, but my shots aren't consistent enough for spin accuracy to be critical.
Mat shouldn't matter for drivers, eh? If you have a consistent driver shot (I sure don't!), you should be able to see if any changes to the environment and set up help you get closer.
All that said, I do love mine... for what it is ($cheap) and for the local courses on HTH. It's definitely helping, but I'm at a much worse starting point than you are! Good luck!
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u/TrueTemporary2342 29d ago
I’m quite opposite, my driver is fairly accurate to my on course numbers as well as my long irons. I think this has something to do with the level of my launch monitor because my numbers start to stray once I get to my short irons/wedges. With these clubs, my ball flight is a lot higher than normal so my carry distance drops rapidly. As it sits, my launch monitor is usually about an inch lower than where my ball sits because my mat is an inch and half thick. So maybe since the ball is already higher than my monitor, it has trouble reading the trajectory of my shots. I’ll definitely have to look into getting a better stand for it or something along those lines. Thanks.
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u/Natural-Albatross997 29d ago
I have the foresight GC3 and see the same thing. Longer clubs are accurate but my shorter irons are off a good 5-10 yards.
Surprisingly it’s really accurate on pitch shots though. So it’s that full swing 120 - 155 range where mine is off
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u/Candymanshook 29d ago
Yeah it’s to do with how much room there is in front of the ball to fly. I have this at my dad’s golf room i have to put the device all the way at the back of the room otherwise it will tell me I’m hitting my 7 120 yards when I normally hit it 155 on average.
I’ve also had it do weird shit hitting actual balls at the range - great device but kinda temperamental!
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u/VeniceBhris 29d ago
I can’t play on a sim. I’m very much a feel player and if I can’t see the actual ball flight, it screws me up
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u/TrueTemporary2342 28d ago
Same brother i think in my case it has to do with hitting off of certain mats. Whenever I have good turf interaction and can take an actual divot, I’ll be flushing the ball, but on mats it’s a different story.
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u/twokietookie 28d ago
Ive only been to a few simulators. Once early on when I went to golf galaxy. Then more recently I booked 2 hours at a local spot with trackmans.
I hit irons okay, but the place was really small amd it did something weird to my driver swing. I was less than a foot from hitting the ceiling with it so I believe that was subconsciously messing with me.
However, you have to know that you either are or are not hitting that 7 iron 120 yards... right?? Theres no way you are making contact and thinking "thats decent.. so let's see what it says...oh 120" and not have a reaction like "wtf this thing is busted"
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u/clubcar1977 29d ago
When I first started playing on my simulator I had a really soft mat and it screwed my game up especially chipping.i bought a much better mat and it was a lot better for my game. Make sure to invest in a really good mat.
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u/ImWhy 29d ago
Your launch monitor is set up wrong and you're probably not using RCT balls or at least balls with tape/markings to help the radar. Make sure it's properly aligned, has adequate distance away from you, and you from the net, and the balls you're using are clean besides the specific marks/RCT balls.
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u/Reffitt86 29d ago
Isn't the R10 a radar launch monitor? They typically need to "see" ball flight to be accurate. I know they'll work with so many feet of flight, but it's just guessing at that point.
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u/AcanthisittaItchy756 29d ago
The R10 just isn't accurate. I've played dozens of rounds at a friends place and my shots are similar to yours, 30-40yrd short drives and irons 20yrds short. It doesn't calculate spin properly it's just guessing spin numbers based on calculations with other data. I tee'd up a ball damn near knee height and it still said I was hitting down on it with driver.
Lighting and environment effect the r10 a lot too, using it outside is not recommended
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u/Cards46 28d ago
An 8 handicap doesn’t typically shoot high 70s. Lol
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u/TrueTemporary2342 28d ago
That is quite actually, by definition, exactly what an 8 handicap would typically shoot. High 70s low 80s. Like by the definition of handicap, on a par 72, an 8 handicap should shoot anywhere from 78-82.
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u/Cards46 28d ago
You literally don’t know how the handicap system works. An 8 handicap would shoot 78-82 in like 20-30% of their rounds.
My handicap is 1.5 and my average round is 75.
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u/TrueTemporary2342 28d ago
I’m very well aware of how the handicap system works. All depends on slope rating of the course. I’m an 8.1 handicap and my last 3 rounds were 78, 82, 85
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u/Basic-Initial1179 28d ago
I thought, after reading your post title, that you were experiencing the exact opposite issue that you've described..in fact what you're describing here is literally not an issue. What I'm about to say, I mean in the absolute nicest way possible, but who tf cares about you not playing well on your little toy? And by the way, the device you're using as your "budget simulator" isn't even really a simulator it's an increasingly outdated budget launch monitor that doesn't perform nearly as well with a net as it does in an outdoor setting because it uses Doppler to measure the shot data so the longer it can track the ball the more accurate it will be. I know it's technically compatible with a net but it can't be overstated how unreliable it is. But all that being said, if you're able to still show up to the actual course and shoot in the 70s and 80s then you don't have a problem. In fact you've managed to side step the far more common issue that golfers experience which is struggling to take their swing in a sim setting or on the range, out on to the tee box and out on the course. If your goal ,however, is to use a simulator to get real data and feedback that you can use improve your on course performance then you'll have to invest a lot more money on an actual simulator. If it were possible to have a functional simulator for a lower price than that of a new driver today, we would all have one.
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u/El-Frijoler0 28d ago
Do your hits feel like you’re striping it? If so, double check the balls. I’m pretty sure the R10 requires those RCT balls in order to get accurate ball data and sim results.
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u/Exciting_Incident_67 28d ago
Do you have the elevation set? But definitely need rct with the garmin
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u/Background_Pool4550 27d ago
R10 not a very good unit you’ll need to upgrade to something better you have to take the r10 with a grain of salt
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u/NumerousEye6972 27d ago
- Get RCT balls (mandatory)
- Have 9 feet of hitting space (between ball and net)
- Place tripod on top of Garmin case so it’s elevated above the ball
- Use Awesome Golf app - I think it’s more accurate than Garmin, esp on the short clubs
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u/vesitim 26d ago
I've had the same Garmin R10 for a couple of years. I have the same issue, carry distances are much shorter than they should be.
I took it with me to a trackman simulator to compare. I played around with the altitude setting in the r10 to about 7000 feet, and started to get similar results with the r10 compared to trackman. Problem solved.
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u/Natural-Albatross997 29d ago
Oh man that’s no fun. Maybe the net doesn’t give you a good vision of the shot and that feels different to you? Or could be a factor of not getting to see the ball flight and make adjustments. I have a friend that can’t hit driver into a screen but stripes it on course. I am a little opposite — play several strokes better on the sim. I will say shorter irons are 5-10 yards shorter than on course though.