Can't hit in a simulator

[ejimsmith]

Do others have the same issue I seem to have.  Today when I was at Dick's, I decided to try a driver in the simulator stall.  It felt really odd, like I was hitting a ball inside my house.  I kept holding back, getting tense, and after I shanked a shot directly into the launch monitor I decided it was best to not continue.

Years ago I hit in one when I was buying a driver. But thinking back on it, that was a much larger stall.  I think the issue is the distance from me to the drop cloth that stops the ball.  The one I was able to hit at years ago felt like 10+ feet to the drop cloth, whereas this felt like it was half that.  

Anyway, I can't hit in a stall.  Bummer too cause I kinda wanted to see all the stats from my shots.

Now... before my driver experience I did hit a 6I and 4I with little problems.  However my shots were coming up about 15% shorter than than they do when I play.  I'm not sure if I'm holding back in the stall, or if the clubs I was trying (Mizuno MP-25s with stiff steel shafts - I play regular graphite Taylormade R9s).  

If I felt more comfortable in the stall, then I can better use it to evaluate my swing.  As it is now, then thing scares me....

[pganapathy]

Perhaps go to a pro shop or sporting goods store with a larger hitting area on their simulator.  Unless of course you live in an area where there are very few simulators

[boogielicious]

3 hours ago, ejimsmith said:

Do others have the same issue I seem to have.  Today when I was at Dick's, I decided to try a driver in the simulator stall.  It felt really odd, like I was hitting a ball inside my house.  I kept holding back, getting tense, and after I shanked a shot directly into the launch monitor I decided it was best to not continue.

Years ago I hit in one when I was buying a driver. But thinking back on it, that was a much larger stall.  I think the issue is the distance from me to the drop cloth that stops the ball.  The one I was able to hit at years ago felt like 10+ feet to the drop cloth, whereas this felt like it was half that.  

Anyway, I can't hit in a stall.  Bummer too cause I kinda wanted to see all the stats from my shots.

Now... before my driver experience I did hit a 6I and 4I with little problems.  However my shots were coming up about 15% shorter than than they do when I play.  I'm not sure if I'm holding back in the stall, or if the clubs I was trying (Mizuno MP-25s with stiff steel shafts - I play regular graphite Taylormade R9s).  

If I felt more comfortable in the stall, then I can better use it to evaluate my swing.  As it is now, then thing scares me....

I do find them dark and for an older player, that makes a difference in seeing the ball.

[TheWoodBoss]

Five feet is pretty small. Check out a different place.

[mcanadiens]

One of our local ranges has covered tees and it is sort of the same thing.

My perception is that I'm going to hit a post with my back swing. It doesn't happen, but I can't get over it.

Hitting anything more than mid irons is fairly worthless for me there.

 

[PerfectStriking]

Man that is the least of any golfer's problems, don't be too concerned about it, not being able to hit it on the course, now that's another whole world of pain.

[ncates00]

6 hours ago, ejimsmith said:

Do others have the same issue I seem to have.  Today when I was at Dick's, I decided to try a driver in the simulator stall.  It felt really odd, like I was hitting a ball inside my house.  I kept holding back, getting tense, and after I shanked a shot directly into the launch monitor I decided it was best to not continue.

Years ago I hit in one when I was buying a driver. But thinking back on it, that was a much larger stall.  I think the issue is the distance from me to the drop cloth that stops the ball.  The one I was able to hit at years ago felt like 10+ feet to the drop cloth, whereas this felt like it was half that.  

Anyway, I can't hit in a stall.  Bummer too cause I kinda wanted to see all the stats from my shots.

Now... before my driver experience I did hit a 6I and 4I with little problems.  However my shots were coming up about 15% shorter than than they do when I play.  I'm not sure if I'm holding back in the stall, or if the clubs I was trying (Mizuno MP-25s with stiff steel shafts - I play regular graphite Taylormade R9s).  

If I felt more comfortable in the stall, then I can better use it to evaluate my swing.  As it is now, then thing scares me....

Yes that can be an issue and it certainly can scare the crap out of you.  I have a gc2 setup in my garage with limited space vertically.  I can only hit wedge up to my 4h full swing with confidence.  I'm sure I hit the ball a little bit further on the course (hard to tell because I haven't played this year yet on course) simply due to the fact that you're in open space and can swing more freely. 

Don't look at distance; look at ball speed.  Most even cheaper monitors will gauge ball speed fairly accurately because they directly measure, even if they don't calculate distance as accurately due to some algorithm.  Even with my gc2 I doubt some driver distances because the gc2 puts a premium on low spin driver shots; I'm not high speed player and my gc2 has a few times given me some pretty ambitious carry numbers with driver because of low spin.  I don't always see that carry on the course, but by and large, it has been very accurate compared to my on-course play.

You might be holding back in the stall because of that fear, but there are other considerations:

1) maybe you don't hit the ball the ball as far as you think you do, or maybe you just didn't strike it well that day;

2) perhaps the ball or launch monitor you're using aren't good (I don't recall you saying which monitor it was or the quality of ball).  To me, there's really only foresight and trackman.  Flightscope's top of the line model is pretty good though too.  Also, always check the ball you're using.  I notice that after a while of hitting into a net, the ball will eventually start to form a small little crack, that might not be easily noticeable.  If you see a big drop in ball speed and you hit it well, you know the ball is likely forming a crack.  At least, that's what happens to me.

[LMoore]

I agree with "ncates00" in checking ball speed. One thought further, always take the club you are considering to replace to compare data. If a new driver seems to be good, make sure it's actually performing better than what you have.

What to do about simulator phobia?..............don't know if you played baseball, but us old pitchers are used to "zoning out".

[Missouri Swede]

Didn't we just have a thread about this?  I did a quick search and didn't find it, but I seem to recall a similar discussion sometime in the last six months or so.

[Missouri Swede]

22 minutes ago, Missouri Swede said:

Didn't we just have a thread about this?  I did a quick search and didn't find it, but I seem to recall a similar discussion sometime in the last six months or so.

Found it.  (More than 6 months ago, but tempus fugit):

 

Edited April 26, 2019 by Missouri Swede

[sjduffers]

I think a lot has to do with getting used to the artificial lighting. It changes the perception of the ball and perhaps our body's spatial awareness too. Don't know for sure, though.

[grinder]

On 4/26/2019 at 1:24 AM, ejimsmith said:

Do others have the same issue I seem to have.  Today when I was at Dick's, I decided to try a driver in the simulator stall.  It felt really odd, like I was hitting a ball inside my house.  I kept holding back, getting tense, and after I shanked a shot directly into the launch monitor I decided it was best to not continue.

Years ago I hit in one when I was buying a driver. But thinking back on it, that was a much larger stall.  I think the issue is the distance from me to the drop cloth that stops the ball.  The one I was able to hit at years ago felt like 10+ feet to the drop cloth, whereas this felt like it was half that.  

Anyway, I can't hit in a stall.  Bummer too cause I kinda wanted to see all the stats from my shots.

Now... before my driver experience I did hit a 6I and 4I with little problems.  However my shots were coming up about 15% shorter than than they do when I play.  I'm not sure if I'm holding back in the stall, or if the clubs I was trying (Mizuno MP-25s with stiff steel shafts - I play regular graphite Taylormade R9s).  

If I felt more comfortable in the stall, then I can better use it to evaluate my swing.  As it is now, then thing scares me....

This is how I feel at the driving range with someone standing on both sides of me.  Very difficult for me to swing fully and freely like this.