Getting Ready for Winter Golf Trips: How to Use Indoor Simulators the Right Way

If you’re heading out on a winter golf trip, the work you put in on the simulator over the next few weeks or months will shape how quickly you settle into the trip. Most of you spend the colder months indoors, and that’s a huge advantage—if you use the technology to practice with a purpose. 

Here’s how to get trip-ready.

Start by narrowing your focus to the data that transfers best to real turf: start line, face angle, and contact quality. Indoors, you get instant feedback on these essentials, and they don’t change whether you’re hitting on a mat or real fairway. Build a consistent start direction, tighten dispersion, and make centered contact your priority. The more predictable your face control is, the easier your transition outdoors will be.

Your next focus should be carry distances, especially with your wedges. On winter trips, you’re often dealing with firmer greens, warmer air, and more rollout than you’re used to. Knowing your true carry numbers from 40–100 yards helps you adjust quickly once you’re outside. Use your simulator’s distance challenges or wedge combines to add pressure and track progress.

Simulated course play is another powerful tool. Choose layouts similar to where you’re traveling—desert golf, tree-lined targets, large greens, whatever fits—and play full rounds. This builds decision-making, target selection, and shot-to-shot focus, which often get rusty indoors.

Now, let’s talk putting— You can get meaningful reps at home or even in your hotel room. Use a putting mat or a strip of carpet and work on start line with a gate made from two coins or tees. Place a book or ruler on the ground and roll putts along the edge to train face control. For speed, set up “ladder drills” by putting to different distances across the room, focusing on how the ball rolls off the face rather than the surface quality. These small sessions build the precision you’ll need on faster, unfamiliar greens.

Most importantly, treat each practice—simulator or at home—as preparation, not just activity. Go in with a plan, track your progress, and rehearse the shots you’ll rely on when the sun finally greets you.

If you do have a big trip coming up you can work with your Optimum Coach to help develop a specific plan for you.