Top 5 Advantages of using Golf Practice Nets

We might be preaching to the converted, but if you are still wondering if a Golf Practice Net will benefit your golf game, we are here to present the Top 5 Advantages of using Golf Practice Nets. We also want to point out some 'gotchas' when practicing using a golf net.

Golf Net Advantage 1 - The Convenience

If you've got a practice area set up in your backyard or garage, you will know exactly what I mean. But if you don't, just imagine being able to work on your game whenever you have a spare 10-15min. 

No need to get in the car and spend the next 30min - 1hr battling your local traffic to get to your nearest driving range. 

No 'opening hours' need to be considered - you will know what I mean if you have a full time job and have young kids to look after when you are not working. The home driving range is always open. 

No need to change into your golf attire - singlet and slippers are my personal favourites.

If you have one of the portable golf nets, you can even take it on trips with you! 

Here's a photo where I took our Portable Large Golf Practice Net to a farmstay. 

So just get your clubs and start swinging, no excuses.

Golf Net Advantage 2 - It's Cost Effective

Here's the simple maths. 

Large bucket of balls - $20+

Practicing weekly will set you back around $1000 every year. 

You can get a very decent golf practice net (and a personal launch monitor) for much cheaper than that and trust me once you've got a net at home you won't be hitting balls just once a week.

Golf Net Advantage 3 - Focus on Technique and not Outcome

Not being able to see the full ball flight when hitting into a Golf Practice Net is definitely a limitation, more on that later. However, it is also an advantage.

By not having the external ball flight to focus on will help you focus internally on your technique and the drill that you are working on.

How many times have you gone to the driving range with a plan to work on a swing change only to be discouraged by poor results initially and in a panic you revert back to 'what you know' and basically spend the rest of your range session further ingraining your faults? 

Hitting into a net will really help you to focus on swing mechanics as well as the quality of your ball striking. Improved ball flight will naturally come as a result.

Golf Net Advantage 4 - Get Instant Feedback on your swing

Part of why golf is so difficult is the fact that what you 'feel' in your golf swing is almost never 'real'. 

Being able to practice at home allows you to easily record your golf swing so you can get instant feedback on whether you are making progress with whatever drills and swing change you are trying to achieve. 

Here's Mr Short Game sharing his throughs on how to correctly video your golf swing.

Of course you can record yourself at the range, but you've got to also lug your tripod and some people are just not very comfortable looking like 'that guy' at the range (me included). 

How often do you film yourself at the range? How often do you see others filming their swings at the range? If you are working on a swing change and don't get feedback - how do you know that you are ACTUALLY making progress?

Golf Net Advantage 5 - Bring your Training Aids

If you are not comfortable with busting out your favourite swing aid gismos at the range with the fear of looking like Roy McAvoy from Tin Cup, then practicing at home into a golf net would be a much more comfortable setting. 

We are of course not suggesting that you should go and get all the training aids under the sun, but there might be a couple of things that will just help you to ingrain that 'feel' or that movement. 

For me personally it's a chair which I use from time to time to combat my case of chronic 'early extension'.

So here are what I think are the Top 5 Advantages of using a Golf Net. Please feel feel to let us know if you agree/disagree or have points to add.

Gotchas and Other Considerations

Golf Practice Net is sounding pretty good so far? But there are some 'gotchas' to consider.

Your can't see the ball flight

As mentioned earlier, this is definitely a limitation and you may not get a feel for the resulting ball flight in terms of distance, direction, curvature, height etc.

A couple of ideas may help with this:

• Pick out a target behind the net or use a target cloth in front of the net will help with getting feedback on start direction and launch angle. 
• Consider complementing your practice net with a launch monitor - there are now a good range of launch monitors on the market at various price points and they offer different levels of functionality. We at Kaizen Golf use a $300 PRGR radar launch monitor which accurately captures swing speed and ball speed, as well as a $4000 Skytrak launch monitor which offers full ball flight simulation. 

Also keep in mind that if your driving range is using beaten up range balls the ball flight might not be an accurate reflection of what you will produce with your own balls on the course. 

Don't become a ball bashing machine

Having the convenience to hit as many balls as you like, you might be tempted to just whack balls without too much thought on what you are working on. Otherwise you may risk further ingraining bad habits into your practice and actually get worse - practice makes permanent. 

So it's always advisable to practice with purpose and focus on quality of practice and not quantity. 

Consider using a good mat

When you can repeatedly hit balls whenever you want, if you are using a low quality mat, injuries may occur, especially if you are hitting off a hard surface. I'm talking from personal experience.

We highly recommend adding a high quality mat as part of your practice set up.

Please refer to our Golf Mat Buying Guide as well as check out our range of Golf Mats.

Safety first

A golf ball travelling at more than 100 miles per hour is no joke - so always make sure you are making your home practice area as safe as possible. So consider the following

• Is your practice area clear of windows or other valuables? 
• If you are swinging in an indoor space, is there ample space to safely swing a golf club? 
• How far away from the net are you hitting from? Typically the further back you are the bigger the net that's required.
• Do you suffer from the occasional hosel rocket? If so, you may want to have a wider net or a side barrier to catch those errand shots. 

Final Thoughts

So here are my Top 5 Advantages of using a Golf Practice Net - we really believe that being able to practice golf in the convenience and comfort of your own home will really help to bring that handicap down. 

If you are looking to purchase a golf net please check out our Golf Net Buying Guide here as well as our very own Kaizen Golf Golf Practice Nets.

If you prefer to go the DIY route, feel free to check out our DIY Golf Net ideas here as well.

Finally, take a look at our article here on some other ideas on how to get the most out of your Golf Practice at home.

Happy golfing at home everyone!