Meet The Sims

Need to stay sharp but also stay home? Try these cutting-edge sports simulators.

- Nicolas Stecher

HONING ATHLETIC SKILL takes constant, year-round commitment, but try telling that to inclement weather. Thankfully, as elite professionals already know, virtual practice can yield valuable results, refining biomechanics and reinforcing muscle memory along the way. Just ask those who make a living competing in sports as disparate as Formula 1, golf, soccer and hockey, where these computer-assisted training tools can help provide a winning edge. Whether aiming to be a contender or just a better weekend warrior, you'll find the following top-of-the-line simulators will help keep you at the top of your game where it counts: in the real world.

▲ Golfzon
TwoVision Golf Simulator

There's no shortage of golf sims, but it was Golfzon that notched Golf Inc.'s Most Innovative Product Award. The TwoVision (from US$72,000) name comes from the second-generation high-speed cameras mounted on the ceiling and tee box that capture your swing at 400 frames per second; the CPU then offers instantly accurate feedback as you trace the ball's flight across more than 235 courses, including bucket-list destinations such as Pebble Beach and St Andrews. Golfzon's LED-illuminated putting guide directs you exactly where to aim, while the system's auto-tee feature reloads your ball to speed up gameplay while sparing your back.