it would be helpful to be able to try them on a range
It might be. Yet I have wondered if it is like real life. When I am at the practice tee IRL, I can hit ball after ball that are mostly, exactly as I was trying, you know, high, low, gentle fade, major draw hook....you know. The trick is taking it to the 1st tee, which is mostly impossible to do. I believe it is valuble to test a new stick for real, with a little heat.
~ SP ~