How To Set-Up A Golf Simulator At Home

So, you have either purchased a golf simulator or are thinking about it. What does it take to get a simulator up and running at home? What kind of simulator and supplies do you need? We asked the experts at Golf Simulator Buddy to elaborate on everything you needed to do to get your home golf simulator set up.

Materials

To begin with, there are some materials that you will need to gather or at least think about. They include:

• Mat: A floor mat is important if you are hoping to have your floor remain undamaged. Some simulator packages come with a mat, but not all do.
• Projector: Depending on your simulator, a projector might be optional. A projector displays the golf course or driving range that you are shooting at with different types of software. They often need to be mounted at the right height from the ceiling as well in order to gauge with accuracy.
• Screen: If you do go with the projector, you need a screen that can handle ball impact as well. If you are going to do this without a projector, have a net in the front to catch the ball.
• Net: The net prevents your ball from ricocheting all over your house and can even bounce the ball back to you.
• Simulator: The golf simulator works through running software through sensors that might be placed on your club or around the room. You can buy a simulator package that will come with a projector and everything that you need if that is something you are interested in.

Space Considerations

Before you set up a simulator, swing a golf club gently in the room that you are going to put the simulator in to make sure there is adequate space. Some simulators require more room than others as well. This is the allotted average spaces to think about:

• Room Height: You would be better off if you can achieve a room height of 10 feet, because you also need to think about your own height and how high your swing is, but the bare minimum is 8 feet.
• Room Width: 15 feet is ideal for room width, because you need enough room on the side for the sensors to catch your swing.
• Room Depth: You need about 15 feet depth in a room. That way you will have enough room for a projector, screen, and enough room to play.

The Set-up

The actual set-up should go something like this:

1. Put the mat down on the floor in an appropriate location. It will at least need to cover an area 8 feet from the wall to account for your swing.
2. A projector needs to be mounted at approximately 8 feet high in order to appropriately display the course. You might need to adjust this given the space of the room and sensor placement.
3. The impact screen should be one foot from the wall and not tight. It needs some slack in it so that it can roll the ball back to you so you can take your next shot.
4. You need to have one foot from the wall to the screen, if you are using one, and then 8 feet from the screen to the tee. It would be a good idea to use a tape measure. There should be 6 feet behind you to the projector.
5. Side nets need to be set up on either side of your impact screen in order to catch the ball and let it roll back to you.
6. You need to set up any sensors that come with the simulator. It is important to follow the directions that come with the simulator.
7. Hook your simulator up to a computer. It is best to follow the instructions for setting up the software that come with your simulator.

After you are done with the set-up, it is time to play. Your simulator should be able to track your shots well and let you know where you need improvement, but that does depend on the simulator. Regardless, you can still hone in on your skills right from home.