Bushnell Launch Pro Space Requirements

The Bushnell Launch Pro is a portable photometric or camera-based launch monitor, built in conjunction with Foresight. There is contradictory information on the web about the Bushnell Launch Pro space requirements, so this article will explain how much space you need to use the Bushnell Launch Pro inside and outside.

The Bushnell Launch Pro is a camera-based launch monitor that requires a view of the hitting area and impact between club and ball. Therefore you only need enough room indoors to place the Bushnell Launch Pro in front of you and to make a swing safely.

The minimum room dimensions that you should use with the Bushnell Launch Pro are similar to the minimums with any golf simulator.

Some sites, including the Bushnell website, actually suggest minimum indoor space dimensions that, I believe, are too small for a golfer to make a swing within. I will explain this more below.

Due to the way the Bushnell Launch Pro works (cameras taking pictures of the impact zone), the minimum space requirements are directly related to the space needed to make a safe swing.

Rooms sized above the recommended dimensions will allow you to use the Bushnell Launch Pro whilst minimizing bounceback and indoor swing syndrome and achieving a central aim point in your golf simulator.

How does the Bushnell Launch Pro Work?

The Bushnell Launch Pro works using three cameras, to record numerous pictures of the golf ball and club head through impact. There is no radar and the unit does not require a view of the entire golf simulator space.

How does this affect the space needed?

Due to this method of data capture, the Launch Pro only requires a view of the impact zone and a little before and after it.

This can be a true minimum space, where you literally make a golf swing unheeded by the back wall, side walls, impact screen, and ceiling of your golf simulator. Or it can be a relative minimum, where within smaller spaces you can physcially swing the club but you worry too much about hitting the wall and can’t swing at your best.

Bushnell Launch Pro Space Requirements in Detail

Bushnell Launch Pro Room Length

You need enough room length when using Bushnell Launch Pro to make a comfortable swing with driver, without the fear of hitting the walls with your club and without worrying about bounceback. The launch monitor only requires a view of the hitting zone.

Consider the break down of room length in segments:

• You need about 1 foot of space behind your impact screen (or net) to allow deformation so the ball doesn’t strike the wall behind.
• the space between impact screen and ball (I recommend an absolute minimum of 6-7ft)
• the space between the ball and the back of the room. Your golf swing will occupy parts of both of these spaces (I recommend a minimum of 6ft)

Of course, more room length is always better. Shorter rooms will lead to a greater chance of bounceback problems, where the ball crashes into the screen or net and rebounds back at the golfer. If this is problematic more often than not it will affect your swing.

You’ll also run into issues with indoor swing syndrome if you don’t have sufficient room length, where you’re subconsciously trying to compensate to avoid hitting the back wall or to make a compact swing.

Bushnell Launch Pro Room Height

The Bushnell Launch Pro does not require a specific room height in order to record ball flight. Calculations and measurements are taken using high-speed cameras pointed at the ball just before impact, during impact itself, and just after.

Unlike radar-based launch monitors, the ball does not need to fly a certain distance within the golf simulator room in order for maximal accuracy to be obtained.

Other competitor launch monitors such as the Uneekor models need to be mounted at a specific distance overhead (eg 9-10ft). But this is not the case with the Bushnell Launch Pro. Like other camera-based systems such as Skytrak and the GC3 and GC Quad, the Bushnell Launch Pro sits in front of the golfer on the ground at the same vertical level as the hitting surface.

Therefore, your target room height is related to your own height, your own swing, and your own preferences.

Of course, these measurements are very variable depending on the height and swing of individual golfers.

Bushnell Launch Pro Room Width

The Bushnell Launch Pro does not require a specific room width in order to be used in an indoor golf simulator. You only need enough room width to swing, plus around 2ft in front of you where the Bushnell Launch Pro will be placed.

However, your room width needs are likely to be dictated by the width of your golf swing and whether you can achieve a central aim.

A central aim in a golf simulator is when your target line is completely perpendicular to the centre of your impact screen. This means that when you address the ball and aim at a central target on the screen, you do not have to make any adjustments for being offline.

Spaces that include a minimum of 10ft of width will allow you to use the Bushnell Launch Pro just fine but you’ll be off center. 15ft of width and above will allow you to address the ball with a central aim point.

Why do I think the minimum space requirements advised by some vendors are too small?

Room width

I always quote a minimum room width of 10ft for an indoor golf simulator space. This will allow a driver swing to be made without the danger of hitting the wall behind you, though your hitting position will be off center (to the right for a right-handed golfer).

Could you make a swing in a room more narrow than 10ft wide, yes probably. You could get away with narrower rooms if you only hit irons, or if you have a very upright swing, and address the ball pretty near the side wall.

With the Bushnell Launch Pro, this launch monitor needs to sit in front of the golfer and behind the ball by approximately 2ft. This means your required room width is larger because you need to accommodate the Launch Pro to the side of the ball.

I have seen minimum recommendations of 7ft of room width, which I feel is too narrow. Once you accommodate for the Launch Pro off to the side of the hitting area, you won’t be able to swing driver with only ~5ft of room width between ball and the wall on the other side.

You can read more about the minimum and recommended space dimensions for a golf simulator here.

Room Length

The minimum space requirements quoted on some sites recommend a lower room length limit of 10ft. This is too short a room in my opinion, especially if you’re aiming for a full golf simulator setup. You might get away with it (just) if you use a net, no impact screen, and don’t hit driver.

Remember the breakdown of room length into the space behind an impact screen (1ft), tee to screen distance (aim >7ft) and space behind the ball (6-7ft). Sure, you just might be able to shave a little of each of these safely, but not all the way to a total of 10ft, and certainly not safely.

Room height

From a height perspective, I’ve also seen recommendations for 7ft of room height when using the Bushnell Launch Pro. The launch monitor itself doesn’t mind how tall your room is, it only takes images of the impact zone.

However, I don’t think you’ll be able to swing driver with a 7ft ceiling, I am 5ft 11in tall and my garage ceiling is 7ft 6in and I comfortably hit the ceiling even with a wedge swing.

I would aim for 8.5-9ft as an absolute minimum (for shorter golfers with wider swings), 10ft of headroom should allow the majority of golfers to swing driver without problems.

Bushnell Launch Pro Outdoor Space Requirements

The outdoor space requirements for the Bushnell Launch Pro are similarly centred around whether you can make a comfortable swing.

You need enough height in your setup to make a swing, which is not a problem in the majority of cases. The only impediment here may be the upper part of a golf cage or enclosure.

Again, you only need enough outdoor space width to make a comfortable swing. Driving range bays will be set up to allow comfortable space width, the same measurements in feet to indoor spaces apply (aim >10ft).

Outdoor setups do not usually run into problems with length, but consider the same measurements if you’ve set up a golf net. You’ll need enough room behind you to swing comfortably and enough in front of you that your club doesn’t hit the net.

Open setups (eg an outdoor driving range) have no constricting space requirements at all with the Bushnell Launch Pro. You also don’t benefit from longer ball flight viewing like you do with radar launch monitors (because the Launch Pro has eyes solely on the hitting zone).

Bushnell Launch Pro Setup Tips

The Bushnell Launch Pro is placed in front of the golfer so that it can gain a view of the hitting zone and take multiple images of the ball and club through impact.

You should elevate the Bushnell Launch Pro to sit on the same vertical level as your hitting mat, if using a freestanding raised hitting mat. This won’t be a problem if your whole golf simulator is one level with a mat sunken into the floor.

You need to move one ball into the hitting zone (which is 7 inches x 10 inches in size) portrayed on the onboard screen above, and the system will be ready for you to hit your shot. Multiple balls in the hitting zone will result in an error message.

Check out the full setup guide published by Bushnell here, with advice on alignment and calibration.

Conclusion – Bushnell Launch Pro Space Requirements

The Bushnell Launch Pro is an exciting new camera-based launch monitor that brings Foresight-supported technology well into the more affordable sector of the launch monitor market.

Due to the camera-based technology, the space requirements for the Bushnell Launch Pro are smaller than those of competitor radar-based launch monitors.

As we discussed above, I believe the minimum space dimensions quoted by some sites are too small, specifically too short in height and too narrow in width, to make a golf swing indoors.

Here is the table of Bushnell Launch Pro Space Requirements again.

If your space is bigger than my recommended dimensions above then you’ll easily accommodate the Bushnell Launch Pro into your golf simulator.