Launch Monitors Archives - Page 10 of 10

Do you have enough room to build a Skytrak Golf Simulator at home? This article explains our recommended minimum Skytrak space requirements and goes into detail regarding the intricacies of golf simulator room dimensions. Skytrak users need an absolute minimum space of 12ft (3.65m) long x 10ft (3.05m) wide x 8.5 ft (2.6m) high. Smaller rooms allow you to swing and achieve shot information but will encounter problems. More comfortable Skytrak room dimensions are 18ft (5.9m) long x 15ft (4.6m) wide x 10 ft (3.05m) high. Due to the onboard photometric technology, Skytrak is placed in front of you and not further back away from the screen, like radar launch monitors. Therefore Skytrak users do not need a large amount of space behind the golfer like radar systems, such as Trackman. LengthWidthHeight Minimum Dimensions12ft10ft8.5ft Comfortable Dimensions18ft15ft10ft In this article we take you through the specific dimension considerations for Skytrak. We go into detail about the height, width and length of your room. On this site, you’ll find articles on all aspects of building a golf simulator. I will also link to other sites where you can buy some of the simulator components. Some of these links may be affiliate links, which means if you click them I gain a small commission at no extra cost to you. This really helps out me and my site so thank you in advance! Thanks, Alex @ MyGolfSimulator How does Skytrak work and how does this effect the space needed? Skytrak uses photometric technology to gather golf ball data as it takes off after impact. Photometric means that it takes multiple images of the ball at high speed just after you hit the ball. The software in the Skytrak then analyses the images taken and produces data related to important parameters such as launch angle and ball speed. Skytrak does not measure club path without extra pieces of equipment used in combination. You can use products such as SkyPro in conjunction with Skytrak to attain this data. Given Skytrak's camera technology being placed just to the side of the golf ball, you won't need cameras set up under the mat, behind the golfer or overhead like other launch monitors use. Skytrak Room Length Explained You need at least 12 feet (3.65m) in length for your Skytrak simulator. In this length, you need to have your hitting mat, space for your backswing, space for your through swing, space for the ball to travel, space for your net and screen and also a bit of space for your net and screen to deform backward slightly without ricocheting off the wall behind. If any of these aspects are different from normal then you may need extra space. For example, if you have a wider backswing, you’ll need a longer simulator or risk hitting the wall with the club. The last thing you want from a golf simulator is that your swing gets worse because of your room size restraints. The good thing with Skytrak, is that it sits behind the golf ball, to the side of the golfer. This means it does not need to sit further back in the simulator space like more expensive radar based launch monitors. Note that technically you don't need any more room length than you need to swing the golf club, but there may be lots of problems with ricochet, bounceback and noise if you tee it up close to the screen. A smaller room will also limit the amount of extra ‘swing studio features’ you have in your simulator. Of course, having a small simulator is better than no simulator at all. However, be aware that a small simulator space will limit your ability to set up cameras to record your swing and put up mirrors and similar endeavours. What impact does room length have Skytrak golf simulators? As we describe above, a small simulator room means you may need a good impact screen and net that won’t deform too much and hit the wall behind. This is the case for Skytrak as well as other launch monitors. You don’t want the ball ricocheting backward and hitting you between the legs every time! A shorter simulator space will have an impact on your choice of projector. You’re likely to need a short throw projector, in any case, to focus the image onto your screen. Take a look at our article on projector throw ratios here. A small space will also give you issues with projector placement. You don’t want to hit your projector with your swing and you also don’t want your own shadow on the screen image. Check out our in-depth article on where to position your projector here. If you’re planning on a smaller indoor space for your simulator then check you’re desired simulator system will fit well into your space. Skytrak's manufacturers recommend a minimum of 10 ft in length, however this is an absolute minimum. 10ft of length would be okay for a hitting net using Skytrak and an Ipad or smartphone, not taking into account the screen and projector issues. Some premium launch monitors like TrackMan require a longer space because they use radar technology. The TrackMan website states the TrackMan4 needs a minimum distance from radar to net of 16ft (18ft for the TrackMan3e) and again these are minimums. Skytrak Room Width Explained Width is just as important as length for your Skytrak simulator build, if not moreso. You need enough space to swing your driver or longest club and not be worried at all about hitting the sides. The absolute minimum room width for a usable Skytrak simulator build is 10ft (3.05m). We'd recommend 15ft of width to optimise your experience however. What if my room is too narrow? If your Skytrak golf simulator room is less than 10ft wide you’ll end up with one of two scenarios. You can’t swing your longer clubs at allYou can swing your longer clubs but you end up set up with the ball (and simulator) right at the side of the room. This means when setting up to hit a straight shot at the screen you’ll be aiming at the far right of the screen (for a right-hander). To aim at the centre of the screen you’d effectively have to aim left. I know I wouldn’t be able to practice this way and would probably develop a good going fade/slice with all clubs. Some people may feel differently though. We explain more about this later in the post. What impact does room width have on equipment? As long as you can swing the club then your simulator will still work. You could be hampered by aim problems as explained above. You may have to buy a smaller screen than initially intended. As long as you factor this in before purchase then you’ll be okay. The same applies to your enclosure. If you’re buying a specific size enclosure then you need to make sure it’ll fit in your space before purchase. If you’re making it from metal conduit piping as I did then you have a bit more flexibility. A narrow room may preclude you from buying some of the wider, more premium mats. Room width shouldn’t affect your netting or blackout curtains, you’ll just need to size them accordingly when you install them. Will you be using your simulator for both lefties and righties? One problem with a narrow room is that if you have everything set up perfectly for a right-handed golfer and then you move the simulator to the other side of the mat for a left-hander, then you’ll find that you won’t have space. You may hit your projector, you may find the left-hander is set up right at the left wall. You might just get away with it or it might be unusable for your left-handed friends. Check out our post on the Best Golf Mats for Left-Handers here. We cover mats that can be turned around as well as mats used by left-handers, right-handers and both groups together. Skytrak Room Height Explained Height is comfortably the most important dimension when planning a golf simulator room. If your ceiling is too low for you to swing a club your simulator build journey ends here. The minimum height you need for your simulator would be 8.5ft (2.59m) and a comfortable height would be more like 10ft. Of course, these limits depend on your height and the maximum height of your swing. I’m planning a post on what options you do have with limited height space. Taller golfers who want to swing driver will struggle with a shorter room. What if my room isn’t tall enough? You could say that you have quite a flat swing so you’ll be okay. I would argue, however, that altering your swing or trying to maintain a sub-optimal swing plane to suit a small space is counterproductive and will not allow you to progress as a golfer. You may need to find an alternative space or delay your simulator build until you’re in a position to access a better space (eg you’ve moved house or have access to an external space). You could do a halfway solution. If you have just under the required space for your driver swing then why not have a simple hitting bay set up where you practice your wedges and irons. This would include an enclosure, mat, and netting. You can get cheaper launch monitor hardware that tells you the carry distance of your shots (rather than being a full simulator). I use the Garmin Approach G80 at the driving range, but it could easily be used in a hitting bay at home. This launch monitor is fantastic value. It doubles as a premium GPS device for use on the course and has a range of practice features. This way you could improve your game at home still rather than giving up your simulator journey completely. You can even add extra ‘swing studio features’ such as mirrors, cameras, and swing video computer software. Achieving a centred aim with Skytrak This is so important for simulators that use a projector. Have you ever used a simulator where the didn't feel right? If you drew a straight line through the ball towards the impact screen, parallel to the mat, would it hit the centre of the screen, or the side? To aim at the right (or left) of the screen, means your target line will not be the target line displayed on your screen. The centre line of Skytrak's driving range will be well away from where you're aiming. For your Skytrak golf simulator to have a centred aim means your shots hit the target line on the projected image. To accomplish this set up you need the hitting section of your mat directly in line with the centre of your screen. This means right handed golfers will need to address the ball more towards the left of their simulator. Left handers vice versa. Centred aim means you need a wide enough simulator. Exactly how wide depends on your height, your swing, your enclosure and whether you have anything against the wall. You'll probably need 15 feet or more of width for this setup. Can you offset the target line on Skytrak? Yes you can, for Skytrak's driving range. You can offset the centre line on the Skytrak driving range to accommodate those with target lines off to the side. This sort of solves the problem but isn't perfect. Other launch monitor software allow you to do this too. This offset doesn't solve the off-centre problem when using simulation software to play courses, such as WGT or TGC. https://youtu.be/BQQ7L7DoJtI with thanks to Golf Tech Systems What are the minimum ‘ideal’ dimensions for a golf simulator? We’ve talked about the absolute minimum room dimensions for a golf simulator at the start of this article. You could say that the ideal dimensions for a golf simulator would be one with unlimited space. Not many people have a garage the size of an aircraft hanger though. The dimensions you’ll need for a comfortable space are: 18ft long10ft high15ft wide A space at least this big will allow you to avoid the problems listed above with rooms too short, narrow and not tall enough. Use this checklist to get the requirements right in your mind before you shell out on equipment. You should be able to take a full swing with your driver and not feel any anxiety about hitting a wall or ceiling.There should have room to mount your projector and achieve your desired image size on your screen without issue.You should be able to address your ball so that your target line is in the very centre of your hitting bay, extending to the centre of your impact screen.All your equipment should work in the space you’ve set up (this is especially relevant if you're going for a radar based system rather than Skytrak). with thanks to Carl's Place Do you have room for anything else in your simulator room? What about mirrors and swing cameras? I believe the perfect golf simulator doubles up as a swing studio. I’d like to be able to record my swing from several angles, see my swing with well positioned mirrors and have room for a computer to run my simulator software. Having these items will feed into your length and width considerations. What about space for seats and other items? My perfect golf simulator would also double up as a home theatre for watching movies. It would be warm enough (not a draughty garage) and have some comfortable chairs that I could move into position when not using the simulator itself. You could even add a bar for when your mates come over for rounds on the simulator. Such items are definitely not essential and if you only have room for the simulator in your space that is totally fine. Cheaper options for restricted space A hitting bay without the Skytrak simulator – a cheaper option all round. You could add a GPS/launch monitor which will allow you to hone in your wedge and iron carry distances. A irons and wedges only Skytrak simulator bay if you’re restricted on one or more of height, width and length. You can still benefit from a great many of the benefits of Skytrak with this setup. Here's my dedicated article all about how much space you need to build a golf simulator, with minimum and recommended dimensions for length, width, and height. Check it out! Conclusion and Your Next Steps I hope this article has answered some of your questions about the required dimensions for your Skytrak golf simulator. Please follow these steps to assess your space needs. Swing your driver at the driving range and get a friend to photograph you. Make the highest swing you can. Make the flattest/widest swing you can. Then use the photo to try and see how high up the range your club goes. I went to a bay next to the driving range wall with slats on the wall. I saw which slat related to my club by looking at the photo. Then I used a tape measure to see how high this was. You can do the same with width if you address the ball on the mat then use any floor markings to see how wide you go. This will give you your height and width absolute minimums. Once you’re progressing with the planning of your simulator, visit https://www.projectorcentral.com/projection-calculator-pro.cfm to work out whether your proposed projector and proposed projector position will give you your desired image size on your impact screen. Where to buy Skytrak You can buy Skytrak here. It is such a fantastic launch monitor. You won't regret it! Thanks for Reading! :D More Commonly Googled Skytrak Questions