Golf Impact Screen Tension: The Key to a Safe and Seamless Home Simulator Experience

Details matter when it comes to building a home golf simulator studio. And one of the most critical but often overlooked details is the tension of your golf impact screen.

Get it right and you’ve got a surface that beautifully displays the image projected from your golf launch monitor software, a screen that will practically roll the golf ball right back to you, and the bonus benefit of noise dampening.

Get it wrong and you’ve got all kinds of issues. A droopy or deformed-looking image. A surface that may as well be a cannon because of the force with which ricocheted golf balls will be flying around the room. Not to mention the volume of the impact itself and whatever the ball hits (including you!) when it bounces wherever.

Basically, the wrong impact screen tension can completely ruin the indoor golf experience. Not only is it a buzzkill, it can actually be a safety hazard.

So, how tight is right? Let’s find out.

Minimizing Screen Bounce Back

The number one issue you want to avoid with the installation of your golf simulator impact screen is too much bounce back.

It can be both dangerous and annoying.

Nobody wants to have to collect golf balls from all around the room. And, believe me, nobody wants to get hit by a ball that ricochets back off the screen.

Too much bounce back occurs when the screen is too tight. When that happens, it becomes like a trampoline for golf balls.

To find the correct impact screen tension, let’s first talk about how far the golf ball should bounce after it hits the screen.

There will be a little bit of individual preference here, but a general rule of thumb is that a golf ball struck with a driver should bounce back 1 to 3 feet from the screen.

Depending on the landing surface and how far your hitting area is from the screen, that 1-to-3-foot bounce back with the resulting roll out is likely to return the golf ball safely to somewhere just short of your hitting zone.

Common Golf Impact Screen Installation Mistakes

There are a few factors beyond the actual screen tension itself that are key to getting that magic 1-to-3-foot bounce back.

It comes down to how much space is behind the screen, what kind of surface is below the screen, and how far away the golfer is from the screen. Let’s break it down.

1. What’s behind the impact screen? When golfers plan their simulator studios and choose their golf launch monitors, they often measure their room assuming that they can put the impact screen right up against the wall. Big mistake!
   
   You need at least a foot of room between the back of the screen and the wall that is behind it. Otherwise, when the ball hits the screen, it’s also going to hit the wall. That, of course, is bad for the wall. But it’s also one of the main causes for too much bounce back.
   
   Don’t overlook this step. Plan your setup with enough space to allow for that buffer zone behind the screen.
   
   
2. What kind of surface is below the screen? Let’s say you’re building a garage golf simulator studio. Well, the most common garage floor material is concrete. That’s hard. So is a golf ball. If you let the ball hit the screen and then drop right onto a concrete floor, you’re going to have a very bouncy golf ball.
   
   So, you need something to deaden that bounce. Carpet is an option. So too is golf hitting turf. And if you choose the right kind of turf, it can double as an area to putt on during your golf simulator rounds.
   
   
3. How far away is the golfer from the golf impact screen? You should plan to have at least 10 feet between where you’re hitting the ball and where it’s impacting the screen.
   
   Can you get away with less? Yes, but you’re inviting safety issues.
   
   With a 10 foot distance, you should be able to safely hit the golf shot, let it bounce its 1 to 3 feet off the screen, land on a soft surface like carpet or turf, and gently roll back to somewhere near enough that you’ll be able to corral it with your golf club without even having to bend over.

If you read our golf launch monitor space requirements posts in our PlayBetter golf blog, you may notice that, in the case of radar golf launch monitors, we often recommend as much as 21 feet of room depth. That’s because the radar unit needs to sit several feet behind the golf ball, but it’s also to allow for space behind the impact screen and space between the golfer and the screen.

Making Impact Screen Adjustments

Depending on what impact screen solution you go with, there may be a bit of trial and error when it comes to finding the right tension. To achieve that 1-to-3-foot bounce back, it may take a bit of experimenting.

Now, the way to avoid having to mess with anything is to buy a product that’s already designed for the right tension. And our recommendation for that is the PlayBetter SimStudio. When you go with this solution, you’re not going to have to worry about fussing with screen tension.

With the PlayBetter SimStudio setup, the impact screen and accompanying enclosure are pre-designed to connect via velcro and fit with the proper screen tension.

Small SimStudio adjustments can be made by slightly tightening and loosening the velcro connection points around the perimeter of the screen. This will allow you to dial in the correct tension for image quality, bounce back, and noise dampening.

Other impact screens will connect to an enclosure frame via bungee cords and eyelets. For this type of setup, if your screen is too tight, you can likely find your desired tension by removing some of the bungee cords.

Don’t be frustrated if the screen is initially too loose or tight. Take time to hit some experimental shots. See if the bounce back distance is correct. Check to see if the projected image quality is what you expect. And then adjust accordingly.

Make Your Life Easy With a PlayBetter SimStudio

There are a lot of ways to install a golf simulator screen, including DIY options.

But if you want to keep things simple, consider a turnkey solution. With a PlayBetter SimStudio, you can even customize your experience without introducing a lot of headaches.

The SimStudios come in multiple configurations. You can choose a golf launch monitor and get everything you need for your simulator setup—including the enclosure, impact screen, hitting mat, projector, side barriers, and ball tray.

Or you can buy a setup that doesn’t include a golf launch monitor.

You can even buy just the enclosure and impact screen alone.

But the best part if you go the SimStudio route is that you won’t have to worry about an overly complicated installation. Everything connects together simply, and the impact screen width will match the width of the enclosure that you choose. If you have a helper and are even the slightest bit handy, you can have everything installed in less than a day.

No matter which way you go, make sure you get the impact screen tension correct. That’s going to be a key part of the success of your golf simulator studio setup.

About PlayBetter Golf Reviewer Marc Sheforgen

Marc Sheforgen is a golf writer whose passion for the game far exceeds his ability to play it well. Marc covers all things golf, from product reviews and equipment recommendations to event coverage and tournament analysis. When he’s not playing, watching, or writing about golf, he enjoys traveling (often golf-related), youth sports coaching, volunteering, and record collecting.