How to fix the messy bottom of your screen

[DejaVu]

Just finishing up my build and the bottom of the screen was driving me crazy just flopping around. So here's what I came up with.

I bought a $5 grommet kit from harbor freight, cut some small pieces of half inch OSB (keeps fringe elevated from the screen bottom to let the screen bottom move more freely), and attached some small bungeee cords (Harbor freight ball bungees cut up) to screws between the OSB, just snug, about every foot or so.

I haven't hit more than 50 shots on it, but so far it works flawlessly and the screen returns to the exact same position after every shot.

I'd imagine you could do the same with a piece of carpeting if you don't want to use fringe material.

[shwag33]

Keep me posted on if the grommets hold up. I actually hit one directly through the screen, where the bottom was 'tighter'. I'd be curious if it starts ripping around the grommets.

[DejaVu]

I understand what you are saying. However, I have hit 10 = of low driver and 10 = 3-wood shots on it (on purpose) with it only slowly reacting exactly the same at the bottom as if it wasn't 'secure' at the bottom.

So, I'm not sure what material you had that you hit one directly through....can you share it as well as your set up? Also, I'm not too concerned about that until my club head speed gets over 135mph. What was your club/ball speed when your ripped through it..? I will post back for sure of any issues but at this point there aren't any. I hit about a 240-290 yard drive on avg.

On a side note, the Par2Pro SQ material says that you don't need a backstop for it. However, I put up a big net and a memory foam mattress behind it just in case. There is zero reason for any of that (11" from the back-wall), and I wondered why I didn't just trust them on that. My bad = awesome screen. Pretty hard material to cut through even with a brand new razor blade. Really.

Thanks for your comment and please let me know what specifics (pics?) with what didn't work out for you.

shwag33 I trust in Par2Pro & Harbor Freight. If anything changes I will let you know. In the mean time...let's see the bottom of your screen rn.

[shwag33]

I've taken probably 10,000 swings into before I hit one through, has to hit just right and in the right position. I also have memory foam. My ball speed is in the low 160's. I hit throught he mill fabric which is super durable. It's just when you hit close to the bungees/grommets it really stresses it.

It looks good what you did, I like it; just now sure how well it'll hold up.

[DejaVu]

I guess we'll see and I will definitely be keeping an eye on the grommets and thanks for the heads up. I have some extra material folded over at the top if it were to rip near the bottom. Hopefully it never happens because it, as you know, is a pain to get just right.

[BGCurtis2nd]

I use a sand filled tube in the bottom of my screen and placed a wedge shaped board wrapped in turf in front of the screen to keep ball from going under.

[DejaVu]

Very nicely done.

[brg1875]

delete, meant to put in full section

[brg1875]

BGCurtis2nd and DejaVu How do you like your putting cups in your setup? I'm debating on if to build a platform to have real cups or just lay out turf and put my hitting platform on top of the turf with no cups or just cutting 4.25 holes in the turf.

[BGCurtis2nd]

I like them, I used two sheets of plywood on my flooring put the screws two foot on center on the top piece and injected dense foam in-between the two pieces to give it a bit of slope to deal with. Didn't work out as well as I would have liked but it is better than totally flat.

[DejaVu]

I think they make the room look a lot nicer and it's a lot of fun. I used 4" PVC from Lowe's with 4" caps taped to the bottom. Unfortunately the Lowe's 4" caps didn't go over the pipe. My build is in a giant gazebo on my deck so I made them about 10" deep for more repetition before retrieving balls. To fasten them, I used a Phillips angle drill bit adapter (black decker/Walmart) and fastened with 4 screws around the top....then finished with white caulking. Altogether about $20 for 4 of them.

[brg1875]

What material do you have under your grass that you're screwing into? Osb?

[DejaVu]

To simply answer your ? I built this over an existing deck behind my house, so treated decking boards under the 1/2" osb that I overlayed it with.

As far as in front of the screen goes...I used 1/2" osb on top of the 1/2" osb that I layed down for turf...to elevate the 'fringe' and used regular drywall screws between the small pieces of osb (1" wide x 12" long) to attach the bungees between the osb, but with the screws at floor level so the bungees have room to move between the slightly elevated osb/holding the fringe material up.

However, I have learned recently that I may not have had enough at the bottom (4") screen material at the bottom laying flat...and my bungees were a little too short...aka some of my grommets are starting to pull out/not enough room for flex..

It's all good as I repositioned the grommets with a little longer bungees to allow for more of a spongy/elastic bottom of the screen espec with low-flying driver shots.

In hind-sight I would do the same thing I did, but with 6" to 8" of screen laying flat (towards the hitting mat)...which means a little bit more fringe material in front of the screen with a little higher and wider osb/material to hold it up...and 6" bungees towards the hitting platform vs 4" screen & 4" bungees. Again...still all good though.

[DejaVu]

Hey shwag33 see the post above, but I think tarp clips with enough elevation for them to move freely & screen 'roll out' vs. grommets flat at the bottom may be the go to in the future.?!? Still experimenting, but it's still holding up, good call, and ya know what they say about hind-sight..!? Too bad I'm the only one who can't live happily with a 'messy bottom' and have to be the guinea pig.

[brg1875]

Do you think building up a trough like gene did here and attaching the screen underneath or to hooks would work better?

https://golfsimulatorforum.com/forum/build-your-own/enclosures/122451-bounce-back-101?p=122745#post122745

[DejaVu]

From that pic it doesn't look like he has much screen flat on the floor and it looks like balls might go behind it. What I'm trying to accomplish is making it always look neat while keeping balls from going behind it. His pic looks neat but I'm wondering if it keeps the balls in front of the screen.

[brg1875]

He probably has excess screen tucked back but what I was thinking is using the excess screen like you have and pull it over the trough towards the hitting area and maybe put the turf over that trough to make is seamless. I think the benefit of doing it this way would allow the extra 6-8" you mentioned you may need.

[Supraracer]

I use these. They take a hit pretty good but my center one has split from many worm burners. I just patch with black gorilla tape.

https://shop.virtual-golf-simulator.com/PROTECTIVE-Pad-for-bottom-of-screen-10-Ft-1007.htm

[DejaVu]

Nice. Haven't seen that before. Have any pics, are they weighted, and how did you attach it to your screen?