Simulator Room Build Help: Research is telling me this might not be possible..

[themule08]

Basics of the room are as follows:

I am hollowing out a wall to place roughly a 16:10 screen 9'x14' or 4:3 screen 10'x13' (I need advice on which is the better setup) I have 14' of wall to work with and height of the wall will be 10.5' to 11' after we are done digging into the ground.
- Any suggestions on screen with the best bounce back would be helpful.

I would be hitting into the screen at approximately 7 to 8 feet.. I have been told that this is not ok from Carls place even with their premium screen.. The contractor that is helping with the project is confident he has a foam insulation that he can put in that will give 2 to 3 inches of play from screen to insulation.
-Does anyone have a setup like this?
-Is it safe?
-Do you have suggestions on what can be put behind the screen to help reduce bounce back? it is also a concrete wall that goes outside, so insulation to keep room warm is key.

Has anyone used the spectrum golf screen? seems to be the same material as Carls, but does not use bungles etc for install.

I will be digging about 4 feet down in the room to give us the space to swing, this brings in a new issue of shanks that go sideways off the club. I need a material that I can put on the sides of the "hole" to reduce ping ponging from people who don't know how to golf.

Money is not really an issue so if the ideas are expensive that is fine, if done right this room will increase the value of our house since we live on a golf course.

Last question is in regards to the projector..
I can ceiling mount the projector, but would need one that can do image down, and maybe left to right just to be safe. Looking for suggestions on throws around 5 to 6 feet, I will be building a computer to be able to run courses in 4k if needed.

Thank you for all that are willing to help.. I just really hope this is doable before I start to tear apart my basement.

[Sixmudd]

If money isn’t an issue, then anything is possible. How much depth you going to have? Prob best to ask your contractor if he can build out the dimensions the way you need it, and then start planning from there.

[themule08]

well that is the problem.. I can't really go further back to swing since there is a steel column holding up an I-beam. The room can't be built out since the basement is already finished.

[3on3putt]

How deep (long) is the room? Is it really necessary to place the screen inside the wall like this?

[themule08]

I Can't go back further do to a steel column holding up a I-beam.. I am trying to save space to have the maximum distance to swing to screen.. it can come out from the wall, but the distance to screen would be even less.. If I came out a foot I would be hitting into the screen at 7'

[3on3putt]

As per your comment above, you say that if you came out a foot then you would have to hit from only 7 feet away. That's about the closest you can go but shouldn't present an issue. (I hit from about 7.5 feet). If Carl's is telling you that it is then I might look elsewhere for a screen. I use a low-end Suptertex screen that holds up just fine from that distance.

Getting the screen out from the wall -- even just 6 inches -- would also help with the bounce back.

Whether the screen goes in the wall or outside of it, you'll definitely want to panel the sides with some padding or a net. May have to sacrifice a few inches of screen width but it's a small price to pay.

That being said, if money is not an issue then what sort of options exist for lengthening the room? Could you extend it by just a foot or two by tunneling outwards?

As far as the projector goes, with 14 feet of width you may have to hit slightly off-center. I would look for a projector with minimal vertical offset and some horizontal lens shift in case you have to off-center the projector to get it out of the way. Try to place the projector right over the ball if you can.

That however raises the next question....Are you trying to accommodate both righties and lefties? And what kind of launch monitor are you looking at?

[3on3putt]

Makes sense. I've never seen a setup like that before but it sounds doable. Definitely invest in some padding for the side walls and especially the ceiling above the screen. Or with the screen flush against the wall you could still do a shallow enclosure to catch balls. I hit from 7.5 feet from the screen and the enclosure comes out 2.5 feet deep and there's plenty of room.

[themule08]

How much room do you have behind your screen to the wall? What extra material is back there? how much do you think the screen moves back after a driver shot?

[3on3putt]

I have a couple feet with some blankets behind but some people have only 6-8 inches or so. Bottom of the screen moves slightly on contact but I can't imagine it's more than a few inches.

[Taco]

I think the distance from screen is irrelevant, 150mph is the same from 7 feet as it is from 15 feet.

I have a Carl’s premium screen and when new bounce back is a non issue, my hardest drivers drop straight down. The issue for me is it has stretched pretty significantly in the main impact area and that stretch has narrowed the gap behind to where I am now getting significant bounce back. I’ve ordered a Carl’s preferred hoping the better durability will mean less stretch. My screen is about a foot from the wall, but that stretched area is probably 6” from the wall and that’s a big issue.

[khalespace]

I agree, balls don't slow down much with only 3 to 4 ft difference.

I think the distance from screen is irrelevant, 150mph is the same from 7 feet as it is from 15 feet.

I have a Carl’s premium screen and when new bounce back is a non issue, my hardest drivers drop straight down. The issue for me is it has stretched pretty significantly in the main impact area and that stretch has narrowed the gap behind to where I am now getting significant bounce back. I’ve ordered a Carl’s preferred hoping the better durability will mean less stretch. My screen is about a foot from the wall, but that stretched area is probably 6” from the wall and that’s a big issue.

[GullLakeMi]

The good news is your solution seems to have good width and height. My sim was made to fit in a garage stall and I built a EMT cage 10' W and 8.5' H. Hard to explain, but I do have a little more width to swing than 10'. 4X5' mat is centered so working off that natural offset, which would seem to me to be standard. I have adjusted offset in TGC to align. My projector is a TK850 mounted about 14' back and 9.5'H and fills the screen width with 4:3 ratio. No issue with drop: (a) projector has auto keystone and some vertical adjustment and (b) no shadow from golfer at 11-13 feet strike zone. I spent a lot of time mocking it up and using projector central throw calculator to confirm setup. In regards to bounce back, I don't think the issue is the distance from ball to screen, but screen back to golfer. I have the Carl's premium with grommets. It flexes less than 1' and the hardest hit balls bounce back approx. 2 feet (as long as they don't hit the EMT). I have also heard their recommendation not to put anything behind screen and simply let it work by itself. Clearly this isn't followed 100%. For walls and ceiling of cage, I doubled up with heavy net covered by black denim for blackout. Any balls that him them obviously don't take a direct strike so no issues with bounce back. My only issue is the EMT in the corners, which has bounce back.

Be helpful if you could illustrate the depth issue. I see the post comment, but not sure what you have for swing vs projector clearance. Also, where will you put golf clubs, spectators, etc. The full arc of a golf swing takes up a considerable amount of space.