Impact Screen 101

[Bubba22]

The impact screens for golf simulators are critical for its realism. The ideal impact screen will be durable, project well and not have a big bounce back. Most folks will have their sim room double as a theatre room so a good quality projector and impact screen are important. The impact screen may be flat, curved or have 3 screens to present a simulator surround experience. Full swing also has a Pass through screen that is very cool.

Most screens are built with an enclosure or stand alone. often side panels or netting is used to prevent stray balls from doing harm as well as cosmetics of the room. Make sure the screen is loose to prevent any big bounceback.




Certainly one can make an impact screen however various companies make high quality screens.

here are some links:

Protee Screen www.proteegolfsimulator.com/?option=com_virtuemart
HQ Screen at par2pro www.par2pro.com/shop/index.php?cPath=23_35
Par-20 screen West Coast netting www.westcoastnetting.com/
CDG screen www.customdesigngolf.com/the_affordable_...deo_impact_screens_1
Allspostsytems www.allsportsystems.com/golf-simulator-hitting-screen.html
Net return www.thenetreturn.com/practice-golf-nets/simulator-series.html

[mthunt]

The screen doesn't need to be tight. It can be hung. The benefit of it being tight is a better image but the tighter the more wear on the screen. Put the net directly behind. The more support behind the screen, the better for the screen. I have that screen plus a net plus 2 king size 3 inch memory foam mattresses side by side.

[kevin1889]

I've seen the recommendation to put the screen 18-24" away from a back wall. With your setup, and the 6" of memory foam, does that eliminate the need to have that much extra space behind the impact screen?

[mthunt]

That was the plan. I didn't want to give up my room to space behind a screen. 8 inches is plenty. The foam is 3 inches thick. They are side by side.

[Dax]

It's the hq2 material.

When you guys say buy the HD material from Par2Pro, which one specifically are you saying to get? There are many different models and none say HD material.

Are you recommending the raw material? If so, do you have to hem the edges and then at grommets yourself?

I have a screen that is 1.5 years old and already has three holes and I have a net behind as well. It's wearing terribly and will be looking to get a new screen in the near future. Thanks for any recommendations!

[DeaconBlooze]

It's recommended to leave the sides of the screen loose, presumably to prevent denting or other damage.

I zip tied the top of my screen, and use ball bungee cords when I want to pull the sides of the screen tight for watching sports or a movie. It works great, it just takes a few seconds to pop them loose before hitting balls:

http://www.amazon.com/Kotap-BB-6B-Bungee-6-Inch-25-Piece/dp/B00DPLM5YU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1444506460&sr=8-1&keywords=ball+bungee+4+inch

[Chalky White]

Deacon Can you share more about your screen setup? I just ordered the HQ2 with Grommets from Cory and will be using my screen in a similar fashion. I like the idea of the quick tightening but not sure how to do it with grommets.

[Csarran]

Any comparisons between the Light Impact Screen and the HQ? I am mostly using it for Skytrak and Sim, with occasionally maybe some video analysis.

[DeaconBlooze]

Chalky White

The bungees I linked have a loop on one end, and a ball on the other. Basically, you just thread through the grommet with the loop, wrap that around your frame, and then put the loop over the ball.

I'll be out of town this weekend, but I'll try to get some pictures of my setup, including some closeups of the screen connections.

My screen has some "denting" in it. I think that's mostly because I stand only about 6 feet away from the screen, but I'm not really sure. It could also be the screen quality I suppose. Because I stand close, it's fairly low on my screen, and if I'm watching anything that I insist looks close to perfect, I just move the picture above that area.

[Golfindoc]

I was curious if anyone had any thoughts on the westcoastnetting.com PR-20 vs. Carl's Golf impact screens? Thanks.

[Chalky White]

Thanks Deacon. I'll look forward to it. My guess is my screen is a week or two out so I have some time to get it right.

[Jimsol]

Just wondering.... I was thinking about using a flat white 10x10 piece of carpet for a impact screen. it would be pretty quite and very durable.. has anyone every used or thought about this,.. or have any response on how this may or may not work?.. just a thought.. Thanks for any comments

Jim

[CoachKris]

I wouldn't recommend carpet. I tried this for my sim, and there are some significant holes after 2 weeks of use. Not to mention, there are dents and scuffs everywhere. I'm going to get a good screen and keep the carpet as a backing.

[Jimsol]

Thanks for the insight. I'm going to try a large 16oz white canvas tarp to start with.

[billydruce]

Don't waste your money on a canvas I used it behind a screen and it's ripped. Only used it prob 20 times.

[Gamble Gamble]

i am running a cable from one end of my garage to the other. the net will be 19' and the screen will be 12x9. In order to keep the screen from flailing I was thinking about putting a garden hose with sand in it at the bottom of the screen where the hem would be.

Would this create enough resistance to Maintain a flat screen but keep bounce back to a minimum?

[IGCtci]

So I have a couple of the ProTee Impact screens and have been using them for a couple of months now. I think the balls I have been using have already started to badly scuff up the screen (I can see scratch marks all over the impact area) and they have even worn a couple of holes in it. So my questions are:

1. Any recommendations on the type of golf balls I should be using? The ones I am using now look visibly ok, but are obviously not.
2. Any tips on how to repair small holes? I will be turning the screen around, but want to repair the holes first.

Thanks in advance.

[mthunt]

A ball spinning at 8-10000 rpm will shred a screen if it's scuffed. Use balls that aren't scuffed and check them often. If scuffed, don't use it. Fixing a hole is tough. Also, make sure the screen isn't tight. A lot of people get holes from a screen that is too tight. Also, netting supporting the back of the screen will keep it from Getting holes. An ounce of prevention...

[IGCtci]

Thanks mthunt. All of the above I thought we where doing and our screens are pretty loose with nets behind them. Any recommendation on an actually ball brand/model. Ones that maybe have a very tough finish to minimize potential damage?

[mthunt]

The ball isn't important, the condition of the ball is what matters.

[mjbgolf]

Does anyone know what type of screen they use at Golfsmith? It seems very resistant to wear and I'm not concerned as much with image quality as I am with resistance to holes. I use my simulator a lot and keep going through the Protee standard screens. Does anyone have any suggestions on real rugged screens?

[Gamble Gamble]

from my research, it seems like the longevity of the screen is determined more by how it is setup and used more than the materials. Meaning, if you put a foam-pad/net/curtain behind it and only use undamaged golf balls you should have a screen that last years. I did some deep golfsimforuming and it seems like there are people that have had their screen for years but they are also the ones that do not hit full wedges with cracked balls into their screen.