New Simulator Setup - Design HELP!!

[SLupton-WIGolf]

Hi, I'm brand new to the forum, but am currently in the process of setting up a new DIY simulator setup in my basement. Some background is that I currently have an Optishot that I hit almost golf balls into a cheap net with. I've never really dialed it in, and get a lot of misreads. Hitting a foam ball also lacks a lot of feedback on the shots, so I'm looking to build a cage capable of hitting real golf balls, and am looking to buy a mevo+.

My ceiling height is 8'10". I have been using everything through driver for quite some time without issue with my 3" platform with built-in real feel hitting strip. (I’m only 5'10").

First, anyone that can chime in on a skytrak vs. mevo+ would be really helpful! I'm certainly leaning towards mevo+, but would be interested to hear feedback from people that have hit/played on both.

As for setup, my biggest questions are how big to go with the cage. I have a fairly large space, but do have a slight L in the wall, and 3 steel posts to contend with (See Below). Also, anytime I've had to video my swing, it's worked best to have the camera 10-12' away, so I'd like a setup where I can move my platform "forward" to be able to video swings at times. If I follow the drawing below, I'd be able to have 8' from Mevo to tee, then around 13' to the back of the net. Here are my initial questions:

1. Any concern having the net right beside the steel posts? I plan to wrap them with moving blankets, and the cage posts will be close to them anyway, but they are solid posts with no give.
2. Thoughts on having a full 10' x 10' net? Am I better off to reduce the depth so I can move the platform forward for video? How close should the front of the cage/net be to the platform when hitting full wedges? Also, how close do people go to a wall? I'd like to push the cage almost up to that little "L" on the left. I likely won't hit over that far often, and would place moving blankets between the net and the wall. The goal is to get the net as far back as possible to maximize ball flight for mevo+
3. I've also considered extending the net to go back beside the wall past the L to increase ball flight distance. A few questions around that:
   1. Is it worth trying to get 17' or 18' of ball flight instead of 12-13'? If I extend it, I'm talking about a 6' wide target to get the extended flight. Is that realistic to consistently hit from 18' away, or will I just end up hitting that L or the side of the net (Or the steel post beside the net)? Also, with mid/high irons, will I end up constantly hitting the ball into the ceiling of the net before it gets to the back 18' anyway?
4. Do you usually drop the ceiling of the net a bit below the actual ceiling? My ceiling is just open floor joists, running perpendicular to ball flight. My thought was maybe putting a heavy blanket on top of the net ceiling.
5. Any interference concerns with the metal posts? I have a freezer and furnace/water heater in the basement, but none of those would be very close to the mevo or it's line of sight. The 3 posts on the drawing below are steel.

Any finally, any recommendations for net to use? I'm not projecting an image (Just going to use an ipad), beyond the obvious need for safety with real balls hit by driver, main goal is to keep it quiet and cost effective. My current thought was to use one of the nets below for the side/top, and two layers of it in the back (Probably a looser layer in front of a tighter layer). Anyone used these or have recommendations outside of these?

https://www.westcoastnetting.com/w420t-1/

https://www.networldsports.com/golf/...dard-size.html

I realize this is a novel and a ton of questions. Thanks in advance to all that take the time to read and reply. I really appreciate it!

[JayJo13]

If you're comparing launch monitors like the Skytrack and Mevo+, you need to check out a98cr125 's YouTube channel -- https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCih...-CBfdVOhsRo1Uw . Jay does all kinds of in-depth comparisons with the two units among others. A lot of it depends on the space you have to work with. As far as data goes the two units in that price category are similar.

If your steel posts are wrapped with something they shouldn't be a concern. Ideally, you want to maximize your screen size with the space you have and make sure you have at least 8 to 10 feet of space from tee to screen and still be able to swing your driver freely. Also, if you decide to go with Mevo+ you will need an additional 7 to 8 feet of clear space behind the tee location.

[3on3putt]

1. Those metal poles are right in the shank zone, which happens to everyone. Maybe if you wrap them in foam padding they could be okay. But I wouldn't hit there until you can get minimal bounceback off the pole.

2. Leave yourself at least 8 inches or so from screen to wall (behind the screen) to allow for a little give.

3. If your ceiling is less than 9 feet tall, you're only going to get maybe 8 feet of ball flight with a wedge before it's hitting that ceiling. 17 feet of ball flight with a ceiling that's only 9 feet tall isn't even possible unless all you're hitting is 4-irons. They'll all just be hitting the ceiling long before they ever reach the net. Between 7 and 10 feet from ball to screen is more the norm. You could certainly go longer if you want, but you'll still only be getting around 8 or 9 feet of actual ball flight before it hits the ceiling.

4. Hang a net for a ceiling a little bit below your actual ceiling and allow for a little bit of slack to deaden the impact. Not only will wedges hit the net directly but short irons and wedges that hit the screen will spin up the screen and into the ceiling.

I highly advise getting a projector. You have a nice size space down there, so why not get the most of it? Watching the shot on a giant screen is just no comparison with watching it on an iPad (or even a TV IMO). As far as the sound goes, the loudest thing is typically the driver hitting the ball and not the ball hitting the screen. So even with an iPad, you're still going to have that driver-on-ball sound. My sim is in my garage and my wife says she hears the sound of the driver much more than the sound of the ball hitting the screen. Obviously it adds some cost to the project, but it also makes the experience 10 times better.

Skytrak vs. Mevo+ is splitting hairs. Both have some advantages and disadvantages over the other and are both the same price. You really can't go wrong with either one. You'll find some good threads comparing the two on this site.

[SLupton-WIGolf]

Thanks for the quick replies guys, this is super helpful. I'll definitely be wrapping up those posts, especially the one in the middle. For the ceiling height, that makes sense. It verifies that it's pointless and probably counter-intuitive to extend the net back, which simplifies things for me. I can still easily get 8' behind the ball and 10' in front, which should be right in the sweet spot for mevo+ short indoor mode.

I'll be checking out more of the videos from Jay. I watched the one that compares Mevo+ to Skytrak, but he was having draw bias issues with the skytrak. He did not that it was used and he just got it, so maybe it was just a setup thing.