19 x 19 x 11 setup advice needed

[CAC]

Hello everyone!

I am working on my simulator/home theater room and debating to have an enclosure or not. The room size is 19'x19'x11' (due to a crossbeam - mostly 13')

Thinking about 16'x9' setup. The wall on one side is sheetrock and the other is drywall so not sure if angle irons directly on the wall would be strong enough to hold the impact screen.

Should I just go with an enclosure?

Any advice would be appreciated! Thank you!

[Kaos]

There is little difference between drywall and sheetrock. Sheetrock is a Gypsum brand, but practically speaking there is little difference. If it were me, I would use an enclosure. It has the benefit of helping catch errant shots. Otherwise you would have to install additional side netting to protect the side walls against a shank or a wild toe shot. I think you would get a much nicer finish and better fitting impact screen (i.e., tight top to bottom and side to side). Hanging a screen from the ceiling may yield disappointing results. 19x19 isn't that large for other purposes. Mine is 20 feet long and 14 ft wide. Length wise, there is no room for anything other than swing camera, golf bag and one chair. If you plan furniture, it will have to go sideways (i.e., in the width part). You need (and I strongly recommend it for bounce back reasons) 10ft between the impact screen and golfer (my screen will typically bounce about 6-8 feet depending on ball speed with the ball rolling right up to the hitting mat). You will need at least a foot between the screen and wall. That is 11 ft. You need at least 6 ft of swing space behind the golfer so now you are at 17-18 ft depending on the golfer. If you plan on swing cameras in the room, you will need 5-7 feet behind with wide angle lens. So, my point is, if you are using it for any other purpose than golf, the seats will be set off to the side. You may have to do the "theater" part looking across the area (i.e., perpendicular to the the line of flight for golf).

[jpotas]

6-8 feet is a lot of bounce back, I have a Carl's preferred screen, hit seven feet from the screen. The ball hits the screen and drops straight down, landing at the base of the screen. My room is 10' wide at the impact screen, opens up to 12' wide about 9' from the impact screen.

room is 24' long.

[3on3putt]

Yeah agreed. 6 feet of bounceback shouldn't be the norm. I hit from 7 feet away and have to walk up to the screen to get the ball after a shot.

[GullLakeMi]

Naturally depends on how tight the screen is and maybe how wide. I don't like to see wrinkles or impact pockets on the screen, so mine is tighter than the image above. I have Carl's premium with grommets attached on sides and top, bottom is rolled and has some play. Mine is only 10' wide. I hit from 11ish feet away. Bounce back is only 3-4 feet. I even sloped the floor near the screen to help balls return to me.

[Kaos]

Yes it will if the screen is as loose as yours. Mine fits tight with no wrinkles. SO 6-8 is normal.

[CAC]

There is little difference between drywall and sheetrock. Sheetrock is a Gypsum brand, but practically speaking there is little difference. If it were me, I would use an enclosure. It has the benefit of helping catch errant shots. Otherwise you would have to install additional side netting to protect the side walls against a shank or a wild toe shot. I think you would get a much nicer finish and better fitting impact screen (i.e., tight top to bottom and side to side). Hanging a screen from the ceiling may yield disappointing results. 19x19 isn't that large for other purposes. Mine is 20 feet long and 14 ft wide. Length wise, there is no room for anything other than swing camera, golf bag and one chair. If you plan furniture, it will have to go sideways (i.e., in the width part). You need (and I strongly recommend it for bounce back reasons) 10ft between the impact screen and golfer (my screen will typically bounce about 6-8 feet depending on ball speed with the ball rolling right up to the hitting mat). You will need at least a foot between the screen and wall. That is 11 ft. You need at least 6 ft of swing space behind the golfer so now you are at 17-18 ft depending on the golfer. If you plan on swing cameras in the room, you will need 5-7 feet behind with wide angle lens. So, my point is, if you are using it for any other purpose than golf, the seats will be set off to the side. You may have to do the "theater" part looking across the area (i.e., perpendicular to the the line of flight for golf).

Appreciate your insight! I was thinking about having tall blackout curtains on my walls and acoustic foams for the ceilings. Based on your advice, I might build a custom enclosure for 18x10 (maximum impact screen I can buy from Carl's). What's your advice on that?

The room opens up to a larger area where I can have some couches...but seems like might be too small for both simulator/theater.

[GullLakeMi]

EMT is easy to build and adjust as you work kinks out. I did a garage build, so more of a no brainer. If I was doing in house I think I would also lean this way. I don't like holes in the drywall/sheetrock! EMT cage would allow it to be removed and require no restoration to room. Once again, my situation was easier as only 10' wide. No issues spanning with 1" EMT. Probably take some support to span 18'. I hung a net on the inside and black denim fabric outside cage for blackout. Bit redundant, but relatively inexpensive. Way cheaper than ordering full kit.

[Kaos]

My width is 12'2" x 9'4" high. I find that is plenty big enough. I think I would find 18' a bit too wide, but I would recommend that you go to a local golf shop and check out their screen and get an idea of the dimensions. If you like their screen dimensions or perhaps like their screen but would like another foot or two, you will be better satisfied as you may find you don't need or want 18' to get the experience. You also need to consider the projector and use a calculator to determine the distance from the screen you would need to place it to get a full screen image on your screen size. So, pick out you desired projector and then use an online calculator. Depending on where you have to mount it (if ceiling mounted) you may or could be limited in maximum width of the image. Also, your screen dimensions may not be full screen if you use either 16:10 or 16:9. My point is that you might want to consider 4:3 so you can achieve a full image top to bottom and side to side. But the enclosure, IMO, is the way to go as it can be moved if the need arises and it is not mounted to the ceiling or walls. Packages are sold where the enclosure is made for the screen. Some even come with additional side netting.

[Kaos]

Here is am image on my screen. Again 12'2" x 9' 4". I have 11 ft ceiling in the sim room and use an Optoma short throw projector mount about 8' from the screen. The enclosure was made for the screen hence the perfect fit with nice tight looking screen (i.e., NO WRINKLES...lol). I use 4:3 so the image matches the screen size making for full screen utilization.

[EVH5150]

6-8 feet is a lot of bounce back, I have a Carl's preferred screen, hit seven feet from the screen. The ball hits the screen and drops straight down, landing at the base of the screen. My room is 10' wide at the impact screen, opens up to 12' wide about 9' from the impact screen.

room is 24' long.

How do you do this? I've been trying to reduce bounce back from my Carls' premium screen for a couple of months... getting extremely frustrated at this point. I have a blanket behind it that's helping and I've loosened the bungees, removed all bungees from the bottom and even put foam wedges around the edges.

If I hit a worm burner you never know where the ball is going to end up. If you hit a wedge it's almost definitely going to fly up and towards you.

Any advice or pictures of your setup (behind the screen, etc) would be appreciated!

[jpotas]

How do you do this? I've been trying to reduce bounce back from my Carls' premium screen for a couple of months... getting extremely frustrated at this point. I have a blanket behind it that's helping and I've loosened the bungees, removed all bungees from the bottom and even put foam wedges around the edges.

If I hit a worm burner you never know where the ball is going to end up. If you hit a wedge it's almost definitely going to fly up and towards you.

Any advice or pictures of your setup (behind the screen, etc) would be appreciated!

Nothing behind it at all, and I just let it hang. I have hooks inside a channel that is slightly higher than my ceiling that the grommets hang from., these hooks were placed at the exact same spacing as the grommets in the screen. No bungees used at all. I do not have a perfectly flat screen though. You can see the slight waviness in the original pic. The screen has to be loose in order to absorb the impact.