Centred hitting
Best for a symmetrical projected image and mixed left/right-handed use, but it demands enough width on both sides.
Room width
How wide does a golf simulator room need to be?
Width determines whether you can swing freely, centre the image, accommodate both handednesses and keep the golfer away from walls.
Start with the golfer, not the screen.
Stand in the intended hitting position and make controlled practice swings with the longest club while another person checks wall, ceiling and enclosure clearance. A nominal room width is not a safety guarantee.
Three width decisions
Offset hitting
Can make a narrower room practical for one dominant handedness, but projector geometry and screen alignment need planning.
Shared handedness
If both left- and right-handed golfers will use the room, a wider room or overhead monitor can remove repeated equipment movement.
What steals usable width?
- Enclosure side padding and frame depth.
- Radiators, cupboards, pillars and garage-door mechanisms.
- PC desks, displays and launch-monitor stands.
- A hitting position moved sideways to solve projector or radar geometry.
Practical buying decision
Usable swing width matters more than the room headline
Measure between the nearest fixed obstructions at club height. Walls, shelves, radiators, enclosure legs and stored equipment can make a nominally wide room uncomfortable.
Around 3 metres
This can work for an offset, single-handed setup after a careful physical swing test. It is not a universal safe minimum.
Around 3.5 metres
This gives many golfers more comfortable clearance and a better chance of aligning the hitting position with the screen, subject to player height and swing shape.
Four metres or more
More width makes mixed-handed use and central hitting easier, but it does not compensate for a low ceiling or insufficient depth.
Test before buying
Mark the hitting position and enclosure edges on the floor. Have every intended user make slow, then normal swings with the longest club while another person observes clearance.