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Enclosures & impact screens
How do I stop balls escaping the simulator?
Tom Hayward, founder of OpenGolfer · Last reviewed · 3 min read
The short answer
Use a full enclosure: the screen takes full shots and the side and ceiling panels catch mishits. Then add side barriers either side of the bay, padding on the base bar, and foam on any wall or ceiling the bay leaves exposed. Our room packages include the enclosure and a rubber mat base; side netting is an add-on.
Where stray balls go
A well-struck shot hits the impact screen, the fabric at the front that is made to stop a full-speed ball. The shots that cause trouble are the others:
- Shanks and heavy toe strikes, which go out sideways at the side panels or past the bay.
- High wedges, which can clear the top of the screen if you stand too far back.
- Thin and topped shots, which hit the base bar at the bottom of the frame.
- Bounce-back, the ball coming back off a screen that is too tight or has nothing behind it.
Each needs a different layer of protection. If a term is new, the glossary explains it.
Layer 1: the enclosure
An enclosure is the frame and fabric around the screen. Every SimSpace bay has black velour side and ceiling panels and foam padding on the frame, so a mishit inside the bay drops rather than hitting the room. GolfBays makes a point worth repeating: the black fabric surround is there to catch errant shots and protect the room, not to take direct full-speed hits. Only the impact screen does that.
Standing at the right distance matters too. GolfBays advises hitting from about 2.5m in a 2.5m-high bay, so wedges stay on the screen rather than going over it. The 3m-deep SIM 5 and SIM 6 surround more of the ball's flight, because you stand inside them.
Layer 2: side barriers
Side barriers are net panels that stand either side of the bay, beyond the frame, to catch the sideways shots that escape it. The SimSpace side netting is a 1.5 × 2.5m panel made for SimSpace enclosures. SIM 0 comes with side netting and weighted bags to hold it down, and side netting is an add-on for every other bay and room package. For the GolfBays SimBox, side nets are an extra: Premium Side Nets for SimBox, in heavier knotless mesh.
Layer 3: the base bar
The bottom bar of the frame sits right where topped shots go. The SimSpace bumper pack cushions it, stops the ball striking the metal and reduces rebound back towards you. It fits beneath the screen, attaches with velcro, and comes in widths to match 2.6, 3.0, 3.6 and 4.0m bays.
Layer 4: walls and ceiling around the bay
Anything the enclosure doesn't cover is exposed: a wall beside the bay, the ceiling behind you, a window or a light fitting. Foam wall tiles absorb the strike and reduce noise. The 50 × 50cm tiles come ten to a pack, covering 2.5 square metres, and the 1.0 × 0.5m tiles cover 5 square metres per pack. If you've built a screen into a frame without an enclosure, protect the side walls and ceiling with foam, and cover the screen edges with a foam pelmet, a padded border such as the foam wedge pelmet or the pelmet kit.
Layer 5: behind the screen
Leave at least 30cm clear behind the screen so it can give. Against a wall, the ball comes back harder and the wall takes the strike through the fabric. A foam backing layer behind the screen absorbs energy, protects the wall and reduces noise.
Layer 6: the floor
Our room packages put a rubber base under the hitting mat. Under the whole bay, the turf underlay is five interlocking 1 × 1m foam tiles, 20mm thick, which protect the floor, cushion the mat and deaden the sound of each strike for the room below.
Outdoors: ball-stop netting
Ball-stop netting is a tall net on posts that stops balls at a boundary, for a garden, a practice area or a range rather than an indoor simulator. Our ball stop net and post system comes in heights of 3.7, 6 and 8m and lengths from 5m to 150m, and the 22mm golf impact mesh is the one for areas where balls arrive at full speed, such as behind a hitting bay.
What our packages include
Every SimSpace room package includes the enclosure, with its impact screen and side and ceiling panels, plus a rubber base for the mat; side netting is an add-on. The add-ons are the base bar bumper pack, foam on any exposed wall, a foam backing layer and floor underlay.
Protection, area by area
| Area | What protects it | In our room packages? | Add-on |
|---|---|---|---|
| Front | Impact screen, the only part made for full-speed hits | Yes | Replacement screens when worn |
| Inside the bay | Velour side and ceiling panels, foam-padded frame | Yes | None needed |
| Either side of the bay | Side barriers, 1.5 × 2.5m net panels | No: add-on (SIM 0 bay has its own) | SimSpace side netting £99.99; SimBox side nets £199.99 |
| Bottom of the frame | Base bar bumper pack | No | Bumper pack £129.99 |
| Walls and ceiling outside the bay | Foam wall tiles | No | Pack of 10, 2.5 square metres £140 |
| Behind the screen | 30cm clear space, foam backing layer | The space is up to you | Foam backing layer £189 |
| Under the mat | Rubber mat base | Yes | None needed |
| Floor under the bay | Interlocking foam underlay, 20mm | No | Turf underlay £85 |
| Garden boundary | Ball-stop net and posts, 22mm impact mesh | No | Net and post system £482.99 |
Package contents from our SimSpace room package box lists. Prices are live, lowest option first.
Best practice
- Start with a full enclosureSide and ceiling panels catch the mishits a screen alone misses. A screen on a frame needs the walls and ceiling protected instead.
- Put side barriers on both sidesShanks and toe strikes go sideways. Barriers either side of the bay catch what escapes the frame.
- Pad the base barTopped shots hit the bottom of the frame. A bumper pack stops the ball striking metal and coming back at you.
- Stand about 2.5m from the screenIn a 2.5m-high bay, standing further back lets high wedges clear the top of the screen.
- Cover what the bay leaves exposedFoam tiles on nearby walls, and nothing breakable within reach of a mishit: windows, lights and shelves.
Gotchas to avoid
- Hitting into the fabric surroundThe black side and ceiling fabric catches errant shots. It is not made for direct full-speed hits; only the screen is.
- Screen against the wallWith no gap the screen cannot give, the ball comes back harder and the wall takes the strike. Leave 30cm.
- Forgetting the ceiling behind youHigh follow-throughs and skied shots reach the ceiling outside the bay. Lights there are the usual casualty.
- A screen on a frame with bare wallsWithout an enclosure, side walls and ceiling take every mishit. Protect them with foam and pad the screen edges with a pelmet.
Our recommendation
A full enclosure plus side netting covers most rooms; add the netting to your package. I add the bumper pack for anyone who tops the odd shot.
- If you've bought a standalone SimSpace bay
- Add side netting either side; it's an add-on for room packages too.
- If a wall or window is near the bay
- Foam wall tiles over it, and keep 8cm between the frame and the wall.
- If there is a room below
- Turf underlay under the bay and a foam backing layer behind the screen.
- If you hit outdoors into a garden
- A ball-stop net with 22mm golf impact mesh behind the hitting area.
For your room we'd pick…
Either side of a SimSpace baySimSpace Side Netting 1.5 x 2.5 MtrA 1.5 × 2.5m net panel made for SimSpace enclosures; included in every room package.£99.99
For topped shotsSimSpace Bumper Pack — Enclosure Base Bar ProtectionCushions the base bar so the ball does not strike metal; fits under the screen with velcro.£129.99
For exposed wallsPremium Wall Foam Tiles Bevelled (Pack of 10) BlackHigh-density foam, 50 × 50cm; ten tiles cover 2.5 square metres and absorb strike noise.£140
For the floorGolf Simulator Turf UnderlayFive interlocking 1 × 1m tiles, 20mm thick, to protect the floor and deaden sound.£85
For a GolfBays SimBoxPremium Side Nets For SimboxSide nets aren't included with the SimBox; these heavier knotless-mesh nets are the add-on.£199.99
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Questions people ask
Do I need side barriers if I have an enclosure?
I recommend them. The enclosure catches mishits inside the bay, but shanks and toe strikes can leave it sideways. Side netting is an add-on, for room packages and standalone SimSpace bays alike (SIM 0 comes with its own).
Does the enclosure have a roof?
Yes. SimSpace bays have black velour side and ceiling panels, so a skied shot inside the bay is caught. The room ceiling behind the bay is outside it, so keep lights there out of reach.
Can I just pad the walls instead of buying an enclosure?
You can build a screen into a frame and pad the walls and ceiling with foam. You still need the impact screen for full shots, a pelmet over its edges and 30cm behind it. An enclosure does more of that for you.
How do I protect the floor?
Our packages put a rubber base under the hitting mat. For the whole bay, a foam underlay protects the floor, cushions the mat and reduces the noise for a room below.
What is ball-stop netting?
A tall net on posts that stops balls at a boundary, for gardens, practice areas and ranges. Indoors, an enclosure and side barriers do that job.
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