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Golf simulator glossary: every term explained in plain English
Tom Hayward, founder of OpenGolfer · Last reviewed · 3 min read
The short answer
A home golf simulator has its own vocabulary. This glossary explains the terms you'll meet when you buy and set one up, from launch monitor data such as spin axis and smash factor to projector terms like throw ratio and keystone, plus software and connections, in one or two plain sentences each.
Every term you're likely to meet when you buy and set up a home golf simulator, in plain English. The table on this page has the full list, one or two sentences each. Below, the same terms are grouped by the part of the simulator they belong to, so you can see how they fit together. For the bigger picture, start with how a golf simulator works.
Launch monitors and data
The launch monitor is the device that measures each shot. There are two kinds. A radar unit sits behind you and tracks the ball with radio waves: the FlightScope Mevo Gen2 sits 2.4m behind the ball and the Full Swing KIT 3.05m, so radar rooms are longer. A photometric unit, which means camera-based, sits beside the ball and photographs it at impact, so it needs no space behind you.
Ball numbers describe what the ball did. Ball speed is how fast it left the face, and the best single sign of a good strike. Launch angle is how steeply it took off, and launch direction which way it started. Spin rate is backspin in revolutions per minute: more makes the ball climb and stop. Spin axis is the tilt of that spin, which makes the ball curve. Carry is the distance in the air; total distance adds the bounce and roll.
Club numbers describe what caused it. Club path is the direction the club head travels at impact, and face angle is where the face points. The gap between them, face to path, decides the curve. Angle of attack (AoA) says whether the club was moving down or up into the ball. Smash factor is ball speed divided by club speed, a measure of how centred the strike was.
Some units need help to read these. Camera units may need club stickers for club data; radar units indoors may need an aluminium sticker on the ball for spin. Firmware is the software inside the unit, and alignment tells it which way is straight.
Screens, enclosures and projectors
The enclosure is the frame. It holds the impact screen, the fabric that stops a full-speed ball and shows the picture, with side barriers and a top to catch mishits. The bay is the whole hitting area. Our SimSpace enclosures come in seven sizes, SIM 0 to SIM 6; Will a golf simulator fit my room? gives the room each one needs. You hit off a hitting mat, about 2.5m from the screen.
Projector terms are mostly about fitting the picture to the screen. Throw ratio is the distance from projector to screen divided by the picture width; a short-throw projector has a low ratio, so it sits inside the bay. Lumens measure brightness. Keystone correction straightens a picture that's wider at one edge. Aspect ratio is the shape of the picture: a 16:9 picture on a 4:3 screen shows letterboxing, black bands where the shapes don't match.
Software
Simulator software turns the numbers into a range, games or a course. Some is the launch monitor maker's own: Garmin's Home Tee Hero runs on the R50's own screen, and Foresight's is Foresight+ with Foresight Premier for course play. Some is independent: GSPro, E6 Connect and Awesome Golf work with many launch monitors. GSPro and Foresight Premier need a Windows PC. GSPro's OpenAPI lets launch monitors outside its official list connect through a connector program, but that isn't official support. Software by launch monitor shows which works with which.
Connections
HDMI is the cable that takes the picture from the R50, PC or tablet to the projector; you don't need HDMI ARC, which is for TV sound. Between the launch monitor and the device running the software, the link is Wi-Fi, Bluetooth or a cable. Wi-Fi comes in two bands: 2.4GHz reaches further, 5GHz is faster up close. Bluetooth is a short-range link you set up once by pairing. How to set up a home golf simulator shows how it all connects on the day.
Every term, by topic
| Term | What it means |
|---|---|
| Launch monitor | The device that measures each shot, the ball and usually the club, in the instant after impact, and sends the numbers to the simulator software. |
| Radar (Doppler radar) | A launch monitor that tracks the ball with radio waves from behind you. The FlightScope Mevo Gen2 sits 2.4m behind the ball, the Full Swing KIT 3.05m. |
| Photometric (camera) | A launch monitor that photographs the ball, and often the club, with high-speed cameras at impact. It sits beside the ball, so it needs no space behind you. |
| Ball speed | How fast the ball leaves the clubface. The best single sign of how well you struck it. |
| Club speed | How fast the club head is moving just before it meets the ball. |
| Smash factor | Ball speed divided by club speed. It shows how well the strike passed on the club's energy; a centred driver strike gets close to 1.5. |
| Launch angle | How steeply the ball takes off, measured in degrees up from the ground. |
| Launch direction | Which way the ball starts, left or right of the target line, in degrees. |
| Spin rate | How fast the ball spins backwards, in revolutions per minute (rpm). More spin makes it climb and stop; less makes it run. |
| Spin axis | The tilt of the ball's spin. Tilted one way the ball curves left, the other way it curves right; zero means it flies straight. |
| Carry | How far the ball flies in the air before it first lands. |
| Total distance | Carry plus the bounce and roll after landing. |
| Apex | The highest point of the ball's flight. |
| Club path | The direction the club head is travelling at impact, left or right of the target line. |
| Face angle | Where the clubface points at impact, compared with the target line. It decides most of where the ball starts. |
| Face to path | The difference between face angle and club path. It decides how much the ball curves, and which way. |
| Angle of attack (AoA) | Whether the club is moving down or up into the ball, in degrees. Irons usually strike slightly down; a driver off a tee is best level or slightly up. |
| Club stickers | Small stickers on the clubface that some camera launch monitors need to read club data. Replace them when worn or dirty. |
| Aluminium ball sticker | A small metallic sticker on the ball that lets a radar launch monitor read spin indoors. The Mevo Gen2 needs one, facing the target. |
| Firmware | The software inside the launch monitor itself. Updates fix faults and add features; most units update through their app or own menu over Wi-Fi. |
| Alignment (target line) | Telling the launch monitor which way is straight, so the shot on screen matches where you aimed. Re-align whenever the unit or mat moves. |
| Impact screen | The fabric screen that stops a full-speed ball and shows the projected picture. Only the screen should take full shots. |
| Enclosure | The frame that holds the impact screen, with fabric sides and a top to catch mishits. |
| Bay | The hitting area: the enclosure, the mat and the space you swing in. People also use it for the enclosure itself. |
| SIM 0 to SIM 6 | Our SimSpace enclosure sizes. SIM 0 is 3.3m wide, 1m deep; SIM 1 to 4 are 2.6m to 4.0m wide, 2.5m high, 1.5m deep; SIM 5 and 6 are 3m high and deep. |
| Side barriers | Fabric panels either side of the hitting area that stop mishits reaching the walls. They're for stray shots, not full-speed ones. |
| Pelmet | A padded strip above the screen that protects the ceiling and frame from high shots. An optional extra on our rooms. |
| Ball-to-screen distance | How far the ball sits from the screen. We plan rooms around about 2.5m. |
| Hitting mat | The turf mat you hit off. Ours sit on a rubber base that takes some of the shock out of each strike. |
| Turf insert | A separate piece of turf in the hitting area of some mats, which you can replace when it wears without replacing the whole mat. |
| Ball tray | A tray beside the mat that holds a supply of balls. Not on our package box lists. |
| Throw ratio | The projector's distance from the screen divided by the picture width. The BenQ AH500ST's 0.499:1 makes a 2.8m-wide picture from about 1.4m. |
| Short-throw projector | A projector with a low throw ratio, so it fills a large screen from close range and sits inside the bay rather than behind you. |
| Lumens | How bright a projector is. More lumens cope better with daylight; the BenQ AH500ST in our room packages gives 4,000 ANSI lumens. |
| Keystone correction | A projector setting that squares up a picture that's wider at one edge because the projector is tilted. Moving the projector gives a sharper result. |
| Aspect ratio | The shape of a picture, width to height. 16:9 is widescreen, 16:10 slightly taller, 4:3 squarer and 1:1 square. SimSpace screens run from 1:1 to 16:10. |
| Letterboxing | Black bands either side of or above and below a picture whose shape doesn't match the screen, such as a 16:9 image on a 4:3 screen. |
| 1080p and 4K | How much detail a picture has: 1080p is 1920 × 1080 pixels and 4K is 3840 × 2160. The source, cable and projector all need to support it. |
| Input lag | The delay between the signal reaching the projector and the picture changing. Low lag makes the shot appear the instant you hit. |
| Simulator software | The program that turns launch monitor numbers into a driving range, practice games or a full round on a course. |
| GSPro | Simulator software for Windows 10 or 11 PCs, with over 2,500 community-made courses. It officially supports 31 launch monitors. |
| E6 Connect | TruGolf's simulator software for Windows PCs and iPads. TruGolf says E6 Golf 2026 replaces and expands on it. |
| Awesome Golf | Simulator software with games and courses that runs on Windows, iOS, Android and Apple Silicon Macs. |
| Foresight+ | Foresight's membership app, in Free, Silver and Gold tiers, for data, practice and, on Gold, third-party software. New Foresight devices get a 30-day trial. |
| Foresight Premier | Foresight's course-play software for Windows 10 or 11 PCs. Courses come with a Course Pass, which needs Foresight+ Silver or Gold. |
| Home Tee Hero | Garmin's simulator, built into the Approach R50 and in the Garmin Golf app for the R10. Course play needs a Garmin Golf membership. |
| OpenAPI and connectors | GSPro's open connection that lets launch monitors not on its official list send shots to it, usually through a small connector program. It isn't official support. |
| Putting mode | A setting for putting on the mat. Not every launch monitor reads putts, and some need a different position, such as the Mevo Gen2 at 2.1m. |
| Course play and range | Range mode is open practice with your numbers; course play is a round on a virtual course. Course play often needs a subscription or credits. |
| HDMI | The cable that carries picture and sound from the R50, PC or tablet to the projector. It isn't included in our SimSpace packages. |
| HDMI 2.1 | The newest HDMI cable standard, with bandwidth for 4K and 8K. It works for 1080p too, so one cable suits any projector. |
| HDMI ARC | Audio Return Channel: lets a TV send sound back to a soundbar. A simulator doesn't need it; any HDMI input on the projector works. |
| Wi-Fi | Your home's wireless network. Apps, sign-ins, firmware updates and course downloads all need it, so check the signal where you'll hit. |
| 2.4GHz and 5GHz | The two Wi-Fi bands most routers broadcast. 2.4GHz reaches further and through walls better; 5GHz is faster over shorter distances. Check which one your launch monitor's manual asks for. |
| Bluetooth | A short-range wireless link between two devices, such as a launch monitor and a phone. Square Golf uses it to talk to its app. |
| Pairing | Connecting two Bluetooth devices for the first time. After that they usually find each other on their own. |
| Ethernet cable | A wired network cable. Some launch monitors, such as the Uneekor EYE MINI, connect to the PC with one for a steadier link. |
| Windows PC | A computer running Microsoft Windows. GSPro and Foresight Premier need Windows 10 or 11; a gaming PC adds a graphics card to draw courses smoothly. |
| Screen mirroring | Showing a phone or tablet's screen on the projector without a cable, through a streaming box such as an Apple TV. An HDMI adapter is the wired alternative. |
SIM 0 to SIM 6 sizes are SimSpace's inside frame sizes; the outer frame is about 10cm bigger each way. Distances behind the ball are from each maker's manual.
Best practice
- Learn five numbers firstBall speed, launch angle, spin rate, carry and club path tell you most of what happened. The rest can wait.
- Compare like with likeTrack your own numbers on one launch monitor over time. Different units measure in different ways, so small gaps between them are normal.
- Match the picture to the screenCheck the screen's aspect ratio and the projector's throw ratio together before you place the projector.
- Check the manual for its termsMakers name the same thing differently. If a term in your manual isn't here, ask us and we'll explain it.
Gotchas to avoid
- Carry and total aren't the sameCarry is in the air only. Indoors, judge your clubs on carry; roll depends on the software's ground settings.
- OpenAPI isn't official supportA launch monitor that reaches GSPro through a connector may work well, but neither maker has promised it. Check before you buy for it.
- You don't need HDMI ARCARC sends TV sound to a soundbar. For a simulator, any HDMI input on the projector carries the picture.
- Side barriers aren't a screenSide barriers and the pelmet catch stray shots, not full-speed ones. Only the impact screen should take a full shot.
Our recommendation
Read the terms for the parts you're choosing now, and keep this page open on setup day.
- If you're choosing a launch monitor
- Start with radar, photometric and the five core numbers.
- If you're placing a projector
- Read throw ratio, short-throw, keystone and aspect ratio.
- If you're connecting it all
- Read HDMI, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and pairing, then follow the setup guide.
Two terms you'll buy
Short-throw, explained in one boxBenQ AH500ST Golf Simulator Projector0.499:1 throw ratio fills the screen from about 1.4m, with 4,000 ANSI lumens and keystone correction.£1,780
The HDMI 2.1 cable4K/8K HDMI 2.1 Cable 10m10m, HDMI 2.1, and not included in our SimSpace packages.£29.99
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Questions people ask
What is the difference between radar and camera launch monitors?
Radar units sit behind you and track the ball's flight with radio waves, so the room needs to be longer: 5.2m for a Mevo Gen2 and 5.85m for a Full Swing KIT. Camera, or photometric, units sit beside the ball and photograph it at impact, so they work in our 4.2m minimum room.
What does throw ratio mean?
It's the projector's distance from the screen divided by the picture width. A lower number means the projector can sit closer. The BenQ AH500ST's 0.499:1 makes a 2.8m-wide picture from about 1.4m, so it sits inside the bay rather than over your head.
What do SIM 0 to SIM 6 mean?
They're our SimSpace enclosure sizes. SIM 0 is the shallow bay, 3.3m wide and 1m deep. SIM 1 to SIM 4 are 2.5m high and 1.5m deep, from 2.6m to 4.0m wide. SIM 5 and SIM 6 are 3m high and 3m deep, for taller rooms.
Do I need a special HDMI cable?
It needs to be long enough and support your picture. Any good HDMI cable carries 1080p; HDMI 2.1 carries 4K and 8K too, so it suits any projector. HDMI isn't included in our SimSpace packages, and you don't need HDMI ARC.
What is the difference between Foresight+ and Foresight Premier?
Foresight+ is Foresight's membership app, with Free, Silver and Gold tiers for data, practice and, on Gold, third-party software. Premier is its course software for Windows 10 or 11 PCs; courses come with a Course Pass, which needs Silver or Gold. New devices get a 30-day Foresight+ trial.
What is smash factor?
Ball speed divided by club speed. It shows how well the strike passed the club's speed to the ball. A centred driver strike gets close to 1.5; irons and wedges are lower because their lofted faces send more energy into height and spin.
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