Full Swing KIT Studio Lite vs Studio Plus: Which Premium Room? (UK)

The Full Swing KIT Studio Lite and Studio Plus are the same room: KIT launch monitor, short-throw projector, aluminium frame, impact screen, padding, side netting, turf and hitting mat. The Plus adds a touchscreen gaming laptop with Full Swing Golf installed. Choose the Lite if you own a capable Windows PC, otherwise the Plus.

What both Studios include

Full Swing sells the KIT Studio as a complete bay built around its own radar. On Full Swing Europe's KIT Studio page, the Lite is listed as the choice "if you already have a compatible computer", and the Plus as the "all-in-one home studio". Everything else is common to both:

• The Full Swing KIT launch monitor, a Doppler radar with a built-in OLED display. Radar means it measures the ball by bouncing a signal off it as it flies, rather than photographing it at impact.
• A short-throw projector with a ceiling or floor mount. Short-throw means it makes a big picture from close to the screen, so it can sit above or beside you rather than behind you.
• A powder-coated aluminium frame with a tight-knit polyester impact screen and foam padding around the edge of the screen.
• Side barrier netting, landing-pad turf, a hitting mat and a turf extension that gives the KIT a level run back from the ball.
• The cables and adaptors to connect it all.

Full Swing Europe's page lists six enclosure sizes. We carry the two that fit most UK rooms: Standard, with a 3,302 mm by 2,540 mm footprint, and Wide, at 3,708 mm by 2,845 mm. Both assemble in under an hour. We supply and support the package; if you want help with the build, Airtasker is the route we suggest.

In our experience the thing buyers miss is that neither Studio includes a PC in the Lite, and neither includes course software outright. The software is a separate yearly plan from Full Swing Europe, which I cover below.

What the Plus adds

One item: a 16-inch UHD+ touchscreen gaming laptop with an Intel i7 processor and an NVIDIA RTX 3500 graphics card, with Full Swing Golf for KIT pre-loaded. That is the whole difference between the KIT Studio Lite and the KIT Studio Plus.

It matters more than it sounds. The KIT does not send a picture to the projector by itself. A Windows computer runs the course software and feeds the projector over HDMI, so with the Lite you are responsible for the PC, the graphics card, the Windows updates and the software install. With the Plus, Full Swing has done that part, and the laptop's touchscreen doubles as your menu.

If you already own a gaming PC or laptop with a current NVIDIA card, the Lite saves you paying for a second one. If you are not sure what you own, our sim-spec gaming PC page lists the specification we build to, and you can compare.

The KIT itself: what it needs from the room

The KIT is the most space-hungry launch monitor we sell, and the Lite and Plus share that requirement exactly. Full Swing's user guide says to place it on level ground 3.05 m (10 ft) directly behind the ball, in line with the target, and to hit from the target line with the space between the KIT and the ball kept clear. Shots from well off the line, or past obstructions, may be missed.

Add our standard 2.5 m from the ball to the screen and 30 cm of free space behind the screen, and I plan on a room 5.85 m long. Full Swing's own minimum for the Studio is 2.75 m high, 3.66 m wide and 5.5 m long. The two figures differ because Full Swing allows a shorter ball flight; I prefer the longer flight because the screen takes less of a beating and the picture sits further from your eyes.

For comparison, a camera unit such as the Garmin R50 sits 0.5 m beside the ball and fits our 4.2 m minimum room. If your room is between 4.2 m and 5.5 m long, the KIT Studio is not the right package, however much you like the radar. Measure before you fall for it. Our Sim Buyer Docs page on whether a simulator will fit your room has the full method.

What the KIT measures

Full Swing lists 16 points of club and ball data for the KIT, including carry, total distance and spin rate, and the unit shows them on its own OLED screen as well as in the Full Swing app. Putting is not measured, so a putting green in the software is a feature of the software, not the radar.

One thing to know from the user guide: at the date of the manual, the Full Swing app's session environments were outdoor only, with indoor "coming soon". That does not stop you using the KIT indoors. Course play on the projector runs through Full Swing Golf for KIT or GSPro on the Windows PC, which is how both Studio packages are designed to work. The app is for outdoor range sessions and for setup, Wi-Fi and firmware.

Lite vs Plus vs our SimSpace KIT package

We also build the KIT into our own SimSpace rooms. The table puts the three side by side so you can see what you are actually choosing between.

The SimSpace KIT package is the route if you prefer our enclosure and the BenQ projector, or you want to match a SimSpace room you have already planned. The Studios are the route if you want Full Swing's own bay, with its screen padding and the laptop option. See the live price on each product page; I don't quote figures here because they change.

Software and running costs

Full Swing Europe's KIT Studio page describes Full Swing Golf for KIT as 15 iconic courses, "from Spyglass Hill to TPC Network stops", plus a customisable driving range. Our product page adds the Full Swing Combine, a practice scoring game. It is a yearly plan sold by Full Swing Europe for UK buyers, and there is a separate Premium App plan and a free app tier that covers your data but not courses. GSPro is also a yearly plan and works with the KIT. I keep every figure in one place, our Sim Buyer Docs page on golf simulator software costs, because the prices move and I would rather you saw today's number than one I wrote in October.

Whichever Studio you buy, budget for one of those plans each year. The Plus has Full Swing Golf installed, which saves the setup, but the plan itself is still yours to take out.

Which one I'd pick

I recommend the Studio Plus for most buyers at this level. The budget band is £12k+ either way, and the laptop is a small share of that. What it buys is certainty: the graphics card is right, the software is installed, and the only thing you plug in on delivery day is the HDMI lead to the projector. For a room that cost this much, I think that matters more than the saving.

The Studio Lite is the better buy in two cases. You already own a gaming PC or laptop with a recent NVIDIA card that you are happy to dedicate to the room. Or you want a desktop PC rather than a laptop, because you plan to run GSPro at high settings and like having a tower you can upgrade. On live prices, the Lite plus our sim-spec gaming laptop comes in under the Plus. What the Plus buys is the matched, pre-configured laptop with Full Swing Golf already installed and supported by Full Swing as one system. Check both product pages for today's figures.

Before either, check the length. A 5.85 m room is long for a UK garage, and the KIT does not forgive a shortfall. If you have 4.2 m to 5.5 m, I'd steer you to the Garmin R50 or another camera unit, and our free room design will show you the layout before you spend anything.

Setting up on delivery day

The order is: charge the KIT, pair it with the Full Swing app and join your Wi-Fi so it can update its firmware, then build the frame, hang the screen, mount the projector and lay the turf. Measure 3.05 m back from the ball and mark the floor so the KIT goes back in the same spot every time. On the PC or laptop, connect the KIT and open Full Swing Golf or GSPro, then run the HDMI lead to the projector. Our Sim Buyer Docs page on setting up a Full Swing KIT walks through each step and the three most common fixes.

I noticed that the firmware update is where most first evenings stall. The app prompts you when an update is waiting, and the KIT has to stay on until it finishes. Do it in the afternoon, not at 9 pm with friends waiting.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Studio Plus laptop good enough for GSPro?

Full Swing specifies an Intel i7 with an NVIDIA RTX 3500, which is a workstation-class laptop card. It runs Full Swing Golf for KIT and GSPro comfortably at the projector's resolution. A desktop PC with a larger card can go higher on graphics settings, but the laptop is not the weak link in the room.

Can I add the laptop to a Studio Lite later?

You can add any Windows gaming laptop or PC later; the Lite is designed for it. What you cannot do is buy the Plus laptop on its own from us, so if you want Full Swing's bundled machine, choose the Plus at the start.

How long does the room need to be?

I plan on 5.85 m: 3.05 m from the KIT to the ball per Full Swing's guide, about 2.5 m from the ball to the screen and 30 cm behind the screen. Full Swing's own minimum is 5.5 m long, 3.66 m wide and 2.75 m high. Go for a 3 m ceiling if you can.

Does the KIT work outdoors as well?

Yes. Full Swing built it for the range and the course, and outdoors it also sits 3.05 m behind the ball. Both Studios are indoor rooms, but the KIT comes out of the bay and goes to the range in its carrying case.

The two Studios are one room and one decision: do you already own the computer? If not, the Plus is the one I'd build. Measure 5.85 m first, and the glossary has any term you want explained in a line.

Not sure which option fits your space or budget? Message Tom on WhatsApp for a free consultation — no obligation.