Trackman Indoor - how wide is too wide?

[GeoffDickson]

Trackman lists their indoor set up requirements as this:
Height
Minimum: 9'10"/3m - Optimal: 11'6"/3.5m
Width
Minimum: 14'10"/4.5m - Optimal: 16'6"/5m
Length
Minimum: 17'/5.2m - Optimal: 26'2"/8m

Assume the ball is located in the middle, that gives 2.25m (mim) and 2.5m (ideal) either side. With the help of an online trigonometry calculator, I calculate that the corner of the net would at an angle of 29* (min) and 32* (ideal).

Correct me if I am wrong, but this would mean a horizontal launch angle (HLA) greater than 29* (or 32*) to hit the side netting (and presumably not give Trackman enough data to provide a result)...

Why does Trackman specific this much width for their indoor setup? Is it solely to let you practice big draws and big fades? The same trusty trig calculator tells me that a ball with HLA of 10* is aimed at a point 53 m to the right over 300m (about 70m further than i can hit it at the moment). That strikes me as a BIG draw (or fade).

I have not found any width specifications for Flightscope...do they exist?

 

[Frans@France]

you can make it as small as you want. However the golfer itself much find a too small a space very intimidating. I have a 3.5m width cage and therefore the ball is not in the middle, forcing me to move the unit between left/rigth handed players.

PS And don't forget then when using the TPS version and camera's are involved you need a bit of distance to get a good face-on camera postion

 

[kwantfm]

I'd love to hear from anyone who is using a Trackman indoors. I'm currently looking at building a decent garage and using it with Trackman. I have space constraints and am interested to hear about the weigh off between accuracy and sub-optimal dimensions.

Thanks,
T

 

[Frans@France]

....interested to hear about the weigh off between accuracy and sub-optimal dimensions....

length is the most important dimension. Less length means that the minimal spin still possible to be measured goes up (depends also on the ball speed). I think there is a diagram which explains that relation on the TM site to be found.

 

[kwantfm]

length is the most important dimension. Less length means that the minimal spin still possible to be measured goes up (depends also on the ball speed). I think there is a diagram which explains that relation on the TM site to be found.

Thanks, very helpful.

 

[GeoffDickson]

Kwantf....length is the one dimension you could not sacrifice and expect any sort of valid data....a low height will prohibit short irons, a narrow width will prohibit massive fades and draws...but limited length will kill everything..

If the manufacturers could get away with less depth, they would promote it...I am happy to add at least one foot to their minimum specs just to make sure.

 

[kwantfm]

Kwantf....length is the one dimension you could not sacrifice and expect any sort of valid data....a low height will prohibit short irons, a narrow width will prohibit massive fades and draws...but limited length will kill everything..

If the manufacturers could get away with less depth, they would promote it...I am happy to add at least one foot to their minimum specs just to make sure.

Thank you, makes sense.

I think I'm leaning towards TrackMan over Flightscope due to shorter minimum length. I will probably add a metre to the minimum spec.