Whether you prefer to build things from the ground up or are looking for ways to get the best experience for the best price, do-it-yourself is the way to go. However, we’d be lying if we said it’ll be easy. We’re not talking about the nuts and bolts installation of the product. That part is easy and outlined for aG Trainer in this short video.
The difficulties lie in selecting the right equipment, preparing your location, and accounting for every potential safety hazard. Everything our installation team knows would make for a long book, but we’ve highlighted our top five tips below.
Your long game is important. Hitting the correct direction at a healthy distance makes the difference between lining yourself up for a par 3 or dropping your ball next to the water hazard you nailed. But focusing exclusively on your long game is like building an engine and neglecting to source the rest of the car. Most golfers spend 70% of their time 100-yards or less from the pin.
Make sure the simulator you choose is highly rated for both long and short game play. We’ve found that one of the key ingredients for accurate golf shot tracking is precise spin measurement. For more information on why this is a critical element for every aspect of the game, check out our post on machine vision technology. Playing on an inaccurate simulator will give you disappointing results on the course. If people voice concerns about the accuracy of chipping, choose a different platform.
Trust us when we say a lot goes into simulator installation. Choosing the location is the second major hurdle after technology selection. Whether you want to install your simulator in a basement, garage, or dedicated entertainment room, you'll need a tall ceiling. Avoid inadvertently beating up your swing monitoring equipment on your backswing by choosing a location with a minimum ceiling height of nine-and-a-half feet. You’ll also want to account for enough horizontal clearance for your swing and a golf impact screen if you choose to use one. Additional specifications for the aG Trainer product can be found here. Another thing you’ll want to consider is whether small children or pets will have access to the room. A closed room, baby gates, or ex-pens may need to be considered to make sure no one is injured by an errant ball or club.
If you’re going to use a projector, keep lighting in mind. For a crisp image, you’ll need to adjust to a darker setting.
If you’re installing a residential simulator, make sure to read installation instructions from start to finish before you get started. There are typically safety tips and avoidable gotchas throughout the document. For example, we don’t recommend installing our 3Trak system directly to drywall, but if you must, we describe the proper anchors needed to better distribute the weight. You don’t want someone injured by falling equipment. Our secondary concern is damage to the equipment itself. Which brings us to...
There are thousands of details that go into creating the perfect aesthetic, but we spend a great deal of time on our installations obsessing over safety concerns. If you’ve spent time on a course, you know we do this for a very good reason. Getting hit by an errant shot really hurts. Make sure to purchase a highly rated screen or net. Pad all hard surfaces leading up to the net or screen. If you look at professional installations, you’ll see that the side walls are padded at least a few feet leading up to the screen or net. If there is room on the wall to either side of the net or screen, padding should cover the exposed wall. In short, any hard surface should be covered to reduce the risk of injury from ricochet.
For liability reasons, we can’t endorse specific products. We can recommend that you do your research before making a purchase. Check out product comments online and read reviews that are not on the manufacturer’s site.
Reddit and blogs are a great place to read reviews but watch for disclaimers that the writer is sponsored by the manufacturer or a competitor. Reviewing article comments and reading a variety of reviews is the best way to balance out potentially biased information. We believe choosing the most accurate technology and installing it with safety as a top priority are the keys to a virtual golf experience you’ll enjoy for years to come. Do you have any questions about aG Trainer or need help with your installation? We're here to help! Contact us with any questions or suggestions for future content to help you get the most out of your game.
