Golf Simulator Bounce-Back: How to Fix It and Protect Walls, Ceiling and Projector

Bounce-back is the ball coming back off the impact screen toward the golfer, and it is one of the most asked questions about a home golf simulator. Close behind it come the walls, the ceiling and the projector: a shank, a thin wedge or a ball off a pole can reach all three. Most bounce-back comes from how the screen is hung, not from the screen itself, and most room damage is stopped by a few inexpensive add-ons. Jay Lasco, host of Golf Simulator Videos, has built Shop Indoor Golf and Carl's Place enclosures on camera and measured how far drives came back off each. Below: why a ball bounces back, how to fix it, what GSV found build by build, and how to protect the walls, the ceiling, the lights and the projector, with the makers' list prices.

Codes first: GSV5OFF takes 5% off a first order at Shop Indoor Golf, the code for its wall padding, curtains, side netting, baffles and the Projector Shield. On a SIG enclosure or a complete package, GSV250 takes $250 off, and GSV5OFF saves more once the order is over $5,000. Carl's Place's code goes out by email.

Quieter screens and enclosures

• SIGPRO Premium impact screen5% off at Shop Indoor Golf with code GSV5OFF.First-time buyers only, one use. Not valid on a standalone Trackman, the Square Golf launch monitor or the ProTee VX.
  See it at Shop Indoor GolfCopy GSV5OFF
• Golf simulator enclosures and screens$250 off at Shop Indoor Golf with code GSV250.SIG8, SIG10 and SIG12 enclosures and studios, DIY and commercial enclosures, G-TRAK screens, SIGPRO flooring and complete simulator packages.
  See it at Shop Indoor GolfCopy GSV250
• Carl's Place enclosures and screens5% off at Carl's Place. GSV emails you the code.
  Email me the codeShop Carl's Place

Buying through GSV's links and codes helps support the channel: GSV earns a small commission at no extra cost to you, and you still get every saving available.

• 12 to 16 inFrom a hung screen to the wall, about 14 in at best, by GSV's rule
• 166 mphA drive that did not come halfway back off a loosely hung three-layer screen
• Ceiling firstWhere Carl's Place says a projector belongs whenever the room allows

On this page: why balls bounce back, how to fix it, what Jay found, the walls, the ceiling and lights, the projector, products and prices, free consultation and questions.

Why a golf ball bounces back

No maker publishes a bounce-back distance, but Shop Indoor Golf and Carl's Place agree on what drives it:

• Tension. A screen pulled drum tight acts like a trampoline. Shop Indoor Golf: "A screen that's too tight can cause higher bounce-back." Carl's Place says to hang a screen flat for a sharp picture, "but not too tight to avoid fast ball bounce back."
• The wall too close. A screen needs room to give. With the wall right behind it, the ball hits a hard surface through the screen and comes back faster.
• The screen. Both makers say their three-layer screens, two faces with a cushioning layer between them, send the ball back less than a single-layer screen, and are quieter.
• The frame. A ball that clips a bare pole can come straight back. Carl's Place: "Ever had a golf ball hit a metal pole 10' in front of you and come back at your face?"

How to fix bounce-back

1. Loosen the screen. Aim for flat, not tight. Carl's Place: "You are aiming for smooth and slightly loose, not drum tight," with zip ties "just taut enough to hold the screen evenly all the way across without pulling anywhere." Shop Indoor Golf suggests keeping the bottom edge looser and taking off some of the ball bungees, every other, third or fourth one. Carl's Place adds that higher tension also wears a screen faster.
2. Give it room behind. GSV's rule is 12 to 16 in between a hung screen and the wall, about 14 in at best, so the screen can give and the ball never reaches the wall. An enclosure's own frame sets that gap for you.
3. Hang something soft behind it, with a gap. Shop Indoor Golf suggests a heavy moving blanket or archery netting hung behind the screen and kept clear of it. Never press foam or a blanket against the back of the screen: it wears the screen fast.
4. Use a three-layer screen. The SIGPRO Premium, the SIGPRO Premier gray, Carl's Place Premium and Carl's Place High-Contrast Gray. The impact screen guide compares them, with every size and list price.
5. Pad the frame. Foam over the poles, which the SIG enclosures come with, keeps a mishit off bare metal, and a baffle across the top catches the high ones.
6. Stop balls rolling back under. Carl's Place's C-Series screens are cabled along the bottom edge and run to the floor, which Carl's Place says cuts bounce-back by design. High-pile carpet or thick turf at the screen can let a ball slip under; Carl's Place suggests readjusting the zip ties so the bottom edge sits flat on the floor.
7. Stand where the room was planned. GSV's rule is a tee 10 ft from the screen, and never more than 12 ft. The room size checker and the GSV Sim Builder lay out the screen, the gap behind it and the tee.

What Jay found, build by build

• Carl's Place DIY with a Premium white screen, 2022: quiet in an echoey garage, and drives at 162 mph came back only a little. On an enclosure 13 ft wide, side nets were not needed.
• Carl's Place DIY with the screen to the floor, 2023: the screen bolts to a cable sewn into its bottom edge, and the ball barely came back to the mat. About a foot from the wall was enough.
• SIGPRO Premium in a SIG10, 2023: with every bungee on and the screen tight with no sag or wrinkles, it was still quiet with little bounce-back.
• SIGPRO Commercial at Tyrone Hills Golf Club, 2024: with golf pro Darren Husse hitting, irons stopped 2 to 3 ft off the screen, and a drive near 164 mph stopped about 2 1/2 ft off it.
• Carl's Place High-Contrast Gray in the Carl's PRO, 2025: hung loosely on zip ties instead of ball bungees, it absorbs the ball rather than springing it back. A 166 mph drive did not come halfway back to the mat.

Protect the walls

A shank, a toe hit or a thin shot leaves the screen sideways. Three things stop it, from lightest to most permanent:

• Side barrier netting. Shop Indoor Golf's SIGPRO Side Barrier Netting is two nets 10 ft long and 8 ft high, with sandbags and carabiners, and comes with every SIG enclosure package. Carl's Place sells net wall extensions, a set of two, 6, 8 or 10 ft deep and 92 in high. Carl's Place advises against relying on golf nets alone, since they "wear down much quicker" than impact screens.
• Curtains. Shop Indoor Golf's golf simulator curtains are heavy blackout panels 52 in wide, with grommets made to "withstand the impact of errant golf balls", on an optional ceiling track. They also darken the room, which helps the picture. Carl's Place's golf room curtain has a weighted bottom and mounts to the ceiling only, and Carl's Place recommends "12+ inches of buffer space" between the curtain and the wall or anything behind it. Curtains slow a ball; neither maker rates them for a direct full shot.
• Wall padding. Shop Indoor Golf's SIGPRO wall padding is 3-1/16 in memory foam with a black vinyl cover and a solid backing, for walls and the ceiling; the mounting adhesive or Velcro is not included. Its 1 in wall panels are the thinner, lighter option. Carl's Place's built-in golf room kit uses foam-padded panels, and Carl's Place says acoustic tiles "aren't built to take direct hits, they'll help protect against glancing blows."

How much room to leave. Shop Indoor Golf asks for 5 to 6 ft on each side of the hitting position, a room 12 ft wide at the least and 15 ft or more recommended; Carl's Place asks for 7 ft of swing room in every direction. Padding and curtains take their own depth off the room, so measure from their face, not the bare wall. The GSV Sim Builder can add SIGPRO padding and curtains to a built-in screen and checks the swing against them.

Protect the ceiling and the lights

• A baffle. A strip of tough material that hangs from the top of an enclosure and knocks high shots down to the screen or the floor, where wedges and flops would otherwise hit the top of the frame. Shop Indoor Golf's baffle accessory comes sized for the SIG8, SIG10, SIG12, DIY and commercial enclosures, and a custom baffle is made to any enclosure's inside width. Carl's Place's baffles "hang down from the ceiling to help catch and knock down high-angle shots" and can be ordered with any of its enclosures.
• An enclosure with a top. An enclosure's sides and top keep a mishit off the walls and ceiling; Carl's Place calls the top of its DIY and PRO an overhead ceiling panel. A deeper enclosure covers more of the ceiling.
• Padding overhead. SIGPRO padding is made for the ceiling as well as the walls. Fix them to the ceiling securely.
• Lights. Carl's Place lists shattered ceiling fan lights among the damage it has seen. Keep fixtures out of the ball's path between the tee and the screen, or behind the baffle, and check the swing itself against the ceiling height guide.

Protect the projector

Carl's Place says that if at all possible it will always recommend mounting the projector on the ceiling. Up and out of the ball's path is the best protection. Where the room means the projector sits on the floor between the golfer and the screen, a floor case shields it. A floor projector needs a short throw lens, about 0.5, and the projector guide has the ones GSV has tested, among them the BenQ AH500ST, which GSV reviewed for floor mounting.

	Projector Shield (Shop Indoor Golf)	Carl's Floor Mounted Projector Enclosure
List price	$349.99	$299.95
Outside size	23 in deep, 14 in wide, 7.25 in high	23.7 in deep, 17.4 in wide, 8 in high
Inside	12.5 in deep, 13.75 in wide, 4.75 in high	Not published; fits most standard projectors
Build	3/8 in ABS, turf ramp, side vents	Aluminum sides, clear polycarbonate front, turf top, 2 wedges
Where it goes	"Beside or in front of the tee area"; low shots run up the ramp to the screen	Off to the side, for indirect shots only, not directly in front of the tee

From the makers' product pages, read October 19, 2026. Carl's Place says its case "is not meant to take repeated direct shots" and pairs best with a projector that has horizontal keystone, so it can sit off the target line; its wedges tilt the projector so the picture reaches the bottom of the screen. Shop Indoor Golf names the Optoma GT2000ST for the Projector Shield. Check the inside size against your projector before ordering.

Projector Shield at Shop Indoor Golf Carl's Place

Products and list prices

Product	What it does	List price
SIGPRO wall padding, 3-1/16 in	Walls and ceiling	$109.99 (2 x 1 ft) to $149.99 (3 x 3 ft)
SIG 1 in wall panels	Thin wall cover	$54.99 (2 x 1 ft), $64.99 (2 x 2 ft)
SIG golf simulator curtains, 52 in wide	Side walls, windows, doors	$299.98 to $359.98, by ceiling height
SIGPRO Side Barrier Netting, two 10 x 8 ft nets	Shanks and thin shots	$399.99
SIG baffle accessory	High shots at the top	$129.98; custom $142.99
Projector Shield	Floor projector	$349.99
Carl's Floor Mounted Projector Enclosure	Floor projector	$299.95
Carl's Place golf room curtain	Side walls, windows, doors	From $325

Regular list prices on the makers' pages, read October 19, 2026, before codes, tax and shipping. Shop Indoor Golf also sells a blackout screen that hangs close behind its SIGPRO screens; it stops light, and Shop Indoor Golf says it can also serve as the soft layer behind the screen. GSV5OFF works on every Shop Indoor Golf item above on a first order, and Carl's Place's code comes by email. More codes on the Shop Indoor Golf discount code and Carl's Place discount code pages.

The rest of the build: the enclosure guide for frames with padding and a top, net vs impact screen for which one fits the room, and the Carl's Place hub for its DIY, PRO and built-in kits.

More on the room: making a golf simulator quieter and impact screen care.

Free consultation with GSV's partner builders

Planning the room around the screen? Jay works with official partners: master builders he hand-picked, who get on a call quickly and make sure the screen, the padding, the projector and the room fit before you buy anything. They offer package deals on the whole build, DIY packages, full installation, and more. The consultation is free.

Get a free consultation

Bounce-back and room protection questions

Why does a golf ball bounce back off the impact screen?

Usually because the screen is too tight, the wall is too close behind it, or the ball hit a bare pole. Shop Indoor Golf says a screen that is too tight can cause higher bounce-back, and Carl's Place says to hang it flat but not too tight. A single-layer screen also sends the ball back faster than a three-layer one.

How do you reduce bounce-back on a golf simulator screen?

Hang the screen flat but slightly loose, with fewer bungees along the bottom or loose zip ties; leave 12 to 16 in between the screen and the wall; hang a heavy blanket or archery netting behind it with a gap; use a three-layer screen; and pad the frame. A 166 mph drive did not come halfway back off a loosely hung three-layer screen in Jay's Carl's PRO.

How far should an impact screen be from the wall?

12 to 16 in for a screen hung in the room, about 14 in at best, by GSV's rule, so the screen can give and the ball never reaches the wall. An enclosure's own frame sets the gap. Carl's Place recommends at least 12 in of buffer behind its golf room curtain too.

Can you put foam or a blanket behind an impact screen?

Not pressed against it: that wears the screen fast. Shop Indoor Golf suggests a heavy moving blanket or archery netting hung behind the screen with a gap.

How do you protect walls and the ceiling in a golf simulator?

Side barrier netting or curtains for shanks and thin shots, wall padding where a ball can reach the wall, a baffle across the top of the enclosure for high wedges, and an enclosure with a top over the screen. Shop Indoor Golf sells SIGPRO padding from $109.99 a panel, side netting at $399.99 and a baffle at $129.98, by its list prices.

Is it safe to put a golf simulator projector on the floor?

With a floor case, out of the line of the tee. Carl's Place recommends a ceiling mount whenever possible and says its $299.95 floor enclosure is for indirect shots, not directly in front of the tee. Shop Indoor Golf's Projector Shield, $349.99, has a turf ramp that sends low shots up to the screen. A floor projector needs a short throw lens of about 0.5.

Is there a discount code for golf simulator padding and nets?

Yes. GSV5OFF takes 5% off a first order at Shop Indoor Golf, which covers its padding, curtains, side netting, baffles and the Projector Shield. Carl's Place's code goes out by email from GSV.

Is there free help planning a golf simulator room?

Yes. GSV's partner builders, master builders Jay hand-picked, offer a free consultation: they check that the screen, the padding, the projector and the room fit before you buy, and offer package deals, DIY packages and full installation.