Nine feet can work if you're right-handed and position your tee strategically off-center, but left-handed golfers will struggle since they need about 7 feet of clearance on their swing side. You'll also face screen limitations, maxing out at 7-8 feet wide instead of the ideal 10-12 feet, which restricts your aspect ratio and viewing experience. The fact is: experts recommend 14 feet minimum for unrestricted swings, and anything below 9 feet greatly increases your risk of wall strikes and swing modifications that'll mess with your mechanics. Keep going to see exactly why width matters more than you think.
Honestly, swinging a driver in just 9 feet of width is going to be a tight squeeze for most golfers. The reality is—experts recommend at least 14 feet of width as the absolute minimum for simulator setups, and that's not just random advice. Your driver demands a wider stance, typically a few inches to one full foot width beyond shoulder width, which means you're already eating up precious space before you even start your swing. When you factor in the swing width itself—the distance your club travels from 3 to 9 o'clock, you're cutting it dangerously close to the walls. This cramped setup forces you into a narrower swing, which reduces your turn and power while increasing the risk of clipping the ceiling or side walls mid-swing. A wide stance lowers your center of gravity, providing the stability you need for powerful driver swings, but it also requires additional lateral space that a 9-foot simulator simply can't accommodate. The driver requires the widest stance of all clubs to provide a stable base for maximum power and torque during your swing.
The point is about 9-foot setups; they can absolutely work, but there's one major catch. You've got to be right-handed. Here's why that matters: right-handed players position the tee off-center, naturally avoiding the left wall. This creates a built-in buffer zone for your backswing and follow-through. Your swing arc flows away from constraints, giving you that elbow room for natural motion. It's like having a secret advantage in tight spaces!
For lefties, though, 9 feet flips the script entirely. You'd be swinging directly toward that left wall, creating potential contact issues. Combined with proper stance alignment and assuming you're under 6 feet tall, right-handers can nail full driver swings without adjustment. Test a few practice swings first to confirm you've got clearance, better safe than replacing drywall! The cramped conditions can also affect your swing technique and enjoyment, making even successful shots feel less satisfying than they would in a more spacious setup. Offsetting the tee in narrower rooms like this helps maximize the available clearance for right-handed golfers.
While right-handed players can squeeze by with a 9-foot setup, left-handed golfers face a completely different reality. The situation is this: your backswing arc extends in the opposite direction, and that nine feet suddenly feels claustrophobic. You need seven feet of clearance on your side alone, that's before accounting for the hitting position itself. The real minimum sits at 13-14 feet for safe, unrestricted swings from both stances.
Your hands extend far from your ear at the top of your backswing, demanding serious lateral space. In a nine-foot enclosure, you'll modify your swing to avoid wall contact, which messes with your natural mechanics and confidence. A proper shoulder-width stance is essential for generating power and maintaining balance, but cramped spaces force you into awkward positioning. If you're accommodating both lefties and righties, you're looking at a 14-foot minimum, period. Certain launch monitors like SkyTrak+ and Foresight GC3 require repositioning when switching between right and left-handed players, adding another layer of complexity to narrow setups.
Screen selection becomes your initial major headache in a 9-foot-wide space, and here's why: those impressive 10 to 12-foot-wide screens that most people install simply won't fit. After accounting for the frame (which adds 2 inches per side) and necessary side buffers (1-2 feet total), you're looking at a maximum viewable width of just 7-8 feet. That means you're stuck with screens like 96" x 96" (8 feet square) instead of the ideal 12' x 9' that serious golfers prefer. The aspect ratio options get even more restrictive—forget about cinematic 16:9 screens that need 16 feet of width. You'll be forced into 4:3 ratios or square formats, considerably reducing your immersion and hitting area compared to properly-sized simulator rooms. Keep in mind that the actual viewable area will be smaller since you need to subtract 4-6 inches from the outside measurements to account for the hem on most screen models. Standard-size screens start at $299, making them the most budget-friendly option for tight spaces, though you'll sacrifice coverage area.
When you upgrade to a 10–12 foot width, you're fundamentally giving yourself the breathing room that changes a cramped practice box into an actual golf simulator. The key point is: this width fits screens between 10–12 feet wide, letting you run 160–200 inch displays in proper 16:9 or 16:10 aspect ratios without compromise. You'll get that cinematic immersion you're after!
But it's not just about visuals. This width prevents you from subconsciously altering your swing because you feel squeezed. Your natural divot-taking motion needs lateral space, and 10–12 feet delivers exactly that. Plus, if you're setting up for both right- and left-handed golfers, you're getting a proper 10–12 foot buffer per side from the walls—no more repositioning the mat constantly or worrying about collision risks during practice.
The adequate space also ensures your launch monitor and projector can be positioned correctly without crowding your hitting zone, creating a smooth and professional setup. Narrower rooms can lead to unintentional adjustments in setup that affect your confidence and performance over time.
Drop your simulator width below 9 feet, and you're basically turning your walls into target practice, whether you intended to or not. The reality is: even slight mis-hits send balls careening into side walls, creating holes, dents, and scuff marks that'll cost you serious repair money. Your walls start accumulating paint chips and structural wear fast, especially in those primary impact zones near your hitting area. And don't assume your impact screen protects everything; shank shots still penetrate nets and screens, damaging whatever's behind them. The bounce-back gets dangerous too. Balls ricochet off walls at high speed, creating injury risks you didn't sign up for. Unless you're covering every vulnerable surface with impact-resistant panels or heavy-duty tarps, you're asking for trouble.
You'll need a minimum of 9 feet for your 9-foot-wide simulator room, but 10 feet is what you really want. The point is: 9 feet works if you're shorter (5'8" or under) or have a compact swing, but most golfers will feel cramped. At 10 feet, you'll get unrestricted swings with your driver and won't worry about smacking the ceiling. Taller players? You'll want 10-11 feet for comfortable practice.
You won't have room for side seating in a 9-foot-wide space. Your simulator setup will eat up 8-10 feet, leaving basically nothing for chairs on either side. The issue is, you'll need to position any seating behind the hitting area instead. If you want a small side table, go wall-mounted to preserve your swing clearance. You'd need at least 12-15 feet wide to comfortably add spectator chairs!
Width doesn't directly mess with accuracy, but the reality is, tight spaces force you to adjust your stance or swing path, which throws off the data. Trackman needs 15 feet to let you set up naturally without compensating. If you're cramped in a 9-foot room, you might unconsciously alter your swing to avoid walls, and that feeds false info to the launch monitor, making readings less reliable.
No, 9 feet won't work for teaching two players at once, you're asking for trouble. Here's why: simultaneous swings need at least 20 feet combined (10 feet per person), and 9 feet forces dangerous proximity. You'll risk club collisions during backswings and follow-throughs. Even offset tees can't fix this safety hazard. For side-by-side teaching, you'd need 14-15 feet minimum to accommodate both right- and left-handed students comfortably.
In 9-10 foot widths, you'll need a short-throw projector positioned 3-8 feet from your screen since there's no room for standard models that require 10-20 feet back. As your room widens to 14-15 feet, you've got flexibility, you can stick with short-throw or upgrade to standard-throw projectors positioned farther back. The extra width also lets you adjust mounting height and placement angles without worrying about shadows interfering with your swing.
So here's the bottom line: 9 feet can work if you're right-handed and careful about your setup, but it's cutting things close. You'll deal with smaller screen options and zero room for error. If you've got the space to go wider, even just another foot or two, you'll thank yourself later. Those extra inches make a huge difference in comfort and safety, trust me!
