Guides · Room requirements by launch monitor
How Much Room Does a Garmin Approach R50 Need for a Home Simulator?
Published
The Approach R50 is easier to fit into a short room than a rear-mounted radar unit because it sits 1 to 2 feet from the ball, on the far side from the golfer. Garmin does not set a fixed ball-to-net distance for the R50, but it recommends about 8 feet or more for most users, along with 9 feet or more of ceiling height and 10 feet or more of room width. For a dual-handed setup, Garmin recommends 13 feet or more.
The R50 Saves Depth Because It Sits Beside the Ball
Garmin's setup page says to place the R50 "on the ground 1-2 feet in front of the ball so that the ball is between you and the Approach R50 and you can see the screen." There is no 6-to-8-foot lane behind the golfer for the device itself.
That can be a major advantage in a basement or garage where room length is the dimension you cannot change.
Eight Feet to the Net Is a Recommendation, Not a Hard Requirement
Garmin's current support guidance says there is no set distance requirement from the ball to a net or impact screen for the R50. It suggests placing the ball "a comfortable distance away from the screen" and recommends around 8 feet or more.
You still have to leave whatever clearance the net or impact-screen manufacturer requires behind the hitting surface. That space counts toward the room even though the launch monitor does not need it.
Width Depends on Who Will Hit
Garmin recommends 10 feet or more of width for most R50 setups. If right- and left-handed golfers will share the simulator, the recommendation rises to 13 feet or more.
A one-player offset hitting position can work in a narrower room, but shared handedness changes where the golfer and the device need to live. Draw both setups before you build around one.
Nine Feet of Ceiling Is a Starting Point
Garmin recommends 9 feet or more for most users, but your own driver swing is the real limit. A tall player, an upright swing, or a raised platform may need more.
Test from the finished mat height, not the bare floor.
Keep the R50 on Roughly the Same Plane as the Ball
Garmin says the floor does not need to be perfectly level, but "the ball will need to be on a similar plane as the Approach R50." On a tall hitting mat, that can mean raising the unit.
Leave enough clear space beside the hitting area that the unit is not in a walking path or somewhere a club can strike it.
Where the R50 Makes the Most Sense
The R50 does not make a tiny room magically safe, but it gives you back the several feet behind the ball that a rear-mounted radar system would use.
On paper, Garmin's R10 needs a room at least 15 feet long. The R50 guidance gives no room-length figure at all, only 8 feet or more from the ball to the net.