Home golf room setup

[Shindig]

I have struggled with home practice in the past.  In the three places I've lived since taking up golf, I haven't been able to swing indoors for a full swing.  Furthermore, my mirrors weren't in places that were useful for checking swing positions.  In my last apartment, the only mirror was in the bathroom, and the sliding glass door to the patio wasn't as reflective as I would have liked.  But it was a great apartment for non-golf reasons.

Anyway, I have a new place now that I plan to live in for a while.  One of the rooms in my new place is going to become the golf room.  As I unpack, I have already taken to placing golf things in there.  And I'm going to practice in there (but I'm not going to make a full swing directly on the new carpet, or even anything remotely full!)

This post isn't (just) to brag.  I'd like some feedback on what I can do with the room, both initially and long-term.

Right now, I can take my address at the yellow ball (see pictures below) with my back to the larger wall and check backswing positions comfortably.  The ceiling is high enough I can comfortably take a full backswing and forward swing with my 6-iron.  I think the height is 9' or so.  Standing on my tip toes, I was able to touch the ceiling light with a clubhead with an outstretched arm (I used a 1-iron for that measurement).

The wall with the window is about 9.5' and the depth of the room is about 12' mirror to wall.

I think I will want to put a mirror on the wall that I'd be facing when I take a swing so I can check positions from that view also.  

I will want something to swing on -- that's nice new carpet.  Debating a full range-sized mat or something smaller. Other options welcome too.  Would those damage the carpet underneath?

The eventual setup won't be as nice as a hypothetical Golf Evolution: Los Angeles would be (Golf Evolution's putting green is larger than my combined square footage I think).  I can always wander off to the range to see ball flight and hit 'real' balls, but I think a good setup here would also help with daily practice for my evolvr lessons, even in seasons when I am not getting to the actual range (whether due to schedule or whatever) or when the lesson has position work in it.  I can see a simulator in the future.

As far as at-home drills other than checking positions, there's a medicine ball that I can use for the LSW "driving, at home" practice drill.  In fact, I think I can do all the at-home long game practice from LSW Chapter 12.  By contrast, the only short game at-home practice I can do from LSW at the moment is the drill for long bunker shots.

It would be nice to be able to practice the full pitch shot motion (or at least A3 and through).

Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

Pictures attached for reference.  The first is the mirror I can check backswing positions in, with a ball for reference.  The ball didn't move between taking pictures.  If I'm addressing the ball in picture 1 with the mirror behind me, if I were to swing, the ball would go towards the left part of the window in picture 2.  Picture 3 shows the wall I could look up and at from address. 

[iacas]

Great topic. Can you provide a sketch of the room in a drawing app? Like a quasi-blueprint style thing?

Is this in the budget?

http://iswingbox.com

$495 isn't too bad.

[Vinsk]

Swingbox looks pretty nice! Unfortunately I'd have to customize the side net to handle my shanks. I'd fly it right over the one they show.

[upndown21]

21 minutes ago, iacas said:

Great topic. Can you provide a sketch of the room in a drawing app? Like a quasi-blueprint style thing?

Is this in the budget?

http://iswingbox.com

$495 isn't too bad.

That thing is sweet but "thenetreturn" is same price or maybe a little more and provides feedback.

[Buckeyebowman]

I'll say this. Back in the day we had a golf buddy who lived in a house where the basement was tall enough for him to take full swings with any club he chose. He set up a practice station with a mat, of some sort, and an Army surplus parachute for a net. He didn't have mirrors, or any fancy gizmos.

The next Spring, when he emerged from his basement it was like a butterfly emerging from it's Chrysalis! He hit everything dead solid! No glancing blows, no fatties, no topsies!

There's something to be said for being able to swing the clubs year 'round!

[iacas]

2 minutes ago, upndown21 said:

That thing is sweet but "thenetreturn" is same price or maybe a little more and provides feedback.

Cool, but he's using it indoors. In the room in the first post. Let's focus on that…

A net will still need to be away from the wall, and nets can get holes in them pretty readily.

[Shindig]

25 minutes ago, iacas said:

Great topic. Can you provide a sketch of the room in a drawing app? Like a quasi-blueprint style thing?

Is this in the budget?

http://iswingbox.com

$495 isn't too bad.

Yes to both!  I have to find a drawing app that can let me make a blueprint style thing.  Or I could try to diagram it in Paint.

As for the budget, I have no objection to spending $495 if you think it's a good thing for my objective.  For that matter, I spend a lot more than that on painting the new place and also on carpet. 

1 minute ago, Buckeyebowman said:

I'll say this. Back in the day we had a golf buddy who lived in a house where the basement was tall enough for him to take full swings with any club he chose. He set up a practice station with a mat, of some sort, and an Army surplus parachute for a net. He didn't have mirrors, or any fancy gizmos.

The next Spring, when he emerged from his basement it was like a butterfly emerging from it's Chrysalis! He hit everything dead solid! No glancing blows, no fatties, no topsies!

There's something to be said for being able to swing the clubs year 'round!

Read more  

Well, I sort of could hit balls near year round anyway... while I do get cold in the So Cal winters, by no means do they make it impossible to step outdoors and play golf or hit an outdoor range.  However, ever since graduating from school, I haven't made use of year-round golf availability, and having something in my home would have the effect that I could.  I hope.  At least that's what I'm betting on

[upndown21]

3 minutes ago, iacas said:

Cool, but he's using it indoors. In the room in the first post. Let's focus on that…

The small one is 5×3.5. Most of their products are meant to be used inside. 

On another note, I would dedicate a portion of the room to putting. Can build a small putting platform and alater the slope with wooden wedges.

[Shindig]

I found an app and will be making a diagram shortly. 

[iacas]

54 minutes ago, upndown21 said:

The small one is 5×3.5. Most of their products are meant to be used inside. 

On another note, I would dedicate a portion of the room to putting. Can build a small putting platform and alater the slope with wooden wedges.

Putting isn't important enough to practice too often, and you're only gonna get a 12 footer max. You can practice putting with a metal yardstick or longer putts for distance control across a decent carpet in the hallway.

[Shindig]

Here's my attempt at diagramming the room.  The 4'8 wall at the bottom is actually a closet door where the mirror is.

[Hacker James]

You are fortunate to have a room dedicated to practice.  I would never even attempt to, as it would simply feel so restrictive. Heck, even out of doors into a practice net from 10 feet away with plenty of room for full driver swing, I feel as if there is a wall in front of me. Its just in my head I know.  Out on the course, I have found that I can focus on a distant mountain peak and am able to more or less have fairly accurate  drives, swing faults, not withstanding. Still, for sheer mechanics, swinging into a net either indoors or out of doors is beneficial. Feed back from the net is pretty much limited to audio and direction of ball return, although I can hit a 6 inch diameter target with consistency. Obviously,  there is no way to determine the degree of curvature.  In any event, good luck with your endeavour and I have no doubt you will get it to where you want it soon.  You are very dedicated.

[Shindig]

45 minutes ago, Hacker James said:

You are fortunate to have a room dedicated to practice.  I would never even attempt to, as it would simply feel so restrictive. Heck, even out of doors into a practice net from 10 feet away with plenty of room for full driver swing, I feel as if there is a wall in front of me. Its just in my head I know.  Out on the course, I have found that I can focus on a distant mountain peak and am able to more or less have fairly accurate  drives, swing faults, not withstanding. Still, for sheer mechanics, swinging into a net either indoors or out of doors is beneficial. Feed back from the net is pretty much limited to audio and direction of ball return, although I can hit a 6 inch diameter target with consistency. Obviously,  there is no way to determine the degree of curvature.  In any event, good luck with your endeavour and I have no doubt you will get it to where you want it soon.  You are very dedicated.

Thank you for the kind words.  I'm optimistic about this.

[Hacker James]

Just now, Shindig said:

Thank you for the kind words.  I'm optimistic about this.

 btw, what is the name of the app you found?  does it give you the capability of exact scaling?

[Shindig]

51 minutes ago, Hacker James said:

 btw, what is the name of the app you found?  does it give you the capability of exact scaling?

I used SmartDraw online.  It has a one-week free trial and was good for the general shape.  I probably won't map the rest of my house with it (combination of how much time I have and a little frustration with rescaling -- I'd adjust the size or shape of a wall in progress and it'd rescale another.  It was like whack-a-mole, although I'm sure there was some good reason for the adjustments. 

[iacas]

Where's the door to get into the room? Any windows? etc.?

[Shindig]

38 minutes ago, iacas said:

Where's the door to get into the room? Any windows? etc.?

Er... good point.  I'll amend the design.  For now, there's a window in the wall at the top and the bottom-right 3'4" "wall" is actually a door.

I'll go measure specifics for the window.

Update:  the window starts 3' off the ground.  There are 18" on either side of it.  I'll look into updating the diagram. 

[Shindig]

Here's an updated diagram.  In this case, I couldn't get the door to render.  If you're standing at the bottom-right looking in, it opens from your right to left on an arc.