Golf simulator glossary

The terms that come up when you're buying a golf simulator, in plain English — stripped of the marketing spin so you can read a spec sheet and know what's actually being promised.

By Marcus TaylorUPDATED JUN 16, 2026

Launch monitor

The device that watches your shot and turns it into numbers — ball speed, launch angle, spin and the rest. It's the brain of any simulator: the screen and software are only as good as the data the launch monitor feeds them.

Radar (Doppler)

A launch monitor that tracks the ball in flight using Doppler radar, the way TrackMan and FlightScope do. Radar reads a long stretch of ball flight, so it's excellent outdoors and at the range — but it needs depth behind the ball to work well indoors.

Photometric (camera)

A launch monitor that uses high-speed cameras to photograph the ball (and often the club) at impact, like SkyTrak or Uneekor. Camera units need very little room depth, which makes them the natural choice for an indoor bay, but most want a tablet or PC running the software.

Ball data vs club data

Ball data describes what the ball does — speed, launch, spin, carry. Club data describes what the club did to it — clubhead speed, path, face angle, angle of attack. Many affordable units measure ball data accurately and estimate club data; measured club data usually costs more.

Spin axis

The tilt of the ball's spin, which decides how much it curves. A level spin axis flies straight; tilt it and you get draw or fade, or a slice or hook at the extremes. It's the single number that explains the shape of your shot.

Smash factor

Ball speed divided by clubhead speed — a measure of how efficiently you transferred energy at impact. With a driver, around 1.50 is close to the ceiling; a low smash factor usually means an off-centre strike.

Carry vs total

Carry is how far the ball flies through the air; total adds the roll after it lands. Sims calculate carry directly from the launch data and model the roll, which is why two units can agree on carry but differ on total depending on their roll assumptions.

AoA (Angle of Attack)

The up-or-down angle the clubhead is travelling at impact. Hitting up on the driver (a positive angle of attack) adds distance; hitting down is what you want with irons. It's a club-data figure, so not every launch monitor measures it.

Impact screen

The tensioned screen you hit into, which doubles as the projection surface for the sim image. A good impact screen absorbs ball speed quietly, resists bounce-back and shows a crisp picture — it's the difference between a polished bay and a noisy one.

Enclosure

The frame, netting and side baffles that surround the hitting area and catch errant shots. An enclosure contains the ball, protects the room and holds the impact screen — turning a screen and a mat into an actual bay you can swing in safely.

Room depth

How far it is from the screen to the back of the room, the dimension that most often makes or breaks a build. Radar units want plenty of depth to read the ball; camera units need very little. Get this wrong and even a great launch monitor can't read your shots.

Ceiling height

The clear height you have to make a full swing without clipping the ceiling. Most adults need around 9 feet, taller players more; it's the constraint that rules a garage or basement in or out before anything else.

MOI (Moment of Inertia)

A measure of how much a clubhead resists twisting on off-centre hits — higher MOI means more forgiveness. It's a club-design term rather than a sim metric, but it comes up because forgiving clubs make your launch data more consistent.

Tied vs untied (subscription)

Whether a launch monitor needs an ongoing subscription to unlock its full features and software. Some units are a one-off purchase; others gate club data or sim modes behind an annual fee, which changes the real cost of ownership.

Sim software

The application that turns launch-monitor data into a playable round — rendering courses, ranges and practice modes. GSPro and E6 Connect are the popular choices; which software a launch monitor supports is as important as the hardware itself.

Practice mat / hitting mat

The surface you hit off, designed to mimic turf and absorb the strike without jarring your wrists or marking the floor. A good mat takes thousands of shots, sits flush with a putting surface, and won't skew your strike the way a cheap one can.