Golf simulator projector throw calculator
The projector has to sit just the right distance from your impact screen. Too close and the picture won't fill it. Too far back and it spills over the edges, or the projector ends up where a ball can hit it. Put in your projector's throw ratio and your screen size, and this works out the distance.
Check the maker's figures. Throw ratios aren't measured the same way by every brand, and a zoom lens has a range, so try both ends of it. Mount the projector where a ball can't reach it. If you need a new power point or circuit in the ceiling, that's a job for a licensed electrician.
How the sum works
A projector's throw ratio is the distance from the lens to the screen divided by the width of the picture it makes. A ratio of 0.5 means the projector makes a picture 1 foot wide for every half a foot of distance.
- Distance = throw ratio × picture width.
- Picture height = picture width ÷ the shape (for 4:3, width ÷ 1.333).
That’s why short-throw projectors, with ratios well under 1, suit small rooms. They can sit close to the screen, often on the ceiling just in front of where you stand, instead of behind you.
Sources
- 4Wall: lenses, throw ratios and projection surfaces (what a throw ratio is, and why brands measure it differently). Checked 25 October 2026.