# Golf Simulator Projector Throw & Screen Size Calculator

> Free golf simulator projector calculator: pick your screen aspect (4:3, 16:9, 16:10), width and throw ratio to get projector distance, image size and…

- Source: https://homegolfsimulatorguide.com/tools/projector-throw-calculator/
- Markdown version: https://homegolfsimulatorguide.com/tools/projector-throw-calculator.md

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# Projector throw & screen calculator
The projector has to fill your impact screen from a spot where it won't get hit, won't cast your shadow and won't block the swing. Enter your screen and a throw ratio and we'll work out the distance, the image size and where that puts the projector relative to you.

Screen aspect ratio4:3 (most sim screens)16:1016:9 (widescreen)
Screen width (ft)
ProjectorEnter a throw ratioOptoma GT1080HDR (0.5)BenQ TH671ST (0.69–0.83)Optoma GT2300HDR (0.49)Optoma GT2400HDR (0.496)BenQ AH500ST (0.499)BenQ AH700ST (0.69–0.83)
Throw ratio
Ball to screen (ft)

## How the math works
BenQ defines throw ratio as throw distance ÷ image width, so distance = image width × throw ratio. A 0.5 projector puts a 10 ft wide image 5 ft from the lens. The catch for golf is aspect ratio. Every projector we track is natively 16:9, while Rain or Shine Golf notes that most simulator screens are 4:3. To fill a taller 4:3 screen, the projector must make an image as tall as the screen, so the full 16:9 picture it's projecting is wider than the screen and the sides are switched off with the projector's screen-type or auto-fit setting. That's why the calculator works from the height for 4:3 and 16:10 screens: the distance is throw ratio × (screen height × 16 ÷ 9).
Zoom lenses give a range. The BenQ TH671ST and AH700ST (0.69–0.83) can sit anywhere in that window, which makes mounting easier; fixed short-throw lenses (about 0.5) need one exact spot.

| Projector | Throw ratio | Brightness | Distance for a 10 ft wide image | Typical price | Buy |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Optoma GT1080HDR short-throw 1080p projector, 3,800 lumens**The long-running budget sim projector: 695 ratings, low input lag and a 100-inch image from just over 3 ft. | 0.5 | 3,800 lm | 5.0 ft | ~$799 | [Check price](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07W62S2SJ?tag=homegolfsimulatorguide.com-20) |
| BenQ TH671ST short-throw 1080p projector, 3,000 lumens**A zoom-lens short thrower (0.69–0.83) that gives more freedom in where you mount it; 4.7 stars from 682 ratings. | 0.69–0.83 | 3,000 lm | 6.9 ft–8.3 ft | ~$849 | [Check price](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B076MHKTFH?tag=homegolfsimulatorguide.com-20) |
| Optoma GT2300HDR short-throw laser projector, 3,600 lumens**A laser light source (no lamp swaps) with a 0.49 throw ratio, sold by Amazon. This is the projector named in SkyTrak's Studio listing. | 0.49 | 3,600 lm | 4.9 ft | ~$1,099 | [Check price](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0HH136597?tag=homegolfsimulatorguide.com-20) |
| Optoma GT2400HDR short-throw laser projector, 4,200 lumens**The brighter step up for garages and rooms with some daylight; 0.496 throw, laser, sold by Amazon. | 0.496 | 4,200 lm | 5.0 ft | ~$1,299 | [Check price](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GSHRN6TV?tag=homegolfsimulatorguide.com-20) |
| BenQ AH500ST golf simulation short-throw laser projector**BenQ's golf-specific laser model with a 0.499 throw ratio, Golf Mode and 2D keystone of ±30° for off-center mounting. | 0.499 | 4,000 lm | 5.0 ft | ~$1,999 | [Check price](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GZVLG9XZ?tag=homegolfsimulatorguide.com-20) |
| BenQ AH700ST golf simulator laser projector with ceiling mount, 4,000 lumens**Auto Screen Fit sizes the image to 16:9, 16:10, 4:3 or 1:1 screens, with autofocus and a 0.69–0.83 zoom for mounting above and behind you. | 0.69–0.83 | 4,000 lm | 6.9 ft–8.3 ft | ~$2,299 | [Check price](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0HNXXKJ7X?tag=homegolfsimulatorguide.com-20) |

## A worked example
A 10 ft wide 4:3 screen is 7.5 ft tall. To make a 16:9 image 7.5 ft tall, the full projected width is 13.3 ft, so a 0.5 throw projector such as the Optoma GT2300HDR (0.49) sits about 6.5 ft from the screen ([open this example](https://homegolfsimulatorguide.com/tools/projector-throw-calculator/#aspect=4x3&screen=10&throw=0.49&ball=10)). With the ball 10 ft from the screen, that's about 3.5 ft in front of the ball: ceiling-mount it high enough to stay out of the ball's path. The same screen with a BenQ AH700ST at 0.69–0.83 puts the lens 9.2–11.1 ft back, roughly above the tee, where a low mount could catch your shadow or your backswing. Rain or Shine Golf puts a typical projector about 6–8 ft from the screen.
Next: check the whole room in the [room size checker](https://homegolfsimulatorguide.com/tools/room-size-checker/), compare screens in the[impact screen and enclosure guide](https://homegolfsimulatorguide.com/posts/best-golf-impact-screen-and-enclosure/), or read[the best golf simulator projectors](https://homegolfsimulatorguide.com/posts/best-golf-simulator-projector/).

## Frequently asked questions

### What is a projector's throw ratio?
Throw ratio is throw distance divided by image width (BenQ's definition). A 0.5 ratio puts a 10 ft wide image 5 ft from the lens; a 1.13 ratio needs about 8.2 ft for a 100-inch 16:9 image. Golf simulators almost always use short-throw projectors (roughly 0.4–0.8) so the projector can sit above or in front of the golfer instead of behind them.

### Should my golf simulator screen be 4:3 or 16:9?
Rain or Shine Golf notes that most golf simulator screens are 4:3, because a taller image shows more sky and ball flight. Nearly every golf projector is natively 16:9, so on a 4:3 screen you use the projector's screen-type or auto-fit setting (Optoma and BenQ both offer 4:3) and leave part of the panel unused. Because the image has to be tall enough, the projector sits farther back than the screen's width alone suggests.

### How many lumens does a golf simulator projector need?
Rain or Shine Golf's guidance: about 2,500–3,000 lumens for a dark basement, 3,000–3,600 for a garage and 3,600–4,000 or more for a room with daylight. The projectors we track run from 3,000 to 4,200 lumens.

### Where should a golf simulator projector be mounted?
Usually on the ceiling, either in front of the golfer (short-throw, between the tee and the screen) or above and slightly behind them. In front avoids your shadow on the screen but must be high and out of the ball's path; behind avoids ball strikes but can cast a shadow if mounted low. Keystone and offset settings help when it can't be centered.