Why are my distances shorter indoors?
We occasionally hear from customers who feel their distances are coming up short when using their launch monitor indoors. This is a valid concern — but in almost all cases, the issue isn’t with the device itself. Here’s what’s really going on:
1. You’re Not Swinging the Same Indoors
Most golfers unknowingly change their swing in an indoor setup, especially in tighter spaces like single garages with low ceilings. You may subconsciously hold back — shorter backswings, less follow-through, or altered swing paths — all of which can reduce distance. Hitting off a mat into a net in a confined space simply isn’t the same as outside. Ball contact also can be drastically different to real turf with far less forgiveness when striking mat first
For irons, you will never match your outside distances unless you hit ball first. For woods and driver, the longer club lengths make it harder to swing freely like you would outside
2. Setup and environment matter - a lot!
Launch monitors rely on accurate visual tracking, and the environment must be properly set up. Common issues include:
- The hitting mat moving or being out of alignment
- Uneven or unlevel surfaces
- Reflective objects in the background or white tees/marks on the mat
- Too much ambient light causing reflections
- The device not being properly calibrated or levelled
These issues can all contribute to inconsistent or reduced readings.
The Bottom Line
We rigorously test all our units across different setups and devices — and the accuracy is excellent. If you’re seeing short distances, it’s almost always environmental or swing-related — not the hardware
We’re here to help troubleshoot your specific setup, but it’s important to recognise the limitations of indoor spaces and how they affect real-world data. Indoor Swing Syndrome is a very real thing, and we recommend accepting that you may need time to adjust and swing the same as you do outside
