Ceiling Clearance

The vertical distance from the floor of the hitting area to the lowest point on the ceiling, accounting for beams, ducts, lights, and fixtures. Different from raw ceiling height, which often overstates usable space.

How much you need depends on your height and swing, not on the launch monitor. Shop Indoor Golf's ceiling table by golfer height asks a minimum of 9 feet for a golfer under 5'10" with a flat swing and 9.5 feet with an upright one (our planner holds an average swing to the 9.5-foot row), 10 feet from 5'10" to 6'2", and 10.5 feet above that. Our model of a typical driver swing, built from measured swing planes, puts a 6-foot golfer's peak at about 9'4", which matches Trackman's 9'4" minimum room height for the iO. Our room planner fails a ceiling under the stricter of the two, so a 6-footer with an average swing needs about 10 feet, and under 9 feet no golfer fits a full driver swing. Foresight's room-setup guide on its blog reaches the same place: "For most golfers, 10 feet of ceiling height is the practical minimum for a comfortable full driver swing."

Irons are not a way around a low ceiling: our swing model puts a typical 7-iron's peak about as high as a driver's. A hitting mat raises you, so its thickness comes off the clearance. The ceiling-height tool runs the planner's check for your height and swing.

Measure to the lowest obstruction, not to the drywall — a ceiling fan or HVAC vent at 8'4" defines your clearance, not the 9'2" plaster above it.