Impact screens and nets: why some are louder than others

A screen or net can change how loud each shot is, but the makers' claims rarely come with a measured figure. What you can compare is how a screen is built, how it's hung and how much room it needs behind it.

What the fabric is made of

Makers point at layers. One says its layered construction "helps reduce impact noise, lowers the risk of bounce back"¹. Another describes a fabric with three layers and an internal space that "suppresses and dampens the noise generated when golf ball impacts screen"². The same maker says its warp knitted fabric absorbs impact, "reducing ball bounce back"².

So the buyer's questions are plain. How many layers? What sits between them? Does the maker publish a noise result, or only a description? You can't tell much from a sales line alone.

A backing layer

Some makers sell a foam sheet that hangs behind the screen. One describes it as designed "to sit behind your impact screen" and says it "reduces sound and softens each shot"³. The maker says that backing is "not for projection", so it goes behind the screen, not in front³.

Tension and bounce back

One maker warns that if a screen "is pulled too taut, it can act like a springboard"¹. Another maker's guide says to make sure the screen "isn't tensioned too tightly"⁴.

Follow the maker's instructions for your own screen and frame. Don't guess at tension, and don't hang a screen from a ceiling or wall structure without the maker's method. Anything structural is a job for a qualified tradesperson.

The gap behind it

A screen needs room to move. The gap is a place where makers give numbers, and they differ with how the screen is fixed.

One of those makers says that "adequate spacing helps absorb shock effectively, reducing noise and stress on the material"⁵. Another suggests a gap of approx. 30cm behind the screen "to allow for some give"⁴. These are guides from two companies. Your own screen's manual wins.

Inch figures in the table are plain conversions, not from the sources.

What to ask before you pay

• How is the fabric built, and is there a published noise result?
• What tension does the manual call for?
• Is the gap behind it listed in centimetres and inches?
• Does the screen come with a frame, or do you build one?
• Will a backing layer fit, and will it affect the picture?

Swing space is part of this. The screen maker's guide sets the room you need. Test a real club swing in your space before building anything, and keep people out of the hitting area. Never hit into a bare wall or window, and cover hard surfaces near the hitting area as the guide says.

For sound that escapes through the floor instead, read about mats and the thud. To see whether a change helped, measure the noise before and after.