Quick Answer: Whether a golf simulator tracks putting depends entirely on the launch monitor, not the software. Camera-based units like the Foresight GCQuad, Uneekor Eye series, and SkyTrak ST MAX can read a putt’s slow ball speed and short roll reliably; budget radar units often can’t — Garmin has officially confirmed the Approach R10’s putting features “are not compatible” with E6 Connect. That’s why GSPro and E6 Connect both build in gimme settings (GSPro’s gimme circle runs 2–20 feet) and auto-putt options that skip tracking altogether. If putting practice actually matters to you, a dedicated device like the Exputt RG (about $469, check current price on Amazon) is the more honest fix than expecting your main launch monitor to do it well.
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Most people assume “golf simulator” means every part of the game gets tracked the same way — full swing and putting alike. It doesn’t. Putting is a much harder read for a launch monitor than a 100-mph driver swing, and plenty of golfers only discover their unit can’t handle it after they’ve already bought it. This guide covers which launch monitors actually track putts, how GSPro and E6 Connect handle the ones that can’t, and when to stop fighting your setup and add a dedicated putting device instead.
Golf simulator putting by the numbers
- GSPro’s gimme circle is adjustable from 2 to 20 feet, with 6 feet used as the baseline setting on the Simulator Golf Tour, per friendlygolfer.com’s GSPro putting guide.
- GSPro’s “Putting Assist” setting caps how much a launch monitor can distort a putt’s roll path, limiting that skew to a maximum of 2 degrees.
- Garmin’s own support team confirmed on its official forum that Approach R10 putting features “are not compatible” with E6 Connect — the R10 cannot track putts on that platform.
- Putting accounts for roughly 40% of strokes in an average round of golf, per the same stat cited in our best putting simulator comparison, which is why the tracking gap matters more than it might seem.
Published September 2026.
Which launch monitors can actually track putts
Putting is a fundamentally different read than a full swing: much slower ball speed, a shorter distance, and — critically — the putting surface has to sit flush with the hitting area or the sensor loses the ball the moment it leaves the mat. Per carlofet.com’s breakdown of simulator putting setups, camera-based (photometric) systems like the Foresight GC3/GCQuad, the Uneekor Eye series, and the SkyTrak ST MAX capture the ball close to impact and generally handle putts well, as long as the putting surface is properly flush with the impact zone.
Radar-based units are a tougher case. The clearest example is the Garmin Approach R10 — the budget pick we recommend throughout this site. A Garmin representative confirmed directly on the company’s own support forum that the R10’s “putting features offered on the compatible 3rd party platforms” are not compatible with E6 Connect. GSPro has a community-built putting workaround for some launch monitors, but it does not extend to the R10 either. If you own an R10 and were hoping to practice full rounds including putts, that gap is worth knowing about before you build your bay around it.
How GSPro and E6 Connect handle putting when the launch monitor can’t
Both major simulator platforms design around the fact that plenty of launch monitors can’t track putts reliably (or at all):
- Gimme distance. GSPro lets you set a gimme circle anywhere from 2 to 20 feet — any putt that finishes inside it counts as made automatically. A smaller gimme feels more realistic for serious practice; a larger one keeps casual rounds moving. The Simulator Golf Tour uses 6 feet as its standard.
- Auto-putt. Both platforms offer an auto-putt option that skips tracked putting entirely and assigns a result based on where the ball lands on the green — the practical default for anyone using an R10 or another non-putting-capable unit.
- Putting Assist. For launch monitors that can read putts but distort the roll path, GSPro’s Putting Assist setting caps that skew at a maximum of 2 degrees, so the ball doesn’t visibly curve off in the wrong direction on a straight putt.
- Stimp and difficulty settings. GSPro’s green speed (Stimp) is adjustable, and a separate putting-difficulty setting (Normal, Easy, Hard) controls how precisely your pace has to match the read for a putt to drop.
When to add a dedicated putting device instead
If your launch monitor can’t track putts — or you want more realistic practice than a gimme circle offers — the more reliable fix is a device built specifically for putting rather than a full-swing sensor doing double duty. The Exputt RG EX500D uses its own high-speed camera over a dedicated mat to read putter path, face angle, and ball roll for about $469, no separate launch monitor required. PuttView goes further with augmented-reality break lines projected onto real turf, starting at $11,980. Our full best putting simulator comparison breaks down which one actually fits a home setup versus a commercial studio.
The bottom line
Whether your golf simulator tracks putting comes down to the launch monitor, not the software — camera-based units like the GC3, Uneekor Eye series, and SkyTrak ST MAX generally handle it, while the budget-friendly Garmin Approach R10 officially does not on E6 Connect. GSPro and E6 Connect both build around that gap with gimme distances (2–20 feet in GSPro) and auto-putt options, so a non-tracking launch monitor doesn’t stop you from finishing a round. If real putting practice matters more than finishing 18 holes quickly, a dedicated device like the Exputt will serve you better than asking your best golf launch monitor pick to do a job it wasn’t built for.