so ive been putting together a small track in my backyard, nothing fancy, just some PVC gates and a couple pool noodle poles but im trying to figure out what a reasonable gate spacing looks like for a 5 inch quad. the whole area is maybe 30x40 meters which i know isnt a lot but i want to actually practice lines not just fly in a big loop.

right now i have 7 gates and its feeling kinda cramped between gate 4 and 5 where i have like maybe 8 meters and a 90 degree turn coming immediately after. my laptimes are all over the place because i keep botching that section. not sure if i should just remove a gate and open it up or if flying tight tracks is actually better for building precision. anyone run a track this small on a regular basis?

tight tracks are honestly underrated for skill building, like yes its frustrating but if you can fly clean lines in a cramped backyard you'll feel way more comfortable at a proper league track. that said 8 meters into a hard 90 is rough, especially if youre running anything over like 45 degree motor tilt. maybe try making that turn a sweeper instead of a square gate, gives you more approach options. i run a similar size track and went with 6 gates total and it flows way better. also pool noodle poles are great until a windy day, learned that one the hard way

i dont have a backyard track but i race at a local club and the guys who consistently run tight practice setups at home are noticeably smoother on the throttle. one thing i noticed though, if your laptimes are all over the place it might be worth checking if your video feed is lagging before blaming the track layout, had the same issue and it turned out my VTX was overheating and causing like half second dropouts right around where i kept crashing