Hitting Off Mats

[mochila]

The range I have been going to recently has both mats and grass, but the grass has been closed for a few months while it was reseeded. Yesterday I hit off the mats and did really well but today I hit off of the grass and it was terrible. I struggled with fat shots, and maybe this is because the mat is squishy and more forgiving? Has anyone else had a similar experience?

[FlopShotArtist]

When I was about 12, I couldn't hit my irons . . at all. We then had mats for about 2 months, and that's how I learned to hit them.

At my range the grass is so bad - we have mat day once / week, I opt to go to the range on mat day...the grass is terrible.

[Grogger31]

Yeah, I avoid mats like the plague. I feel like I can do no wrong on them and once I get on the course I take divots like 3 inches deep. Ugly.

[Smallville]

I will not hit ever off the mats; if that's the only choice, I go work on putting and chipping. There's just something about knowing you're smacking your clubs right above concrete that bothers me. I know it's "probably ok" but I will not do it since I had an iron head come loose after using them - - -whether it was from the mat or not, I don't care. The ranges I go to don't have mats in the grassy areas, they all sit on concrete pads.

[Bucsfan]

I always avoid hitting off of mats. It would always give me a false sense of making good contact everytime. If you hit behind the ball in the grass, you chunk it. If you hit behind the ball on the mat, the club just bounces off the matt and appears to be a good strike.

[nico002]

practice your driving and woods/hybrids off mats.

I avoid hitting irons off them.

[NorCalGolfer]

if not for the technical aspect I also don't do it for the aesthetic aspect. i hate the green shit it leaves on the bottom of the club. lol

[ks8829]

I hit off mats but you can hit a bad shot and it will be more forgiving because of the hard surface of the mats and the club just slides to the ball, instead of digging into the grass. If you hit off mats you will know when you hit a solid shot by the sound and feel.

[DJYoshi]

I hit off mats but you can hit a bad shot and it will be more forgiving because of the hard surface of the mats and the club just slides to the ball, instead of digging into the grass. If you hit off mats you will know when you hit a solid shot by the sound and feel.

exactly! everyone becomes a "sweeper" on mats. I'm a digger myself, and I feel the contact on mats and I know i would've dug into the ground and hit a fat shot. hitting off a mat's like hitting off of dry dirt w/ a little grass peeking thru. it sucks! i'd rather hit off of a towel on the floor

[N.V.M.]

at our driving range, the new mats coming in are much longer and almost resemble grass now, unlike the crappy "Astro turf" old ones.

[ajereza]

I don't mind hitting off mats, just as long as they aren't too hard... I live in the city of Chicago and grass is hard to find at the range!

[iQuest Golfer]

During the winter in Scotland on some courses you carry around a little mat to hit off of on the course. It protects the course. A pain to get used to but a way to keep golfing during the winter months.

Give my choice... grass on the range.

[PLAYHOUSE]

I always avoid hitting off of mats. It would always give me a false sense of making good contact everytime. If you hit behind the ball in the grass, you chunk it. If you hit behind the ball on the mat, the club just bounces off the matt and appears to be a good strike.

well said.

[TigerCurtis333]

If I can help it, I never do anymore. I found a range that uses real grass, and will be going there 100% if possible.

The mats give you false feedback, especially when hitting irons. It's almost difficult to NOT hit a great, towering iron shot off of a mat.

[duffer888]

If I'm not careful, I find the same thing happens to me.

What I've learned is that some mats hide fat shots more than others. At my range, I find the newer mats that try to mimic grass do this. I suspect it is because the "blades" of grass are a bit slick, thus allowing the club to slide along the mat and make decent contact with the ball even though you hit a bit fat. And it is very hard to detect.

Thus, I prefer the mats that are really short, like astroturf. Fat shots on these bounce off more instead of glide. YMMV, of course.

[Harold]

I will never hit off a mat again unless it's practicing tee shots. It's bad for your game, your equipment and your bones. Find a range that has grass. It's worth it.

[MacBlacklick]

The range I have been going to recently has both mats and grass, but the grass has been closed for a few months while it was reseeded. Yesterday I hit off the mats and did really well but today I hit off of the grass and it was terrible. I struggled with fat shots, and maybe this is because the mat is squishy and more forgiving? Has anyone else had a similar experience?

Absolutely, during golf season I won't hit off matts. In the winter there is no choice, but it screws up your grass swing in season.

[Bourbon and Coke]

I don't mind hitting tee shots of mats... but anything else I'll take grass.

Fortunately, all of the courses/ranges I'd ever play have grass.