Mats vs. Grass at Practice Range

[RubxQub]

The grass at the range I go to is actually awful, and more often than not you're hitting off hard dirt instead of grass. Hitting off that range grass really messed with my swing and I really don't hit off of it anymore unless they've just recently moved the line to some fresher area.

In general grass > mat, but the mat is a fine alternative if there's nothing else around you or if the grass is poorly managed (like at my range).

I've made great improvements to my swing by hitting almost solely off mats, so I know it's not impossible!

[enduro]

I'm probably in the minority here but I think there are some advatnages to hitting off of matts. the biggest thing is that you can set up your hitting station with alignment clubs and not have to move everything around after every few divots. I've been lucky enough to take lessons from some very well known instructors and they all insist that you cannot practice without a proper practice station unless you can afford to have someone you trust watching you. So I think the mats are good for that.

Generally I form my divots in a line going back. After a shot I place the next ball a bit behind the previous divot and after a shot, the 2 divots are connected and you just keep going back however much you want. And then you start a new line. So none of your alignment tools should have to move. Unless you use them for swing path things...

[Scott_K]

Grass is better than mats. I've hit off of mats my entire life. In the beginning it wasn't that bad. All I was trying to do is swing the club. After a while, I developed into a "picker" with my irons and it took me a long time to hit proper divots with my irons. I've hit off of grass a handful of times in my life and that is a definite luxury. I pay $10 for 140 balls. I usually have to wait for a bay to open up, but I still go to keep my swing in check.

Also, for those of you who have a practice green where you can actually practice your short game....you guys have it good. The practice green for me is pretty much my bedroom carpet. Otherwise I have to drive about 15-20 minutes and there's NO chipping allowed.

[Zeph]

I hit off grass on a range for the first time of my life last week. Went to a wonderful course where we were treated well and dined with the guy that runs the course. He set up spots on the range for us to pratice off in the morning. The range has got mats, but for various occasions they let people use the mats.

Still, I hit 99.999% of my range shots off mats. My local course even got mats on the tee. It's not as annoying there really since I tee the ball up and don't take much of a divot anyways. When playing on courses with grass tees and when playing anywhere else on a course, I take divots, with most of my clubs. Mats can lie and they can develop faults, but it's nothing you can't fix. I do hit a lot of shots fat, but they never come off as a solidly struck shot. A fat shot on a mat will still be playable and you get it out there. A fat shot on grass will travel shorter. Neither is close to the result and feel of a well struck shot. Hitting fat shots off mats and not knowing about it is simply because the person never have hit a crisp shot. Once you do and get the feeling, you'll know when you hit a bad shot.

[Golf_Gal]

Is there much of a difference or an advantage as to whether you are hitting off the grass or off the mats? Some driving ranges you're hitting off the mats and some they just rotate. But at a few golf courses around here, its mats only and they highly discourage the use of tees, I was approached and told that I CANNOT tee off the grass and must use the mats instead, sheesh!!

[James_Black]

with those mats I think there's a little hole to put a tee down.

I don't find much of a difference.
I'd prefer to use them in winter than on soft ground.

[Golf_Gal]

If you use a tee, they have to be those rubber tees as wooden tees won't stay put!

[millencolinman]

The main problem with hitting off of mats is that they can hide or deminish mistakes made when you hit the ball. On mats if you hit a ball a little fat the club tends to skip and still make good contact unlike when hitting off of grass where the club digs and you chunk a shot. So you may feel like you where hitting the ball great then get on the course and find out you're hitting everything fat.

[James_Black]

If you use a tee, they have to be those rubber tees as wooden tees won't stay put!

Do they have rubber tees next to it?

[mtsalmela80]

I think if you know what you are listening and feeling for, you can tell if you are hitting fat on a mat, even if the shot ends up ok.

[Golf_Gal]

Do they have rubber tees next to it?

They do, but they're normally not the right size you need it to be depending on what club you're using.

[James_Black]

They do, but they're normally not the right size you need it to be depending on what club you're using.

If they're too short put a broken tee on top.

That'll make it taller. The reason they have those mats is to save the tee-boxes from getting destroyed.

[Shorty]

I know that there are times that you have no choice - and this seems to be the case with you - but in my opinion practicing off mats is pretty close to a complete waste of time. There is no similarity at all between synthetic grass and grass. Fat shots will feel OK and you'll also find it hard to attack the ball correctly for fear of damaging your wrists or your clubs. Mats are a great way for people who are learning to get a bit of a feel, but there is nothing in golf more likely to disguise poor ball striking than artificial grass.

[Scott_K]

As far as varying tee heights, you can buy different height rubber tees and play around with them to find a comfortable height.

At my range, they have two sections of the mat. The regular section has the rubber mat directly under the green turf. The Tee section has different holes for the rubber tees and the turf has some give to it. The turf is like the novelty tees that look like a paintbrush and allows you to hit down a little bit as if you were taking an actual divot.

The downside of hitting regular section (with irons) is that it conditions you to not hit down and through the ball. When you do, you get the harsh feedback to your hands and you may become a "sweeper" to compensate. In my earlier years, I was a sweeper and barely took a divot. I had to find a way to change up my swing slightly on the course.

If all you have is mats, then it's better than nothing when you're just starting out. All you should be focusing on is just grooving a swing with consistency and making solid contact.

[DavidFehertysBike]

There really isnt much of a difference between mats and turf for me. Im still hitting the ball first, regardless of the surface. Plus i love tight lies so i actually perfer mats sometimes. If i cant find a proper tee height at a range where im hitting balls i just wont hit a driver. Its probably the club i practice the least, anyway.

[1UnderU]

Most amateur golfers, specifically ones with lower handicaps will tell you it's a waste of time to hit of mats. I used to believe this as well, truth is it doesn't make much of a difference. I know someone who was an All American golfer for a D1 program in NJ, where half of the year his golf team was hitting off mats. Said it never really made a difference, maybe on wedge shots/shortgame.

[Zeph]

I know that there are times that you have no choice - and this seems to be the case with you - but in my opinion practicing off mats is pretty close to a complete waste of time.

With all due respect, I call your opinion to be false.

[tm22721]

Like most golfers I am always trying to improve poor ball contact so grass is the only choice.