What do you do if mats are your ONLY option for range use?

[jlund]

There are many threads on the use of mats, why they are worse than hitting off grass,etc.  However I want to know what you do in the event that ranges with mats are your only option... How do you make the best of the situation?

I am certain that I am not alone.  There are several courses local for me, however none of the practice facilities offer the ability to hit off grass.

It is easy to say "Just practice your short game & driver, etc."  But everyone needs to practice their iron game... So how do you go about making your practice worthwhile when the only option is hitting off of mats day in and day out?

[canadianpro]

Place a towel on the mat about 2 inches behind the ball with iron shots so you can be sure you are contacting the ball first. Mats allow the club to strike way behind the ball and yet it is still launched quite well. The towel will provide instant feedback

[allin]

I practice on both.  I rarely hit fat shots so it is not that big a deal to me when working on mechanics.  I would focus on mechanics and shot shape when using mats..  Since lie is always perfect it is easy to get lazy with your routine, lining up properly etc.  Using drills like the gate drill, placing a tee in the top of the rubber tee and still hitting a shot, things like that work well on mats.  To me the real advantage of grass is that you can vary your lie and the divot gives you extra feedback.  My home course has a lot of less than level areas so when on the grass I work on those shots, plus knockdowns.  You can practice those things on the course late in the evening if alone, sort of a streamlined version of a pros practice round before a tournament.

[Kieran123]

Just deal with it. Either hit off em or not TBH

I don't see an issue with mats, it is pretty obvious when you chunk a shot on a mat....you feel it, it sounds different and the ball doesn't go as far

[max power]

Kieran123 nailed it.  They're not as good as grass, but hitting of a mat is still very good practice.  There's a completely different feel between a shot struck ball first and a fat shot struck mat first.

Originally Posted by Kieran123

Just deal with it. Either hit off em or not TBH

I don't see an issue with mats, it is pretty obvious when you chunk a shot on a mat....you feel it, it sounds different and the ball doesn't go as far

[B-Con]

Just deal with it. Either hit off em or not TBH

I don't see an issue with mats, it is pretty obvious when you chunk a shot on a mat....you feel it, it sounds different and the ball doesn't go as far

It definitely forces you to pay attention to how your swing felt and what feedback you got. You can't just swing and then snap up and look for the ball flight. A fat shot on a forgiving mat may only lose 10% distance, so instead of hitting your 8i 130 yards you hit it just under 120 yards -- especially with range balls, I don't know how many people would assume they're hitting fat.

[walk18]

I think they're better than nothing, but if that's your only option year- round, I'd say you need to move. Divots tell a lot.

[jlund]

Originally Posted by walk18

I think they're better than nothing, but if that's your only option year- round, I'd say you need to move. Divots tell a lot.

Yeah, that will go over really well with the wife... lol

[Puttsalott]

do you have a back yard?  either use some chalk to mark a hitting line if hitting a real ball isn't an option and try to make your divot after the line.  If you have space, get one of those ball nets and hit into that, don't need much space.  You don't get to see a long pretty flight but you should be able to work your ball striking.

[jlund]

Originally Posted by Puttsalott

do you have a back yard?  either use some chalk to mark a hitting line if hitting a real ball isn't an option and try to make your divot after the line.  If you have space, get one of those ball nets and hit into that, don't need much space.  You don't get to see a long pretty flight but you should be able to work your ball striking.

That's actually not a bad idea.  I have a large yard.  I can probably manicure one section of my yard on the side to work as a mini grass range perfectly.  Thanks for the idea!

[GaijinGolfer]

I just hit off of them and deal with it.  Hitting off of mats isnt really that big of a deal.

I dont worry about scuffing up the sole of my clubs because to me, they are nothing more than tools.  They are going to show some wear from being used after a while and Im not going to worry about every little nick on my irons.

[Bo the Golfer]

Originally Posted by TitleistWI

I just hit off of them and deal with it.  Hitting off of mats isnt really that big of a deal.

I dont worry about scuffing up the sole of my clubs because to me, they are nothing more than tools.  They are going to show some wear from being used after a while and Im not going to worry about every little nick on my irons.

Agree with the above 100%. Living in New England hitting off mats are a part of life. I get to the grass when time/weather allow but I know when I have struck it well or poorly off the mats so it's really no issue.

[talismand]

Originally Posted by canadianpro

Place a towel on the mat about 2 inches behind the ball with iron shots so you can be sure you are contacting the ball first. Mats allow the club to strike way behind the ball and yet it is still launched quite well. The towel will provide instant feedback

I've always wondered about this. Why 2" behind the ball? Is it to compensate for the few millimeters of towel thickness that might cause the club to brush it even before the path bottoms out? Otherwise, if the goal is to get a divot that starts in front of the ball, why not butt the towel up against the back of the ball?

Note, I'm not flaming, I'm legitimately asking. When I hit foam balls inside the house, I do this as well, and when I put the towel too close to the ball I always hit it. I didn't know if it was just physically impossible for me to not hit fat, or if indeed the towel was just too close for true feedback.

[canadianpro]

The 2" (approximately) is to accomodate the thickness of the towel...the closer to the ball the better

[Zeph]

I don't have any grass ranges within 4-5 hours of driving, so I'm pretty much stuck with mats. I am sure they have contributed to my share of fat shots and flipping, sadly. It is now something I'm working on getting rid of, so I do try to avoid the worst mats. Some of them are not half bad and allow the club to travel through the mat after impact.

I've tried it all when it comes to hitting off mats. Putting a towel 2" behind the ball means I will hit the mat 1.8" behind the ball. I have to put the towel directly behind the ball for that drill to have any effect at all. Preferably the towel is thin and wet, so it won't move if I don't hit it. On a well struck shot you shouldn't even touch the ground underneath the ball, and definitely not the ground behind it. Give that a try next time, right behind the ball. It will feel weird and difficult, but if you hit the ball well, it is possible.

Impact bags or something behind the ball can provide the same poor results. You'll adapt and time the downswing so you can hit the ground first and avoid the bag.

Some mats got a taller area to represent rough, this part is often better to hit off than the fairway mats. The plastic straws are tightly placed and thick enough to support the ball, but will budge when the club comes bearing down on it.

If you don't push the ball down, it will rest on top of this stuff and it works pretty well. The height can be a small issue, depending on how tall that part is. An option is to build your stance up a bit with some remains of an old mat or something like that. Spikes does elevate you a bit to make the effect less significant.

[allin]

Originally Posted by B-Con

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kieran123

Just deal with it. Either hit off em or not TBH

I don't see an issue with mats, it is pretty obvious when you chunk a shot on a mat....you feel it, it sounds different and the ball doesn't go as far

It definitely forces you to pay attention to how your swing felt and what feedback you got. You can't just swing and then snap up and look for the ball flight. A fat shot on a forgiving mat may only lose 10% distance, so instead of hitting your 8i 130 yards you hit it just under 120 yards -- especially with range balls, I don't know how many people would assume they're hitting fat.

Originally Posted by Puttsalott

do you have a back yard?  either use some chalk to mark a hitting line if hitting a real ball isn't an option and try to make your divot after the line.  If you have space, get one of those ball nets and hit into that, don't need much space.  You don't get to see a long pretty flight but you should be able to work your ball striking.

I agree, when my father started playing, a depression era baby and very cheap he practiced in the back yard with limited flight balls.  He became terrific with long bump and run, ( think British Open) etc. I have practiced in an open area in my apt complex.  Some people use school grounds or waste areas around drainage ponds, dikes etc.  Good practice for shots out of trouble.  Kind of the old Seve theory, forces you to be creative. May you can't practice this way as often, but the challenge might give you big gains in shorter time.

[Mark5]

The local ranges mats are thin and hard.  The balls are painted rocks.  As a result I have "Mat Yips" and I'm finding out I'm not alone.

Wikipedia: White is a color, the perception of which is evoked by light that stimulates all three types of color sensitive cone cells in the human eye in nearly equal amounts and with high brightness compared to the surroundings

[ghalfaire]

Originally Posted by jlund

There are many threads on the use of mats, why they are worse than hitting off grass,etc.  However I want to know what you do in the event that ranges with mats are your only option... How do you make the best of the situation?

I am certain that I am not alone.  There are several courses local for me, however none of the practice facilities offer the ability to hit off grass.

It is easy to say "Just practice your short game & driver, etc."  But everyone needs to practice their iron game... So how do you go about making your practice worthwhile when the only option is hitting off of mats day in and day out?

For me it would depend upon the type of mats.  Some mats are placed over concrete and are not all that thick.  I don't and wouldn't use them as the are hard on the equipment.  But there are other types that are less objectionable and don't damage the clubs.  So if you have the damaging kind but a net and practice in the back yard.