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

[Puttsalott]

Originally Posted by jlund

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!

You're welcome.  I'm lucky in where I live.  We have 2 acres surrounded by orchards so I have a nice 140-170 yard uphill/downhill playing area to practice and if I don't mind losing balls, can drive them into the orchards as well.  The downside is even in the area's that I've seeded with turf grass, there are lots of weeds and most of it is field grass but hey, I'm not complaining!

[The Recreational Golfer]

Hit off the mats and be honest with yourself when you chunk it.

If you know what perfect contact feels like, you'll know when you hit a clinker.

[Zeph]

Originally Posted by The Recreational Golfer

Hit off the mats and be honest with yourself when you chunk it.

If you know what perfect contact feels like, you'll know when you hit a clinker.

That's often the problem. If you've hit some thousand balls fat off a mat, you may not be able to feel it when you hit a good one. I spent years hitting off mats without knowing how bad I was really hitting the ball. Consistently using a towel or something to force yourself to hit the ball first is definitely a good idea, especially for the high handicappers that have trouble discerning a good hit from a bad.

[nevets88]

That's often the problem. If you've hit some thousand balls fat off a mat, you may not be able to feel it when you hit a good one. I spent years hitting off mats without knowing how bad I was really hitting the ball.

Wow. Amen. Same for me. I couldn't agree more. I wish someone sat me down and told me everything I know sbout mats now, it would have saved me years, literally. I took many lessons and no one told me this or if they did, I was stupid and didn't listen or they didn't emphasize it enough. There ought to be a law stating the whole issue with mats, but that would not sit well with ranges, in this sense, they are doing harm to golfers while ensuring repeat business. If I ran a range, I would put a huge frakking sign stating this, damned the consquences. As opposed to losing customers from lack of improvement, you might gain customers who stick with the game and bring more people into the game. Going back to the original Q, a towel works. You could make a custom tee that sits just a tad about level mat ground so it's obvious you hit under the ball. Make sure the green plastic bits that stick to your clubs is not under the club, but near the leading edge or tthe bottom of the face. This means you're hitting the ball first. You could try and find a bunker. It's obvious in sand when you're hitting the ball first but you can still be flippy and hit the ball first - you need a solid teacher and/or video. If I knew everything I knew now, I could have improved so much faster.

[newtogolf]

I am at the point now I can pretty much tell when I chunk it and when I hit it clean.  That doesn't mean that I still don't chunk it on the course, especially if my feet aren't on level ground.

[max power]

I've hit thousands of balls off both.  Again-grass is better, and it's what I hit off of the vast majority of the time.  But a ball-first shot off a mat feels entirely different than a fat, or even slightly fat shot off a mat.  And that goes for all types of mats.  If that's not happening for you then slow down your practice, focus entirely on hitting the ball first, and take note of the differences in feel between that shot and the other ones you hit.

[Fatphil]

Of course you can tell the difference between a well struck ball on a mat or not.  The problem is after the shot.  If you are suppose to bottom out your swing a few inches in front of the ball, grass is softer...so the feedback you get from a properly struck iron is horrible.  That sticks in your mind after "thousands" of balls and makes you a picker or flipper.  All the worse if the mats are bone thin...driving a 7i into a rock hard mat is hard to make yourself do...therefore instinctually you flinch (mat yipps as someone call it).

[ND Fan]

If you hit the ball hard enough and strike down and through the ball like your supposed to Mats will destroy a set of irons.  It will bend the shaft right above the hozzle  or potentially bend the club head itself over time.  I learned this about 18 years ago when I committed to this indoor golf center in the winter.  By the time Spring came around most of my irons were bent fairly drastically.  I hit the ball pretty hard and hit  around 1000 balls per week all winter.  I am sure some will not find the same issue by occasionally using them but be cautious.

[John Marat]

I used to hit only off mats when I first started playing thinking that the lie was always good but as my swing got better it became more steep and I started taking a medium sized divot. Today I can no longer hit off mats with any sort of consistently in my short irons but when I move to grass things look a lot better.

[The Recreational Golfer]

The range I go to has a new kind of mat with a thick pile that grabs the club a bit when you hit behind the ball. This is much different from hitting off mats that feel like deck carpet over concrete.

As far as knowing what clean contact feels like, if you've flushed a few on the course, you know. That feeling stays with you.

[allin]

Wow I wish my home range had these.

Originally Posted by 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.

[Bob63]

Yes. I found it difficult to trasition from mat range to golf course. Much better from grass range to course, if available. Good tips.

[TD22057]

I feel your pain.  The courses closest to me have terrible mats - it's like hitting off hard ground.  It's OK for a shot or too but it will bend your clubs and (at least for me) it will hurt you hands/wrists after awhile.

Here's the solution I'm considering:

Buy your own mat and take it with you to the range.  If that's too much of a problem, cut the mat down so you only bring a 1' wide strip and lay it next to the mats they have.  I'm not sure if the small version would move too much but it would be worth it to have a decent hitting surface.

[Goonsidious]

I'm wanting to work on hitting divots..need to step up my game. but only ranges nearby are with mats.. basically any shot i hit off the mat, will result in my club unable to follow through and just dig into the mat and mess up my shoulder/arm correct?

i need to practice.. i cant keep spending $30+ to "practice" on a course.

solution?

[nevets88]

Originally Posted by Goonsidious

I'm wanting to work on hitting divots..need to step up my game. but only ranges nearby are with mats.. basically any shot i hit off the mat, will result in my club unable to follow through and just dig into the mat and mess up my shoulder/arm correct?

i need to practice.. i cant keep spending $30+ to "practice" on a course.

solution?

Like the above posts said, look for ranges with the simulated grass or ask existing ranges to get them. Or look around for the higher end public/semi-private courses. They usually have grass ranges.

Or just keep checking out different ranges. I found a range in the NYC area of all places that has semi-decent grass that doesn't charge $20 extra for its use. I'm not saying where it is. :-)