Practicing with your irons from the mats, useless?

[darkhunter139]

Is practicing with your irons from the mats always useless?  I see people on here say not to do it all the time.  The reason I ask is because my instructor recommended I do the 3 ball drill (with a penny set up behind the ball and in front) and it would be a lot easier to setup on the mats.

Only one driving range near me has a grass area and its in terrible condition with high grass and hard mud.  It basically is like hitting balls in your back yard and I really don't enjoy hitting from there

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[motteler621]

Originally Posted by darkhunter139

Is practicing with your irons from the mats always useless?  I see people on here say not to do it all the time.  The reason I ask is because my instructor recommended I do the 3 ball drill (with a penny set up behind the ball and in front) and it would be a lot easier to setup on the mats.

Only one driving range near me has a grass area and its in terrible condition with high grass and hard mud.  It basically is like hitting balls in your back yard and I really don't enjoy hitting from there

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you can learn from mats, no problem

[jshots]

I hate the feeling of a mat, but there shouldn't be any reason you can't learn. And actually I think the highest quality mats are supposed to act like real ground as you take a divot, but that doesn't mean your driving range has those.

[newtogolf]

Unfortunately all of the driving ranges near me use mats.  What my instructor told me to do is cut down a rubber tee just so it sticks out about 1/2" above the mat and place the ball behind it like 2".  If I hit the tee with the club (you can hear it) then it would mean I'd likely take a divot in front of the ball on grass.  I have been using it for about three weeks, and it seems to work since I went out in a unused part of my back yard yesterday to take some swings with practice balls and I did take divots in front of the ball.  Hope it helps.

[darkhunter139]

Originally Posted by newtogolf

Unfortunately all of the driving ranges near me use mats.  What my instructor told me to do is cut down a rubber tee just so it sticks out about 1/2" above the mat and place the ball behind it like 2".  If I hit the tee with the club (you can hear it) then it would mean I'd likely take a divot in front of the ball on grass.  I have been using it for about three weeks, and it seems to work since I went out in a unused part of my back yard yesterday to take some swings with practice balls and I did take divots in front of the ball.  Hope it helps.

I have been using broken tee's or pennies behind and in front of the ball but that sounds like a good idea too.

[nevets88]

I think if you are aware of the difference between mats and grass and can tell from feel if you've hit it fat, then mats are fine, but I'd still get out to a grass range that is not a cow patch once in a while.

There are also different types of mats as those that simulate blades of grass are better and don't hide the fat shot.

Another way to tell is to look at the green stuff that sticks on your club. If the green stuff is on the bottom of the face, near the leading edge, that's good. If it's all on the bottom of the club, that means your shots are fat.

Something else you can do is to cut a pastic tee down so it sticks out of the mat about 1/4-1/2 inch, kind of like teeing it up on a par three. Because it's a tad up, it's easier to tell if you hit it fat.

[LankyLefty]

I saw a guy at a range I go to occasionally in NYC who brought his own mat. He had one that was sort of like real grass with blades of grass and a softer area underneath, I don't know how well it worked but it certainly looked better then your average mat.

[TD22057]

I have a mat from this site:

http://www.realfeelgolfmats.com/

and it works very well.  I wouldn't say it's just like grass but it's light years ahead of the mats at any range I've ever been to.  In fact I've just ordered the small version to take with me to my local range.

[OPIRIP]

I bought FIBER BUILT MAT  by 10 years ago.  It's real play golf the mat my experineced. Help reduce injury hurt your elbow and wrist hand.

[WUTiger]

Not the best thing, but sometimes you go with it: A sunny day in winter when the ground is still frozen, a dry spot after days of rain, practicing iron shots. Biggest problem is hitting driver shots. Whether it's mats or a son-of-astroturf covering behind the grass tees, getting tee to proper height is tough. I may start carrying 2-1/2" tees to use when the 3-1/4" won't go into ground far enough. Note: If your driving range rarely trims the tees below second-cut-of-rough level, keep a pair of grass clippers in your bag. You can always take a couple of minutes to trim your hitting area down to 1/2" high.

[darkhunter139]

I wish the only problem was the grass length.  Its just all around terrible to hit from their grass area, the grass is long but there is not enough of it, it is mostly just mud and bumps.

[OPIRIP]

take too easy.  NO DIVOT,  soft.  let's go  your test swing on grass without a ball golf.   go practice outside backyard.  How you feel swing on grass?

LEARNING ON YOUR CONTROL AND MIND !!!

[darkhunter139]

Originally Posted by OPIRIP

take too easy.  NO DIVOT,  soft.  let's go  your test swing on grass without a ball golf.   go practice outside backyard.  How you feel swing on grass?

LEARNING ON YOUR CONTROL AND MIND !!!

What the hell? haha.

[OPIRIP]

Originally Posted by darkhunter139

What the hell? haha.

Noooo,   I want your open mind.  Please say   "What the f**k hahaha!"     I still want to help you get out of the grass!!! LOL   I'll teach you.   if longest tall grass.  NO USE on ANY WOODS AND LONG IRON is #  3, 4. 5, 6   NO HYBIRD!!  .........finally number 7 is best for your friend because 7 is LUCKY!!!  @_@

[Kieran123]

Originally Posted by OPIRIP

Noooo,   I want your open mind.  Please say   "What the f**k hahaha!"     I still want to help you get out of the grass!!! LOL   I'll teach you.   if longest tall grass.  NO USE on ANY WOODS AND LONG IRON is #  3, 4. 5, 6   NO HYBIRD!!  .........finally number 7 is best for your friend because 7 is LUCKY!!!  @_@

wtf?

No hybrid? I would gladly hit a Hybrid from the rough....that is of course, one of the benefits of a Hybrid isn't it?

Now, I wouldn't hit any birds nesting in the long grass - not on purpose anyway

[sean_miller]

Originally Posted by Kieran123

wtf?

No hybrid? I would gladly hit a Hybrid from the rough....that is of course, one of the benefits of a Hybrid isn't it?

Now, I wouldn't hit any birds nesting in the long grass - not on purpose anyway

birds nest SMASH lucky 7 good soup for you now golf cowboy!!

PS - I think someone was smoking WUTiger's synthetic grass clippings.

[Ernest Jones]

The return of CiCi.

[Kieran123]

i luck you if hit long grass sandwich is good, no 3 irons for lunch!!!!!!!!!!! no joker aside! i help you!