Didn't realize: Only been practicing on mats at the range this year. They are the artificial turf kind, and I can strike it decent (not fat/thin.) Will my swing be messed up on normal ground?

[Padawan]

Not many grass ranges at all on Long Island, so I'm left hitting off mats.  That being said, I can clearly tell my fat shots (my biggest issue) from my pure shots.

[Padawan]

Not many grass ranges at all on Long Island, so I'm left hitting off mats.  That being said, I can clearly tell my fat shots (my biggest issue) from my pure shots.

[bplewis24]

Originally Posted by newtogolf

You can get a good idea of ball contact on a mat, but there are other variables that will impact contact. Lie, grass height and thickness,  Making clean contact with a ball sitting up on a mat is much easier than hitting it out of the rough or off a up or downhill lie.

Yeah, but for the purposes of this discussion, a grass range shouldn't be like hitting out of rough or a downhill lie.  At least not most ranges I go to.

[nevets88]

Originally Posted by bplewis24

Yeah, but for the purposes of this discussion, a grass range shouldn't be like hitting out of rough or a downhill lie.  At least not most ranges I go to.

Agreed. A decent range will provide a fairway like lie that is level, but unkempt ranges obviously aren't like this. Even better maintained ranges have slight undulations, but you should be able to find a flat area.

Originally Posted by Padawan

Not many grass ranges at all on Long Island, so I'm left hitting off mats.  That being said, I can clearly tell my fat shots (my biggest issue) from my pure shots.

Pine Ridge and Hamlet Windwatch on the weekends and maybe Fridays I think. A couple of others near Pine RIdge, but not as well maintained.

[Pablo68]

My club has a grass range that you can drive to and mats near the clubhouse. I see a bunch of guys hitting there out of convenience but as long as they have the grass side open, that's where I'll be hitting them from.

I don't care for the mats at all and would rather spend that time putting or chipping.