Range mats promote bad habits?

[ClintonM3]

Hello, I am new to the forum, and also new to the game. Started a couple of months ago. When I practice at the driving range, I don't slice, I don't hook, no draw, no fade. Rather, slight push or pull if my face angle is off a bit. I've been to a few launch monitors, rarely deviate more than 5 degrees each way. And I am happy to have my swing path and face angle sorta under control.

But my biggest misses has to be topping or hitting it too fat.

Anyhow, so I know the fundamental that I most need to work on is - swing arc.

Correct me if I am wrong, I was taught that short and mid irons shots, you take a divot. I've even seen divots with long irons. http://golf.about.com/od/golftips/ss/golf_setup_3.htm

How am I suppose to take a divot on a range mat? I'd hit the ground behind the ball if I try, or I natually try to avoid it by lifting up, but then top the ball.

So in order to hit a good shot, I'd basically have to grace the mat for every club?

There are no grass range in my area, and don't want to hack up my lawn. Now what?

[jcrew]

Hello, I am new to the forum, and also new to the game. Started a couple of months ago. When I practice at the driving range, I don't slice, I don't hook, no draw, no fade. Rather, slight push or pull if my face angle is off a bit. I've been to a few launch monitors, rarely deviate more than 5 degrees each way. And I am happy to have my swing path and face angle sorta under control.

don't concentrate on making a divot... you won't be able to tell on a mat

but on a mat you'll still be able to tell a flush hit... if you feel you hit the ball first and then ground and the ball goes well, you're good.. you can feel all that stuff..

[Everardo]

In my personal experience, yes, mats promote bad habits. I had spent too many months at a range with mats and now it's taken me even more time to re-teach myself to hit down on the ball and take a divot.

[gbk56]

You should be hitting the ball first then the mat. Although not perfect, mats have cushioning so that once you hit the ball the mat will give. So instead of taking a divot you are compressing the mat after you hit the ball. If you are hitting the mat first before the ball that is not a good shot.

[clickagent75]

I'm sort of in the same situation as you. Been taking the game seriously this season and spent a lot of time at the range.

Although at the range all seems well, at the course it's a different story. In relation to your situation, the range mats don't give the same feel/feedback as doing it on real turf, I find my shots at range don't have full extension b/c I'm avoiding hitting the turf (and jamming my club into the mat). At the course, the same shot would take a nice divot.

Best tips I was given was to take what you learn on the course to the range, not vice versa. As well as, spend more time at the course instead of whacking balls at the range.

Best advice I've been given so far...

[supercow]

A nice drill at about 5 mins 25 secs on how to reproduce the effect of hitting off turf on a mat...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R_Arw9nzj3s

[clstrat]

confusious say, "desperate man blame range mats for bad golf swing"

[nevets88]

You may have already done this, but did you check the high end daily fee courses in your area? Usually more expensive and you might have a longer drive, but it's worth it.

The youtube video makes good suggestions. The mats in it look like the brush type that will expose fats shots better than the astroturf mats. You can also use a lower tee that just juts out.

[KCNick]

I had been ranging near my house on practice mats, feeling the same issues as you. Then I called some courses near my work to try and find grass. I ended up finding one 5 minutes from work where the greens fees are twice the fees near my house, but for some reason their annual range pass is dirt cheap - $225 a year/unlimited balls.

Definitely call around, you never know what you might find.

[Cleveland Gunmetal]

I would much rather hit off of grass than mats. Absolutely. However, I don't necessarily know if mats promote bad habits. Bottom line is you still have to make solid contact with the ball. I don't care if it's grass or mats if you hit behind the ball it's not going to be a good shot.

[ClintonM3]

don't concentrate on making a divot... you won't be able to tell on a mat

maybe I am taking too much of a divot, if I hit the ball first, then the ground, there is too much shock that it feels like a bad hit. The good hits I hit with no divot, with the bottom of the arc gracing the turf. Anyhow that was my swing thought for the last few buckets.

[SandSave]

i use both a matt and regular grass in my back yard into the net. I only use the matt when the ground is wet and soft.

[nevets88]

maybe I am taking too much of a divot, if I hit the ball first, then the ground, there is too much shock that it feels like a bad hit.

I can't tell without seeing you swing, but most likely, if you hit this shot on grass you'd lose distance. On grass, I can hit a shot with the divot in front of the ball, but the ball made contact with the top of the clubface. It still goes straight, but not as far. This happens to me in the rough when the ball is sitting up. I dig a bit too deep - divot looks ok, but I end up way short of the target. Divots should look like dollar bills. When you watch golf on TV, the divots look like fish filets.

You want to know for sure if you hit the ball flush? Practice from a fairway bunker. It feels so pure when you hit a good shot out of one. Or better yet, try off the cartpath

[$2 Nassau]

I believe the constant practicing on mats promotes bad habits. I try to avoid mats as much as possible. When I practice I like to try to create the atmosphere of an actual golf round and golf shot. Mats just don't offer that.

[fluxcapacitor]

I'm kinda with gunmetal and the others with his ideas on this one. We had to hit off the mats for about 3 weeks when we had rain everyday, and you can definately tell a good hit from a bad hit. I had such a bad hit on the mat my SW actually did make a divot. I guess it didn't help the mat was dry rotted.

[Rynofskie]

I tried to take a divot one time on a piece of carpet, bad idea. I strained my wrist pretty badly. I don't reccomend trying that on a mat at all. Find a nice piece of lawn in a public park somewhere and whack away with some whiffle balls so you don't lose any good balls.

[griecke]

Here in Nebraska the winters are long with a few days in the 50's. When that happens I head for the driving range to keep the muscle memory intact. I find that I rarely hit a bad shot off the mats, however, when I play a short par 3 course I hit shots fat and thin often. A few weeks ago an indoor golf room opened in Omaha and I have played a few rounds on the simulator and find the same, no fat or thin shots.

My question is do the mats mask bad shots?

Gary

[Want2PlayMore]

I won't hit irons off mats. It would cause me to try to pick the ball clean off the mat. Then I get to course and try and do the same. Plus when you hit a fat shot on a mat, it feels like you may break something in your arm.