How can I improve my course game using mats?

[Al Bundy]

We've all heard the same story, "I perform well of the mats, but on the course I'm horrible."

The problem for me is that there are no driving ranges anywhere near me that have a grass area for practice.  I've heard that hitting of mats actually hinders a player's swing because mats are too forgiving.

When I hit off mats I do very well; balls are flying straight and true.  But when playing on the course I fail big time.

So I resorted to occasionally playing a regulation 9 hole course for practice to better simulate actual course conditions, but it's difficult to get some quality practice since I'm always paired up with a group and can't hit multiple balls from the same lies for practice shots.

I'm tired of getting pounded by my friends when we play.

So is there a trick or method of hitting off mats that will actually translate to real world course play?

Edited December 29, 2016 by Al Bundy

[Ernest Jones]

5 minutes ago, Al Bundy said:

We've all heard the same story, "I perform well of the mats, but on the course I'm horrible."

The problem for me is that there are no driving ranges anywhere near me that have a grass area for practice.  I've heard that hitting of mats actually hinders a player's swing because mats are too forgiving.

When I hit off mats I do very well; balls are flying straight and true.  But when playing on the course I fail big time.

So I resorted to occasionally playing a regulation 9 hole course for practice to better simulate actual course conditions, but it's difficult to get some quality practice since I'm always paired up with a group and can't hit multiple balls from the same lies for practice shots.

I'm tired of getting pounded by my friends when we play.

So is there a trick or method of hitting off mats that will actually translate to real world course play?

Yes. Place a small piece of masking tape behind your ball. Hit balls without hitting the tape. Make sure you're still hitting that mat and not just picking the ball. 

Start with the tape 2" behind the ball and gradually move it closer. 

 

[Patch]

Mats are at the bottom of the list as a practice surface. A last resort if you will. Mats tend to hide poor contact with the ball. 

Now I know some folks who use short tees with their irons on mats. This allows them to hit the ball first then the mat.  Some use their own little synthetic grass or bristle surface that they lay on the mat to hit off of. Others, like myself, who like to hit the ball a little on the thin side learn to do this on mats. 

Perhaps there is some wide open place in your area (where it is legal) that has real turf to hit off. If so, I would recommend bringing your own material to hit off to avoid damaging the real turf. 

If possible, do what I do and utilize a dry lake bed for a hitting surface. 

Just a few ideas. 

[Hatchman]

Yes matts can be a little deceiving.  My home course rotate from matts to grass every other day. Michael Breed did a short video lesson on striking off a mat.   A lot of instructors do.  There is a sound you listen for when you make solid ball contact.  I try and hit off the rough side on those type mats to ease the bounce and thump to the elbow, etc. when I hit extended buckets.

[Ernest Jones]

19 minutes ago, Hatchman said:

Yes matts can be a little deceiving.  My home course rotate from matts to grass every other day. Michael Breed did a short video lesson on striking off a mat.   A lot of instructors do.  There is a sound you listen for when you make solid ball contact.  I try and hit off the rough side on those type mats to ease the bounce and thump to the elbow, etc. when I hit extended buckets.

Yes, once you know the difference in sound and feel, you just have to be honest with yourself. 

[Hacker James]

depends on the mat. I've found a cheap one from Home Depot Online that sells for around $22 (Tru line, I think), works pretty well. Also the larger one from Monster (Allturf) for around $100. I like them better than the small hitting mat from Real Feel although many swear by the Real Feel. I have even hit off my normal artificial  lawn turf which is very life like. (no divots though).  The cheap ones will hold a wooden tee, but if not tethered down, you will have to go looking for it. The rubber tee holders that hold a wooden tee more often than not result in the wooden tee breaking.

the photo on the right, shows the Home Depot mat inlaid in the Monster mat. They look identical, but have a slightly different feel.

[bubble]

the mat is'nt really your problem I would stop focussing on this.

your contact quality is a problem try working on that part, mat or concret who care...

 

like said above listen for that nut craking sound the ball does when hit correctly.

[Rainmaker]

I love mats.  Not that I prefer it to grass, lol . .but hitting off mats is how I spend a huge part of my practice time.  The only time I can see the "mat is too forgiving" argument is for really new golfers practicing alone . .ie . without an instructor or a more experienced buddy, etc.  I was in that category for a while and, even then, I pretty quickly learned to tell when I was hitting it fat off the mat.  There is a little phenomena called the "mat draw" . . . that fooled me for a little while, lol.    

Something that many, many people experience is that they hit it great on the range but then struggle on the course - grass, mats or other.  That could be in play here, too . .not sure.

There's nothing wrong, imo, with hitting irons off a tee, either.  I've spent lots of time in my early lessons hitting short irons off teed up about an inch off the ground (to save the grass at the lesson tee, lol).  At first I was dubious about this idea . .but it worked for me.  I think in many cases it actually helped me focus on contact without the 'distraction' of turf interaction.  

If you keep at the mats, I can almost guarantee you'll quickly learn to tell how clean your contact was by sound and feel.  

[RayG]

Different mats will lead to different problems. There are the indoor/outdoor carpet on concrete ones, the soft foam and fake grass type and various types in between. My range has a few of the foamie soft(ish) ones that replicate the tight lies of Florida pretty well. It also has a few of the in-betweener type. I prefer the foamie one. The concrete ones can be intimidating because you really don't want to mishit and it can make you gunshy on full shots. 

But I will second the masking tape or baby powder behind the ball method. The tape will often let you know what you hit first, but the baby powder will ALWAYS let you know with that puff of powder. 

[Hacker James]

One drawback to my practice set up is that the mat placed over artificial turf is a bit hard due to the compacted soil beneath. I am developing golfer's elbow it appears from all the impact. I am considering buying a horse stall mat to place under the turf to give it a little cushion.

[Hacker James]

3 hours ago, Rainmaker said:

 

There's nothing wrong, imo, with hitting irons off a tee, either.  I've spent lots of time in my early lessons hitting short irons off teed up about an inch off the ground (to save the grass at the lesson tee, lol).  At first I was dubious about this idea . .but it worked for me.  I think in many cases it actually helped me focus on contact without the 'distraction' of turf interaction.  

I

The more I think of it, the more I think you have a valid point. One of my hitting mats is a small real feel strip with a hole in the center put there by the manufacturer. Using the green rubber tee from I believe Wilson, it sticks up only about a half inch or so because of the thickness of the underlayment of the mat. This is a perfect size for teeing up for iron play without much concern about "mat bounce".  

[Blackjack Don]

Thanks for the tip about masking tape. Used it today and really got some good strikes on the ball. Well done.

[Ernest Jones]

49 minutes ago, Blackjack Don said:

Thanks for the tip about masking tape. Used it today and really got some good strikes on the ball. Well done.

Glad it helped. 

[gregsandiego]

On 12/29/2016 at 9:30 PM, Hacker James said:

depends on the mat. I've found a cheap one from Home Depot Online that sells for around $22 (Tru line, I think), works pretty well. Also the larger one from Monster (Allturf) for around $100. I like them better than the small hitting mat from Real Feel although many swear by the Real Feel. I have even hit off my normal artificial  lawn turf which is very life like. (no divots though).  The cheap ones will hold a wooden tee, but if not tethered down, you will have to go looking for it. The rubber tee holders that hold a wooden tee more often than not result in the wooden tee breaking.

the photo on the right, shows the Home Depot mat inlaid in the Monster mat. They look identical, but have a slightly different feel.

I like your cage. Is that a 10 ' cube? Did you design it from scratch?

On 12/29/2016 at 2:29 PM, Ernest Jones said:

Yes, once you know the difference in sound and feel, you just have to be honest with yourself. 

I agree with the others. Sound and feel are very revealing. Yes you can see the ball sometimes takes off OK if you hit the mat first, but you'll still know it wasn't a good strike.

I have the same problem this week as the rains in San Diego close the grass part of my favorite range.

14 hours ago, Rainmaker said:

There's nothing wrong, imo, with hitting irons off a tee, either.  I've spent lots of time in my early lessons hitting short irons off teed up about an inch off the ground (to save the grass at the lesson tee, lol).  At first I was dubious about this idea . .but it worked for me.  I think in many cases it actually helped me focus on contact without the 'distraction' of turf interaction.  

That's how my instructor taught and it's now my preferred method. The beauty is you can go to the most beat up part of the grass range and not care how much grass is left. It's too bad most mats don't really work well with tees.

[Hacker James]

1 hour ago, gregsandiego said:

I like your cage. Is that a 10 ' cube? Did you design it from scratch?

 

I bought the one piece net online (ebay) plus separate heavy duty mesh impact panel and vinyl target (Cimmaron)., ordered the 3/way, pvc corner fittings (Home Depot furniture grade), got the 10 ft sections of Sked 40 Grey conduit from Loews, cut off the bell shaped ends, so actual length of the sections are 9 ft six inches. you can also use EMT and get the fittings online, ebay or Amazon. The EMT  will bow less, but unless you paint the fittings, they are prone to rust even though they are supposed to be anodized. A bit tricky as a one man job, but can be done.

Gourok  is a good source.

[gregsandiego]

14 hours ago, Hacker James said:

I bought the one piece net online (ebay) plus separate heavy duty mesh impact panel and vinyl target (Cimmaron)., ordered the 3/way, pvc corner fittings (Home Depot furniture grade), got the 10 ft sections of Sked 40 Grey conduit from Loews, cut off the bell shaped ends, so actual length of the sections are 9 ft six inches. you can also use EMT and get the fittings online, ebay or Amazon. The EMT  will bow less, but unless you paint the fittings, they are prone to rust even though they are supposed to be anodized. A bit tricky as a one man job, but can be done.

Gourok  is a good source.

Nice work. Happy New years!

[iacas]

Mats are fine. I hit almost entirely off mats, because then I don't have to keep moving anything I've set up around, including cameras, mirrors, training aids, etc.

And you can tell when you get a good strike on a mat. Just get a good one. Even good strikes can feel like crap on a bad mat.

We use these at our downtown facility: http://www.truestrike.com as seen on http://thegolfevolution.com/metro .

[Wanzo]

57 minutes ago, iacas said:

And you can tell when you get a good strike on a mat. Just get a good one. Even good strikes can feel like crap on a bad mat.

We use these at our downtown facility: http://www.truestrike.com as seen on http://thegolfevolution.com/metro .

I have a  truestrike and it's terrific. Not the same as grass, but you get a lot less of the club bouncing, its supposed to be easier on your body, I can tell when I hit one a little fat or even high on the face which can't really happen when I hit off hard mats at our local courses. 

I try to practice on grass when I can but tend to practice more off mats since I have this hitting station in my basement.  I like the consistency of the setup including camera location like Erik mentioned too.