FairwayPro vs. Fiberbuilt Flight Deck

[IrishAndy]

I'm looking for a mobile golf mat that I can bring to the range to both soften the blow of the mat experience, and also to give additional feedback on fat shots.

I'm looking at FairwayPro and Fiberbuilt Flight Deck.  Has anyone tried these?

I know that FairwayPro is meant to give feedback on fat shots, but I'm not sure of that's the case with FiberBuilt?  Opinions welcome. 

[iacas]

3 minutes ago, IrishAndy said:

I know that FairwayPro is meant to give feedback on fat shots, but I'm not sure of that's the case with FiberBuilt?  Opinions welcome. 

It won't soften the blow, but a piece of string a few inches behind your ball can give more feedback on fat shots.

[IrishAndy]

8 minutes ago, iacas said:

It won't soften the blow, but a piece of string a few inches behind your ball can give more feedback on fat shots.

Thanks.  I'll try that this morning.  I often put a little leaf behind, or some sort of debris lying nearby, but if hit tends to fly away and then you're searching for something else.  I'm imaginging string will move, but stay in the same general area, so I'll definitely try it.

I definitely would like to limit the blow from the mats.  I hit a lot of balls, and I feel like an injury is likely at some point, and I'd just like to avoid it as much as possible.  I know I'll be 'that guy' bringing extra stuff to the range, but if it makes golf more enjoyable then I'm in.

Edited September 17, 2017 by IrishAndy

[iacas]

Just now, IrishAndy said:

I hit a lot of balls, and I feel like an injury is likely at some point, and I'd just like to avoid it as much as possible.

Don't hit so many balls.

I get more out of a good dedicated 20-ball practice than most everyone gets out of hitting 10x as many golf balls.

I'm off topic. None of this is going to help you find a mat that will soften the blow.

But I think it was worth mentioning. But also, now that I've done so, I'm done being OT.

[IrishAndy]

6 minutes ago, iacas said:

Don't hit so many balls.

I get more out of a good dedicated 20-ball practice than most everyone gets out of hitting 10x as many golf balls.

I'm off topic. None of this is going to help you find a mat that will soften the blow.

But I think it was worth mentioning. But also, now that I've done so, I'm done being OT.

Thanks.  I probably do hit too many balls, but I have some weird forms of practice (involves hitting deliberately bad shots) which ups the count.

Definitly starting the string.

Edited September 17, 2017 by IrishAndy

[Hacker James]

www.teeclaw.com

cheaper at walmart.com

also walmart online sells a Golf Driving Mat that works pretty well for around $22 it rivals many of the more expensive ones, and fat hits are not so harsh. Then again, you will be standing below the ball.

 

 

Edited September 17, 2017 by Hacker James

[IrishAndy]

Cheers.

 

Tee Claw is new to me - thanks!  Won't help with hitting off the deck, but for driver that's sweet!

[Hacker James]

40 minutes ago, IrishAndy said:

Cheers.

 

Tee Claw is new to me - thanks!  Won't help with hitting off the deck, but for driver that's sweet!

`I mentioned it as I saw the "string" suggestion. Use 2 claws with the elastic string stretched behind the ball as previously suggested. They make pretty good path and/or stance alignment aids as well. Sometimes I take a rolled up towel behind the ball. Promotes slight descending strike as you try to "miss" the towel. But again, OT...you are looking for something to soften the blow. 

Edited September 17, 2017 by Hacker James

[IrishAndy]

1 hour ago, Hacker James said:

`I mentioned it as I saw the "string" suggestion.'

Ah - got it!  OT, but helpful nonetheless, so thanks!  Tried the string this morning before my lesson.  Very effective too.

Will be investing in Tee Claws, but am also really interested to see if anyone has tried either of these mats.  If not, I'll just pick one and be the guinea pig.

[billchao]

5 hours ago, IrishAndy said:

I'm looking for a mobile golf mat that I can bring to the range to both soften the blow of the mat experience, and also to give additional feedback on fat shots.

I'm looking at FairwayPro and Fiberbuilt Flight Deck.  Has anyone tried these?

I know that FairwayPro is meant to give feedback on fat shots, but I'm not sure of that's the case with FiberBuilt?  Opinions welcome. 

I own a Fairway Pro, used it many years. The springs broke on it so it doesn't move properly anymore, but I still use it as a stationary mat. It's pretty easy to store in my garage but that's really just because it's small. Every once in a while I'm working on something and I'll manage to hit the frame instead of the mat which makes quite the loud bang.

The main reason I bought it was because of the reduced impact on your body when you hit off it. I can count on one hand the number of times I brought it to the range, though. There was only one place around me with rock hard mats and they're closed now. I don't remember it being that great at masking fat shots. Sure, if you hit it really far behind the ball, there's a noticeable difference, but you should know if you hit it that fat off a standard mat anyway. If you're just a little fat, the mat is cushioned enough that it doesn't affect your clubhead speed the same way hitting through turf would.

5 hours ago, IrishAndy said:

I definitely would like to limit the blow from the mats.  I hit a lot of balls, and I feel like an injury is likely at some point, and I'd just like to avoid it as much as possible.

If you hit that many balls, you're exposing yourself to possible injury simply from the repeated motion. You can hurt yourself in ways other than putting a clubhead into a mat.

[IrishAndy]

15 minutes ago, billchao said:

I own a Fairway Pro, used it many years. The springs broke on it so it doesn't move properly anymore, but I still use it as a stationary mat. It's pretty easy to store in my garage but that's really just because it's small. Every once in a while I'm working on something and I'll manage to hit the frame instead of the mat which makes quite the loud bang.

The main reason I bought it was because of the reduced impact on your body when you hit off it. I can count on one hand the number of times I brought it to the range, though. There was only one place around me with rock hard mats and they're closed now. I don't remember it being that great at masking fat shots. Sure, if you hit it really far behind the ball, there's a noticeable difference, but you should know if you hit it that fat off a standard mat anyway. If you're just a little fat, the mat is cushioned enough that it doesn't affect your clubhead speed the same way hitting through turf would.

If you hit that many balls, you're exposing yourself to possible injury simply from the repeated motion. You can hurt yourself in ways other than putting a clubhead into a mat.

Thanks!  I think I'm willling to give one a go.  I can't see anywhere that the Fiberbuilt does anything at all to punish fat shots.  I'll take something over nothing.  Looks like I'm pulling the trigger on that plus the Tee Claws.

Agreed, that more is worse than less, but for a given number of shots I'd prefer to be hitting something that's forgiving vs. unyielding.  It's the jarring motion that my body really objects to.  As an example, I just hit flop shots and chips this morning.  Maybe three buckets of flop shots.  From such glancing blows I don't even feel like I've hit a ball today.  Hitting mid irons is a different story though, it just feels like range mats provide more of a jarring shock than makes sense to subject the body to.

[Hacker James]

2 hours ago, billchao said:

, the mat is cushioned enough that it doesn't affect your clubhead speed the same way hitting through turf would.

If you hit that many balls, you're exposing yourself to possible injury simply from the repeated motion. You can hurt yourself in ways other than putting a clubhead into a mat.

I would go along with that. When I overdo it and hit too many balls, I have some pain in my right wrist. This does not come from impact. Something akin to Carpet Tunnel. When it happens, I can sometimes feel some wierd cartilage movement/sound on the inside portion of the wrist where the thumb tendon is closest to the surface. If I take a few days off, it seems to be better, that and Ibuprofen. Wearing a wrist cuff helps also. I should add, that my practice area is just outside my bedroom sliding door and I frequently just pop outside to hit a few balls, or work on something I read and frequent times throughout the day (and night-don't ask). There are days when I have hit probably hundreds of balls, but usually only ten or so at a time.

Fairway Pro.  Just out of curiosity I looked it up. Being the consummate "tinker'r" that I am, I could probably hack something together out of a frame and drawer slides. The trick would be to build one that has a low profile. Years ago, I bought this dumb gadget divot simulator thing, consisted of two pieces of turf that were held together by bungies fed through some surgical tubing. The  tubing would run through the base of the turf, with the rear piece held stationary by golf tees stuck through some grommets. $20 bucks or so for probably 98c worth of materials.

Edited September 17, 2017 by Hacker James

[billchao]

29 minutes ago, Hacker James said:

When I overdo it and hit too many balls, I have some pain in my right wrist. This does not come from impact. Something akin to Carpet Tunnel. When it happens, I can sometimes feel some wierd cartilage movement/sound on the inside portion of the wrist where the thumb tendon is closest to the surface. If I take a few days off, it seems to be better, that and Ibuprofen. Wearing a wrist cuff helps also.

This happened to me last week. Feels like I need to crack my wrist but can't. I wore a brace the rest of the day to keep my wrist stable and it went away in a day or so. It hurt more from holding the club at A6 than at impact.

[IrishAndy]

I had full-on carpal tunnel maybe 12 years ago.  It took more than a year to eradicate.  Not caused by shock in my case, but by gripping too hard and over swinging (young guy trying to swing for the fences).

The first morning I had it I couldn't make a fist.  I had to run hot water on my wrists to get my hands to close.  I tried to play golf and the club slipped straight out of my hands.

An incredibly frustrating illness.  You can give it months to heal, and rehab, and it can feel completely normal.  Then you swing a club and you're all the way back to square one.