Wheelieb

Can you expand on this? 

Exputt - Official MGS Forum Review by cnosil
Intro
For the last few weeks, I have been spending time most evenings and weekend afternoons; while watching golf, rolling putts on the ExPutt putting simulator.   When I get out to the course to play or practice the evaluate the simulation against golf course greens.  One of the nice aspects of this product is that it can be utilized in a variety of ways; someone looking to improve their putting can use it as a training aid and others can used it a family activity/game.  The multiuse aspect of the product means that while it may be great for one person it could be lacking for another.  As part of this review, I’ll try to address the various potential uses and how well I think it meets those needs and help answer whether this is a serious tool for golfers or just a way to pass some time.
Let’s see if you can PURRFECT your putting with the ExPutt Simulator

Quality of components (9 out of 10 points)
My first impressions where that the packaging was good; although I found it odd that there were two product boxes one for the mat and one for the camera and accessories.  All the components were well secured withing the package minimizing the possibility for damaged or broken components.  The quality of the components is typical for items produced in this day and age.  The plastic components are fairly thin but should be durable. The mat is of high quality, had no issues with it lying flat. 
  
Ease of use (7 out of 10 points)
Setup of the product is easy as there are very few components to assemble.  Essentially unroll the mat, connect a power and video cable and power it on. 
 In general, the ExPutt is intuitive but reading the manual is highly recommended as there are some details in the manual that provide some clarifications.   Unfortunately, some of the product features are not very well explained in the manual and require some trial and error such as the analysis capability which is included as a subset of the practice mode. 
 Basic Characteristics (28 out of 30  points)
Instead of duplicating information I have already provided for each mode of the software I am going to provide links to the review of each aspect of the product.
Intro
Setup
Practice
Challenge mode
Play 9
For years the struggle I have had with putting practice is how to practice longer putts without the need to go to the golf course.  While there are putting mats that are 20+ feet long, I don’t have room in my house to actually lay one out or have a long aisle like @GolfSpy_MPR and Kirke to roll balls to a PuttOut. 
 
When I first setup the ExPutt, I did see the same patterns that I saw on the golf course; meaning longer putts were woefully short.  Because I wanted to improve my performance and what I was seeing with the product I wanted to practice putting because I knew I would see on course benefits.  One average I spend roughly 1-2 hours per day rolling putts.  This is more time than my pre-ExPutt practice time simply because there is more variety provided than I could do with gates and yardsticks.  
As the only golfer in my house the Play 9 mode probably won’t get used beyond this review.   If your family has multiple golfers, this mode would be a great activity.   I do have an issue with this game mode and the other reviewers seem to agree.   Putts that are inside 5 feet seem to require slower ball speed to make the putt than is required on the course.   I did find that this impacted my on-course performance as I became cautious on short putts and missed quite a few.  I rolled some putts on the practice green and found that the capture speed on a real course was higher than the software allowed.
Challenge mode should in theory build upon practice mode by adding the need to read greens.  This really doesn’t pan out in reality for me.  The software utilizes a contour map to help indicated the slopes on the green.  Since I don’t use green books or read greens using inches as a measure to determine if the hole is above or below my current position.   I get it, but it just doesn't translate to my on course usage.   The left image below is a commercial contour map and the right image is what is presented in the ExPutt simulator.

For me, practice mode is where I spend pretty much all of my time.  By using this mode, you have the ability to practice distance control and start line.   From a training aspect you can do both blocked and random practice and track analyze your performance over time by using the analysis mode.  I have even performed ladder drills where you try to fit as many balls as possible between 2 distances (utilizing the previous distance number and setting the distance 50 feet).  Note:  when doing the ladder drill, you should ignore the post practice metrics.  

One of the early complaints I had about the system was about lighting and the issues I was having with the software reading the path and face angle for the putter.    I have since learned that lighting isn’t about ambient lighting but lighting directly on the mat.  Since I now understand the lighting needs, I am seeing better performance and don’t need to use the provided face stickers (or masking tape) for the putter.
 On-Course Performance (10 out of 15 points)
Let’s get to the main thing people want to know.  Does using the ExPutt help me on the course.  The basic aspects someone should practice associated with putting are:
Setup – This would include everything associated with setup to include posture, stance, and ball position. Pace – Can you control the distance the ball rolls Start line – Give a particular pace, you need to roll the ball on your intended line Green Reading – Determining the path the ball will roll along.  Practice mode will assist with 2 of the 4 aspects.  My hope was that Challenge or Play mode would assist with green reading, but the moving raindrops don’t relate to on course performance and not everyone uses contour maps. 
 Feel vs. Mechanical approaches.  I know many people will look at the product and say that they are feel players and with the 2D presentation and the inability to look at the hole they won’t get any benefit.  Perhaps I don’t totally understand the “feel” mentality, but to develop a feel approach, you have to do some type of calibration to convert what you see to the appropriate feel.   When I am using the product, I am looking at the putt distance and training the feel for how the putter needs to move.  Even golfers that rely on feel need to work on stroke length and tempo which results in a distance; if the distance is 25’; reproduce that stroke that rolls the ball 25’.
 What I am seeing on the course it that my putts are finishing closer to the hole which is what I was the improvement I was hoping to realize from using the product.  When I get to the course, I put tees at 5, 10, 20,30,40, and 50 feet and practice rolling the ball to those tees.  After using the ExPutt my ability to roll the ball those distance feels very natural and I don’t need to hit multiple putts to recall the feel; basically, distance control is becoming more automatic. 
 I have actually learned a bit by using the product and changed some of my putting routine.   As part of my path to improving my game, I am tracking putt distances and walking off the length for each putt.  This change had directly mapped to what I have been practicing with the ExPutt.  Also reading the discussion within this thread has resulted in my switching from establishing distance control based on ball speed and not putt length.  Although most of the greens I play are in the 9/10 stimp range, by using ball speed I can have a chart that will enable me to use the right stroke length for any putt or green (see @gavinski91 review for the chart he put together). 

 One feature I wish the software provided is the ability to slope the green left and right to be able to practice controlled
breaking putts.  This would ideally use % of slope to reflect how the aimpoint system works.  Also, adding back the recommended path would be a nice touch; similar to the Putt View system.

 
Miscellaneous (15 out of 15 points)
I can’t speak to what other people will experience, but the team behind the ExPutt is committed to the product and developing products in this market.  The team shipped the product to us within days of our being selected and reached out to us via email and phone to ensure we had our questions answered. Based on some of the things they discussed about future plans I know I would potentially purchase other products based on the quality of this product. 
When I read through the application forum, there were lots of comments about the possibility of using the product for putter fitting.  In short, yes, you could use this for very basic putter fitting, but it would be the equivalent of using one of the $200 launch monitors instead of a Trackman or GC Quad.   While definitely a step above something like the iPing putting app, this product isn’t on par with product like Blast or Capto due to the lack of captured data.  For the guy who wants to do at home comparisons, this is a great tool. 
Continue to use or Stash in the Closet? (20 out of 20 points)
For those old enough to remember, lets answer the $64,000

Does this product go in my closet or will I keep using it?   The simple answer is that it will definitely be a mainstay in my putting practice; It is just too easy to setup and roll a few putts.  The product hits the mark and is the perfect training aid to work on speed control.  The one hope I have is that my wife lets me keep the second TV on the den. 😊
This product fits in a great niche and there really isn’t anything in the price range that compares.  If you simply look at the ability to practice putts up to 50 feet on a variety of green speeds in your living room you won’t find anything better.   30-foot Birdie Ball greens cost $310 and 26-foot Wellputt greens are $460.  In my opinion nothing matches up for someone looking to practice long putts and simulate different green speeds.   If you have a golfing family, it provides features to provide whole family entertainment. 
Conclusion
Alright, if you jumped straight here, you missed a lot of solid background info but decided it was too much to read and just want the final answer.  Simply put if you play golf you probably average about 18.5 feet for your first putt.  How do you practice those long putts at home; do you have a 20, 30, or 50-foot hallway?   Are you going to buy a super long putting mat?  If you want to practice lag putting and possibly dive into some putting related metric then the ExPutt is your answer.  Whether you play a local muni or a perfectly manicured country club, you can practice using the correct green speed and putts up to 50 feet.  This product cannot be compared to a SAM Puttlab, Quintic, Capto, or even the low-cost Blast motion device; they attach to the putter and capture information about how the putter moves.   The ExPutt provides barebones information that help you practice putting especially distance control. 
I am typically skeptical about putting training aids but after having had an opportunity to actually using the aid, I would definitely purchase the product.  During the review the ExPutt team shared that they are looking at producing follow on products and based on the quality of this aid, I am already saving some money to purchase.   
If Siskel and Ebert were reviewing this product they would rate 2 thumbs up.     

 
Final Score: (89 out of 100 points)
 

I agree, I found that since joining MGS that the community has a lot to offer on golf topics but also some general life conversations that might relate to you. When you do have a chance to test makes the experience that much better, during your testing and even after you can interact with anyone and everyone. Like @GolfSpy_APH said pick a few topics or reviews to follow comment ask questions and especially HAVE FUN and enjoy. 

Can you expand on this? 

Having recently reviewed and started following this thread, I believe the staff and others have laid out an equitable and truly transparent approach to selection of testers. Honest, fair, and to the point while spelling out ways to optimize your chances as well as ways to ensure that you will not be selected.
Please explain your reasoning behind the comment "who we may know in the business" should be a pertinent selection criteria? Without some context here this leaves me with the impression of presumptuous entitlement...

I think it also can help to start small, doing a good review/test for a ball or glove is an easy way to prove yourself.  Another option is to do an “unofficial” review.
After doing a test, I have a whole new respect for the time and effort that goes into these.
The MGS team does a great job selecting the group for each test.

Quantity of posts has little to no bearing on who is chosen for testing. A far more important determinant would be the ability to follow simple instructions. Such as, if you want to be considered for testing, you need a profile pic. Absent that, there is nothing on our end to consider.

Outstanding the read and see you go ta new driver

Can you expand on this? 

Good Sunday morning to all!
Another rainy morning here and looks to continue throughout the day so no golf activities...☹️ Waiting to see how Monday works out and may have to schedule a sim session to get a little practice in. Finally bought a box of the 2024 Titleist AVX balls to try out so a sim test before this week's round might just be the ticket.
Watch a little WMPO later and then on to the Super Bowl this evening. Got no dog in the hunt but being born at Presidio feel obligated to root for the 9'er's. Hope it is a good game no matter the outcome.
Everyone make the best of the day and if you have the opportunity for some golf, I wish you nothing but fairways and greens! ⛳

Happy Sunday all you Spies!
Well, yesterday's upgrade was a resounding success. Only took about 7 hours for the entire upgrade, where the previous 2 took 2 full days. Plus, to this point we haven't seen any negative fallout. But I don't want to get ahead of myself until tomorrow morning when people actually get back to the office/campus for the week.
So I'm checking out of the hotel a day early a day early and heading home. It'll be nice to be back in my own bed tonight to get a full night's rest compared to the last 3 nights partial rests.
Everyone have a wonderful Sunday!!

How is who you know important? 
This is all about getting a wide variety of ppl to test products to be more relatable to more golfers.
Who you know truly doesn't make any difference to us. If anything it could cause various bias that could make a review lean one way or another.

I'm realizing more and more that people will drive even more crazy when the weather is worse. I'll take being alive at work safe. Hopefully we don't have a long day since it is Sunday of the drill weekend, not gonna put my eggs in one basket though. No sick pup during the night, so that was a plus. Now to work on my list of things I have to do in order to retire next year. Didn't realize that process was as extensive as it is.

I got the tour striker plane mate training aid, I just have to get more consistent using it. I feel like it has helped me more than not though.

I got the tour striker plane mate training aid, I just have to get more consistent using it. I feel like it has helped me more than not though.

If we are doing clothes, I don't know if I have seen it before so throwing it out there. How about LinkSoul? I just found them and they look like they have pretty good clothing. If they were already used for a member review, then I will take my mulligan.

I'm realizing more and more that people will drive even more crazy when the weather is worse. I'll take being alive at work safe. Hopefully we don't have a long day since it is Sunday of the drill weekend, not gonna put my eggs in one basket though. No sick pup during the night, so that was a plus. Now to work on my list of things I have to do in order to retire next year. Didn't realize that process was as extensive as it is.

Outstanding the read and see you go ta new driver

I'm realizing more and more that people will drive even more crazy when the weather is worse. I'll take being alive at work safe. Hopefully we don't have a long day since it is Sunday of the drill weekend, not gonna put my eggs in one basket though. No sick pup during the night, so that was a plus. Now to work on my list of things I have to do in order to retire next year. Didn't realize that process was as extensive as it is.

I'm realizing more and more that people will drive even more crazy when the weather is worse. I'll take being alive at work safe. Hopefully we don't have a long day since it is Sunday of the drill weekend, not gonna put my eggs in one basket though. No sick pup during the night, so that was a plus. Now to work on my list of things I have to do in order to retire next year. Didn't realize that process was as extensive as it is.

I'm realizing more and more that people will drive even more crazy when the weather is worse. I'll take being alive at work safe. Hopefully we don't have a long day since it is Sunday of the drill weekend, not gonna put my eggs in one basket though. No sick pup during the night, so that was a plus. Now to work on my list of things I have to do in order to retire next year. Didn't realize that process was as extensive as it is.

It's been really fun on a staff end because we end up building relationships with these brands and getting to know a lot more of the story behind them.
And don't worry we have several more coming this season! 

Outstanding the read and see you go ta new driver

I'm realizing more and more that people will drive even more crazy when the weather is worse. I'll take being alive at work safe. Hopefully we don't have a long day since it is Sunday of the drill weekend, not gonna put my eggs in one basket though. No sick pup during the night, so that was a plus. Now to work on my list of things I have to do in order to retire next year. Didn't realize that process was as extensive as it is.

I'm realizing more and more that people will drive even more crazy when the weather is worse. I'll take being alive at work safe. Hopefully we don't have a long day since it is Sunday of the drill weekend, not gonna put my eggs in one basket though. No sick pup during the night, so that was a plus. Now to work on my list of things I have to do in order to retire next year. Didn't realize that process was as extensive as it is.