Matts are one of, if the, worst thing on which to practice, especially irons. They give you a false sense of security in that a fat hit on mats seems ok because the club "bounces" off the concrete, or whatever is covering the artificial grass and that doesn't happen on real grass. Not to mention it also does no good for your arms and elbows. When mats look my only option I head for a practice sand trap and hit irons out of there. It's not perfect but WAY better than a matt and if you hot behind the ball in a trap you'll know it - instantly. It's too bad there aren't any grass practice areas near you but I'd drive a bit to get to one over mats, or chip and putt as one other poster mentioned.
