WaffleHouseTour

If I were King of BirdieBall for a day I would grant your first two wishes. 1. I think that helps with the install, and holding it all together (and the cups won't fall out when flipping the ramp over... 2. Three holes - or plugs - with the farthest being the middle hole. I think two plugs ought to do it. 3. Gotta make a profit, and thats just too expensive of a wish. Plus, if I make the farthest hole the middle, you don't need a stance mat to stand on anymore. If I grant your wish of the Prefab hole liners, I'm not sure I need the double depth Challenge Cup to hold the mat in place against the ramp. I can use that spot for a regular cup - right side up or upside down as a Challenge Cup. As righty I can putt to the +8, but not the +6 without stepping off the mat. But if you make the middle the farthest then it can be putt to from either position. (Considering the distances of the +6 and +8; I'd think that center hole would be around +10 or 20 feet from the edge...??? I' be curious what the BB Engineers would say...) As a lefty, you ever replace that Challenge Cup with one of the regular cups and putt to it? (When the other guys post, I'm curious how many of us actually use the challenge cup, and how often - but I'll save that thought for another day...) 4. In this litigious society? Ha! Wish denied.

100% ! As I said above, I'm hoping to get the hole reducers - but I went looking on their web site hoping to find hole "plugs".

Well, that is three for three so far on fewer holes... Hmmm... Curious to see what the other testers think. I get the "easier to apply" on the bumpers. I always struggle with those. Prefab hole liners - what were you thinking about - a full length fully attached to the cup? I was poking around on their web site, and saw that they sell as accessories a "high backed" cup. Probably not what you were thinking - but sometimes I have trouble getting the hole liners between the cup and the turf - its always a challenge - I'd think using a high-backed cup would make that easier and a better fit. I'm taking mine apart and moving it all the time - something I've noticed, there are some holes in the ramp where its a really tight fight as you are pushing the hole cup up from the bottom and it is right against the next layer of foam. I would think a high back cup would make for a better fit. The trade off, of course, is that if you want to putt on the perfectly flat mat, then you are stuck with the high backed cups - but that is only on one side. Maybe a combination? High backed for the two deepest holes, and regular cups for the two shortest. I'm sure there is some cost of supply difference there, but hopefully the engineering team considered it. For what its worth - they do sell a separate stance matt on their accessories page. I have your opposite problem being a righty - thats why the only time I putt at the +6 its at an angle for mild or sever breaking putts. I told She Who Must Be Obeyed that if Santa was looking for gift ideas she should put their Hole Reduction Inserts on the list. I've been pretty nice this year, so if I get them, I'll add pictures etc to the thread. But you never know - I tend to get coal when I least expect it.

Thinking of fast putts... I've posted my review here

Love love love the MyGroup option for viewing on line. Who needs the announcers. Great way to watch just my fantasy team

Sharp! Always good to know I’m not the only one on the course with CDO... (that’s OCD in the correct alphabetical order)

Bag Boy Quad for me. Went the four wheel route because of side hills. Better than a brake (though the hand brake was just fine). But the number one issue for me was how small it would be when folded up. The guys at the store let me take three different carts out to my car to see how they would fit. Gotta love living in Iowa... What I thought was a frivolous purchase - a bag to store it in. Keep the wet grass clipping stuck to the wheels in the bag and the car truck clean, well, if not clean grass free...

I have the same challenge w my Alphard eWheels, attached to my BagBoy Quad. Lots of wheelies... everything is a little op heavy. I too have thought about adding “ballast” but I’m not sure how I’d attach it. I do t want it in the bag, but have pondered attaching something to the front bar of the cart, or where the bottom of the bag rests against the bar. I’m just not sure how much I’d need. Other consideration - does the extra weight just sap the battery more? More difficult to go up hill? Hmmm, sounds like a project to get serious about and work on. I’ve tipped the cart a few too many times when I wasn’t close enough to grab the handle.

Back to the hotel! The BirdieBall has been sitting in its box since Thursday. Here's a quick look at unpacking and setting up... Obviously takes a bit longer than 38 seconds... but not by much. Kept stored in the box were the mat and the ramp (getting them both in takes longer...) all the cups, flags, bumpers, hole sleeves, putter, a box of balls, a six iron and orange whip (other practice tools for the road warrior) and my Pelz putting tutor. Keep the box! Probably should have video'd the insertion of the hole sleeves from another angle - sorry about that. But needless to say, doesn't take much to set up or tear down.

Breakers... Worked on breaking putts this morning. I pulled the hole sleeves out of the corners this morning and inserted them into the other two nearer holes to keep balls from accidentally falling in on putts I played too far outside. I'd rather have them bounce off than have to be retrieved (personal preference), and I wanted to be sure I could get in the side door of the holes I was aiming at. This is an instance where if I were king of birdieball for a day I might have made fewer holes - so I could play even more break and putt from farther on the side without being limited by having a hole in my way. It is possible the king or his engineers thought of that, and still favored all four holes to give options of a hole without as much break, by playing to the two front locations from the side. I suppose the solution is an even wider mat - you know five or six feet wide; but then She Who Must Be Obeyed might never let me in the house with it, nor could I find the room, and I'd be relegated to the hotel forever... compromise, compromise.

On the road again... As I mentioned in my intro, I spend about 100 nights a year (a typical year) in a hotel in DesMoines. Well, today I took the mat to the StayBridge Suites with me. I kept the original box which you can see below, and hauled in the BirdieBall, my putter, a level, and a box of balls. The hotel staff has long ago decided I'm a nut. Nothing like checking in with an Orange Whip under your arm... try explaining that while promising not to mark up the walls or ceiling. First, I rolled the mat up more than 48hours ago as directed, fuzzy size out and I rolled the holes end first so it would be in the middle, and rolled tightest. You can see in this first picture how it laid out after first unrolling. The mat as a whole laid pretty flat, but the end wants to curl, as you'd expect. Then after I laid it on top of the ramp - you can see a pretty good sized gap there. And then after I attached the top and side bumpers. Clearly the bumpers force it to flatten out. And after a few hours with the bumper on, after its removed. You can essentially see the thickness of the bumper piece that is folded under the mat - you can still see that from the top piece. But otherwise the curl is gone. Everything in the kit has a purpose. The bumpers hold it flat. What you see in the top picture as the "fifth" hole, the center cut top most hole, is an upside down cup that essentially helps you line up and hold in place the mat on top of the ramp. It also serves as a challenge hole where you have to have the perfect speed to get a ball to stop and stick in one of the four openings - good luck getting all four... but I digress... While I personally don't like the looks of the cup sleeves - they do serve a purpose of helping to hold everything in position as well, keep the mat holes lined up perfect with the ramp holes. In turn, by holding everything in place the mat essentially has to lay flat. The holes won't line up if the top mat is curved. So using the ramp, the bumpers and the hole sleeves - your mat is flattened out and usable pretty quick. An observation - You'll see in the op most picture some horizontal lines across the mat. I assume that comes from the rolling up of the mat and the pressure inside the box. They have no visible impact on the ball roll so far as I can tell. I think its just the knap of the green (remember its a bit fuzzy) that has been laid flat. I left the included brush at home, otherwise I'd try brushing it out. I may try later this evening with my hand or a towel or something. Or it may just wait until my next trip to DSM... A big personal plus for me - the floor in my hotel is much more level than my basement at home. And while the hotel has carpet flooring, it is that really thin dense kind with little to no cushion underneath. The means when I'm walking on the green it really has no give. Better than when I had it on my own carpet at home, and honestly feels indistinguishable from laying it over my plywood sheets - in fact maybe a bit more stable. In terms of durability of the mat, and the cut outs for the holes in particular - time will tell. Come January this will be rolled up and stored for the weekend, and unrolled again on Monday evenings - so I'll be pushing the hole sleeves in and out, etc weekly... so we'll keep an eye on how they hold up and report on any deficiencies. In the meantime, back to the Pelz tutor...

Starting in January mine will be four nights rolled up in the box, followed by three nights on the floor, for about four months. So stay turned.

They worked ok. I too have an un-level floor - I’ve got some extra plywood on one side to even it out. You can see I keep a level around and am always tinkering with it. The magazine works ok, but it’s a bit of trial and error. Don’t just push it right up to the hole... The Golfers Journal is pretty thick too, I’ve also slipped some Golf Digest in as well for less break. I’m looking for subtle breaks, like a ball out or on the edge. Those are the kinds that give me the most problems from three or four feet. Holly, the cat, isn’t a problem. She about 13 years old, so she’s beyond the days of batting balls around. She just looks at me like I’m a little crazy then curls up on the bed for a nap.

This weekends practice: removed the ramp to practice shorter and flatter putts. Want to be sure I’m not always trying to make 17 footers. Added some side break by sliding a magazine around underneath. I’ll say this, the size does allow you to try lots of different angles, and putting diagonal across it. Removing those distance indicators let’s you try to roll some in from the side. Sent from my iPhone using MyGolfSpy

I picked up the Sporina net. It has has a target sheet that hangs down a couple feet from the back of the net. I really like the sloped “floor” that rolls the ball back to me. Has a nice chipping net you can hang as well https://spornia.com it literally sets up and then folds down in no time. I’m really happy with it.

I started playing the OnCore last year. Tried it against the ProV1x (as good as) and the VicePro (or better) and for the price I thought they were great. I can get them to stop on the green - but haven’t had a problem spinning them back (such a problem to have). I really liked the feel of the OnCore especially off the putter. I also like to play a colored ball - old eyes can’t see that far in the sky... and I alternate between the lemon and lime...

Better question than color - is there a type of ball better suited to teeing off where there is a frost delay everyday? Are low compression balls better for cold temperatures? Any facts/science to back that up?

Anyone tried the Lagshot? https://lagshotgolf.com/ a seven iron with a super whipy shaft to help ingrain tempo and lag... Anyone with anything to report? I use a TourStrike 7 iron to make sure I hit down on the ball, Im wondering if this would be a good compliment.

Hmmmm.... could be... I moved the tutor over toward the middle and made sure I had the iPhone camera directly behind the ball looking down the line. Got this screen grab right after impact. Looks to me like the alignment lines are aligned. But one always has to be sure - so I appreciate the suggestions. If you see something I don't, please share. I typically alternate between two putters, so I'll need to check my Heavy Scotty as well. I do notice I'm a little toe up - but I'm not sure that is hurting anything.

She Who Must Be Obeyed complains that I save empty boxes.. but this is why. As txgolfjunkie said, keep the box to store it in. They recommend storing it with the "fuzzy" or surface side out. That also helps keep it flat and not curl as well I would imagine. The box is about 18 inches across. For the most part I've kept mine laid out; but come winter it will be traveling to my hotel room with me - so I'll share impressions then. To your question about imperfections and the roll- I think it rolls very true. It is funny, the "fuzzy" side - but it feels like when you glide your hand across a real green. Will be experimenting with creating breaks in the future.

So this happened today... 32 putts, 1.7 per hole, 0 threes. Coulda shoulda been better missing a couple makeable birdies because I misread the break. Maybe next week I’ll take the ramp out and slide some magazines under to work on break reading... but now I’m sticking with moving the Putting Tutor around. Sent from my iPhone using MyGolfSpy

Today's practice - what I'll be doing all week - sink eight balls without hitting the marbles - I've got to focus on a short backswing to keep from knocking the marble out of place. Yes, yes, I've got some bow in my top piece of plywood - it flexes when I walk around on it - but stays still when I'm still. Going to have to fix that.

This weeks self-imposed assignment - adding the Pelz Putting Tutor to the mix. Its one thing to bash the ball up there to the +8 cup and catching the edge, or the back. But getting it started on line - using enough force to get it there, and not disturb either of the two marbles... tougher. I'm somewhat proficient at starting it on line when I'm trying to make a 3 or 4 foot put - but the farther out I am, and the more force I need, the more likely I am to clip the marble on the left... Something I really like about the Pelz tutor - helps ensure your eyes are directly over the ball - not a bit inside or outside... That line also helps with alignment. I often think I'm lined up correctly - and I may even get the ball in the hole (the brain and the body compensate in some amazing ways...) but when I have to get behind this and make sure the white line is pointed right at the middle I discover some interesting things.

Sorry, on the road today so no Picts but I’ll post sometime. In short, I used layers of 1/4” thick because they are lighter and easier to move around. I got floor underlayment at Lowe’s. I took two 4x8’ sheets and cut them into four 4x2’ sections. I laid down a 4x8’ sheet and abutted a 4x2’ sheet so make a 4x10’. Then I laid down the 4x2 and abutted a 4x8 (same thing in reverse order. At this point I put down the 4x2 sheets running the length of the green covering the right half of my base to level my set up. I left the 2foot gap at the stance/bottom side. Then I laid down the 4x8 and 4x2 on top to cover the edge created by the leveling section. If I needed more than one layer to level I’d put them between the bottom and second level, rather than second and third. On the top level keep the 4x2 at the cup/ramp end. It fits perfectly under the ramp and the seam won’t be noticed that way. Hope that helps. It really creates a nice firm base. Feels much better underfoot than the carpet. Sent from my iPhone using MyGolfSpy

First Impressions It is BIG! I mean it is “you can’t keep that in the living room” says She Who Must Be Obeyed size big. As I wrote in my introduction, I’ve been using a PuttOut matt which is 2 x 8. So the Birdie Ball PuttUp being 4x10 I knew was bigger - but once you get it into a room… its big. I’ve laid the PuttOut on top of the BirdieBall to give you a sense. Being big is not a problem, but you need to plan for it. I did not do a good job of that. I initially thought I’d roll it out to use, then roll up and put in the closet, then roll it out, then roll it up… but I decided that was going to be a little cumbersome as I want to use this every day. So I took over one of our spare bedrooms. Its still big… I had to move the furniture around a bit - but hey, nobody is sleeping there, and if we ever have a visitor it’ll take five minutes to roll it up and put it all back. Well, maybe more than five. The bedroom is in our basement and has carpet with padding. So I got 3 1/4 inch pieces of plywood to put the BirdieBall on. I had it on the carpet for the first could days, and can feel a definite difference with it on a solid base. It doesn’t feel as spongy as it did. Remember, this is a foam structure - so you push your hand in, or stand on it, and you are going to see an imprint - just like you do on a real green. A few seconds later and its gone. But it felt spongier on the carpet than it did on the hardwood floor upstairs, so I got some plywood for the basement. I’m also using the plywood to help level the green. While there are 3 4x8 sheets, and a stack of 3 4x2 sheets that run the length of the green, along the right hand side I’ve added a strip of a 2x4 sheets the length of the green between the 2nd and 3rd layer. I’ve done this to keep the green level. My basement is not level - so I’m having to level it. They say on their website that you can have 40 plus balls on the green. I believe it. In the pictures below you’ll see a couple dozen… There is plenty of room to stand on the green and putt to any whole. It is FAST! It is double cut and rolled for the tournament fast. If you look at the BirdieBall website they say this green should be a medium speed - a 10 to 11' on the stimp. You may recall from my introduction that I’m a little OCD, and overthink things. I’m very interested in how our brain is going to interpret hitting an 18’ foot putt when the eye only sees 9’… So I was curious about just how fast this rolled, and what the difference in energy needed to hit that 18’ putt would be. So I borrowed my superintendents stimp meter. You are supposed to use the stimp meter from both ends and take the average - but I couldn’t do this in this case because the balls roll off the green. Yes, running a ball off the stimp meter rolls it well off the green. Ok, so its faster than a 10, as the green is 10’ long. So I put the ramp back into place. My thought process was that if it rolls to the +2 hole the green is running at a 12 on the stimp (10’ + 2’ the advertised distance of the incline). Well, I rolled balls into the +2, the +4, and as you’ll see below I can get some into the +6. That’d be 16’. (BTW, I had to open the closet and sit in there to accommodate the stimp meter.. I said it was big...) Like I said, double cut and rolled… I thought I must be doing something wrong. So I rolled them off the stimp on the PuttOut. As that mat is only 8 feet long I set the edge right at bottom of the +2’ cup. Rolled right to the end, but wouldn’t drop. Ok. So its rolling about a 10 - which is what PuttOut advertises. So it is not me, the stimp operator. This green is fast. I shot off an email to the BirdieBall contact address. Maybe I’d gotten something out of the ordinary. Or was I doing something wrong. A couple hours later I get a phone call from John Breaker, the CEO/Founder. Wow, that’s some impressive customer service. John explained that yes, the green is fast. Part of that is responding to what they believe the marketplace wants in a putting green - and that is to have missed putts returned to you. If the green isn’t fast enough, the putts won’t roll far enough back to the player. Think about other putting systems you have seen on the market today (one in particular is non-stop on my Instagram feed) where putts are returned to you. So this extra speed is intentional to get the ball to return to you. While I understand the logic of that - and that BirdieBall has to give the consumer what they want - I’m one who doesn’t need the ball to come all the way back. Its going to come back some distance, right now missed putts, as you’ll see in this picture, tend to collect at about 5' to 6’ from the target edge. If it stopped at 2’ or 3’ or 4’ I would be ok with that. It might block another putt, so I’d have to aim elsewhere, or retrieve it. But for me I’d be fine with that. But what do you Spies think? Would you rather have a green that rolls 10 or 11, maybe 12 on the stimp giving you more true life speed? Or would you rather have the ball returned to you? Lets have some feedback here. Tell us what you think. (BTW, I believe they will be changing their website to say "fast" rather than "medium". The Math Also, I’m including some photos of the distance from the edge to the actual hole. The +2 hole is intended to simulate 12’. They call it +2 - meaning the green is 10’ +2 = 12’ But here the math and physics get a bit tricky. It is actually 8’2’ from the edge. So in my mind its +4 - but lets set that aside for now - I’ll accept they have done their physics homework. John also mentioned they want to make sure putters hit the ball firmly enough to get to the back edge or past the hole. Think Nicklaus’s old adage about putts should get 18’ past. So for now we’ll just accept that +2 is equal to 12'. Now, I’m not going to hit my ball from the edge - I’d have one foot on the green and one foot off. I think I’ll be lining my ball up 1’ from the edge - going to mark it - that allows a nice stance for me. So a putt from 1’ from the edge would mean the ball travels 7’2” simulating a run out of 11’. (This is why I got out a stimp meter to test the speed of the green.) The +4 hole is 8’6” simulating 14’. For me it’ll be simulating 13’. The +6 hole is 9” from the edge, simulating 16’. For me it’ll be simulating 15’. The +8 is 9’3” from the edge, simulating 18’. For me it’ll be simulating 17’. I bore you with all this because when I figure out how to compare what I practice with the real world, this may be important. Overall First Impression This is a pretty slick set up. The sponginess of the turf, the little nubs or tendrils - it really does mimic real grass on a real putting green. It holds the line (now that I used plywood to level it) but even when the ball breaks, it always rolled true. There were no bumps or bobbles. So even if you are working a breaking putt - say from the right edge of my stance line to the +6 on the far left side, its still a good roll. The ball behaves appropriately. The size is a big plus - once you find the space for it. Its nice to stand right on the mat. To move around, aim at different targets, etc. The roominess is a big plus. At first I wasn’t a big fan of the little flag stands - but after dropping two dozen balls into the cups - yeah, I don’t need to bend over any more than I have too. So that’s a plus. I’ve got to get my head around the math - but that’s a me problem. I over think. I want to be sure that what is supposed to be a 17' foot putt really is a 17’ putt. (I clearly have a trust issue) Again, I’m thinking about what my eye sees 8’3” away, and I’m telling my brain it requires a stroke for a 17’ putt… we’ll see how this eventually translates to the real world later, so stay tuned. That is where the real testing comes in. Do we make progress, or do I leave them all short… We shall see. Overall - very impressed with the initial set up. It is really a quality product and they have put a lot of thought into it.