WaffleHouseTour

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.

Size of the room depends in part on what technology you are using to track the all flight. FlightScope sits to the side, so you need less space. A Mevo+ needs to 8-9 feet behind the ball and then 8 feet of flight between ball and screen/net - so 16 to 18 feet depth minimum. Then think about ceiling height.... I have an older home w low ceilings so I’m out of luck. But I’m planning a practice area in my backyard so have been doing much research. There are a couple really good threads in this forum, guys who have documented with pictures. Can search there, but I’d recommend doing your first bit of research on the trackers, how they work as they are different, and what their requirements are. They all have some diagrams. Also stores like these guys https://topshelfgolf.com/collections/golf-simulators that sell competing brands have required foot print dimensions that will give you a quick idea.

After complaining about repeatedly getting snake bitten at #15 I checked that box today. #10 and #18 to go... I was not playing my best, and it was cold (40s) and windy (20s); but I got my act together for those three holes. Ball dropped on a nine footer. playing this game against yourself is a great motivator, ABD keeps you in it even when you don’t have your best.

I finally found something I like about aerated greens... with the way the sand settles you sometimes see a bit of break that you might not otherwise see. I had that today, #16, 14 feet away. I've always known its a big right to left break - I mean a good 3 feet out. But I've always missed it. Well today I saw something and played just a touch farther out, and dropped it right in. Check off another one. 10, 15 and 18 to go. If a falling leaf stops the ball from going in, you'll hear the scream all the way from Iowa...

Hello there fellow spies. To introduce myself, I’ll start with my name - Christopher Rants, and I live in Sioux City Iowa - where the leaves are starting to fall and snow will cover the greens soon enough. Because I’m always interested in people’s handles/screen names I’ll tell you about mine - Waffle House Tour. Years ago I was the organizer for an annual golf trip. We went down to the RTJ Trail in Alabama for several years. On our first trip there was a Waffle House across the parking lot from our hotel. None of us northerners had ever been to one, but couldn’t wait to get our hash browns smothered, covered, and chunked. That quickly became our morning meeting location. From then on as we moved locations around Alabama, every year I had to call around to find a hotel with a Waffle House adjacent (in the days before google for you millennials we used telephones and talked to people). Thus the Waffle House Tour was born. The annual RTJ trip has long since dissolved, but all my fantasy golf teams, etc keep the moniker alive. As I’ve already dated myself, I’ll be more specific. I’m 53 with a couple of grown daughters. As I say, I’m young at heart, but old in the knees. I took up the game in my thirties. But when the golf bug bit, it bit really hard. The GHIN app on my phone says I’ve posted 82 rounds this year and have 7.8 index - the lowest its ever been thanks to one 74… I’m a walker who really enjoys golf course architecture - all that appeals to the right side of my brain. I’m also an Arccos user who used to track my own scores on a spreadsheet when I first took up the game - so the left side of my brain is involved in my game as well… and if you keep reading you’ll soon discover… A bit about my own game, and what I need to work on. #ArccosKnows (sorry, I couldn’t resist) that in the last 50 rounds this year I have… attempted 223 putts (16% of all attempts) from outside 30 feet (made 23%); attempted 161 putts (11%) from the 20-30 foot range (made 27%); attempted 337 putts (25%) from the 10-20 foot range (made 41%); attempted 457 putts (33%) from the 2 to10 foot range (made 70%); attempted 190 putts (14%) from 2 feet or less (making 88%). I averaged a one putt 22% of the time (those aren’t birdies - my chipping has really improved this year..); two putt 65%; and three putt 13% of the time. I averaged 34.2 putts per round, 1.9 putts per hole and 2.11 putts per GIR (ugh…) My takes aways from that: 1) the data is only good if I marked the flag stick and I have a hunch I didn’t on a bunch of those long bombs because that “made" number is too high; 2) Arccos needs to break those ranges into smaller groups as there is a big difference between a four footer and a ten footer to save par; 3) anyway you slice it, I’ve got too many stokes with the flat stick… too many putts per round, way too many per GIR 4) given that only 27% of my putt attempts are outside of 20 feet I have to do a much better job inside 20 feet. I dunno, like at 10, 12, 14 18… 5) personal observation - I leave it short. A lot. I’ve tried it all. I have a Scotty Cameron belly putter (in the garage); I tried a Scotty Detour putter (also in the garage); a Studio Design 2 (garaged), a Newport (garaged); a Two-Ball (sold on ebay); a Two Ball broom stick (also ebayed). For the last couple of years I have been alternating between a Scotty Futura X with extra weight in those back ports and an Evenroll 7. I tend to use the Futura in the spring and fall when the green speeds are slower, and the Evenroll in peak season when they are really rolling. In preparation for apply to be a test I asked my super, and one of the guys who is actually cutting the greens, about the speed at my home course. I explained the three speeds of the BirdieBall mats and asked what they thought I should try to get. The sup says he keeps them at an 11. They guy cutting the greens told me that this time of year they let them do what they want but if I’m practicing for the summer then I’d want the 11-13 mat. I think he was a little more honest with me, as I’ve seen the sup doing his stimp test on the practice green and it always seems to roll out to 12 when I’m watching… So that is what I requested. When at my home course I practice what I call my Two Putts Around the World - early or late in the day when it is quiet I’ll try to two putt my way from hole to hole working my way around all the way around the green. Just working on feel and distance. Three putt a hole and I have to start over… Last year, however, I bought a PuttOut mat and PuttOut Pressure Trainer to practice in-doors. Actually I have two. One stays at home and gets rolled out on my hard wood living room floor sometimes when I’m watching golf on TV and have had a particularly bad time on the greens recently. The other stays in my car trunk and gets rolled out on the carpet in my hotel room - I will spend about 120 nights a year in the same hotel room so I know it breaks right to left… The say the PuttOut mat is a 10 on the stimp, but I’m not so sure. I think its a bit slower. And while it is 8 feet long, the putting area is really only 6 feet. Which is one of the reasons I’m really interested in this test. I think I’m pretty good 6 feet and in… practiced that length A LOT. But I really need a longer distance, and something quicker. I have literally worn a grove in my existing PuttOut mat. While that shows good work ethic, that can’t really be a good thing. I also believe that the ball is prone to bobbling at the end if I’m trying to roll it over a hole mark rather than running it up the pressure trainer. Those aren’t criticisms of the PuttOut btw, I did buy a second after using the original. I use, and plan to use on the BirdieBall, an old Pelz Putting tutor. I fight a pull with my putter. The last two years I’ve gone to a claw grip, and I still have a tendency to pull my putts to the left. The Pelz tutor makes sure I start on line and really helps to groove a good back and forth motion. But I also know from experience out on real greens in real conditions that when I have a long putt I pull it… The longer the putt, means more energy/stronger stroke, and I pull those. I’m anxious to see how the BirdieBall turf compares and holds up. Does the BirdieBall really roll between 11-13 on the stimp? (I may be asking my Sup for a favor) Does it hold up over time, speed up or slow down? How does the turf hold up with repeated standing on it and moving around as you aim at different corners of the mat? Does it flatten back out easily after being rolled up in a tube. I have no idea what it will be like to “fold up” the ramp. So I’m being speculative here - but how does that hold up. My mat will not be unrolled and left in one place for the winter. I’ll use it at home on the hardwood, then roll it (and fold it) up and I’ll take it with me to my hotel in DesMoines and use on the berber (?) carpet. I’m in the hotel about one night a week now, but come January thru May I’m there three nights a week. I know the folks at the front desk think I’m a bit crazy walking in with my Orange Whip and putter… but that’s the price of addiction… So we’ll see how it stands up to rigorous use with putting it away between sessions. I plan to keep using the Pelz Tutor, won’t need the PutOut trainer, but I may use the gate. My biggest goals will be getting the distance right, but obviously getting it started on line with a firmer putt using the Pelz Tutor - it leaves almost no margin for error when you use the narrowest gate. Getting the ball started on line with more energy is one of two things I am anxious to work on/practice/test. I need to work on eliminating that pull. That is about my improvement. The second item I’m most anxious to see or test - is the effect the BridieBall PuttUp has on training the brain for distance… When I putt I don’t say to myself this is a 6 foot putt so hit it x hard; or this is an 18 foot putt hit it 3 x hard; or this is a 12 foot putt hit it 2 X hard. I just look at the the hole and feel it. (Maybe that’s why I have distance trouble) So with the BirdieBall my eyes will be looking at a 10 foot putt, and my brain will be saying it 12 or 14 or 16 or 18 feet… Ok. Assuming I can master that - and that part shouldn’t be too difficult - but what happens when I’m back on a real green. Will my eyes and brain say “I have to hit this harder” based on what they see? Or do I need to pace things off? Am I training myself to hit 10 footers harder than I need to? I don’t know, but I think that’s a crucial part of this - how do you translate the practice to the real world. 18 feet is 18 feet - but if your brain gets trained to hit an 18 footer at something your eyes see only as 10 feet… It’ll be interesting. I think I will need to come up with some sort of regimen to tackle this. I need to do some before and after bench marking on a real practice green to test how I perceive distance. Any suggestions or feedback from you Spies on ways to measure this would be appreciated. In the mean time I think I’ll start walking off putts - for whatever is left of my season - and record those. GolfSpy MPR encouraged us testers to think about what does the mat need to do to count as a success for you. The ultimate answer is to increase those “made” percentages, and cut that three putt percentage. I’ve got those benchmarks to compare to already set. But to make that happen I have to improve my distance control - so that’ll take some benchmarks and testing. And then there is the “how do I perceive distance” aspect. And then there is how does the mat itself perform. All of that means my ultimate or final review won’t be until after my golf course comes out of its winter hibernation and I can compare what I’m doing indoors with what happens outside. So unlike some reviews that have six weeks to test a product, this one may go on for eight months with lots of updates along the way. So bear with me (or don’t) as I can be a little wordy - this whole post was in response to “introduce yourself”, tell us where you’ll be using the mat, what drills you will use, and what does it need to do to count as a success for you. If you Spies have things you’d like to have tried, questions about use, suggestions for drills or benchmarks; I know you won’t be shy. Last, last thing - anyone ever use one of these? I don't think I'll need it with the BirdieBall... they'll roll back down the ramp.

Introduction I’m Christopher from Iowa – where my course has been covered in snow twice already. I picked up the sticks late in life, when I was thirty, and I’m 53 now. I belong to Whispering Creek in Sioux City, and the Prairie Club out in the Nebraska sand hills. GHIN says I’ve posted 87 rounds this year and have a 7.8 index – a personal best. I’m a member of #PushCartMafia that really enjoys course architecture. That appeals to the right side of my brain. I was also an early adopter of the Arccos system and play one length irons – so the left side of my brain is engaged as well. I’ve never been a long ball hitter. I have to chip and putt to score. When I have time to practice it is spent working on my short game rather than full swing. But honestly – not much time putting. It is mostly 50 yards and in with pitches and chips. I don’t often go to the practice green to putt for thirty minutes. When I do, I play “Two Putts around the World” where I try to two putt my way around the five holes on our practice green. That changes NOW. #ArccosKnows (sorry…) that in the previous 50 rounds before the BirdieBall PuttUp arrived I averaged: One Putt 22% of the time Two Putt 65% Three Putt 13% 34.2 Putts Per Round 1.9 Putts per hole 2.11 Putts per GIR. Clearly waaaaay too many GIR putts. A personal observation – I leave it short. A lot. That is why the PuttUp is so interesting to me. If I’m short too often – will this help me get the ball to the hole? With limited space, I can practice an 18 footer. I currently switch back and forth between a Scotty Futura X with extra weight as my spring/fall putter, and an Evenroll 7 for peak season when the greens are rolling. I use a claw/pencil grip working on a pendulum straight back, straight through motion. Lastly, a big thank you to MGS for affording me this opportunity, and BirdieBall for providing the mat. 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. I have been using a Putt Out mat, seen here for comparison. I knew 4x10 was big – but knowing it and seeing it are two different things. I retreated to the spare bedroom in the basement where I laid it out on three sheets of quarter inch plywood for a firm base. It is FAST! Double cut and rolled for the club tournament fast. I tried to get a stimp reading – its rolling up to 16… I reached out to BirdieBall via email and the CEO/Founder called me that afternoon (impressive customer service). Yes its fast – they want missed putts to roll back to you. They believe that’s what the marketplace wants – and when you look at their competitors that’s probably true. Personally, I’d prefer something like a 12. More on that in a minute. It feels like a real green – the sponginess of the turf, the little nubs or tentrils really mimics real grass on a real green. The roll is true. No bumps or bobbles. Unlike another mat I have, it won’t develop any sort of groove or wear line. Quality of components (10 out of 10 points) Short answer – they thought of everything. You can see in another of my posts, I am taking this mat back and forth from my home to a Staybridge Suites where I travel for work. I kept the original box for storage and transportation. The green flattens outs nicely. All the components come apart and fit back together without any wear or tear showing. Someone had asked a question in the thread earlier about how well the holes held up – and so far no sign of damage. Everything in the box has a purpose. The bumpers help hold it flat and ensure a good transition up the ramp. The “fifth hole” that you see cut in the center uses an upside down cup to hold the mat in place against the ramp. It also serves as a challenge hole – more on that below. While I personally don’t like the looks of the cup sleeves indicating the extra distance, their purpose is holding everything in position – keeping the holes lined up. In turn, by holding everything in place the mat essentially must lay flat – the holes won’t line up if the mat curves. So using the ramp, bumpers and hole sleeves – the mat flattens out pretty quick. At first I was not a fan of the little flag stands – I thought they were cheesy. But after dropping two dozen balls into the cups – yeah, I don’t need to bend over any more than I already am. Good idea. It is a well made and engineered product. I’m trusting the engineers know their physics… While the green is 10’ long – you are not putting edge to edge. For example – my routine is to putt off my Pelz Tutor to the +4 hole. I place the ball 8” from the back edge of the mat – just enough to give me a stance. It is then 7’ 11” to the +4 cup. In my mind at the +4 cup I’m putting to something 11 feet, 11 inches away 7’11” +4 = 11’11”. BirdieBall says that cup is designed to simulate a 14’ putt – so there is some physics and math in determining how the rate of the slope equals 14’. I wanted to do a test with the stimp meter, but as I reported before, its too fast for me to really know. Everything rolls all the way to the end. Ease of use (10 out of 10 points) The best thing about this mat is its versatility. You can practice short putts without the ramp, or medium putts or long putts with it. With the width you get to stand on the green and can putt to multiple targets. I slide a magazine under it to create some break. There is virtually zero maintenance. Its not like it needs to be mown… Basic Characteristics (17 out of 20 points) My goal was ten minutes a day. Well, I find myself doing more than that. Sometimes I wander in just to roll a few for five minutes. Sometimes I come out much later. I started this endeavor with a particular problem. Under pressure I pull the ball. This is why I went to the claw, and it’s helped, but I have a consistent miss. My go to aid is the Pelz Putting Tutor, so I’m using it here as well. I’m proficient at starting the ball on line when I’m trying to sink a 3 footer – but the farther away from the hole I am, the more force needed to get the ball to the hole – the more likely I am to pull the ball. Ie., the longer the putt, the more likely I send that marble rolling across the mat. Something I also really like about the Pelz Tutor, helps ensure your eyes are directly over the ball. I also tend to let the ball slide too far forward in my stance, so working on that as well. You can’t use the Pelz Tutor for an extended time on your course’s practice green – unless you want to stand on a towel to protect the turf from heatstroke. But with the BirdieBall – it has been in the same place for days. No need to move or re-aim. This has been a great way to practice. The green is sufficiently wide enough, and presents enough targets that I can grind on the Tutor until I’ve filled the +4 cup, then I can drop another two dozen balls into the other cups from various distances and directions (straight or breaking) before I ever have to collect and reset. Very efficient. I’ll remove the ramp and hole sleeves and practice some subtle (or not so subtle) breakers by sliding a magazine/s under the mat. I’ll admit – I’m not the best green reader, and unfortunately this won’t help. But it does get you trying to match speed with the known break. The “fifth” hole is a competitor to the PuttOut Pressure Trainer. The idea is to get the ball to stick in those little holes – and it takes perfect speed. The real goal is to get FOUR balls to stick in those little holes. Good luck with that. I’ve gotten three but only at short distance. In short, lots of ways to use the practice mat. Two gripes – one small, one large. Small one first – if I were king of BirdieBall for a day I’d have fewer holes. That would allow me to play more break and starting from farther to side. Sometimes those front two holes get in the way if you are playing maximum break from short distance. I turn the sleeves around backwards to keep them from catching errant putts. Its possible BirdieBall thought of that and still favored all four holes to give different options. This isn’t a knock on the product – just a way I’d make it better. Big one last – its too fast. That’s why I deducted three points. I get what BirdieBall is competing against. I still think its too fast. I don’t care about the ball return (I may be too lazy to bend over and pick it out of the cup, but I can rake it back from halfway down the mat without a thought). My concern is that I too often leave the ball short, and I worry putting on something too fast will engrain that habit. I’ve only played a hand full of times since I got the mat, and I’ve paced out 18 feet at my club’s practice green to gauge myself against. I am leaving the ball short. Granted – it is November in Iowa – we have slowed down to a stop for the year. I really think BirdieBall and their customers would be better served by something running 10-12. 12 is plenty quick, especially for a practice product. On the plus side - I am starting it on line.. On-Course Performance (Currently 20 out of 30 points) As I said, its fall in Iowa… It has snowed twice and I’ve only been able to play 5 rounds since the PuttUp arrived. I averaged: One Putt 19% of the time Two Putt 65% Three Putt 15% 35.4 putts per round 1.96 putts per hole 2.14 putts GIR. So… not much change on course – yet. Hence, I scored this 20 out of 30 as of today. To be fair to BirdieBall – my ball striking and short game were not their best during those 5 rounds. I had some major breaks in play, and #Arcossknows all my Shots Gained numbers were headed south compared to September. But, but, but… despite those five round averages, Arcoss says I had my best Shots Gained putting round of the season. As a 7.8 index I use Arcoss SG to compare myself to a 6 handicap. I shot a 78 and gained +1.6 shots putting, with 1.7 putts per hole, and 1.9 GIR. During those five rounds I also had a +0.7SGP. Something positive must be happening. On the plus side: I feel I have improved my stroke. I’m getting it started on line more often, I have a more consistent stance, with a more confident stroke. The minus side: I have not improved in green reading – so I am starting it perfectly on the wrong $%^& line… And, unfortunately, I am leaving it short. Not on the five or ten footers, but on something eighteen or twenty feet away. Again, snow is on the ground. When undertaking this project I thought I’d have all winter to hone my stroke, come out firing in the spring and report sometime around the Masters. The 2021 Masters … This is very much a “to be continued” review. I’ll continue posting this winter as I try different things, and will absolutely share spring results. Stay tuned to see if that score changes. Miscellaneous (10 out of 10 points) I see on Instagram that BirdieBall is now offering a “retrofit” kit where you can just get the ramp, hole sleeves, etc.. I think that’s a pretty cool thing to do for their existing customers. I would absolutely get one if I already had their mat. A no-brainer. That’s not exactly surprising to me. When the CEO called me back I knew they really thought about their customers. I know what you’re thinking – I’m a tester, of course they were going to call me back. But give me his number? And talk again the next day? Nah. Most companies would have had someone in customer service call. Keep it or Trade it? (20 out of 20 points) I’m absolutely keeping it. If anyone is looking for a used PuttOut Mat (I have two) let me know. I know $350 is not cheap. This summer I purchased my second PuttOut to keep at my hotel, and I’d looked at the Perfect Practice and the WellPutt mats as well. Knowing what I know now, I’d go with the BirdieBall. It costs more, but is so much more versatile. The extra width helps a great deal, but the ramp and the ability to hit a longer putt on a shorter mat cannot be beat. So for all the things you can do with the mat, I think it’s fair price. If your putting is holding back your score, this is a great way to practice, without being repetitive (unless that’s what you want). Conclusion Well constructed and durable. Very versatile enabling multiple methods of practice. I will be retiring other mats I have and keep using the BirdieBall. Had my best Shots Gained Putting round of the year. 87 out of 100 pts – scored down because I haven’t seen consistent on course improvement yet due to snow on the course. It’s a solid purchase and will be used over the winter and spring for practice. Check back when the snow melts for shots gained information.