I’m Michael and I’m a first-time tester for MGS. I play most of my golf at Werribee Park Golf Club, which is west of Melbourne, Australia (Down Under!). It’s a brilliant part of the world to play golf and has one of the best views from the clubhouse of any course I’ve been to. I also venture out to other golf courses about 4-8 times per year; one of the best was playing Curlewis (close to where my in-laws live) after being invited by @Peaksy68.
A typical view of Australian golf in the middle of winter.
View from the clubhouse
I have been playing golf since I was 14, so have been playing for 20 years. Up until the last 3 years I haven’t had a regular playing schedule, but now it’s weekly. I’ve been able to go from an 18 handicap down to 8 in those 3 years. Typically, I gain strokes from driving, lose a little from approach and short, then putting is a small gain. Lately I’ve been driving terribly but my short game has been better than normal; skewing my recent averages.
Current 10 round averages - Overall stats are vs 8 Handicap, Putting vs 5 handicap (gives a testing baseline of 0.0)
My golfing is mainly on Saturday mornings, and I don’t usually have much of an opportunity to practice during the week. With the PuttOUT equipment I’ll be able to practice putting at home without having to go to a dedicated facility. It looks like a good range of equipment to make sure my putting is top notch. This should combine well with an AimPoint session I did recently. I’ve found it useful for reading greens.
First Impressions
In our box of goodies we received a Premium Pressure Putt Trainer (titanium white and dark grey – a colour combo that doesn’t seem to be on the online shop), a large putting mat (3.7m x 0.66m or 12ft x 3ft), and a Putting Plane Alignment Stick Set. I haven’t seen the packaging on the other colours of the Pressure Putt Trainers, but the silver band at the bottom of the packaging would be a nice colour pop to match the different colours of the trainers.
Packaging - The packaging is quite nice, with clear indications about what each item is for and links to ideas for how to use the equipment. I noticed how the packages could be merchandised both on a shelf standing up, or on a hook – a nice touch. There aren’t excessive amounts of packaging so it’s easy to get everything out. One minor issue is on the top of the Alignment Stick Set’s packaging. The closing tab detaches with an unsatisfying tear rather than a clean detachment. It’s an incredibly minor criticism, but it would make the user’s experience a little nicer.
Pressure Putt Trainer Packaging - I hope the silver band at the bottom changes with the colour of the product.
Alignment Stick Set Packaging with carry bag
Top of the Alignment Stick Set packaging - has unsatisfying tearing
Storage - Living in an apartment, I can’t permanently setup any golfing equipment, so the thought the designers have put into easily putting away each product seems to be very useful. I have a 4 x 4 set of Kallax shelves in my office and a golf area in the wardrobe for storing my gear. I think that I will be able to easily take out and put away all elements of the kit. The mat comes with a storage bag to keep it neatly rolled up when not in use. The way the Pressure Putt Trainer and the Putting Plane Alignment Stick Set fold up is ideal to fit into my golf storage area. A big tick for consideration of storage.
Easy to find places to store both the Pressure Putt Trainer and the Alignment Stick Set
Unrolling mat - For the test period I’ll be continually rolling and unrolling the mat to use it. First impressions are that the mat is thick, has plenty of different markings for different activities, and the edges are highly reinforced. It looks like it will last a long time. Only issue is that the centre of the roll doesn’t lie flat. Maybe that’s because it’s brand new and needs to relax (who am I to criticise for not relaxing), or maybe it’s just physics of rolling up a mat. It’s doesn’t really affect the performance of the matt, but I’ll see how it goes over time.
Matt rolled out - plenty of markings and a decent length that can fit in my living room
The centre of the mat doesn't lay flat. Will see if it just takes some time to relax
Assembling Alignment Stick Set - There are plenty of pieces that look like will enable a variety of different putting activities. All the parts disassemble and have a dedicated storage area in the bag, so it’s easy to pack away and keep all the bits. The small rubber tube that enables the two alignment sticks to be joined is a nice touch. I like the idea of the gates to give immediate feedback about starting line, but having the alignment sticks to ensure that the equipment is lined up properly is a nice feature.
The Alignment Stick Set allows many options and disassembles for storage. Pocket is for the gate parts.
Use of extended alignment stick ensures ball, gate, and target are aligned (sticks sag but are straight along putt line)
Goals for testing
My 10 round average for strokes gained putting is currently sitting at 0.0 against a 5 handicap, so I think a good goal for putting success would be to get it to +1.0, but any improvement will be worth it. I’ll post updated stats after any round I play to see how I’m progressing.
With my practice I want to make improve my ability tostart my ball on my intended line, with appropriate pace. I really want to try out the variety of possible activities that can be done with the gear, as this will help with keeping practice fresh (putting practice can easily get stale) and evaluating how the gear can help you to develop a repeatable, accurate stroke. If there are any drills you want me to try out to see if they’re possible with the gear, please let me know in a comment.
With my reviewing, I used all of the different elements of our sets over different weeks. I started with just the mat and the Pressure Putt Trainer, then used the Alignment Stick Set with more regularity later on.
Quality of components (10 out of 10 points)
For all 3 elements of the set, the products are made well, have quality materials, and are well put together. As identified in my initial impressions, I could only fault some very minor packaging experience issues.
Ease of use (10 out of 10 points)
With the Pressure Putt Trainer and the putting mat, it was obvious what the purposes of each product were. With the Alignment Stick Set, it’s a more complex product. There are many more applications and combinations the product can be used in, so some were not initially obvious. This was solved with informative packaging with examples of the different ways the products can be setup.
Basic Characteristics (17 out of 20 points)
Starting with the mat, it does everything you would want from an indoor practice mat. It rolls at a green-like speed, has assorted targets and alignment lines for practice. It makes a great base to build putting practice from.
With the Pressure Putt Trainer, having the smaller target meant I was able to focus with greater detail. It also meant that I had a more difficult goal that a standard hole size; great for rehearsing putts inside 6 feet. By having the goal of the perfect speed and line to nestle in the target, it was rehearsing starting the ball on line, with appropriate pace, and made practice interesting with the satisfying “plop” into the small target.
With the Alignment Stick Set, its fundamental purpose is to rehearse starting the ball on line. Sadly, with all the arrangements there was only loose feedback that I was starting my putts on line. The gates were much wider than a golf ball and can’t be narrowed for making tighter pass/go for starting putts on line. As I stated in the mid-review comments, by having multiple slots in the round rubber feet, the difficulty for starting on line could be changed.
On-Course Performance (## out of 30 points)
For my review, it’s impossible to evaluate on course performance; public health orders where I live prevented golf being played during the review period. I had one round on the 31st of August, but with 50km/h winds (31 miles) my poor putting stats were influenced more by the conditions than any practice I had done with the products.
So sadly, I’m going to have to ignore this part in my scoring of the products. I’ll revisit this in about a month and update this.
Miscellaneous (10 out of 10 points)
The strongest characteristic of all the products in our set is the quality of materials and finish. They don’t really affect the ability of the products to help your golf game but if you’re spending money on products, it’s better if they’re well-presented. For example, the Pressure Putt Trainer’s materials have a nice matt finish, the putting mat has reinforcement around the perimeter of the mat and a thicker base layer than others I’ve seen on the market, and the stainless steel in the Alignment Stick Set gives it a premium feel.
The other area of strength for all products was the thought put into how they are packed away for easy and small storage. The bag with multiple pockets on the Alignment Stick Set where every part had a place is well thought out. As a result, all the products take up minimal space in a closet.
Keep it or Trade it? (14 out of 20 points)
Putting Mat – keep. It does everything a putting mat should. Rolls up, rolls truly, can be vacuumed occasionally to keep it clean, and has a range of useful markings. Technically I’m not going to keep this one, but a friend is buying a Medium mat and then we are trading. The medium mat will fit my home better.
Pressure Putt Trainer – keep. This is a unique product in the putting practice market; providing a little reward for making a perfect putt but also indicating made putts. With the added convenience of it being able to fold away neatly when not in use, the different colour options, and its suitability for people who aren’t “golfers”, it’s a real winner.
Alignment Stick Set – trade. I really wanted to like this product, but I just didn’t find it useful. I tried all the different setups that it can do, and none of them convincingly aided starting the putt on line, and the product is not designed to train correct speed. I’m sure there will be someone who thoroughly disagrees with me who will love it though. It is a well-made product that you can tell has been thought about in design, but it just doesn’t gel with me.
Conclusion
I thank both PuttOUT and MGS for giving me the opportunity to review these products. The process really got me thinking about putting practice, and was the trigger for some enlightening discussions with the professionals at the facilities I go to. Overall, I commend PuttOUT for the quality of materials, construction, finish, and storage of their products. You can tell they have gone to great effort to get this right. For the Putting Mat and Pressure Putt Trainer, these are great products that I think help to keep my practice fresh and improve my putting. I want to practice more with these two products. Whilst the Alignment Stick Set is a well-made product, I didn’t find it useful to get my putts starting on line. I'm thinking of modelling and 3D printing some custom feet for my Alignment Stick Set.
Final Reviews: PuttOUT Golf Training System
Posted
Introduction
I’m Michael and I’m a first-time tester for MGS. I play most of my golf at Werribee Park Golf Club, which is west of Melbourne, Australia (Down Under!). It’s a brilliant part of the world to play golf and has one of the best views from the clubhouse of any course I’ve been to. I also venture out to other golf courses about 4-8 times per year; one of the best was playing Curlewis (close to where my in-laws live) after being invited by @Peaksy68.
A typical view of Australian golf in the middle of winter.
View from the clubhouse
I have been playing golf since I was 14, so have been playing for 20 years. Up until the last 3 years I haven’t had a regular playing schedule, but now it’s weekly. I’ve been able to go from an 18 handicap down to 8 in those 3 years. Typically, I gain strokes from driving, lose a little from approach and short, then putting is a small gain. Lately I’ve been driving terribly but my short game has been better than normal; skewing my recent averages.
Current 10 round averages - Overall stats are vs 8 Handicap, Putting vs 5 handicap (gives a testing baseline of 0.0)
My golfing is mainly on Saturday mornings, and I don’t usually have much of an opportunity to practice during the week. With the PuttOUT equipment I’ll be able to practice putting at home without having to go to a dedicated facility. It looks like a good range of equipment to make sure my putting is top notch. This should combine well with an AimPoint session I did recently. I’ve found it useful for reading greens.
First Impressions
In our box of goodies we received a Premium Pressure Putt Trainer (titanium white and dark grey – a colour combo that doesn’t seem to be on the online shop), a large putting mat (3.7m x 0.66m or 12ft x 3ft), and a Putting Plane Alignment Stick Set. I haven’t seen the packaging on the other colours of the Pressure Putt Trainers, but the silver band at the bottom of the packaging would be a nice colour pop to match the different colours of the trainers.
Packaging - The packaging is quite nice, with clear indications about what each item is for and links to ideas for how to use the equipment. I noticed how the packages could be merchandised both on a shelf standing up, or on a hook – a nice touch. There aren’t excessive amounts of packaging so it’s easy to get everything out. One minor issue is on the top of the Alignment Stick Set’s packaging. The closing tab detaches with an unsatisfying tear rather than a clean detachment. It’s an incredibly minor criticism, but it would make the user’s experience a little nicer.
Pressure Putt Trainer Packaging - I hope the silver band at the bottom changes with the colour of the product.
Alignment Stick Set Packaging with carry bag
Top of the Alignment Stick Set packaging - has unsatisfying tearing
Storage - Living in an apartment, I can’t permanently setup any golfing equipment, so the thought the designers have put into easily putting away each product seems to be very useful. I have a 4 x 4 set of Kallax shelves in my office and a golf area in the wardrobe for storing my gear. I think that I will be able to easily take out and put away all elements of the kit. The mat comes with a storage bag to keep it neatly rolled up when not in use. The way the Pressure Putt Trainer and the Putting Plane Alignment Stick Set fold up is ideal to fit into my golf storage area. A big tick for consideration of storage.
Easy to find places to store both the Pressure Putt Trainer and the Alignment Stick Set
Unrolling mat - For the test period I’ll be continually rolling and unrolling the mat to use it. First impressions are that the mat is thick, has plenty of different markings for different activities, and the edges are highly reinforced. It looks like it will last a long time. Only issue is that the centre of the roll doesn’t lie flat. Maybe that’s because it’s brand new and needs to relax (who am I to criticise for not relaxing), or maybe it’s just physics of rolling up a mat. It’s doesn’t really affect the performance of the matt, but I’ll see how it goes over time.
Matt rolled out - plenty of markings and a decent length that can fit in my living room
The centre of the mat doesn't lay flat. Will see if it just takes some time to relax
Assembling Alignment Stick Set - There are plenty of pieces that look like will enable a variety of different putting activities. All the parts disassemble and have a dedicated storage area in the bag, so it’s easy to pack away and keep all the bits. The small rubber tube that enables the two alignment sticks to be joined is a nice touch. I like the idea of the gates to give immediate feedback about starting line, but having the alignment sticks to ensure that the equipment is lined up properly is a nice feature.
The Alignment Stick Set allows many options and disassembles for storage. Pocket is for the gate parts.
Use of extended alignment stick ensures ball, gate, and target are aligned (sticks sag but are straight along putt line)
Goals for testing
My 10 round average for strokes gained putting is currently sitting at 0.0 against a 5 handicap, so I think a good goal for putting success would be to get it to +1.0, but any improvement will be worth it. I’ll post updated stats after any round I play to see how I’m progressing.
With my practice I want to make improve my ability to start my ball on my intended line, with appropriate pace. I really want to try out the variety of possible activities that can be done with the gear, as this will help with keeping practice fresh (putting practice can easily get stale) and evaluating how the gear can help you to develop a repeatable, accurate stroke. If there are any drills you want me to try out to see if they’re possible with the gear, please let me know in a comment.
With my reviewing, I used all of the different elements of our sets over different weeks. I started with just the mat and the Pressure Putt Trainer, then used the Alignment Stick Set with more regularity later on.
Quality of components (10 out of 10 points)
For all 3 elements of the set, the products are made well, have quality materials, and are well put together. As identified in my initial impressions, I could only fault some very minor packaging experience issues.
Ease of use (10 out of 10 points)
With the Pressure Putt Trainer and the putting mat, it was obvious what the purposes of each product were. With the Alignment Stick Set, it’s a more complex product. There are many more applications and combinations the product can be used in, so some were not initially obvious. This was solved with informative packaging with examples of the different ways the products can be setup.
Basic Characteristics (17 out of 20 points)
Starting with the mat, it does everything you would want from an indoor practice mat. It rolls at a green-like speed, has assorted targets and alignment lines for practice. It makes a great base to build putting practice from.
With the Pressure Putt Trainer, having the smaller target meant I was able to focus with greater detail. It also meant that I had a more difficult goal that a standard hole size; great for rehearsing putts inside 6 feet. By having the goal of the perfect speed and line to nestle in the target, it was rehearsing starting the ball on line, with appropriate pace, and made practice interesting with the satisfying “plop” into the small target.
With the Alignment Stick Set, its fundamental purpose is to rehearse starting the ball on line. Sadly, with all the arrangements there was only loose feedback that I was starting my putts on line. The gates were much wider than a golf ball and can’t be narrowed for making tighter pass/go for starting putts on line. As I stated in the mid-review comments, by having multiple slots in the round rubber feet, the difficulty for starting on line could be changed.
On-Course Performance
(## out of 30 points)For my review, it’s impossible to evaluate on course performance; public health orders where I live prevented golf being played during the review period. I had one round on the 31st of August, but with 50km/h winds (31 miles) my poor putting stats were influenced more by the conditions than any practice I had done with the products.
So sadly, I’m going to have to ignore this part in my scoring of the products. I’ll revisit this in about a month and update this.
Miscellaneous (10 out of 10 points)
The strongest characteristic of all the products in our set is the quality of materials and finish. They don’t really affect the ability of the products to help your golf game but if you’re spending money on products, it’s better if they’re well-presented. For example, the Pressure Putt Trainer’s materials have a nice matt finish, the putting mat has reinforcement around the perimeter of the mat and a thicker base layer than others I’ve seen on the market, and the stainless steel in the Alignment Stick Set gives it a premium feel.
The other area of strength for all products was the thought put into how they are packed away for easy and small storage. The bag with multiple pockets on the Alignment Stick Set where every part had a place is well thought out. As a result, all the products take up minimal space in a closet.
Keep it or Trade it? (14 out of 20 points)
Putting Mat – keep. It does everything a putting mat should. Rolls up, rolls truly, can be vacuumed occasionally to keep it clean, and has a range of useful markings. Technically I’m not going to keep this one, but a friend is buying a Medium mat and then we are trading. The medium mat will fit my home better.
Pressure Putt Trainer – keep. This is a unique product in the putting practice market; providing a little reward for making a perfect putt but also indicating made putts. With the added convenience of it being able to fold away neatly when not in use, the different colour options, and its suitability for people who aren’t “golfers”, it’s a real winner.
Alignment Stick Set – trade. I really wanted to like this product, but I just didn’t find it useful. I tried all the different setups that it can do, and none of them convincingly aided starting the putt on line, and the product is not designed to train correct speed. I’m sure there will be someone who thoroughly disagrees with me who will love it though. It is a well-made product that you can tell has been thought about in design, but it just doesn’t gel with me.
Conclusion
I thank both PuttOUT and MGS for giving me the opportunity to review these products. The process really got me thinking about putting practice, and was the trigger for some enlightening discussions with the professionals at the facilities I go to. Overall, I commend PuttOUT for the quality of materials, construction, finish, and storage of their products. You can tell they have gone to great effort to get this right. For the Putting Mat and Pressure Putt Trainer, these are great products that I think help to keep my practice fresh and improve my putting. I want to practice more with these two products. Whilst the Alignment Stick Set is a well-made product, I didn’t find it useful to get my putts starting on line. I'm thinking of modelling and 3D printing some custom feet for my Alignment Stick Set.
Final Score: (61 out of 70 points)