Mats vs. Grass

[Donn lost in San Diego]

Oh, I forgot, also, brush the mat backwards with your foot or club, to make the fibers stand up more.  You can add back about 1/4 inch to the height, so it is like new.  Do it after every shot.  (Doing this also slows you down so you don't get trapped in "driving range tempo). 

[Jim Shaw]

great conversation, I am 100% happy with hitting off mats at the range in the off season, I am working on things (as many of you already know) so to hit off a consistent surface gives me great feedback, also our course initiated "multi matts" for winter play so we hit off matts even on the golf course as the conditions in the winter months aren't great for your swing etc. 

[Beakbryce]

6 hours ago, Tommy E said:

I have the same set up and use it to keep my golf muscles was getting sore between actual visits to the golf course to practice or play.  I’m 71 going on 72 and keeping the muscles loose and the swing with some consistence helps.  I’m not concern with distance on the mat practice, just ball flight and swing drills to maintain my game! ️

I am also 71. I don't often put balls down. I swing everyday I don't play. I concentrate on a full swing with some acceleration. The only time I have balls there is to chip wiffle balls into the back yard. Reckon I have another 20 years to play!

5 hours ago, Franc38 said:

place the ball between two broken tees or other small objects leaving only a tiny bit of leeway for the head of the club to pass though. That's for heel-toe centering.

That's a cool suggestion. I like it.

[Dweed]

11 hours ago, ebaileymershon said:

As my old boss would say, both. Hitting into a net with mat is great to work on timing, keeping loose.  On grass range can visualize the shot, execute the shot, watch the results, commit to memory. Many an instructor recommends edges of ranges for variance in lies, feet placement. 

Welcome to the forum. I hope you are able to glean info and thanks for your input as well.

[Ro.]

Mats are fine for anything except wedges in my opinion. 

[GaDawg]

In my opinion, not all mats are the same. We have some very firm mats at my club and I limit the amount that I hit off them. Hitting more than 20 shots with irons, I begin to get pain in my left elbow.

Not positive if it's true or not, but I have heard that hitting a lot off mats can effect you loft/lie on your irons.

[ChuckZ]

At our course we have no choice on Mon-Thursday.  Mats only.  Per our Mater Instructor at the muni where I play (#19 muni in US, per golf.com), I warm up with a 9 iron on game day, which is Mon/Wed/Fri.  To get loose, ball position and tempo.  Will also usually hit a 7/6 iron and a hybrid.  Not practicing, just warming up.  Might hit a couple of drivers.  If I go to a range to practice I go to one which is closer to the house which is grass only.  Does it really matter as long as you are making good contact with the ball.  With back issues, cannot spend a lot of time at the range.  More time exercising and in PT.  Hakuna matata.   

[Middler]

I won't hit off mats if my purpose is practice, it's not representative as you can hit fat and not know it. I might hit off mats if I was just loosening up, but I use an Orange Whip and some basic stretches for that now - so I never hit off mats. Mats mark up the bottoms of your clubs too, but that rubs off easily.

[Subdiver1]

I'll jump in here.... there are A LOT of good points here from folks I have come to respect from conversing on the MGS forums.  One of the conundrums we face here is the, "bad practice only creates bad habits" vs., "any practice is good practice" philosophies.  There are some ... arts where I COMPLETELY agree that bad practice will only hurt you (Martial Arts, Cross-Fit, weight lifting), in golf I would agree with the "any practice" school to a pretty deep degree.  I personally HATE mats...BUT... I'll take a mat over no swing practice at all.  I have mat in my back yard and some of the course up north have installed mats, only using the grass area during certain parts of the season.  I agree with the comments on the fat shot compensation as well; which is one of the reasons I HATE mats; when I am having problems with contact it drives me NUTS to have to play from a mat, so I work with half swing contact moving into full swings and I get REALLY focused on hitting the ball first (so, good point here is that I get focused on making contact with the ball first therefore eliminating fat shots becomes the goal and the eventual outcome).

The other thing I learned this past summer was the effect on my clubs.  If you look back to my comments on Sqairz, I really liked the comfort of the shoes, but I was having an issue with contact when I started wearing them. This drive me to have my clubs checked.  I was also experiencing some serious loss of distance with my PW.  So I decided to have my clubs looked at.  My clubs are normally set a standard lie angle, on analysis my 3 & 5 irons had moved to 1 degree upright, 6-PW irons moved to 2 degrees upright.  I think these clubs were delivered in March?  That was a 2 degree movement in less than 4 months.  There was no change to loft, so I could not blew the loss of distance with my PW on this, but what the heck was going on with this lie angle change?  The tech at the shop asked me if I hit from mats often and told me that when he was on the college team they would have their clubs checked and adjusted at least twice a year, each time they had them regripped.  He said the impact on club lie angle from hitting off mats was common knowledge.  That made me think, WTF? Do the courses really know this is a side effect of moving to mats?  Anyway, I agree, hitting off mats is better than not getting some range time in, but be aware of both the difference you mention between mats and grass AND the potential impact on your club loft and lie angles.

The more you bleed in practice, the less you bleed in real world action.  Practice wherever and whenever you can.  Then practice twice as much, when you can, in the conditions you will really face.

Good luck and don't give up the ship.

[WiTerp50]

Yup, mats are best used to perfect playing in a simulator. Even a grass range has limits as well. Somehow I never find a level spot on course. Pitching onto greens against and with the grain onto uphill and downhill greens are my practice deficiencies. Find par 3 or executive courses for practice time. Driving ranges are best to work on technique. . 

[Kenny B]

Most driving range mats do allow you to "get away with" hitting fat shots; you still get a decent result.  However, I can tell when I hit a fat shot; the feel of the shot is different and the sound is different.  There is also a difference with a well-struck ball; the ball goes further than off turf... at least on our turf.  More expensive mats like in my hitting bay actually penalize a fat shot, but the price paid is sore joints.  

Our grass range gets so much use that the turf is very thin and really doesn't reflect actual turf conditions on course.  For me the range is used more for warming up, seeing ball flights and not much else.

[SRG53]

The divot board is a great way to get a feel for ball first strike as well

 

[Big C]

Heyyyy guys I hit off the mat today at golf range with driver I hate it because that big rubber tee doesn’t strike face of driver square not for me back to the grass

[barney_bogey]

My grass mat lets me know if I hit a fat shot immediately. Even without the monitor, the left wrist is a very good alert system, indeed!

[Gusset]

I've never seen one in use at a driving range, but for home practice the Fiberboard Flight Deck is a great "mat" for reducing injury potential and for not concealing fat contact like a flat mat. Needs an elevated surface to stand on is about the only negative. 

[Goober]

I honestly hate hitting off of mats. Almost best to wait until spring then hit off of them. 

[Mike B]

I live in the tundra and hitting off grass 7-8 months out of the year is unheard of at a range. I don't particularly like hitting off mats as the ones here seem to melt on to my clubs. The indoor ranges are much better mats so I do use them when I can. The tips I have read here will really improve my thought on using mats.

[taylorjonasher]

I saw several people commenting on tendonitis here in this thread - @RickK @Tommy E specifically. Take a listen to this episode from Fit For Golf's Mike Carroll and Dr. Keith Baar and watch the video on the exercises.

I am in week two of self-rehabbing some pretty intense tennis and golf elbow in my trail arm as a result of hitting off of mats (both lateral and medial epicondylitis). In the past I have seen a chiro who utilizes ultrasound and HILT laser therapy with short term results, but nothing lasting more than a month or so.  Using the protocol below, I have noticed significant results very quickly. I am already noticing a return of my grip strength and a decrease in pain - all while being able to continue hitting off of my mat in my garage. I am using 10# dumbells and it takes about 15 minutes to do both arms. 

 

 

[BallsLeon]

I think you should hit off what you have available to you, and not worry about it too  much.

Can only hit off grass at a few ranges around here, and that’s only some of the time. So you make do with what you have. Heck, Tony Finau learned golf off a mat in his garage.

If you’re worried about mats, try to be aware/present in how you’re hitting the ball. Maybe try drills to avoid hitting fat as well, like a towel behind the ball.