Fiberbuilt Mat Questions

I posted this in the pinned discussion, but I felt like it would get more attention if it was its own post so here it goes:

I have a couple questions.

It looks like there are two different types of Fiberbuilt turf, Fiberbuilt Grass vs Performance Turf. What are the differences?Which products do people on here typically buy and recommend from Fiberbuilt?I see a Flight Deck with Adjustable Tee on Fiberbuilt's website for $99: https://fiberbuiltgolf.com/products/flight-deckIs this the same product listed on Amazon for $58.33: https://www.amazon.com/Fiberbuilt-Flight-Deck-Golf-Hitting/dp/B06Y5NX641This practice station appears to add a couple of additions: a ball holder, a rubber stance mat, and 2 alignment sticks. But it's $300 more!! Am I missing something here? https://fiberbuiltgolf.com/collections/traditional-mats/products/practice-station

Cool, that looks nice but a bit more than I'm willing to spend at this point. I did a ton of research and I think I've answered a couple of my questions. Here's what I found in case anyone else is interested.

It looks like there is not only Fiberbuilt Grass and Performance Turf, but there are two different types of Fiberbuilt Grass, nylon and poly. People seem to indicate that the nylon is nicer. The flight deck is made of poly.Would like to hear more from others on this one.

I believe it is the same product...no idea why it's so much cheaper. I'll probably end up buying this.I still do not understand why it's so much more for a rubber stance mat and 2 alignment sticks.

I have the one from Costco...the hitting station. At Costco the hitting station costs $299. The flight deck etc appear to just be a replacement for the hitting surface of the full practice station, which is great...just means that if someday I wear out the hitting surface I can replace it for a reasonable price.

The practice station is very well made. The stance mat is very, very solid and “cushiony”. Feels like you could lay it on top of most any surface and it would be a solid base upon which to hit. Yes it is expensive, but they spared nothing in the quality/durability of this thing.

Most mats are terrible to hit off of. Not this one...it is “cushiony” but still mimics real conditions reasonably well. And it seems very durable/sturdy, and also feels like it will help avoid impact injuries like tennis elbow, etc. If you got only the hitting surface, you’d have to find a thing to stand on to be level with it. The rubber mat is level with it.

It is really nice, though, to have the positioning and alignment marks on the standing surface, just to continue to confirm your fundamentals. And it “breaks up” into several pieces so it is somewhat easy to store away, easier than what I would assume a regular mat would be.

About the only negatives I’ve found for it are (a) it’s cost, and (b) it takes a minute or two to put it together and it is sturdy / heavy. On the cost, though, it feels like one of those things where when you originally pull the trigger you’re like “why did I just spend that on this” yet years later you’re like “I’m glad I bought this thing, it was worth every penny given how nice and durable it is”.

Fiberbuilt is worth the money - hands down. With mine, the grass is 3 different, replaceable panels - which is nice. The panels themselves, are extremely durable as I've hit thousands of iron shots off them and they still look great. The other important piece is that my joints are just fine - whey they are not after 50 balls off range mats.

If you want to go budget - you can probably just buy the panels themselves and make a platform from plywood, screws, and glue (similar to building a DIY Olympic Lifting Platform). Throw some astro turf on there and I'd imagine you could build one for <$200

I have the practice station from Costco also and I am impressed with it. It was on-sale for $200 about a month ago so you may want to watch for a sale if you have a membership.

I had heard great things about Fiberbuilt mats and started looking at a few options about a year and a half ago. The full size mats were not cheap, but from my research they appeared to be a top choice. Then I found the hitting station and was intrigued. Looked like an interesting option, at a more attractive price. Then I found the Flight Deck (just the separate hitting surface) for $99. When I came across the deal on Amazon, I had to pull the trigger.

Here's the pros and cons of the Flight Deck -

Pros -

Bigger than it looks in the photos. Relatively heavy, too, so it stays it place. Rock solid build.

Indestructible hitting surface. Have been using it regularly for about 18 months, and it looks like new. No wear at all.

"Taking a divot", with the low point of the swing just in front of the ball, feels great with no punishment to the body.

Portable enough to be able to move it around your yard, garage, etc. I'll use it from different spots in the yard into a chipping net, just to save the grass.

Cons-

The unit is almost 2" high, so you'll need a stance mat of some type to level things out (assuming you're not using it in the Hitting Station). Otherwise it's like hitting off a slight side hill lie. I like to mix up my practice routine to allow hitting a variety of shots, so a little of that is fine, but I wouldn't want to ingrain that swing as my standard.

The 'grass' on the Flight Deck is poly, not nylon (as found in their other hitting mats). Similar to what you might find on a push broom. The nylon is superior, but the poly works pretty darn well.

All things considered, I've been very pleased with the Flight Deck, and the deal on Amazon makes it a great value.

Cool, thanks all.

I ended up buying the Flight Deck itself since the deal on Amazon was so good. It should be here next week.

I think you'll like it, and that is a killer deal. Let us know your thoughts once you try it out.

Also, I think I've taken out about 2 inches deep of divots hitting sand wedges in my yard, so it should be pretty level when I get it.