Driving Range: Anyone else hit further off mats than grass?

[shadymg]

I have been noticing quite a difference in the distances I'm able to achieve on the driving range (mats only), compared to when I'm out on the course. Specifically with my irons, for example, 7 iron at range I've been around 145-155, but on course I've been finding it more around 135-140.

 

For anyone that hits off both, does hitting off mat give greater distances for yourself?

 

Some notes:

- in addition to using range finder on range I also use swing caddie to double confirm distance of strikes.

- I'm obviously not counting chunks or thin shots on the grass, i'm referencing flush shots that at least sound as good...to me

[PowderedToastMan]

There’s some evidence that spin with irons can be lower off mats. There’s also a likely possibility that you typically hit the ball the slightest bit fat, which loses distance on the course but can actually gain distance on a mat.

 

I think most ams would be surprised how far the divot starts in front of the ball with really good ball-strikers.

[chigolfer1]

Mats can be very deceiving if your miss is to hit it slightly fat. I don't mean obviously fat but even just slightly, mats will definitely disguise that.

[nfmoto]

Almost always a low point issue.

[shadymg]

> @nfmoto said:

> Almost always a low point issue.

 

Meaning i'm able to get lower to the ball on mats than on grass?

[glk]

> @shadymg said:

> > @nfmoto said:

> > Almost always a low point issue.

>

> Meaning i'm able to get lower to the ball on mats than on grass?

 

Your low point (the club)in the swing isn’t in front of the ball

[shadymg]

> @glk said:

> > @shadymg said:

> > > @nfmoto said:

> > > Almost always a low point issue.

> >

> > Meaning i'm able to get lower to the ball on mats than on grass?

>

> Your low point (the club)in the swing isn’t in front of the ball

 

gotcha. Do you think that is due to my practicing/learning primarily on mats? or is this achievable on mats?

Most of the driving ranges near me only have mats, but one of them does offer grass range once or twice a week. So wondering if at this point in my game i am doing myself a disservice continuing to practice on mats or if i'd be better off spending less time at a range but only off grass?

[MountainKing]

> @shadymg said:

> > @glk said:

> > > @shadymg said:

> > > > @nfmoto said:

> > > > Almost always a low point issue.

> > >

> > > Meaning i'm able to get lower to the ball on mats than on grass?

> >

> > Your low point (the club)in the swing isn’t in front of the ball

>

> gotcha. Do you think that is due to my practicing/learning primarily on mats? or is this achievable on mats?

> Most of the driving ranges near me only have mats, but one of them does offer grass range once or twice a week. So wondering if at this point in my game i am doing myself a disservice continuing to practice on mats or if i'd be better off spending less time at a range but only off grass?

 

Yes, you can pick up bad habits on a mat if you're not careful, especially with the slightly fat. If you're not 100% sure what solid impact actually feels like you're best bet is to avoid the mats and just work on your shot game, at least that's my opinion. Unfortunately on a mat a slightly fat shot can feel solid since the club will just bounce into the ball rather than dig into the turf.

[glk]

> @shadymg said:

> > @glk said:

> > > @shadymg said:

> > > > @nfmoto said:

> > > > Almost always a low point issue.

> > >

> > > Meaning i'm able to get lower to the ball on mats than on grass?

> >

> > Your low point (the club)in the swing isn’t in front of the ball

>

> gotcha. Do you think that is due to my practicing/learning primarily on mats? or is this achievable on mats?

> Most of the driving ranges near me only have mats, but one of them does offer grass range once or twice a week. So wondering if at this point in my game i am doing myself a disservice continuing to practice on mats or if i'd be better off spending less time at a range but only off grass?

 

Matts can hide it some the ground won’t but it is your mechanics that need to improve in order to get the low point consistently in front of the ball. Can practice anywhere you have room, a good idea of what you really need to improve ( best to see a teaching pro in person or online - someone who does it for a living), and feedback devices. I do most of mine at home.

[PowderedToastMan]

I recommend you purchase “The Impact Zone” by Bobby Clampett. I think it’s clear you need to learn a bit about impact and low point and that book, I believe, is a great way to do that.

[MountainGoat]

> @PowderedToastMan said:

> There’s some evidence that spin with irons can be lower off mats.

 

I've seen this data, too, and it's made me call into question club fittings that are conducted with balls hit off mats. The spin numbers are really quite deceiving.

 

[nlk10010]

> @shadymg said:

> > @glk said:

> > > @shadymg said:

> > > > @nfmoto said:

> > > > Almost always a low point issue.

> > >

> > > Meaning i'm able to get lower to the ball on mats than on grass?

> >

> > Your low point (the club)in the swing isn’t in front of the ball

>

> gotcha. Do you think that is due to my practicing/learning primarily on mats? or is this achievable on mats?

> Most of the driving ranges near me only have mats, but one of them does offer grass range once or twice a week. So wondering if at this point in my game i am doing myself a disservice continuing to practice on mats or if i'd be better off spending less time at a range but only off grass?

 

This is probably my biggest issue. I don't get my weight forward and hit behind the ball; on mats, this is not penalized because the club head bounces right off and into the ball. This became apparent when I tried playing on a real course. In fact, when I first took up golf about ten years ago I would ONLY go to the range (they are all mats around here) and now I DESPISE going there because I thoroughly believe that EVERY good shot I hit is due to the mats and not me. I TRY to go only to a course, and to a sparsely populated 9-hole which, if the timing's right, I can use as my personal grass range.

 

The above said, ranges serve a purpose and I think if you learn to listen to contact and feel how the head contacts the ball you can, for the most part, differentiate a fat from correct hit (not always though, it's an art). More objectively, you can put a towel (or duct tape) down on the mat, say, 6" behind the ball to see how badly you come down behind it.

 

 

[sprcoop]

I started golfing at PAR 3 off of mats and it ruined me. Got to the point if I was one or two over it was a bad day. But I was hitting fat and not knowing it until I started on full course with grass. Nightmare.

 

When you hit off mats use foot spray to put down a line then put the ball just in front. Try to strike it well without hitting the line. It will be enlightening. I wish someone had told me that when I started.

[shadymg]

> @sprcoop said:

> When you hit off mats use foot spray to put down a line then put the ball just in front. Try to strike it well without hitting the line. It will be enlightening. I wish someone had told me that when I started.

 

Yep, exactly me. I started on a par 3 which only had Mats, then went to driving ranges that ONLY had mats. I like the foot powder idea (i have the spray, and that's what throws me off--i put it on my clubface, and the iron shots are flush in the middle, so i think i'm doing good). Might be a nice intermediary to my current mood of just not practicing any irons on mats going forward (i can get to a grass range Wed/Thursdays only)

[northgolf]

> @shadymg said:

> > @sprcoop said:

> > When you hit off mats use foot spray to put down a line then put the ball just in front. Try to strike it well without hitting the line. It will be enlightening. I wish someone had told me that when I started.

>

> Yep, exactly me. I started on a par 3 which only had Mats, then went to driving ranges that ONLY had mats. I like the foot powder idea (i have the spray, and that's what throws me off--i put it on my clubface, and the iron shots are flush in the middle, so i think i'm doing good). Might be a nice intermediary to my current mood of just not practicing any irons on mats going forward (i can get to a grass range Wed/Thursdays only)

 

Lucky you, all the ranges around me are mats only.

[HoldTheLag]

Try some masking tape on the mat behind the ball.

[shadymg]

FWIW I think i know the difference in sound when I hit the ground first. My gf (golfed her whole life) loved to just say to me "behind" every time she'd hear/see me do it. So I'm pretty sure I'm not hitting behind first. I'm going to a range tonight with grass so I'm going to bring my swing caddie and I'll try to report back

[AndersUK]

With my P790's I continually test between the mat on my sim, range mats and off grass with my GC2. The spin is always lower off mats which gives me a slightly lower trajectory and carry but more roll out. On grass I create more spin with a slightly higher trajectory and carry and much less roll out. I can roll out an 8i/7i on the sim but need a 6i/5i or more on grass (with the same premium ball). One caveat is that a heavy shot on grass is much more punishing than on a mat.

 

That said, I remember being fitted for a set of first gen Mizuno HM's and the fitter put a sticker on the club face and a straight line marker on the ball to test lie angle. He did this 3 times and I hit the most penetrating 200 yard 6i shots I had ever struck. During the fitting the numbers were 185-190 carry so these were a full club length longer. Spin was much lower so in reality it was 3 knuckle balls. However, in this instance, much lower spin actually delivered more carry.

 

I have also found that its not just the numbers that are different - clubs sound and feel very different off mats vs grass and I will never buy fitted clubs again without first testing off grass.

[net_worth]

> @shadymg said:

>

> gotcha. Do you think that is due to my practicing/learning primarily on mats? or is this achievable on mats?

> Most of the driving ranges near me only have mats, but one of them does offer grass range once or twice a week. So wondering if at this point in my game i am doing myself a disservice continuing to practice on mats or if i'd be better off spending less time at a range but only off grass?

 

I prefer to hit off mats because they tend to cram way too many bays into the grass area at my local range. I also can't swing the club if there's any debris or dirt on the face so I have to scrub the club after nearly every shot and it takes forever.

 

Anyway, I think hitting off mats is fine as long as you can properly identify a poorly struck shot. If you hit it slightly fat on the mats, it can still look like a fairly well-struck shot. You need to be able to feel that it was fat and know that it probably would have traveled half as far if you made that swing on grass. If you can correctly identify good shots and poor shots, you'll be better off than if you abandoned practicing altogether simply because you don't have access to grass mats.

[juststeve]

You can certainly mishit the ball further off mats than off turf. That's probably what OP is experiencing.

 

Steve

[chigolfer1]

> @shadymg said:

> > @glk said:

> > > @shadymg said:

> > > > @nfmoto said:

> > > > Almost always a low point issue.

> > >

> > > Meaning i'm able to get lower to the ball on mats than on grass?

> >

> > Your low point (the club)in the swing isn’t in front of the ball

>

> gotcha. Do you think that is due to my practicing/learning primarily on mats? or is this achievable on mats?

> Most of the driving ranges near me only have mats, but one of them does offer grass range once or twice a week. So wondering if at this point in my game i am doing myself a disservice continuing to practice on mats or if i'd be better off spending less time at a range but only off grass?

 

No, I don't think your swing is leading to slightly fat shots because you learned and practiced on mats. Your swing is slightly fat because of something in your swing. That said, hitting and learning off mats meant you couldn't detect this issue as well and didn't feel the need to correct it.

 

If you have the choice and the effort to get to mats and grass is almost equivalent then, yes, always hit off grass in that scenario.

[lindsaybinsey]

I am terrified of mats, they reek havoc on sore elbows and wrists.

I think the quality of the range ball itself means a lot more for distance than the surface you hit from.

They make a pretty awesome portable tracman that I see on the range a lot more.

connects with the app right to your phone.

Can’t imagine a better way to test the theories than that.

Good luck!

[golftherapy02]

Also depends on your swing plane, and descent angle. If you're someone who takes divots frequently mats will most likely not be friendly in terms of numbers

[Man_O_War]

your irons are bouncing into the ball on the mats...

[shadymg]

after impact, sure. not before though...

[Hawkeye77]

It's not bouncing into the ball after impact.

Edit: you may mean impact with the mat, I guess.

[Kgglonghorn]

I refuse to hit off mats inless I am somewhere getting fitted by a professional. Nothing, and I mean nothing good happens hitting off mats in any other circumstance. I have the choice between hitting off mats to warm up or going straight to the first tee, then the trunk slam it is.