Hitting Off Mats: A pointless waste of time?

[MelloYello]

Every time I go for some prolonged period of say, 1 week, hitting balls exclusively off mats I return to the course (or the grass range tees) only to find I'm struggling with my ball-striking. For me, mats make golf effortless. I hit it higher and straighter off mats. Worse still, this feeling of being TW hitting off mats only makes you want to hit more and more balls, worsening the issue. 

 

Anyone simply given up entirely on hitting from mats? So long as we're on mats here, I'll focus what practice I do on driving & putting while opting for more 3-, 6- and 9-hole rounds as opposed to hitting balls mid-week. 

[LeftDaddy]

Yep, I used to hit some towering bombs off mats and always wondered why it didn’t translate to grass lol. Not to mention, mats gave me a major case of tennis elbow a few years back. 
 

No more mats for me!

[Obee]

Depends on the type of mat. Definitely not a waste of time if you are hitting from quality mats, IMNTBHO.

[BrianMcG]

If they are decent mats I like them. You can set up a nice little swing station for alignment and ball position. 

 

I have a mat in my back yard that I use to hit into a net. I love it.

[milesgiles]

cant agree. Most of my time is working on mechanics, off a mat, into a net. Its not for everyone but works for me 

[hammersia]

Far as I can see, all PGA tour pros have a simulator / mat type setup at home, including Tiger. Most of them could afford to have some sort of grass range setup (50 yards into a net or something at least) in their yard and they don't - they do often have real grass practice chipping and putting greens however.

 

At ranges, the type of balls and lack of punishment for bad shots are far more significant in terms of the quality of practice you do, unless the mats are truly terrible.

 

[Itsjustagame]

Rarely practice off mats, other than a dozen balls to warm up before round. Will go to the couse at off times and play multiple balls for my best practice.

[br61]

6 hours ago, Obee said:

Depends on the type of mat. Definitely not a waste of time if you are hitting from quality mats, IMNTBHO.

True, I use this Fiberbuilt with hitting strip into a net inside my garage whenever it's too cold to hit balls outdoors. I feel that hitting strip prevents the "turf shock". I use it mostly with irons and for chipping & pitches with wedges. I'm usually done after 20-30 shots.

 

 

 

[getitdaily]

If all you ate able to hit off is a mat then they are far from a waste of time. They are much less preferable than grass tho.

[JamesWA]

Last July I played off a hard mat  that was more like board. Got tennis/golfers elbow as a result. Still not gone.

Turf or a high quality range mat from now on - makeshift mats are trouble.

[Hawkeye77]

99% yes.  Tennis elbow surgery two years ago.  

 

Mats can definitely mask some contact issues for some as well.

 

Some swing insight from Monte has resulted in my understanding that the stresses that were put on my elbow were, in part, due to a swing flaw (pretty much same old, but different perspective) and that understanding has actually helped with my determination to try and change that --- I found it makes a difference when the need is to change something to potentially avoid another elbow issue and a couple seasons of pain and a season of recovery.  Makes for a little different kind of incentive. 😉

Edited February 8, 2022 by Hawkeye77

[Unplayablelies]

It depends. Some mats are much better than others. Fat hits aren’t hard to discern unless your new at golf. While I prefer grass it’s hard to find a decent grass range that’s maintained anywhere near properly. We have one locally that I swear is built on straight decompose granite and will scar your clubs up

[jobin]

I have read than Yani Tseng, from TAIWAN, spent the first 2 years of her golf instruction solely on mats. Due to various reasons, maybe esp cost of real golf. But after those 2 years she  could shoot near par golf.

So, mats cannot be all bad.

[MelloYello]

2 hours ago, hammersia said:

Far as I can see, all PGA tour pros have a simulator / mat type setup at home, including Tiger. Most of them could afford to have some sort of grass range setup (50 yards into a net or something at least) in their yard and they don't - they do often have real grass practice chipping and putting greens however.

 

At ranges, the type of balls and lack of punishment for bad shots are far more significant in terms of the quality of practice you do, unless the mats are truly terrible.

 

 

This is true and on it's surface seems like a rebuttal but there are a lot of variables:
--Are those hitting bays merely for rainy days? 

--Are pro's actually using those mats for ball-striking practice or just movement work? 

 

What I find to be the primary issue with mats is that the lies are too perfect. Give me any surface where there's nothing to interfere and I'll hit bombs all day. I hear a lot of people talk about how cushioned a mat is and I get it, but that has little effect for me since both will produce a perfect lie. The problem is that I never see "perfect" lies on the course. 

 

To that same end, Pro's do effectively see perfect lies all the time. We can't compare our home courses to what they play. Those courses are hard but the conditions keep them pampered. 

Edited February 8, 2022 by MelloYello

[MelloYello]

24 minutes ago, jobin said:

I have read than Yani Tseng, from TAIWAN, spent the first 2 years of her golf instruction solely on mats. Due to various reasons, maybe esp cost of real golf. But after those 2 years she  could shoot near par golf.

So, mats cannot be all bad.

 

That's an interesting point because apparently simulator golf operates on a very large scale in Korea, or so I've heard. Apparently they have (or want to develop) whole "Tours" around it. 

 

And it's not hard to imagine that off in the far distant future golf won't be possible for anyone outside the highest earners and that we may see a time when it's only known to the common folk through more cost-effective digital simulation, which can be done for pennies on the dollar versus developing and operating a real golf course.

 

Based on what people in big cities say, golf sounds horrible. Too expensive and too crowded, LOL. And that's only going to get worse and spread out. 

 

 

Anyhow, I just find that I sweep the ball effortlessly off mats in a way that doesn't translate to grass. I always end up hitting the ball twice as high off mats. But I can't manage what feels like a 0^o Angle of Attack when I move back to grass and I have to relearn to take a divot properly. 

 

Mats seem to make me shallow out in a way that's not feasible off real grass. 

 

.

Edited February 8, 2022 by MelloYello

[LeftyMatt24]

What I’ll do on mats is put a 2nd ball or towel behind the ball varying by how I am feeling that day like 5inches or so and it forces ball first contact so I don’t get sloppy on mats 

[MK7Golf21]

I limit my time on mats for the health of my joints but I usually use them a little bit in spring when range it’s super wet and cold  or when necessary. They do make ball striking easier.
 

I haven’t setup a home simulator simply because I have seen so many people hitting on the thing daily and ending up with golfer/tennis elbow. 

[hammersia]

12 minutes ago, LeftyMatt24 said:

What I’ll do on mats is put a 2nd ball or towel behind the ball varying by how I am feeling that day like 5inches or so and it forces ball first contact so I don’t get sloppy on mats 

I also agree with this sort of thing, following a recent lesson using Gcquad ^^^^
 

If you can keep an eye on attack angle somehow, then I think half decent mats are fine. 
 

Nothing wrong with movement practice either if you know what you are working on. 
 

Yes I’d rather play golf, but with limited time I enjoy hitting balls wherever and whenever.

[MattM97]

I think mats are better than nothing but depends on the mat. If it's like a beach towel over concrete then not going to happen, if it's something quality sure I'll definitely hit balls off them but obviously prefer grass whenever possible. 

[Hawkeye77]

31 minutes ago, MelloYello said:

 

Mats seem to make me shallow out in a way that's not feasible off real grass. 

 

Does the launch monitor bear this out?  Just curious.  If not, it is possible to self-misinterpret clean picking of the ball for shallow, IMO and have been there, lol.

Edited February 8, 2022 by Hawkeye77

[amace04]

I fall in the "depends on the mat" crowd.

 

The softer mats which are gentler on your joints, are also the worst for this.  It's a problem I have now, a local wim  has these pretty lush hitting mats, which are comfortable and feel good, but a fat shot still goes a long way, and when I pure one, it's gone.  Super high, Super far, gone.  I don't think it's the monitor out of calibration, as drivers and woods off a tee seem about right.  I think it's just how easy it is to get a perfect strike.

 

Compared to another mat I hit off which is much harder.  When I hit it fat, you know.  The club skips, the ball launches low, and it doesn't feel good.  Probably hell on my wrists and elbows, but at least it's more realistic.  I can still pure it when I get good contact ,but that's far less frequently than off the softer mat.

 

 

My point?   Any mat and any monitor is good for working on your swing and if you're working through swing changes, but a more forgiving mat can lend itself to developing bad habits that don't translate to the course.

[cgasucks]

For me playing the game over 20 years and living in Canada, I've been exclusively been practicing off mats since I pretty much have no choice.  In fact, I've been practicing off of them for so long practicing off of grass is considered a luxury in the spring and summer.  

 

So far, hitting off mats all this time is not considered a hindrance to me but I do agree that the more cushier the mat, the better.

Edited February 8, 2022 by cgasucks

[MelloYello]

1 hour ago, Hawkeye77 said:

 

Does the launch monitor bear this out?  Just curious.  If not, it is possible to self-misinterpret clean picking of the ball for shallow, IMO and have been there, lol.

 

No launch monitor in question so no hard data. We're talking about the range at my (private) club. We're on mats through the weekdays in winter and switch to "grass" on weekends. 

 

What I see for sure is that the ball goes significantly higher off the mat. So ultimately, there's increased loft being presented in how I change my swing off a mat. So the club is either coming in shallower or I'm simply training myself to flick/flip at the ball.

 

I think it's a little of both although my impacts are not thin. So I think I'm just sliding the club into the ball in a way I could never do on turf because I'd be skimming the grass and dirt. 

 

It's not quite what I'd call "missing fat" as I'm darn sure not chunking shots, rather doing the opposite--skimming the surface. It's more than I'm sweeping & flipping on mats because there's no penalty for skimming the mat surface. You could call that fat. I get it. 

 

To me, mats are literally training me to do the wrong thing. 

Edited February 8, 2022 by MelloYello

[MelloYello]

20 minutes ago, amace04 said:

I fall in the "depends on the mat" crowd.

 

The softer mats which are gentler on your joints, are also the worst for this.  It's a problem I have now, a local wim  has these pretty lush hitting mats, which are comfortable and feel good, but a fat shot still goes a long way, and when I pure one, it's gone.  Super high, Super far, gone.  I don't think it's the monitor out of calibration, as drivers and woods off a tee seem about right.  I think it's just how easy it is to get a perfect strike.

 

Compared to another mat I hit off which is much harder.  When I hit it fat, you know.  The club skips, the ball launches low, and it doesn't feel good.  Probably hell on my wrists and elbows, but at least it's more realistic.  I can still pure it when I get good contact ,but that's far less frequently than off the softer mat.

 

 

My point?   Any mat and any monitor is good for working on your swing and if you're working through swing changes, but a more forgiving mat can lend itself to developing bad habits that don't translate to the course.

 

I would agree with the above. I'd say the mat I'm hitting off is pretty soft (comfortable) but that seems to make ball-striking way too easy as you can just sweep the ball effortlessly without fear of skimming the surface a little too far behind the ball which on grass would be a disaster.

 

Soft mats may be comfortable but they appear bad for ball-striking. 

 

.

Edited February 8, 2022 by MelloYello

[amace04]

12 minutes ago, MelloYello said:

 

What I see for sure is that the ball goes significantly higher off the mat. So ultimately, there's increased loft being presented in how I change my swing off a mat. So the club is either coming in shallower or I'm simply training myself to flick/flip at the ball.

 

I suspect it's not just you changing your swing to deliver more loft, but rather you hitting higher on the club face.   a cushier mat will let the club get under the ball more.  I'd expect you'd get a similar result hitting off grass but with a low tee.  Higher face strike, more spin, possibly better distance, and a higher apex.

Edited February 8, 2022 by amace04

[Kuuuch]

I've never really noticed that much of a difference in how I strike it on mats vs grass..I mean sure if I catch one heavy its less penalizing off of a mat but I still know that I caught one heavy. I would say if anything I actually end up hitting it slightly better off grass because I get more in a groove when it comes to low point control. 

 

I do prefer mats when practicing because its easier to work on aim, I can hit balls faster so I have more time to spend on short game and you constantly have a good lie. Only exception being before a round, I of course prefer grass before I'm about to play. 

[MelloYello]

5 minutes ago, amace04 said:

 

I suspect it's not just you changing your swing to deliver more loft, but rather you hitting higher on the club face.   a cushier mat will let the club get under the ball more.  I'd expect you'd get a similar result hitting off grass but with a low tee.  Higher face strike, more spin, possibly better distance, and a higher apex.

 

That's definitely something I considered. My strike pattern off mats is what you'd consider desirable in terms of height on the face. 

 

Based on what I've observed, the difference on grass seems to be that I'm de-lofting more to achieve impact around the same location on the face. Thus, the ball sees less loft and it doesn't go as high. 

 

I'm a good enough player that will automatically adjust AoA for the lie. I get on grass and I know instinctually "I have to hit down a bit more on this to avoid a fat shot." I think that's pretty natural for most decent players. 

[msg]

42 minutes ago, cgasucks said:

For me playing the game over 20 years and living in Canada, I've been exclusively been practicing off mats since I pretty much have no choice.  In fact, I've been practicing off of them for so long practicing off of grass is considered a luxury in the spring and summer.  

 

So far, hitting off mats all this time is not considered a hindrance to me but I do agree that the more cushier the mat, the better.

I live in Canada too. Since I moved here, in the last 10 years I spend my winter hitting on mats regularly. When the snow melts and spring comes, I never had any issues with transitioning to grass. Same case with my buddies. 5 years ago I got a Sky Trak and I have been spending my winters down the basement almost everyday hitting mats. My iron play, I would say is the best part of my game based on strokes gained on my app and practicing on indoors using Sky Trak has a lot to do with that. Of course I would prefer grass anytime over a mat but personally it never was an issue for me. 

Edited February 8, 2022 by msg

[KBong]

12 hours ago, MelloYello said:

Every time I go for some prolonged period of say, 1 week, hitting balls exclusively off mats I return to the course (or the grass range tees) only to find I'm struggling with my ball-striking. For me, mats make golf effortless. I hit it higher and straighter off mats. Worse still, this feeling of being TW hitting off mats only makes you want to hit more and more balls, worsening the issue. 

 

Anyone simply given up entirely on hitting from mats? So long as we're on mats here, I'll focus what practice I do on driving & putting while opting for more 3-, 6- and 9-hole rounds as opposed to hitting balls mid-week. 

I agree mats gives you a false sense of good ball striking.

I go to the range to get some fresh air.

Few public ranges here have grass.

[dvq9654]

I do think mats feel different than grass and they may be limiting in some respects (e.g., reluctance to hit down on the ball), but I don't really agree with the premise practice on mats doesn't translate to grass. I practice 95% of the time on mats and never have an issue moving to grass (unless I'm just swinging poorly on a give day).

 

That said, when I practice, I'm not trying to hit "real" shots 95% of the time. I'm trying to improve body movements with the aid of video, so I am not necessarily focused on quality of contact, direction, etc., so any differences probably bother me less than someone who's trying to practice as they play.

 

Ultimately, I would love to practice only on grass cause at a minimum mats are harder on your joints, but if you have to practice on mats you can make it work