Hitting Off Mats: A pointless waste of time?

[Hawkeye77]

59 minutes ago, MelloYello said:

 

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. 

 

Shallower doesn't necessarily mean you are presenting more dynamic loft IMO, so that runs counter-intuitive to the results I see if I'm shallower in terms of what that means for my swing and a better transition and impact.  

 

Not pretending here to know all the permutations.

 

You certainly shouldn't use mats if they are masking something or promoting a move that is counterproductive.

Edited February 8, 2022 by Hawkeye77

[Edsland]

I’m not a fan of mats but where I live it’s mats in a dome and rare decent day at range off mats. It’s winter in the north

[chigolfer1]

As others have said, it really depends on your purpose.  If you're not actively trying to make swing changes and videoing yourself, but instead just trying to fine tune your ballstriking for the course, I can see them being detrimental.  But, if you are working on the former, of course they have value.

[moonshine]

13 hours ago, Obee said:

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

Exactly! My hometown the Haas family owns a great practice facility and the mats are so high quality they are actually just like grass under you feet...and feel shockproof.  I also don't have issue translating shots to course.

[CasualLie]

While I practice 90% of the time on grass, the one thing I hate about the grass range is more often than not hitting off grass that has barely rooted, and grown on a sandy base.  Even if you consistently hit where you are supposed to, you practically have to clean out the sand off the face between every shot.

 

As someone pointed out, put a towel, or a coin, behind your ball on the mat.  You will learn proper impact faster than you think.

[A.Princey]

I’m trying to discern this very question. I think it’s a fine balance, between something that isn’t injury prone, and something hard enough to completely punish fatted shots. Fiberbuilt seems like it masks a lot of bad swings, whereas CCE can be punishing to the body, but good at dictating low point control.

[A.Princey]

17 hours ago, MelloYello said:

 

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. 

What kind of mat are you describing? Soft, hard, brand, etc? I’m curious is all.

 

[A.Princey]

Delete

Edited February 9, 2022 by A.Princey

[milesgiles]

for those prescribing mats with give..

 

this winter Ive practised off a frozen mat more than once. To my mind that could well make you instinctively shallow, which for most of us is a good thing

 

just a thought

[A.Princey]

Yeah, I was thinking the same thing. The harder the surface, the more precise your low point control, right? 

[hammersia]

1 hour ago, milesgiles said:

for those prescribing mats with give..

 

this winter Ive practised off a frozen mat more than once. To my mind that could well make you instinctively shallow, which for most of us is a good thing

 

just a thought

Bit sceptical about this, you need to be 5 degrees down AofA with irons. 

[milesgiles]

27 minutes ago, hammersia said:

Bit sceptical about this, you need to be 5 degrees down AofA with irons. 

 

you can be shallow and strike down 

[hammersia]

4 minutes ago, milesgiles said:

 

you can be shallow and strike down 

Shallowing of the club is not the same as "shallow"

[Christen_The_Sloop]

I play in Japan. Grass ranges every where, but not for mortals like me. Mats are kind of hit or miss. The range I go to now has thin strips that kind of move, which is okay. It is obviously different, but beggars can`t be choosers. The biggest issue is the flighted balls. I love about 10mph of ball speed on my driver with the balls. Feels like I`m losing 25-30 yards a drive. Is that right?

[Captain Hook11]

On 2/8/2022 at 7:57 AM, 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 

This is a great idea. I've been looking for a way to avoid chunking (but not really noticing) on my mat. Haven't been able to get to the grass range, and it's tough anyway this time of year. Thanks for the tip.

Edited February 9, 2022 by Captain Hook11

[MelloYello]

5 hours ago, milesgiles said:

for those prescribing mats with give..

 

this winter Ive practised off a frozen mat more than once. To my mind that could well make you instinctively shallow, which for most of us is a good thing

 

just a thought

 

There might be 2 different groups of players here, IDK. As a general rule I've always thought that the smaller the divot, the better the player because virtually everyone I see on ranges--good player or not-- is taking a divot that's deeper than necessary.

 

For me, mats allow you to go the other way and hit the ball great while taking virtually no divot at all. When you go back to grass, you find yourself sweeping excessively and catching everything thin. This is the experience for me. I need grass because I need to be reminded to take a divot. Put me on a mat and I'll stop taking divots entirely. 

[MelloYello]

5 hours ago, A.Princey said:

What kind of mat are you describing? Soft, hard, brand, etc? I’m curious is all.

 

 

I agree with your sentiment. You need some firmness to sense the divot. 

 

I don't know the brand of mat here, but it's the same soft-ish type that I find all across decent driving ranges in the area. It's an inch or so thick and pretty well padded.

[milesgiles]

26 minutes ago, MelloYello said:

 

I agree with your sentiment. You need some firmness to sense the divot. 

 

I don't know the brand of mat here, but it's the same soft-ish type that I find all across decent driving ranges in the area. It's an inch or so thick and pretty well padded.

 

at the average range Id wager the mat is of a type that is cheap, durable and flattering.. A bit of give in it will be easier and last longer. Nothing at all to do with making you a better golfer 

[MonteScheinblum]

As I said in my post the other day, there are different types of practice.

 

If you’re working on ball flight and/or low point, mats are completely useless.

 

If you’re working on motor pattern change or ingraining a movement, it’s almost better.

[Obee]

11 minutes ago, MonteScheinblum said:

As I said in my post the other day, there are different types of practice.

 

If you’re working on ball flight and/or low point, mats are completely useless.

 

If you’re working on motor pattern change or ingraining a movement, it’s almost better.

Monte, do you not find that some mats do a very good job of replicating what it's like to hit off real grass? Or do you feel that they are all too forgiving?

[A.Princey]

I’m trying to walk a thin line of too hard and avoiding injury. If you can strike a ball well off of concrete, you can pure it off anything, hahaha!!!!

 

[northgolf]

On 2/8/2022 at 6:03 AM, 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.

 

Tiger has a 3 hole course in his backyard.  The in door station is for when it is raining. 

[northgolf]

To expand on what Monte stated, Mats are good for changing motor patterns but not for playing golf.  You play the game off an infinite variety of lies, turf, weather conditions, and obstacles - hitting off mats does teach you to how to hit/swing and basic shot shaping, but does nothing for learning playing golf under course conditions.

 

My biggest issue with mats is their total lack of anything like turf/blade interaction.  I can practice woods off a mat, but they mess up my iron swing big time (and I consider myself a sweeper).

[Foxx]

 

Mats make you lazy. They are good for teed up shots, but not off the surface.

[gators78]

Not a waste of time but I try to avoid it for practice sessions. If I go to a course that has mats I have no problem warming up on them.

 

I spent a winter working on a swing change indoors and got a minor case of golfer’s elbow. Part of that was for sure swing related and getting too steep, but the poor quality mats definitely caused some unneeded wear and tear. Now I’ll try space out sessions and give the elbow enough time to rest, hit a lot of wedges or half iron shots, or just try to pick it off the mat.

[RoyalMustang]

man, I was crushing it yesterday off the mats. I hit four 7-irons in a row, all to within 25 feet of the flag out on the range to a flag 178 yards out, all of which stopped in place with tons of height. I felt great and was getting through the ball instead of arm-swinging.  

 

I get to the first par 3 (7-iron to the pin, 175) and I pull it 25 yards right. Out of balance and rushed.

 

I'm a hero on the mats! And it stinks. They mask some flaws, but are probably great if you can recognize the flaws and not fall into those traps. I can't. 

 

What pissed me off is that my old course has a great grass range that they would literally open up once a month, before the monthly tournament. It was big enough to hit off grass 3 or 4 days a week. They are cheap though and probably wanted to save money by not having to fill in with seed. Instead they put mats down and yelled at everyone for using the 60-yard long grass area in front of the mats. 

[RoyalMustang]

Heard at the range recently from a guy warming up before a round. Said without a hint of irony.

 

"I hate hitting off this grass: I hit the ball so much better off mats"