DIY Divot Action Hitting Strip

[SE Gamer]

Prompted by a discussion in another thread, I was asked to share the details of a DIY divot action mat I put together for my home sim. Will skip over all the background on what led me to this solution. Aside from the fact that I wanted something that'd be portable, low cost, and enjoyable to use.

On the low cost front, I already had a base material in mind. Which was 3/4" melamine that was once a massive IKEA wardrobe/closet (bought it local for dirt cheap, figuring I'd have a number of uses for the material). With that out of the way, I needed to collect the other supplies. Which included...
 

• 12"x24" lexan/polycarbonate (.093" thick)
• 3/4" thick open cell foam strips (multiple brands and options available based on your dimensional needs)
• Artificial Turf (cut to length)
• Liquid Nails Fuze It Max
• Misc. hardware and tools (already on hand)

 

The Build

 

1. I started with my stance mat. The melamine panels I have are around 2' x 3' each, so I cut the appropriate amount of turf and stapled it with my crown gun and some 1/2" staples. I also included some thin foam underlayment that I had leftover from when we installed our bamboo floors. Not mandatory, but added a little more cushion. And also about the same thickness as the polycarbonate. Making the height of the stance mat and strip virtually identical.
2. Next I took my polycarbonate sheet, and drilled some holes .75" from each end and spaced 2" apart. I drilled them larger than the #8 truss screws I was going to use. As I wanted to avoid risking any splitting close to the edges. Instead relying upon enough clamping force with the truss screws and rubber washers. I then cut a 2' strip of turf and adhered it to the polycarbonate with the construction adhesive. If you plan to screw the poly to your base, it's important to leave some space without adhesive near the holes at each end. I left about 1.5" at each end clear of any adhesive. As that would allow me enough room to move the turf out of the way when fastening the strip to my base.
3. While waiting for the adhesive to cure, I grabbed another melamine panel. I cut a rectangular hole in the center roughly 12.5" by 21". I oversized the width to ensure the hitting strip wouldn't bind against the base. And then undersized the length (effectively by 1.5" on each side) to provide enough room to screw into the melamine. I also drilled some appropriately sized pilot holes matching the pattern of my polycarbonate strip. Just to ensure I didn't get any splitting near the edges of the melamine.
4. Once the adhesive cured (12-24 hours for the stuff I used). I lined up the strip and fastened it to the melamine with my truss screws and rubber washers. While I'd drilled 5 holes on each side of the strip, I only used 3 screws/washers on each side. And frankly 2 on each side were plenty strong for keeping the strip nice and secure.
5. Finally I took some turf scraps from my earlier cuts and stapled it to the melamine with the embedded hitting strip, along with a smaller scrap of melamine. As this would give me a spot to keep a couple dozen balls in "queue".

 

The Results

 

The stance mat turned out great. Given the weight of the 3/4" melamine, it's super stable. While being very comfortable at the same time. The hitting strip is absolutely amazing. It really is a dream to hit off of. The foam and lexan just work so well for giving the perfect amount of firmness and "give". Hands down the best mat I've ever had the pleasure of using.

Screwing the strip to the melamine base was definitely the way to go. More secure than velcro and less permanent than some type of adhesive. It'll take minutes to change out if/when the turf needs replaced. And I still have enough turf on hand to make 3 more. So replacements will cost me only $17 for another sheet of Lexan. Similarly, if I ever need to replace turf on the stance mat, it'll be super easy as well. The crown staples did a great job of securing the turf. While allowing for easy removal if needed. 

I also find this solution is perfect for my space. If you have a dedicated sim room, portability and storage won't matter. But for me, being able to quickly move the mat out of the way is a big deal. And since it's affixed to a solid base, I can stand it upright off to the side of a room without any concerns about the turf deforming. 

 

A Year Later

 

One lesson learned is that you may want to scuff/sand the lexan prior to adhering the turf. Should give the adhesive some better bite. But I'd highly recommend the Liquid Nails Fuze It Max. It's expensive compared to other construction adhesives, but is worth every penny.

 

The synlawn turf has also held up incredibly well. Thousands, if not 10s of thousands of shots later and it looks brand new. Everything about it is absolutely perfect for a hitting strip. Which is great. Because sourcing turf can be the hardest part of the DIY endeavor (without spending a fortune). So being able to order a small quantity for pick-up at any Lowes is a huge benefit. And as mentioned, I still have plenty of leftover turf for replacement strips if/when the current one wears out. 

 

Bottom line. This is still the best strip I've ever used and would do it all over again in a heartbeat. 

 

Pics

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mat in Action

 

Edited March 26, 2023 by SE Gamer
Edited turf link

[Walkerdb7]

Looks great, this will definitely be phase 2 of my plan if the 5' x 5' Matzilla lets me down.
 

Appreciate you taking the time to share. That looks pretty easy DIY, but I am going even easier with just the mat, yoga mat, and spray glue haha. You know the journey I have been on and it seems about correct for where I am at.

Edited March 26, 2023 by Walkerdb7

[SE Gamer]

3 hours ago, Walkerdb7 said:

Looks great, this will definitely be phase 2 of my plan if the 5' x 5' Matzilla lets me down.
 

Appreciate you taking the time to share. That looks pretty easy DIY, but I am going even easier with just the mat, yoga mat, and spray glue haha. You know the journey I have been on and it seems about correct for where I am at.

 

Thanks! Super happy with it, and really was a pretty straightforward DIY build. 

 

I updated a link in the OP, as the Lowes turf now had a minimum length of 20 feet by 15 feet. Back when I ordered it, you could order any width in 15 foot lengths. Looks like HD has a comparable option with no minimums. So I added that version instead. Would expect it'll be very comparable. 

Will be curious to hear how your DIY matzilla works out. Seems like it's got a good chance of being a winner.

[AzRoger]

Trying to make sense of the 'Mat In Action' gif. Looks like the ball is suspended in air when the club makes contact. Is that a result of the club hitting the mat behind the ball causing the mat to flex and bounce the ball up?

[SE Gamer]

12 minutes ago, AzRoger said:

Trying to make sense of the 'Mat In Action' gif. Looks like the ball is suspended in air when the club makes contact. Is that a result of the club hitting the mat behind the ball causing the mat to flex and bounce the ball up?

 

I think it's just a symptom of the iphone's slow motion capture, potentially compounded by converting the video to a gif. Essentially things like compression, interpolation, etc. making it look a little unusual.

Have no recollection of the actual shot I'd recorded. But even if it were a little fat, I don't think the ball would just be hovering perfectly in the air, with zero movement. 

All I was really trying to illustrate was the divot action strip's "give".