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View Full Version : Range mats the enemy?



TheSlicedLife
28th September 2015, 07:54 PM
Hi guys just after some advice, new to golf and spending lots of time enjoying
practicing on range mats only problem is I can't seem to transition my swing from
mats to grass.
I have no problem hitting quality balls on the mats, but on grass everything is
topped and I can't seem to take divots like normal? Can anyone please HELP!?

dazza99
28th September 2015, 09:27 PM
I don't like practising on range mats so much either.
Same as you, I always get great contact on them, but grass is different. Hit 1/2 inch behind the ball on a mat, no problem. Do that on grass and you're snagged, chunking it, hitting fat or topping it.

Where possible if i go to the range i try to use the grass areas. Mats only good for teed up shots imho. Or when your swing is already grooved nicely enough that you know you're contacting the ball correctly and just working on swing mechanics, ball flight or something.

magman
28th September 2015, 09:38 PM
I found on mats i can get a lot more feel what i am doing wrong. On grass it's more forgiving if you making a mistake.

Yossarian
28th September 2015, 09:49 PM
I think you might have that backwards.

Johnny Canuck
28th September 2015, 11:50 PM
completely

JADO75
29th September 2015, 05:42 AM
Anyone can be a range pro with mats & the 20% balls. Yes they are the enemy

goughy
29th September 2015, 05:45 AM
A pro years ago I was having some lessons from told me the mats are much more forgiving on bad swings.

Daves
29th September 2015, 06:06 AM
As others have said, range mats can be bad for your game, as they cover up lots of bad swings and contact. Though the results are usually the opposite of what you are experiencing; i.e. fats shots, not topped, with big fat divots behind the ball.

Scifisicko
29th September 2015, 06:56 AM
Range matts stop the club digging and can mask a fat shot by forcing the club to slide along the matt into the ball. The reality is you can feel and hear this when it happens. The difficulty is many people havent hit down on a golf ball and don't know what it should feel and sound like. If you are one of these try putting a twig or a bit of match stick 8 inches in front of the ball. It should be gone after the hit.

Hard_Pan
29th September 2015, 09:20 AM
My experience.. Having lessons on a mat can be an exercise in (probably), wasting (at least some of), your money whilst making the pro look better at the same time.

TheSlicedLife
29th September 2015, 06:17 PM
Thanks for all the different opinions but I'm starting to agree with the majority, looks like
I've been wasting my time and hard earned money keeping the range open.
Looks like i'll have to learn to hit on grass, cheers guys thanks the feed back.

Scifisicko
29th September 2015, 10:57 PM
You've got the wrong idea. You can practice on plastic no problem just listen and you will hear when it's fat and adjust to make sure you hit the ball first. Read my earlier post about the twig.

timah!
30th September 2015, 12:03 AM
Thanks for all the different opinions but I'm starting to agree with the majority, looks like
I've been wasting my time and hard earned money keeping the range open.
Looks like i'll have to learn to hit on grass, cheers guys thanks the feed back.

Any practice is better than no practice. Just have a focus in mind and judge the shot one by one. You'll start to know what a well struck shot feels like as well as how it feels different to others.

Hutchy
30th September 2015, 06:34 AM
Mats are good for fitting and fine tuning your swing & clubs, a good mat will leave a plastic residue on the sole so you can see were the club has struck the ground (heel, toe or middle) Also good for taping the face and checking your strike area, All practice is good practice and mats are just a tool, some use them some don't.

Yossarian
30th September 2015, 08:48 AM
What is your cap hutchy?

Craig_Syd
6th October 2015, 02:33 PM
Mats are the devils work!

JADO75
6th October 2015, 04:20 PM
Mats are good for fitting and fine tuning your swing & clubs, a good mat will leave a plastic residue on the sole so you can see were the club has struck the ground (heel, toe or middle) Also good for taping the face and checking your strike area, All practice is good practice and mats are just a tool, some use them some don't.

Practicing a crap swing is bad practice

Scifisicko
6th October 2015, 05:37 PM
Jeez the only downside of mats is that you can hit a fat 6 iron and still have it sail 150 plus. All other swing faults and crap swings get punished just as they do on grass. You can get away with a fat swing on a mat but you still know it was fat. Any half decent golfer instantly feels and hears a fat shot on plastic. If you choose to fool yourself that you struck it well, you shouldn't practice on mats. For all others they are fine.

TheSlicedLife
17th October 2015, 08:10 PM
I guess that's true, I'm starting to learn to feel and see how my good shots are supposed to look
instead of aimlessly hitting buckets though out the week.
Its still a little embarrassing hitting on range grass as people tend to stare and judge
when you hit a chunky one.