Driving Range Mats

[Noidea]

I apologise in advance that i have already posted this in the Market Research thread but i felt it warranted a little thread on its own.

If there is one thing that irritates me when i visit a driving range its the quality of the mats.
As a travelling salesman up and down the UK i will put 3/4 clubs in the boot and often pop to the nearest range whilst stopping at a hotel.I must have been to around 20 to 30 different in the last 18 months so have collected a broad spectrum of knowledge on the subject.

The object of my rant is the varying offerings that we are all to 'hit' off, the majority might as well be concrete, i know there are rubber tees but i personally try to hit all my clubs off the mat except naturally the driver.

I was at my local range a couple of weeks ago and after 50/60 balls i required a rest and a stretch so with the range being fairly quiet i decided to have a nosey at the pro teaching booth , the mat was like an Axminster interwovern with Augusta.

So i threw down a couple of balls-whoosh-straight as an arrow, so i got a few more and it was like being in another world.The ball just nestled on top of the weave so enabling me to actually get under the ball.

I suspect ranges are not paved with gold but a little thought and a bit of posh carpet would do wonders for all our confidence.

 

[davidy233]

Axminster interwovern with Augusta is no good for practice if you play links golf - concrete mixed with marble is the way ahead

 

[DAVEYBOY]

I apologise in advance that i have already posted this in the Market Research thread but i felt it warranted a little thread on its own.

If there is one thing that irritates me when i visit a driving range its the quality of the mats.
As a travelling salesman up and down the UK i will put 3/4 clubs in the boot and often pop to the nearest range whilst stopping at a hotel.I must have been to around 20 to 30 different in the last 18 months so have collected a broad spectrum of knowledge on the subject.

The object of my rant is the varying offerings that we are all to 'hit' off, the majority might as well be concrete, i know there are rubber tees but i personally try to hit all my clubs off the mat except naturally the driver.

I was at my local range a couple of weeks ago and after 50/60 balls i required a rest and a stretch so with the range being fairly quiet i decided to have a nosey at the pro teaching booth , the mat was like an Axminster interwovern with Augusta.

So i threw down a couple of balls-whoosh-straight as an arrow, so i got a few more and it was like being in another world.The ball just nestled on top of the weave so enabling me to actually get under the ball.

I suspect ranges are not paved with gold but a little thought and a bit of posh carpet would do wonders for all our confidence.

If you are trying to get under the ball then you are hitting the ball wrong, you should be hitting down on the ball so the mat shouldn't really matter to much until after the ball has left the mat.

 

[hovis]

so the mat shouldn't really matter to much until after the ball has left the mat.

Tell that to your swollen elbows and broken wrists. I have a range 3 miles from where i live and i dont use it as the mats are concrete like.

 

[DAVEYBOY]

Tell that to your swollen elbows and broken wrists. I have a range 3 miles from where i live and i dont use it as the mats are concrete like.

Yes it's not good on the body but Im saying it shouldn't affect shot pattern to much unless the guy is scooping as it sounds he may be.

 

[London mike 61]

Is it just me that have noticed that the centre part of the mat ends up like concrete where most of the balls are hit, and the outside parts are nice and springy as they should be.

Why don't they design a mat that comes in three parts that can be locked together in any combination and changed around regularly , that way all of the mat gets even wear, just a thought.

 

[DAVEYBOY]

Is it just me that have noticed that the centre part of the mat ends up like concrete where most of the balls are hit, and the outside parts are nice and springy as they should be.

Why don't they design a mat that comes in three parts that can be locked together in any combination and changed around regularly , that way all of the mat gets even wear, just a thought.

I've noticed a lot of mats have a dent/crater the exact same size and shape of a divot where the club has worn them away.

 

[Rooter]

New range near me has really cool multi thickness matts. One really smooth with tee holes, one thick ish rough, about 2cm deep pile and the the standard type. The range is only 6 months old, so in great nick, hope they keep it up!

 

[LinksTurf]

The variation in quality is staggering. There are 3 ranges reasonably near me. Two have really poor mats, and poor cubicles and poor balls too. Can't understand why anyone goes to them. The third has generally ok facilities, having just put in new mats, but the balls (less than one year old) are already a bit of a mess.

 

[Biggleswade Blue]

I only ever hit off a (low) tee at our local range. The lowest tee is only just proud of the mat, but avoids the jarred wrist problem. They range could definitely do with an upgrade.

 

[SocketRocket]

A local range uses 'True Strike Mats' they have a section that has a gel core that simulates the feel of hitting off real turf.

http://www.truestrike.com/

 

[jak kez 187]

Theres a brand new range opened just 5 minutes away from my house called kingswinford golf centre.
They use power tee's and I find them really good, closest mats i've used to the real thing.

http://www.powertee.co.uk/Content/default.asp

 

[andybarc]

Usually I can live with the mats, it's the stupid rubber tees that are never the size you need that irk me!

 

[davidy233]

Theres a brand new range opened just 5 minutes away from my house called kingswinford golf centre.
They use power tee's and I find them really good, closest mats i've used to the real thing.

http://www.powertee.co.uk/Content/default.asp

Love how they claim "This is why it is found at the best practice facilities in the world such as St Andrews" - here's the mats at St Andrews Links - good condition but standard mats - don't look like powertee

 

[shivas irons]

Ive mentioned this a few times in the past, the mats at the local ranges to me are desperate you might aswell hit a bucked of balls off a concrete road.I travel twice the distance to a range with decent mats and its worth the expense.

 

[rksquire]

I've really started to hate using the mats - in recent weeks I've had to use 2 other ranges rather than the one I normally go to and the differences were huge; at one I may as well hit on the concrete surface as the mat was so worn and thin; at the other the ball flight was completely different to what I would normally get for a similar strike. Returned to my normal range at end of last week and things much better. Apparently the grass areas will be available as well from this week so I'll avoid mats for the next while.

 

[macca64]

Gave up practising because mats gave me tennis elbow and wrist problems, but the way I'm playing thinking of taking it up again,

 

[Sweep]

I have a Truestrike mat in my net which as previously stated is gel filled, so you can even feel like you are taking a divot. It is also a modular system, so you can move the different types of mat around.
I called at a range recently and the mats were just like concrete. Absolutely awful and a complete waste of a few quid for my basket.
End result is I will go to their competitor.
I actually think that even though we are supposed to hit ball then turf (mat), the type and quality of the hitting surface does make a big difference to your shot and how you play it. Even after hitting off a Truestrike, transferring the same swing and shot to a wet and soft course takes some adjustment as the results just aren't the same. Try hitting to take a divot off a concrete like mat and you will just end up with an injury.

 

[el marko]

Totally agree with the OP. Theirs a small par 3 down the road from me called Lavender Park that have mats all year round, they are in absolutely terrible condition and are like concrete, if you happen to just touch the mat millimetres before the ball the club bounces straight up and you end up with a painful hand and a thinned shot. Even when you hit the ball first the club still slams into the ground potentially causing injury

 

[apj0524]

I use a small rubber tee and the use the correct castle tee against it because I don't like the rubber tees