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At the Driving Range: Mats or Grass?

I'm a digger, and have what's probably the start of arthritis at the base of my thumbs. Mats make my hands hurt after not too many shots. The club we belonged to last year had a beautiful grass practice facility with three tiers. They rotated where the practice tees were and that was great. This year at our new to us club they have mats, but you can hit from the grass in front. That's what we generally do, but it gets beat up pretty fast. They do have a side area by a chipping/practice green, so that's available which helps a bit. Practicing all kinds of wedge shots off mats blows.

I miss those tiered tees. So does J.L., but there are other benefits to this club, so it's not too bad.

Kevin
 
For me personally, it really depends on the grass. I sometimes have options of grass or mat, and will sometimes choose the mat to hit off of. Why? Simple, because of the amount of sand in the grass. It wears on the club so badly for me, especially when its damp, and if it gets on the ball as well, it just wears down the face of the club, especially my wedges.

So if its a choice between good turf or mat, its turf all the way. But if it is the very sandy turf I have experienced on many many ranges, Ill head for the mats personally.
 
CB_fierce said:
For me personally, it really depends on the grass. I sometimes have options of grass or mat, and will sometimes choose the mat to hit off of. Why? Simple, because of the amount of sand in the grass. It wears on the club so badly for me, especially when its damp, and if it gets on the ball as well, it just wears down the face of the club, especially my wedges.

So if its a choice between good turf or mat, its turf all the way. But if it is the very sandy turf I have experienced on many many ranges, Ill head for the mats personally.
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Good point about the wear! It happens on dirty mats also. I sometimes clean the mat before I start! And scraping off the mat-melt from my iron soles is no picnic either!
 
I've seen and heard of way too many wrist and elbow injuries from using mats. In addition, the slickness of the plastic grass will very often let a fat shot slide into the back of the ball, and make it appear ti the player as good contact.
 
I do most of my practice on a very nice grass range, but occasionally hit balls late in the evening on a range that uses mats.

It wouldn't be too bad, but they haven't put out a new mat or new balls in at least 3 years; many of the balls are 90% bald. Sometimes I wonder, why bother?
 
both but of course prefer if the range has a decent grass area to hit from
 
I really live in the ghetto of the golf world, I suppose. There's nothing around me. The one driving range that we do have, which is open April-September, has tons of matted areas to hit off. Their "grass" area--a term I use lightly--is very sparse. I think there are six stalls for grass. However, the grassy area leaves a lot to be desired. It's just hard dirt really. The lush plushy grass is out on the range. So it sucks for me. On a positive note, it's only eight bucks to hit the exec nine hole course up. So more often than not, I'm at our little nine hole course.

But yeah, Mats aren't for me.
 
I would hit off grass if my home course allowed us to at the moment but right now it is all off the mats.
 
I have 3 nice courses within 15 minutes of my home and I just practice at one of them. No mats. I have hit off of mats but I don't feel like I get realistic feedback from them.
 
Golf Chick said:
I think one of the main reasons why the ranges near us have mats is because there are so many people that go to the range and the grass just gets beat up and ends up in very poor condition, this way, switching it out every once in a while also helps the grass :)
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this hits the nail right on the head... (or the ball on the 3rd groove)

i also factor in when im practicing... some ranges that are open when its dark out are mats only because they are in lighted hitting bays... all the grass ranges i know of close before dark
 
Our course has grass but in winter switches to mats. I like to practice at least several times a week but I asked my wrists a few years ago how do you like playing off mats and they screamed at me, STOP, PAIN, HURT. Thus when my course switches to mats every year I no longer practice I play 18 instead.
 
Gus R said:
Our course has grass but in winter switches to mats. I like to practice at least several times a week but I asked my wrists a few years ago how do you like playing off mats and they screamed at me, STOP, PAIN, HURT. Thus when my course switches to mats every year I no longer practice I play 18 instead.
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i seem to injure myself on mats much too often...
last year i was put out of play for 2wks due to ripping muscles in my side... i caught a mat too heavy and the club stopped dead while my body kept swinging...
so grass for me is much better
 
Both ranges that I play at, I've mentioned they have grass. They have two tiers, each one about 10-15 yards deep. So they end up just continually moving the tee boxes back when the grass is worn, allowing the grass to grow back.
 
For me, it depends on the quality of the range. If the grass is 'grass' but actually cemented dirt, I'll hit off the mats, but from what I've heard, playing off the mats too much can make you adjust your swing and actually cost you strokes on the course.

Could be a bunch of crap, but it does make a bit of sense.
 
i prefer to hit off grass.actually won't go to a practice range where I have to hit off a mat.
 
At the end of the day I use the mats when hitting my woods off the tee and grass for everything else
 
who is this guy mat everyone is speaking of?
 
Has anyone here used a fairway pro before?
I saw a video of one and it looked pretty nice... but its so expensive.
 
JB said:
You hit the nail on the head. I have used some of the most hi-tech mats in the world at the PGA Show and frankly, there is still no substitute for grass. Its bad on your wrists in joints in comparison and despite that some feel "since you are supposed to hit the ball 1st it shouldnt matter", it is just not the same. Even the professionals do not hit the same spot on every single swing and hitting one groove fat on a mat might be the same as 3 grooves fat on grass.

its funny to me when people constantly condemn technology in golf as marketing (not directed at the OP) and then turn around and say it works in certain cases like this because it is a convenience. The fact is that many love hitting off of mats and think things are great because when it comes to ball striking it is far easier to hit off a mat for performance than that of real grass.

There is no substitute in the world for practicing real golf situations and mats just are not them. Is it better than not practicing? Maybe, but hitting off of mats should be for fun and not taken as what will happen on the course or off of grass.
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Well said. Having started playing golf right after a wrist injury, I hated mats from the start. I hated mats when I broke a 3w. I hated mats when I broke an OEM graphite 5i. I hate mats now. I hit off a "professional" mat when I take lessons, hitting indoor to outdoor, and strongly dislike that because I tend to hit it fat when I first go back to the course!
 
Nothing better, in my opinion, than a nicely maintained grass hitting area. However, mats are better than nothing.
 
Holy year old thread, Batman!
 
Grass not big fan of matts
 
Mats at the range?

Mats at the range?

How do you feel about practcing off a mat at the range?

Personally, I'm ok with it as long as I am practicing a particular swing movement...where the result of the shot matters less and making the right movement matters more. If (and hopefully when my golf swing gets better), I am practcing shots where the result is important...i.e. trying to hit a particlar type of shot, like a controlled draw/fade/high/low etc...then I think the mat isn't helpful as it doesn't give you the sensation through the hands that you should be feeling while hitting those shots...and finally...no divots on the mats...so it isn't as helpful.

For begginers...I think the mat, isn't helpful at all...you need to get the feeling of hitting down and through the ball (over and over again), to understand what it feels like to strike a ball well...the mat promotes/encourages the beginner to sweep the ball (since the lie is so tight and always perfect).

Anyway....that's my view...what are your thoughts?
 
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