Can hitting off mats foul up your game?

[Thunder Dan]

I practiced all winter on mats and felt my game was in top form, until I went out on grass this weekend and looked like I've never played before. I was chunking and hoseling and all sorts of weird ball flights I've never seen before. I'm searching for answers, but one thing that struck me was it felt weird hitting balls on grass, and now it's in my head that it may be the firmness & feel of the mats that has thrown me off.

 

Any truth to this or am I just a head case?

[marckilgore]

Same thing happens to me being in Minnesota. First couple of days on the outdoor range on grass and alot of shots are always fat. It's because there are no fat shots on a mat. Dont' worry - you'll adjust after a few hundred shots on the outdoor range. :-D

[juststeve]

Mats are sometimes quite forgiving of the shots you hit a bit fat. Not knowing that you were practicing your fat shot all winter only to discovery that grass isn't so forgiving.

Steve

[DavePelz4]

[quote name='Thunder Dan' timestamp='1365602982' post='6800025']
I practiced all winter on mats and felt my game was in top form, until I went out on grass this weekend and looked like I've never played before. I was chunking and hoseling and all sorts of weird ball flights I've never seen before. I'm searching for answers, but one thing that struck me was it felt weird hitting balls on grass, and now it's in my head that it may be the firmness & feel of the mats that has thrown me off.

Any truth to this or am I just a head case?
[/quote]

Much truth. If you're hitting behind the ball on the mat the club can actually bounce into the ball and create the perception that you're flushing it. When you hit off of turf it becomes a chunky shot.

[Prof3ssor]

No, there is plenty of truth to this and I have stopped hitting off mats a long time ago. Unfortunately where I live unless you belong to a private club there are no grass ranges available. If you think about it logically hitting behind the ball on a mat will throw the club face forward into the ball resulting in a fairly decent shot. Hit a little behind the ball on grass and you already know what happens.

[Jericho]

I'm a digger and absolutely positively cannot hit off mats. It's probably mental but after hitting off mats, my game has gone south on several occassions. I avoid hitting irons off mats like the plague.

When I was a big flipper and hit every other ball fat, the mat was my best friend and I looked like a great player. Now the tide has done a 180*.

[Thunder Dan]

[quote name='Jericho' timestamp='1365603481' post='6800109']
I'm a digger and absolutely positively cannot hit off mats. It's probably mental but after hitting off mats, my game has gone south on several occassions. I avoid hitting irons off mats like the plague.

When I was a big flipper and hit every other ball fat, the mat was my best friend and I looked like a great player. Now the tide has done a 180*.
[/quote]

Yea I'm a digger too, I play at about a 7 handicap and played 3 times this past week and failed to break 90 each time... and it wasn't even close, more lucky to break 100. The only club I could hit was the driver. That had me questioning this mat theory

[Jonesy72]

Yeah, every year at the end of winter I hit off of synthetic mats until the grass area opens and I end up getting shanks and all kinds of terrible misses, usually takes me 3 weeks to get straightened out. I'm done with mats. You're not alone!

[DevilDog]

I despise mats. I would rather not hit than hit off a mat.

that being said, not all mats are created equal. The ones I despise are the hard astroturf types. I have hit off some springy field turf type mats and aren't nearly as bad.

[churnd]

I guess I'm the exception. I prefer hitting off of mats usually because ranges nearby my house have pretty bad grass areas. Also hitting off of a mat seems more efficient (less time cleaning clubs). I can tell when I don't hit the ball right when hitting off of a mat, regardless of ball flight. I also don't take huge divots. I'm a 7 handicap.

If it's a nice course with a nice range, then I prefer the grass. Just not many of those within a decent drive of my house.

[jblacoustics]

I avoid it at all costs. First, the clubhead just slides when you hit it fat, and you think you've nailed it...lol...second, you cannot see your divots, bec there's none...third, it will hurt your L wrist if you hit it really fat bec of the hard cement below...

[valkare]

[quote name='churnd' timestamp='1365606088' post='6800467']
If it's a nice course with a nice range, then I prefer the grass. Just not many of those within a decent drive of my house.
[/quote]

+1. I feel like every grass range in my area is constantly chewed up with a barrage of heavy, ill-positioned divots. And it really isn't grass and dirt, more like grass and sand which gives a rough feeling compared to playing an actual course. So I prefer the mat ranges in my area -- just need to scout out the particular mat you're hitting off of.

[nando]

I just wish I could drag the mat around with me on the course. lol

[TheCityGame]

Yes, they can let you get away with fatties.

But, that doesn't mean they're useless.

First of all. 90% of my work on mats is off a tee. That should be still the same.

Then, when you are working on hitting irons off mats, you need to be very cautious and vigilant that you're making proper contact that would translate to grass. Make sure you're hitting down, and making ball first contact. You should be able to do this by sight, but it's just as easy to HEAR. Listen to yourself and others hitting balls. You can hear when the mat gets hit first.

[mukster]

We have very little option here in the PNW. Even in the summer, only a few ranges have grass. I always hit the most awesome fat shots when the season starts, but it slowly improves after a few games.

[kellygreen]

[quote name='Thunder Dan' timestamp='1365602982' post='6800025']
I practiced all winter on mats and felt my game was in top form, until I went out on grass this weekend and looked like I've never played before. I was chunking and hoseling and all sorts of weird ball flights I've never seen before. I'm searching for answers, but one thing that struck me was it felt weird hitting balls on grass, and now it's in my head that it may be the firmness & feel of the mats that has thrown me off.

Any truth to this or am I just a head case?
[/quote]

In general, people who have a fairly shallow path into the ball (and take very thin divots or just shave the grass from under it) tend to not have any problems hitting off of matts. The matt reveals the kind mistakes that this kind of swing is liable to make (thin shots, or REALLY fat ones).

OTOH, people who have a more steep path. Who feel themselves actively "hitting down" and taking substantial divots tend to struggle with matts. Either hitting off of them...transitioning back to grass after practicing on them. [b][i]I believe that this is because matts will let you get away with small mistakes where the crispness of your strike is concerned with this kind of swing. [/i][/b] Swing slightly behind the ball, and the matt will let your club "skid" into the ball...wheras on turf you'll simply hit the shot fat and lose distance. So the matt might lead you to believe that you are making a better pass at the ball than you actually are.

[mdgboxx]

[sub][size=2][size=4]Mats are perfect for sweepers. Perfect stance, perfect lie, exactly what I need to work on a specific type of shot. They are, however, a diaster for a digger unless he's willing to practice only with driver, fairway woods and wedges. Irons, for diggers, don't do so well off of mats. Not to mention that you could hurt yourself or damage your irons.[/size][/size][/sub]

[sigmapete1]

Another effect is that mats tend to conceal an open clubface so long as you also hit it a little fat. The impact with the mat will close the face by the time the club bounces up to the ball and you have a serviceable straight shot. Get on grass and its a open faced chunk. Generally you should be able to feel this happening, but many won't and you don't want to be practicing that all winter!

[Timanator]

No, any notion that mat is somehow going to ruin your game is BS. Look at how many top ranged Korean players practice and learned off mats. If someone has a jacked up extremely steep swing then the mat's becomes a bad idea from the impact. But they can always fix their swing, if they are smart enough to realize that is an option.

[KILLEDBYASHANKEDWEDGE]

[i][b]Can hitting off mats funk up your game?[/b][/i]

[i][b]YES[/b][/i]

[bruizer]

For me hitting off the mats have turned me into a picker...i dont take a nice divot anymore.

[fatboyj711]

It probably comes down to what you're used to. I grew up hitting off matts since none of the ranges I went to had grass ranges or good grass ranges. Also, I can tell if I've hit a good shot off a matt or if I "got away with one" (didn't know this was possible at the range).

[Evil Ecstasy]

Yeh hitting irons and wedges off of mats is bad for your hands bad for your swing and bad for your clubs. I try to avoid it at all costs.

[mdgboxx]

[quote name='bruizer' timestamp='1365609211' post='6801001']
For me hitting off the mats have turned me into a picker...i dont take a nice divot anymore.
[/quote]

I see a nice divot when I split the grass roots in half, but that's just me.

[Greyboy]

Ugh, this reminds me of a problem I always seem to run into (and forget about or try to ignore). I've been practicing off matts for a couple weeks now during the pre-season. I haven't gone out on grass yet. Now I'm scared I might run into this same problem.

[russc1597187869]

Here is a suggestion.place a small piece of plexiglas flat on the mat about 1" behind the ball.If you hit behind the ball ,you will get feedback pronto.You will not hurt your wrists in doing this but you might break the plexiglas.If you want to spend money on a fancier commercial version of this just google "compresssion board"

[kellygreen]

[quote name='mdgboxx' timestamp='1365613727' post='6801991']
[quote name='bruizer' timestamp='1365609211' post='6801001']
For me hitting off the mats have turned me into a picker...i dont take a nice divot anymore.
[/quote]

I see a nice divot when I split the grass roots in half, but that's just me.
[/quote]

Seriously. I take a nice divot as well. It's just that its a SCRAPE, not a TRENCH.

[hornyjuan]

Takes some time to get used to but I don't think it'll completely destroy your game. Play more instead of practicing and you should be fine.

[DavePelz4]

[quote name='russc' timestamp='1365618779' post='6803043']
Here is a suggestion.place a small piece of plexiglas flat on the mat about 1" behind the ball.If you hit behind the ball ,you will get feedback pronto.You will not hurt your wrists in doing this but you might break the plexiglas.If you want to spend money on a fancier commercial version of this just google "compresssion board"
[/quote]

I use the opposite approach and put a piece of athletic tape in front of the ball with the goal of hitting the tape.

[jkannard]

I totally feel ya' here man. Used to work at a range that had all rubber mats. They were nice brand new but after a few rains and baking in the sun the got pretty sketchy, hard as a rock. But the other day the range I usually practice had had like a foot of sand under the grass. It was like hitting a bunker shot every time. Made me kinda miss the old mats. I prefer to hit off grass when possible. I'm a total head case like that.