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Garage hitting mat on the cheap- ebay seller has strips of "country club real feel" mat for $50 and less

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claytushaywood

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So I've been wanting a garage hitting setup for a while- I really need to work on grooving my swing with an easy setup mirror and video recording setup. At least have some tripods setup for my phone and a remote control to stop, play record.

I dont have a ton of excess golfing funds so I didnt get inspired this summer- and I always want to go to the range and actually play when its warm. but now that winter is coming I'm back at it.

So my previous idea (that I got from another forum members post) was a setup that employed a cheaper thin mat with some of the excercise puzzle piece foam flooring beneath and a motorcycle gel seat beneath the hitting area- people have claimed this is the way to do it. Basically you get some of the 1/2" or 3/4" thick excercise flooring stuff that looks like puzzle pieces- and you glue together a nice little 5x5' square- then you cut out a little area for a 10x20" gel motorcycle seat cushion that will be your iron hitting spot- glue it in there with some creativity- then you glue a cheaper couple mm thick golf mat on top of it all- voila you have a nice cushy hitting mat that will keep the injuries to a minimum. Or i was thinking about doing the same with one of those true divot platform things.

I was about to pull the trigger on the parts to put together this kind of setup when i saw an ebay seller selling partial sheets of the "real feel country club" hitting mats. He's selling like 10x"24" and 11x19" or something of that nature- little sheets that can be your hitting area.

Wondering if anyone has tried this stuff and has compared it to the gel seat method? I've heard great things about the real feel practice pad- and i'm sure its a lot better than most. Are they that much better than the driving ranges with the big 1.5" thick mats? I've read that the gel cushion method is amazing- but thought id see if anyone here has experience.

how does the real feel compare to range mats (not the crappy thin ones but the big thick heavy duty rubber ones)?
anyone compare it to the motorcycle gel pad method?
 
I think those mats aren't good on your wrists, elbows. As well as fat shots can be better than they really are, as seen in countless reviews. That being said, a lot of people use those inserts to make their own soft feel gel mats. Could be the motorcycle gel pad method you mentioned.
 
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I have the 5x5 country club real feel mat and it's very forgiving in regards to wear and tear on the joints. I've had mine since July 27, 2014 and it sits outside. It looks and feels as good as the day I got it.

They are pretty thick so you will have to build up around it if you just use the strip. Also, it will have to be stabilized well as such a small strip will slip easily.
 
I had one for awhile and was really good. You could actually put in a long tee for hitting driver. After 2 nets breaking apart in the wind (outside), I gave the idea up. I actually cut out a identical sized hole in lawn which I inserted the mat (I think was 18” X 24”) so my feet were level with the mat, just like real course conditions (flat). It was nice while it lasted but I probably only hit balls 5 sessions total with 2 nets.
 
Rather that use the exercise mat try looking for a horse mat or cow mat at your local Farm & Fleet or equivalent if you have one. You'll save a lot of money.

I only use mine for a stance mat though, not a hitting mat.

Recommend a hitting net and mat

Here you go: 20191105_171456 by dthrog00, on Flickr 1" PCV cage 8'10" wide x 8'6" tall x 5'0" L/R shank protection Cage bungeed to back of garage wall to prevent accidental tipping, etc... Carl's Standard impact screen 9'x9' Gourock 10'x10' netting on left, right, and top to catch errant...
www.thehackersparadise.com

Dave
 
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kevin81002 said:
The anti-fatigue mat I put under my $45 Amazon 4x5 mat was $20 at Lowes, and it's crazy soft. The mat gives like real turf and after a year of using it, it's as good as new. My net on the other hand didn't last very long before I blew a hole in it hitting a sand wedge. Scared the crap out of my wife when the ball hit the garage wall.

Click to expand...


Cool! what mat did you get off amazon? I've read that some of those mats will wear quicker when you put a softer surface underneath as your causing more tension and movement in the mat. I've also seen some that mark up the bottom of your irons. so if youve found one that doesnt do that stuff I'd love a link to that product!

my buddy uses a couple thick blankets hung up and allowed to give a little bit- hang up a thick blanket (or a couple to cover the area you need) only hung from top or loosely from bottom in a way that allows it to blow back a foot or two- hang a second blanket behind that one with about 8" in between and you have a perfectly cushy ball blocker that lasts way longer than those dumb nets
 
claytushaywood said:
Cool! what mat did you get off amazon? I've read that some of those mats will wear quicker when you put a softer surface underneath as your causing more tension and movement in the mat. I've also seen some that mark up the bottom of your irons. so if youve found one that doesnt do that stuff I'd love a link to that product!

my buddy uses a couple thick blankets hung up and allowed to give a little bit- hang up a thick blanket (or a couple to cover the area you need) only hung from top or loosely from bottom in a way that allows it to blow back a foot or two- hang a second blanket behind that one with about 8" in between and you have a perfectly cushy ball blocker that lasts way longer than those dumb nets
Click to expand...
It is the Megagrass MegaGolf Pro 4×5 mat. Looks like Amazon doesn't sell it anymore. And the net is being replaced with an impact screen next month.

Here's a pic of the mat. It's sitting on top of a piece of 3/4" MDF plywood. I had to build up the height for my optishot. I built this mat last January. Excuse the mess... been crazy busy lately.
20191213_212636.jpg
 
Obtain a piece of scrape carpet from a house under construction or someone replacing their carpet. Cut to the size you need. On top of that, for $10, purchase a suede bath mat from Walmart (they come in different sizes). The suede is a light shade when brushed one direction, a darker shade when brushed another. There is a selection of colors to choose from (green, gray, gold, black). The one I use is pleated and I use the lines to determine my divot control and swing path.

The change in shades allows you to monitor at least three different metrics: divot control (where the club strikes the ground), swing path and heel\toe head position. Sometimes the width of the mark can provide insight on how square the clubhead was. The path gets thinner when the clubhead is turned.

If you go this route let us know how it works for you.

Dennis

Sent from my moto g(7) supra using Tapatalk
 
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