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Home mat and net vs indoor range

Home mat and net vs indoor range

  • Option A

    Votes: 6 24.0%

  • Option B

    Votes: 19 76.0%
  • Total voters
    25
ShotScope
Adam Hartzell

Adam Hartzell

Yup, I'm a lefty.
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Alright THPers. I need some help here.

Winter is comming soon and all the outdoor ranges will be closing and the domes will be filling up with golfers. So this winter I'm thinking about trying something new.

Option A: Spend at least one day a week at the dome like I've done every year since I started golfing. This is $10 for 100 balls and I usually have to wait a good hour before a hitting bay opens up. In total, going to the dome takes almost 4 hours out of my day if I go.

Option B: Purchase a Trustrike mat and net for the garage. Right now, I can pick up both items for around $650 shipped to my door. I would have to go to the range 65 times to break even on the cost, but I would simply have to walk out the door and I would be using my own balls. This would only take about an hour and I could hit every day.

The range gives me a chance to view ball flight, but the mat give me a chance to hit every day.
 
I love to see flight and I wouldn't want to groove a fault I wasn't seeing the results of but in this specific situation, I'd be all mat/net as long as there was occasional game or range in there as well, I wouldn't do 4 months all net.
 
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Agree with JoeyJoeJo. If you have the money to spend I'd get the mat and net, then sprinkle in a range trip every few weeks or so.
 
I agree with JJJ above, but 4 hours to go hit balls in the winter? I can see myself losing interest in that after about...oh...10 minutes.

I'll be interested in hearing more from others with the home net setup.
 
I'd love to have a mat + net + launch monitor. I would honestly hit balls almost every day.

Alas, I don't have the space (or ceiling height clearance for a full club swing), so I head to the heated outdoor ranges. The reduced hours, even at lighted, heated ranges really stinks.
 
ryebread said:
I'd love to have a mat + net + launch monitor. I would honestly hit balls almost every day.

Alas, I don't have the space (or ceiling height clearance for a full club swing), so I head to the heated outdoor ranges. The reduced hours, even at lighted, heated ranges really stinks.
Click to expand...

There is a heated outdoor range not to far from me that is usually at half capacity all winter, so there is hardly a wait if any. The problem I have with that place is that the balls are so cold that it feel like I'm hitting rocks every now and then.
 
Having spent a winter hitting off a mat in New Hampshire (several years ago so I don't know about new mats) I would take the $650 and take lessons in the spring.

I find that mats mask poor impact and a lack of visual feedback can result in grooving flaws.

I would just take the time off, work on my putting and get off to a fast start in the spring.
 
If your not interested in ball flight you might as well just swing a weighted club. I know you didn't day that but it the same as hitting in the garage. 65 trips to the dome is better than a Mat in the garage
 
The dome is a glorified driving range net at home. Seriously. Short iron balls are hitting the ceiling, and it's only about 40yds deep. I can't see what the ball would be doing at all. I'd rather have a net at home to use off and on and then go maybe once a week to an outdoor, hitting bay with a spot heater.
 
I've never hit golf balls at a dome, although I've always been curious about it. Working at GTEC for 3 years got me to to the point where I did not care about seeing ball flight but rather working on the movements in the swing. I voted for the matt/net option due to my experiences but also for accessibility and ease.
 
Honestly it is a toss up. Like several have mentioned, hitting at home in a net doesn't allow you to see the flight of the ball. I for one think should you want to work on dialing in your wedges you would need to head to an indoor range. I am in the same predicament as I am struggling with the same decision. Net + home = happy wife and kids. Indoor Range = Kids + Dad - (wife shopping).

Its a toss up.
 
Option B and combine it with V1 on your cellphone or similar.
 
Couldn't you do a mat and net at home with a swing analyzer like SkyPro or Swingbyte?
 
That much time out of my day wouldn't work for me. The cost you mentioned is a bit much, however it's not like you won't be able to use this garage setup NEXT winter also...so over time, you're WAY in the black with your purchase. All things considered, hitting in the garage isn't a bad thing, I've done this before. Just need to make sure your not grooving a bad swing. The winter I was hitting around 100 balls a day in the garage. I came out that spring and the first few days on the range were spent fixing a very solid and crisp power fade. THAT was annoying to say the least. All my shots felt super solid and perfect off the club face, but they ALL went a little left to right.
It's not a bad thing, and you'll come out of winter ahead of the game, but make sure your not grooving a fault. Bottom line, I voted for the garage set up, but I would add that maybe once or twice a month, hit the dome, too.
 
Thanks to everyone for all the replies.

I may may have found the solution to all my questions if I'm willing to spend a little more $$. My swing coach pointed me in the direction of a retired club pro in the area that has a Flightscope Cheetah he is trying to unload. He also said the if I were to purchase it, he would be more than happy to rent it from me to use with some of his wealthier students. So eventually the unit would pay for itself. I just need to know if the Cheetah will read balls if I'm hitting them into a net. If it does than all questions answered and my wife will only have to deal with me being in the garage for an hour a few days a week instead the 4 hours it takes to go to the some.
 
Have searched the forum for info on mats or nets?

Hawk just did a great review on a net that is super easy to put up and down.
 
I read that review. It will probably be the net I end up going with.
 
Adam Hartzell said:
Thanks to everyone for all the replies.

I may may have found the solution to all my questions if I'm willing to spend a little more $$. My swing coach pointed me in the direction of a retired club pro in the area that has a Flightscope Cheetah he is trying to unload. He also said the if I were to purchase it, he would be more than happy to rent it from me to use with some of his wealthier students. So eventually the unit would pay for itself. I just need to know if the Cheetah will read balls if I'm hitting them into a net. If it does than all questions answered and my wife will only have to deal with me being in the garage for an hour a few days a week instead the 4 hours it takes to go to the some.
Click to expand...

I like this idea, as I was actually looking at a Flightscope Cheetah on eBay. The price was a little steep, but the set up was sweet. IF you can swing that Cheetah plus a little side cash for when your friend/pro borrows it. I think you would have a winner. That's the way I would go, since in the summer you could take that to the range as well and get some SWEET feed back, not just the garage. Good luck either way.
 
I say go with the mat. But before, take a few lessons to get drills to work on over the winter. Then you can just repeat these awkward moves all winter and they will become natural by spring. Personally, for less than 650$ I was able to get a mat, optishot, and net last year and they are great. The optishot allows you to see the flight and takes some of the monotony away. The net was like 70$ from birdieball.com and has held up great and the mat was like 100$ from allturf mats. I love it because I can hit off the mat or the optishot which has a cutout. In my opinion it's the best cheap winter golf solution. ImageUploadedByTapatalk1381598274.338465.jpg


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I personally prefer an indoor range just because I like to see the flight of the ball but if it meant taking 4 hours out of a day, Im probably do most at home into the net with the occasional indoor range session.
Any practice is better than none and with the at home net, you are probably going to be more inclined to practice because of the convenience.
Before I moved to Ohio, I owned a house with a big park across the steer and I used to practice every day, now that I have to make the effort to drive to the range (only about a 10 minute drive) I find that I never seem to make time for practice anymore.


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Anywhere you can see the ball flight is 1000% better than hitting into a net any day.....
 
I'd still visit the range, seeing ball flight is huge for me.
 
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