JohnWhirl
New member
I've been contemplating buying a hitting mat to save my lawn, and a net to hit into, because I was getting tired of chasing balls into the field behind my house. Then I had a revelation, what if I could build one? So I decided to do some web searching to see if there have been any success stories out there, as well as some ideas of how I could build my own. I stumbled across this thread from GolfWRX (https://www.golfwrx.com/forums/topic/1143537-homemade-hitting-net/) and the inspiration bug struck. I knew I would be able to follow the tips in that thread and put one together for myself. So I made a trip to my local Menards, Lowe's, & Dick's yesterday after work to pick up all the supplies I needed for the project. I also set a goal for doing this under $50.
The supplies are:
5 - Ten Foot 1" PVC
6 - 1" 90* PVC Elbows
2 - 1" PVC T's
2 - 1" Side Outlet Elbow (This was the only thing I couldn't find at Menards https://www.lowes.com/pd/LASCO-1-in-Dia-90-Degree-PVC-Sch-40-Side-Outlet-Elbow/3344668)
1 - 8'x10' Mesh Tarp
1 - Package of Zip Ties
I cut the PVC to the following Lengths:
2 - 7'
2 - 5'
8 - 3' (You'll wind up with 2 extra 1' pieces of PVC)
I then proceeded to put all the pieces together, which took less than 10 minutes. For a permanent build, you can use PVC Cement, but I opted not to go that route.
I then used the zip ties to attach the tarp to the top and bottom of the frame. I did this while the frame was laying down, to make it easier. The next step was to stand it back upright, and assemble my homemade hitting mat.
My 'mat' is nothing more than a 4'x5' piece I cut from a roll of green polyester carpet, that we got from my wife's grandparents. The underlay is a partial sheet of plywood I rescued from work to stand on, and some extra unused pieces of foam workout/utility flooring to cushion the impact from the clubs.
From this point, it was test time. Due to freezing rain, I stayed in the garage, and began with some chip shots, and quickly moved on to full swings with my 50* wedge. I was only about 4' away from the frame, so I didn't have any issues with hitting over the net. I moved on to an iron test with my 5 Iron. After a couple shots, one got a little right. The net slowed it down, but it still got past, and hit the door. So to solve that problem, I added one zip tie to each side, and I didn't have any more problems. Next up I decided to try the 3w. This time, no shots got past, and on full swings there was no sign of distress from the mesh tarp. One thing I did notice on the 3w was some green residue from the carpet, but it's nothing different than what winds up on clubs at Golf Galaxy.
So obviously the next test would be the driver, but I didn't take any full swings with driver. I took a slow backswing to check trajectory, and it was a little too close to my garage door opener for comfort. If I hit the opener, this project would go way past the $50 budget. I did take a couple of half swings, and one thing I need to do is cut a hole through the bottom of the carpet for the rubber tees. When I'd hit the ball, the tee would go flying into the mesh as well. Just a convenience thing more than anything.
So after this testing was completed, it was time to put it away, because my setup was where my wife parks her car. I left the mesh attached to the top and bottom pieces of PVC, and then separated those pieces from the frame. I left the support squares intact, and then removed the 5' uprights. I rolled the mesh and attached pieces up, and now it's easily stored in the corner of the garage.
All in all I'm very pleased with this setup. With the Carpet, plywood, and workout/utility flooring already at home, that made the cost of the mat nothing except a little time. The final Cost breakdown (including tax) was as follows:
Menards (PVC, Mesh Tarp, Zip Ties) - 40.53
Lowe's (PVC Side Outlet Elbows) - $5.31
Dick's (Driving Range Tee's) - $5.34
Total - $51.18 (But I'm not going to lose any sleep over the $1.18)
This will be great to set up in the yard, and hit balls when I can't get to the course or a range. Dick's has Slazenger Practice balls on sale right now, 3 Doz for $6.99, and I picked up a box of those a couple weeks ago, so I'm set for practicing. I'll update how everything holds up outside with more full swings, including the driver. I'll also test some more wedge shots with the 56* & 62* to see how far away I can place the net.
Let me know if you have any questions! Hopefully this inspires some of you to take the plunge of building your own net and saving some money along the way! Have a great weekend!
The supplies are:
5 - Ten Foot 1" PVC
6 - 1" 90* PVC Elbows
2 - 1" PVC T's
2 - 1" Side Outlet Elbow (This was the only thing I couldn't find at Menards https://www.lowes.com/pd/LASCO-1-in-Dia-90-Degree-PVC-Sch-40-Side-Outlet-Elbow/3344668)
1 - 8'x10' Mesh Tarp
1 - Package of Zip Ties
I cut the PVC to the following Lengths:
2 - 7'
2 - 5'
8 - 3' (You'll wind up with 2 extra 1' pieces of PVC)
I then proceeded to put all the pieces together, which took less than 10 minutes. For a permanent build, you can use PVC Cement, but I opted not to go that route.
I then used the zip ties to attach the tarp to the top and bottom of the frame. I did this while the frame was laying down, to make it easier. The next step was to stand it back upright, and assemble my homemade hitting mat.
My 'mat' is nothing more than a 4'x5' piece I cut from a roll of green polyester carpet, that we got from my wife's grandparents. The underlay is a partial sheet of plywood I rescued from work to stand on, and some extra unused pieces of foam workout/utility flooring to cushion the impact from the clubs.
From this point, it was test time. Due to freezing rain, I stayed in the garage, and began with some chip shots, and quickly moved on to full swings with my 50* wedge. I was only about 4' away from the frame, so I didn't have any issues with hitting over the net. I moved on to an iron test with my 5 Iron. After a couple shots, one got a little right. The net slowed it down, but it still got past, and hit the door. So to solve that problem, I added one zip tie to each side, and I didn't have any more problems. Next up I decided to try the 3w. This time, no shots got past, and on full swings there was no sign of distress from the mesh tarp. One thing I did notice on the 3w was some green residue from the carpet, but it's nothing different than what winds up on clubs at Golf Galaxy.
So obviously the next test would be the driver, but I didn't take any full swings with driver. I took a slow backswing to check trajectory, and it was a little too close to my garage door opener for comfort. If I hit the opener, this project would go way past the $50 budget. I did take a couple of half swings, and one thing I need to do is cut a hole through the bottom of the carpet for the rubber tees. When I'd hit the ball, the tee would go flying into the mesh as well. Just a convenience thing more than anything.
So after this testing was completed, it was time to put it away, because my setup was where my wife parks her car. I left the mesh attached to the top and bottom pieces of PVC, and then separated those pieces from the frame. I left the support squares intact, and then removed the 5' uprights. I rolled the mesh and attached pieces up, and now it's easily stored in the corner of the garage.
All in all I'm very pleased with this setup. With the Carpet, plywood, and workout/utility flooring already at home, that made the cost of the mat nothing except a little time. The final Cost breakdown (including tax) was as follows:
Menards (PVC, Mesh Tarp, Zip Ties) - 40.53
Lowe's (PVC Side Outlet Elbows) - $5.31
Dick's (Driving Range Tee's) - $5.34
Total - $51.18 (But I'm not going to lose any sleep over the $1.18)
This will be great to set up in the yard, and hit balls when I can't get to the course or a range. Dick's has Slazenger Practice balls on sale right now, 3 Doz for $6.99, and I picked up a box of those a couple weeks ago, so I'm set for practicing. I'll update how everything holds up outside with more full swings, including the driver. I'll also test some more wedge shots with the 56* & 62* to see how far away I can place the net.
Let me know if you have any questions! Hopefully this inspires some of you to take the plunge of building your own net and saving some money along the way! Have a great weekend!
