The Breaking Ball Putting Mat

We here at THP have documented the journey of Me and My Golf to enter the training aid segment with an overview of what products they were bringing to market here, and since then have even reviewed the various training towels here. That said, there has been much curiosity surrounding the putting mat which the two YouTube coaching sensations have put their names on, especially with the inclusion of specific golf balls which claim to teach breaking putts. So, it seemed fitting that we took a closer look at just what this putting mat brings to the table. 

Quick Take 

 A thought-out putting mat that is well made and aims to teach golfers to practice with a purpose. Clear markings on the mat make it easy to use and when combined with the breaking balls it makes for a surprisingly comprehensive indoor putting setup. With two different lengths available and an easy to roll/store carpet design with heavy rubber backing, there is a lot to like, especially when the specialized drills from Piers and Andy are included. 

Me and My Golf

Though this may be an afterthought to those who have checked out our previous articles and reviews of the Me and My Golf training products, it is worth giving a rundown of just who is behind the name for those who may not be familiar. Piers Ward and Andy Proudman are the founding fathers of what most consider the top online golf instruction platform on the internet. Coming in just around 20 years, this duo has been coaching with the goal of making improvement possible and accessible for golfers everywhere, from beginners to plus handicaps with the intent being placed squarely on helping golfers get better with what they have. 

Since its founding in 2011, Me and My Golf has been creating instructional videos that address the difficulties and common faults (as well as misconceptions) about the golf swing to better correct them. With over 840,000 subscribers and more than 195 million views, that mission has been highly successful. That is why it is a bit surprising a full line of practice aids has been so deliberately planned and now released from the duo.  

The Breaking Ball Putting Mat

Sure, we have seen a significant influx of putting mats to the training aid segment in the past few years, particularly during the lockdowns across the globe as it was the perfect time to strike while the iron was hot. That said, is the Me and My Golf putting mat drastically different than some of those? Perhaps not in material design, but definitely in scope of application.

From a design perspective, there are two different lengths of the Breaking Ball Putting Mat available, 7.5’ and 11.5’ total length which allow for 6’ and 8’ maximum putting distances respectively. Materials wise, these are a carpet design with heavy rubber backing similar to what we have seen from PuttOut and a few other companies. The nice thing here is it can be rolled up and stored out of the way when needed, but also stays mobile enough to put in a variety of rooms. The thing about this type of design is that it is best when on a firmer surface as opposed to thicker carpet. Similarly, after long putting practices sessions, a quick vacuum is a good way to ensure the roll stays true and the matt doesn’t groove. 

Now, where the performance and training aid application of the mat is concerned, I came away from this review far more impressed than I ever expected. While the breaking balls are a big part of that, I first want to get into the actual aiming/graphics on the mat because conceptually it is pretty cool. First, there is no centerline on the mat. This is because they wanted to avoid the “parallax error” where the mind gets confused when working with breaks/curves if there is a centerline. Instead, there are dots and dashes in the middle of the mat at various distances. A white dot demarcates the midline, while green, red, and blue dashes provide aim points for the breaking balls. 

Speaking of the breaking balls, each mat includes a sleeve of these “wobble” balls. Each ball has a different weight in the side which make for more or less “wobble”, this in turn is what allows them to behave like a breaking putt while on a flat surface. Each one has a color attached to it to label the amount of break, with green being slight, red as medium, and the blue having the largest amount of break. I was worried these might be tedious to use, but it ended up as simple as putting the weight to the side you want the ball to break, so for a right to left putt, the weight is aligned on the left side of the ball. Making it even more simple is the colored line down around the ball which is to be aligned at your target. 

From there, the practice on the mat was actually quite impressive. After watching the videos included through use of a QR code, there was great explanation by Piers and Andy as to why the mat is designed this way it is and how to practice with it. I worked with the 11.5’ mat and it was telling to use the different balls and see how the colored rectangles correlated to break as well as how the break is impacted by the pace at which you strike the putt. The other nice thing was the extended blue “landing zone” by the “cup” on the longer mat as the curve of it shows the zone in which you want your putts to finish, a keen tool to learning to not leave birdie putts short. 

In all, yes, this one is another putting mat, and at $129.99 (7.5’) or $169.99 (11.5’) it is perhaps not the cheapest option. That said, I walked away from his review extremely impressed. The Breaking Ball Putting Mat creates a practice potential that can help golfers understand concepts of putting and it coincides wonderfully with the harsh reality for amateurs that there are very few straight putts in golf. 

What do you think, is Me and My Golf on to something with their new training aids? Is the Breaking Ball Putting Mat something that catches your eye? Jump in and let us know on the THP Community or in the comments below!

For more information or to pick one up, check out their website here.

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James Miles
James is a staff writer for The Hackers Paradise along with being a professional educator. With his background in education James seeks to broaden his own knowledge while also sharing it with all those who share his passion for the game.
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