When it comes to playing golf in the winter it can be hard to know what your options are and most solutions are going to involve a hitting mat. If you don’t know where to start you’re in the right place as we’re about to cover the very best golf hitting mats on the market in 2023 so that you can choose an option that suits you best.
It can be hard to know exactly which hitting mat to choose out of the plethora of possibilities out there, especially when it can be hard to know exactly what the differences are between the different options. However, by choosing wisely you will be able to get your golf fix year round.
In this guide, we’ll explore a variety of options that fit any budget and allow you to play from a mat throughout the year no matter the weather. Each option has its own pros and cons, and we dive into each option for you to decide for yourself what the best mat is for your set up.
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Benefits
Prior to getting into the specifics, let’s talk about some of the most important benefits of using a hitting mat. You may see a mat when you’re at the driving range or when you see people using a golf simulator and wonder whether they would be effective or not as a method to improve your game and improve your swing.
Ability To Play Year Round
Having the option to play at home when you want and at your own pace is its biggest benefit, especially during cold winter months. Sure, you are hitting off a mat instead of having the joys of playing at a real golf course, but it’s usually quicker than playing a round. You’ll be able to use tools such as launch monitors to play from home and get practice in year round while tracking your game data. Using a stance mat provides artificial turf to practice your golf game much better than if you were just reliant on playing every time you go to the golf course.
Get A Perfect Lie
Something that is great about using a practice mat is that it provides a great hitting surface that simulates playing on real turf. You will get a perfect lie every time. This is great for improving your form with each of the golf clubs in your bag. It may not be exactly like real grass but for a home setup it will give you the opportunity to improve performance on good lies and enhance your swing.
It is also important to be aware of the potential cons when using practice mats for practice. For example despite being able to hit from a perfect lie you won’t get the experience of taking a divot when you hit your shots and you are more likely to hit fat shots than when hitting from real turf.
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Is Using a Golf Hitting Mat realistic?
One aspect of a golf hitting mat opposed to real grass is the fact that people question whether it is as realistic. There are numerous benefits to both playing on real grass and using a practice mat as we’ve covered above. It’s important to note that using practice mats should be for that purpose exactly, practicing and unfortunately you won’t get a full golf course experience.
However, what you should take into account is the fact that you will be able to improve your game by having more practice sessions as you could play year-round with a home-based setup.
One thing to note is that you can get as close as possible to real grass by choosing a high-quality practice mat. This can also be said if you are looking to work on your putting stroke from home with an indoor putting green.
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In Detail: Best Golf Practice Mats Of 2023
Now that you know what some of the benefits are with golf mats, we’ll go into full detail of each golf mat covering the pros and cons of each choice.
Choice #1: SwingTurf Golf Mat
What we love most about this SwingTurf golf hitting mat is that it ticks so many boxes that people look for when they are in the market for a golf hitting mat. Firstly, this golf mat is forgiving and provides real life like feel which is always a worry for golfers when choosing to use a mat. Not only that but this golf mat comes at a great price compared to alternatives but despite the low price it is durable and high quality.
The SwingTurf option is suitable for both a home golf simulator setup or if you are in the market for golf mats for your driving range and is top of our list for the best golf mat overall.
Choice #2: Country Club Elite Real Feel Mat
All Round Choice
The Country Club Elite Real Feel Golf Mat is one of the best golf mats that we think is a great all round choice to help you practice your game. There are a number of great features of this mat including its design to simulate playing golf on real grass, and it is made from high quality as it is made from really durable materials. With the Country Club elite we also like that there are different sizes for this mat which will make it easier for golfers who have different spacing needs for their practice setup.
Besides being waterproof and being sold with its own stand, this golf hitting mat is also rather easy to install. Overall with the Country Club Elite Real Feel Golf Mat people choose this option because they know that this is a great real feel golf mat for practicing their shots.
Choice #3: TrueStrike Golf
Premium Choice
Another of the best mats on the market is the Truestrike golf hitting mat. The Truestrike golf mat has a reasonably large area compared with other hitting mats we reviewed. This mat is made from very high quality materials with the entire surface covered in a nonslip fabric and padding. The pad is waterproof and can be rolled up or down to customize your practice space. The major drawback of this option is the fact that it is a premium option that comes at a higher price point per square foot than other options. However as a result of this you will find realistic turf that is also forgiving.
Choice #4: Fiberbuilt Flight Deck
Best Portable Option
The Fiberbuilt Flight Deck is a thin, lightweight mat that is water resistant and suitable for use both indoors and out. It’s made with heavy duty coated nylon, and it has a cotton batting between its fibers. Both the face and the back of the mat are covered with ball roll, and it gives a good feel to your shots. It is portable which makes it easy to move around unlike most of the other options on this list of the best hitting mats.
It is high quality and comes with a 300,000-shot Fiberbuilt Guarantee so despite the size you can be sure that it will stand the test of time thanks to the heavy duty base. No matter whether you use it indoors or outside.
Choice #5: Fiberbuilt Golf Mat
All Purpose Practice Mat
If you are looking for a forgiving practice mat that can be used for all purposes then you will likely love the Fiberbuilt mat. It is really simple to setup and hit off with it’s heavy rubber base and large turf area. If you are a beginner then will likely love this mat due to the forgiving nature whereas it may not be as suitable for experienced golfers who want to know that their fat shots are going to be punished as they want to develop their skills.
Where To Use One?
Driving Range
Now that you’ve decided which of the options above is best for you let’s take a deeper look into where you are most likely to use golf mats. Firstly, you’ve probably already experienced hitting mats when hitting golf balls during practice sessions at your local driving ranges.
Home Simulator
Other than during a practice session at the driving range another good place to use golf mats are when you are looking to test out your launch monitor at home by creating a golf setup in your house. When this is the case there are likely to be a variety of factors that you take into consideration such as if the mat is heavy duty, the size of the mat as well as the price as creating a simulator setup isn’t cheap.
In Summary: The Best Golf Hitting Mat Of 2023 is…
When it comes to choosing which option is best for you in 2023 it all depends on your own individual circumstances and buying criteria. Practice facilities are a great way to prepare your game and choosing the right mat can play an important role in that. (SW News Media) For example you may wish to choose a premium golf mat such as the Country Club Elite Real Feel Golf Mat or you may prefer our overall pick of the SwingTurf Golf Mat. It all depends on your purpose with key criteria when choosing your mat being how much it costs, especially when creating a home setup and also taking into consideration what your sizing requirements are for your practice mat.
