You Need a Putting Mat, no IFs no BUTs.
For anyone golfer who doesn't think that putting practice gives you by far the biggest bang for buck as far as your scores as concerned - you probably haven't played enough rounds.
How many times have you walked off the course having an average ball striking day yet still managed to play to your handicap simply because you were able to sink a couple of 6 footers?
On the flip side, how many times have the odd 3 putts completely ruined your round?
Yet honestly, when was the last time you seriously spent some time working on your putting? That 10 minutes you spend on the putting green just before your tee time doesn't count.
Putting is the part of your game that you can practice at home without spending tons of money or having a huge amount of space. You can never do enough putting practice.
If you already have a putting mat at home that's collecting dust, roll it out now and start practicing.
If you haven't got a putting mat at home - we have written this article to help you purchase one that will suit your needs.
So let's get started and get that handicap to come down, fast.
Golf Putting Mats - Buying Considerations
There are 2 main considerations when it comes to buying a golf putting mat, your budget and how much space you have.
- Budget - although a simple putting mat is very affordable, a fancy artificial putting greens can still be quite costly.
- Space - where are you going to do your putting practice and how much space is available? Are you going to roll out a simple portable mat in the hallway of your apartment or do you have space in your garage or balcony for a more permanent set up?
Once you've thought through your budget and the space available, there are some other factors and personal preferences which will help you to determine which putting mat you should buy. They include:
- The looks - do you prefer a plain looking mat that resembles an actual putting green or one that has markings and guidelines to help you with your drills?
- Other features - do you want a ball return device? Do you need something that allows you to practice breaking putts?
Which Putting Mat is right for you?
Once you've thought through your budget and how much space is available, let's go through the different types of golf putting mats on the market.
Budget Putting Mat
These products are essentially a 5 foot piece of thin carpet or felt that has a plastic cup/ball return mechanism that you can putt to.
They typically cost between $50-$100.
Suitable for - If you are budget conscious and just want a no-frills putting mat to practice on, this will be the best money you will ever spend. However just note that as the turf is fairly thin, you will need to place it on fairly firm flooring.
Premium Putting Mat
These putting mats tend to be larger/wider than the budget mats and the key difference with this category of putting mats is the quality of material. The turf will better simulate the speed of a real green and most importantly there's a layer of rubber or dense foam material at the base to weigh the mat down so it can lay more flat and smooth.
These mats usually cost over $100 and can get pretty expensive depending on the functionality and over all quality. If you are able to stretch your budget, we would recommend these over the more budget products as they will definitely provide a more realistic practicing experience and will last longer too.
Some products in this category come in a plain green design, for example our very own Large 3m putting mat. Some other examples of products in this category comes with printed markings and guidelines such as the Wellputt mat or the Puttout mat, which are also a very high quality products.
Another higher end example in this category is the PuttOut AirBreak where the product allows you to create breaking puts by pumping air into air pockets underneath the putting mat.
It's guaranteed to add a bit more variety to your putting practice.
Portable Golf Green
For a bit more WOW factor, and if the budget will stretch a bit more, there are Portable Putting Greens.
They are essentially artificial mini-greens that you can stand on and practice putting and even short chips with. A piece of Augusta National in your own home as we like to call it.
High quality portable putting greens will typically cost north of $500.
They are also larger than the usual putting mats, so you will also need to ensure you have sufficient space. Our standard Portable Putting Green measures 3.5m x 1.5m but can be customised to suit your dimensions.
You want to go all out?
Bit off-topic now, but if you are looking for the ultimate putting practice area, then why not turn your backyard into a putting green?
If this is something you are interested in, be sure to check out our article on how we built our very own backyard putting green.
What about Accessories?
Whether you are working on your favourite drill or are just trying to sink 20 3-footers in a row, there are also a number accessories that may help you to roll the rock end-over-end off the middle of your putter-face. Here are some of our favourites:
Putt-out
The Putt-out is a fantastic training aid which gives fantastic feedback on your putts and can make putting practice quite fun as you try and hit that 'perfect putt'.
We really like to use it on our portable greens as a ball-return.
Alignment stick
When you are putting on a mat that doesn't have guide-lines printed on them, using a simple alignment stick can help you to make sure that you are aligned correctly to the hole or your target.
Gates
Setting up some gates for the ball to go through will provide really good feedback on whether the putt is starting on a good line.
You can also set them up for your putter head to go through to fine-tune the path of your stroke as well as centred-ness of strike.
You can purchase ready-made putting gates, but you can definitely improvise as well. We get good results from using our floating tees!
Metal ruler
Yes that's right, the humble metal ruler.
Putting on a metal ruler is not as easy as you think. The ball will fall off the ruler instantly if you are not rolling it perfectly straight and end-over-end.
Summing up
If you are serious about improving your golf game and don't have a putting mat at home, you should go and get one now.
We hope that this article will help you to determine what type of putting mat is right for you and and get you practicing your putting as much as possible.
If you have any further questions or any feedback at all, please feel free to contact us, we'd love to hear from you!
Now I'm off to do some putting practice....