Which Kaizen Golf Mat Should I Buy? A Buying Guide for our Golf Mats

Which of your Golf Mats should I buy?

Here at Kaizen Golf, we are very proud of the fact that we do carry a wide range of high quality golf mats, because we know that our fellow golf enthusiasts have different preferences and requirements.

But a wide range of products can also sometimes lead to the classic "buyers dilemma" and we often get emails and phone calls which are along the lines of "I really like your range of golf mats, but can you tell me which one you recommend"?

Our answer to this questions typically has 2 parts:

1. You can't really go wrong with any of our mats - we only sell high quality mats and we validate this through extensive testing. As avid golfers ourselves, who also use our products day-in and day-out, so we 100% understand the need for a high quality golf mat.
2. The exact mat that we would recommend will depend on your preferences and circumstances.  We are confident that we have a mat that is suitable for you, but our recommendation will depend on things including:

• Your budget
• How you strike the ball
• What your set up looks like
• How often you practice and play
• Any history of injuries

In this article, we will provide a guide on which of our golf mats is the right product for your individual preferences. We are sure that it will help you in purchasing the right product.

Full Size vs. Portable vs. Hitting Strip 

The first decision point you should make is the type of mat you buy. At Kaizen Golf (and generally speaking), there are 3 types of golf mats:

Full size golf mat

These are large golf mat that you can stand on (see photo). These are essentially what you see at driving ranges.

You should buy a full size large golf mat if you:

1. Prefer a level stance with the ball and hit from a uniform surface - this is typically the main buying factor.
2. Have a more permanent set up where you are not looking to move the mat around.
3. Have a budget of at least $350. 

Portable golf mat

These are much smaller golf mats that you place the ball on.

You should buy a portable golf mat if:

1. If you have limited budget - if budget is an issue, please don't buy a cheap and thin full size mat, it's very likely that you will get injured. A lot of our customers couple this with just a simple 3m x 3m heavy duty golf net as a very inexpensive way to test out whether a home set up would work for them before considering/committing to upgrades down the track.
2. If you have a need to move the mat around or pack up your set up due to space constraints etc. For example, say you have a backyard set up and you don't want to have a large mat that is permanently placed on your lawn, or you want the portability so you can place it on different spots in your backyard for chipping practice.

Inserts / Hitting strips

Similar to portable mats, but they are designed to be  inserted into a stance mat or raised flooring.

You should buy a Insert/Golf Hitting Strip if:

1. You already have (or can make) a stance mat or a raised floor to insert the hitting strip into. Say if you have worn out your large mat, you can easily repurpose it by making a cut-out on it and turn it into a stance mat. 
2. You operate a commercial set up and don't want to replace whole golf mats once the 'hitting area' is worn out.

Once you have decided on the type(s) of mat that suits you, please refer to relevant sections below on each type for our recommendations/considerations on which specific golf mat you should buy.

How to Choose between our Portable Golf Mats

• If you are looking for a simple, no-frills portable golf mat, we have our Premium Hitting Strips which are based on our Tee Turf and 3D full size mats. The choice between Tee Turf vs. 3D will be based on your personal preference, i.e.
• Choose Tee Turf if you:
• Want the ability to insert a tee
• Want to be able to hit down and through the turf more
• Choose the 3D mat if you:
• Want a bit more durability
• Want a bit more forgiveness
• If you are looking for a portable mat that offers a choice of hitting surfaces, i.e. if you want to simulate the rough or a firmer linksy type of turf, then the tri-turf portable mat would be the ideal option for you.

How to Choose between our Inserts / Golf Hitting Strips

• Best all rounder - Kaizen Golf Hitting Strip / Insert, this 'divot' style hitting strip is our purpose built hitting strip that is designed to prevent injuries and simulate the feel of taking a divot. So if you have a steeper swing or tend to take big divots, this product will significantly reduce the chance of injuries. 

• If you are looking for a simple and no-frills insert/hitting strip that can also double up as portable golf mats, we have our Premium Hitting Strips which are based on our Tee Turf and 3D full size mats. The choice between Tee Turf vs. 3D will be based on your personal preference, i.e.
• Choose Tee Turf if you:
• Want the ability to insert a tee
• Want to be able to hit down and through the turf more
• Choose the 3D mat if you:
• Want a bit more durability
• Want a bit more forgiveness 

How to Choose between our Large Golf Mats

• Best all rounder -  and not surprisingly our best seller, is our Tee Turf Mat, not long will it let you to insert your own tee, the innovative turf design allows you to hit down and through the turf. In addition, as the turf does tend to 'grab' your club when you hit it fat, it will provide great feedback on your the quality of your ball striking. So if you are just after a high quality golf mat, we'd recommend this mat.

• If you are after something that has a bit more of a firmer feel under feet and offers a bit more forgiveness, the 3-layer mat may be a good option for you. The air cushion under the turf does a really good job of providing a dampening effect through impact. Furthermore, it tends to be a bit more durable, so this is a popular product amongst our commercial customers (e.g. driving ranges and indoor commercial sim set ups). Be sure to also check out our full compare between our Tee Turf and 3D mats here - Product Compare | Kaizen Golf Tee Turf Vs. 3 Layer (3D) Mat - what's the right golf mat for you?

• Best of both (many) worlds - if you are still undecided, don't worry, we have a "best of many worlds option" through our large stance mat. It comes with it's own standard hitting strip, so you don't need to get a hitting strip separately. But if you want to upgrade to a 3D, Tee Turf our our Kaizen Divot-style Insert down the track, they are all compatible with the stance mat.

• What if you have a preferred mat but want a different size? No problem either, simply contact us to obtain a quote if you want a mat in a different size.

Summing Up

As mentioned above, we have a wide range of high quality golf mats to meet the different needs and circumstances of our customers. We hope that this buying guide will help you in making an informed buying decision if you are trying to decide which of our golf mats will suit your requirements.

If you have any further questions or any feedback at all, please feel free to contact us, we'd love to hear from you!