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Let’s look at an indispensable tool for practicing golf, playing on a simulator or just getting out a few driving shots in the great outdoors! Find a valuable tool in the best outdoor golf practice mats for improving your golf game.
Knocking off a few shots here and there won’t improve your golf game or lower your scores overnight. That being said, it never hurts to work on the ‘feel’ of your shot and swing, and that’s something that’s only seriously achievable under the right circumstances.
Keep your head down, lean into your shot and always choose poise over power.
Why do you Need a Golf Practice Mat in Your Backyard?
Quite frankly, it’s the only way to get a feel for performing a real golf swing without the price and time it takes to hit the driving range or the greens. Using the proper equipment ensures that you’ll be able to achieve a better grasp for your game and swing by using consistency in your practice routine.
What that means is, you’re practicing under the same environment and circumstances as when you’re on the golf course. That is to say, as close as you can get to it.
An outdoor golf practice mat is a great tool for improving your game since it can imitate the feeling of any one particular lie.
For instance, if you want to practice your chipping but can’t be sure whether or not the grass in your backyard is an adequate surface to mimic the feeling of being on the course, you’re going to want to consider opting for a golf practice mat that has a rough and or fairway level of turf.
Thanks to the variety of products, and the sheer number of golf practice and training aids you can find out there, there’s simply no end to the possibilities for lowering your scores and getting in some valuable practice from the comfort of your own home.
Pair one with an backyard golf net and you’re good to go!
What’s the Best Way to Practice Fairway Shots at Home?
This is the bread and butter of what an outdoor golf mat can do for your game. Depending on the course you choose to frequent, you may be surprised at just how little, or often you’re relying on your fairway woods to get you closer to the pin.
In this case, a golf practice mat is perfectly utilized for being able to give you a good instantaneous feedback response, as well as a reliable surface you can use over and over again to place your shots. In this case, you won’t want a mat that has a built-in tee, but instead various levels of turf to fit your training needs and goals.
If you’re trying to practice the short game, we also have some great putting green options for you too.
Below we’ll explore a variety of models that can benefit your game in various ways.
Champkey Premium Synthetic Turf
This model of golf practice mat from Champkey can easily be used either inside or outdoors as well. It even alternates between allowing you to work on either your fairway or tee box shots to maximize your accuracy and ‘feel’ for the ball’s lie over time.
Buy on AmazonThis consistency in practice is exactly what these mats are about, and this mat from Champkey is absolutely no exception. In this case, you’re looking at a quality mat which is perfect for helping you achieve your distance and accuracy goals in one small and convenient system.
Besides the fact that you can take this highly convenient piece of turf with you anywhere, it’s perfectly ideal for regular use. It’s advertised as ‘heavy duty’, which qualifies as a very accurate statement based on the performance of this mat.
It can withstand both driver shots and fairway woods with ease, and the heavy rubber base keeps it in place for each strike. It’s even specially designed to prevent the buildup of moisture and unsavory odors, which is an incredibly innovative touch.
Pros:
- Heavy duty style
- Rubber base helps absorb your swings
- Designed to drain moisture so it doesn’t stay wet or get mildewy
Cons:
- Included plastic tees aren’t very durable
- Fairly thick, which may make practice awkward depending on your set up
Go Sports Golf Hitting Mats
This mat gives you an experience somewhat similar to using a driving range, but of course in the comfort of your own backyard, or just about anywhere for that matter. Mats like this make me reflect on why it’s important to be able to use one of these surfaces even when you’re just performing practice swings.
Buy on AmazonIts sheer size allows you to practice swinging the golf club while wearing your cleats, taking into account your movement and feet positions. At the same time, you’re able to get the ‘fee’ of when a fairway wood, or even an iron strikes the green and creates that small amount of drag which would be present in a real game of golf on a regulation course.
Besides that, it also features a rather familiar tee placement hole in a position that would be well known by anyone who’s used a driving range before.
Pros:
- Works for indoor and outdoor practicing
- Multiple size and quality options available
- Sturdy and doesn’t move
Cons:
- Firm, which can put stress on your elbows if you hit the mat during your golf swing
- Takes awhile to dry after rain, but this can be fixed by hanging it up or storing when not in use
Victorem Backyard Golf Practice Mat
While the name Victorem is totally new to the landscape, their faux landscaping for the purpose of this mat is totally on point. This mat provides an excellent surface for practicing a variety of golf shots, featuring 3 different lies in just one mat.
Buy on AmazonIt gives you the opportunity of being able to practice on the rough, fairway and tee for the ultimate 3-in-1 training aide for golfing. The quality of this turf is absolutely exceptional, from the durability of the rubber mat itself, to the folding turf which manages to stay perfectly flat every time.
While it might sound trivial, this is a key feature to these practice mats since some less reliable models are actually known for folding up, making a groove or otherwise non flat surface for practicing on.
Pros:
- Multi-level shooting surfaces to practice chipping out of different grass heights
- Rubber base helps prevent slipping
Cons:
- Since it has three surfaces the overall size for each is fairly small
- Like many synthetic products, it arrives with a strong smell so you’ll want to air it outdoors before use
Champkey Tracker-PRO Impact Golf Mat
A golf mat that feels like it’s actually made for hitting? We’ve got you covered. No matter how butchered your swing is, the Champkey Tracker-PRO is going to give you instantaneous feedback. And I seriously mean, instant! This mat is specially designed with the golfer working on their swing in mind.
Buy on AmazonTake for instance the incredibly heavy-duty rubber bottom which prevents movement effectively during training. It also includes a series of directional lines which indicate a sweet-spot, as well as the direction relative to the mark left by your driver head.
That brings us to the main selling feature, at least for me. This Champkey product effectively maps your exact swing direction and intensity by leaving a noticeable mark in the fabric. Now, don’t be alarmed! This is a lot like suede, where you can see instantly your club face was pointing, and how any improvements or adjustments you make are compensating for it.
For the price, this serves as an incredible golf training aide and a must-try outdoor golf practice mat!
Pros:
- Guidelines make it easier to improve your golf swing
- Surface is designed to show you your path for insant feedback
- Best for working on your swing technique, not the power
Cons:
- No balls or tees are included, so make sure you grab some
- May move during use; use tees or metal anchors to secure it into the grass
Callaway Golf Ft Launch Zone
Alright, so you want to keep it simple? There’s nothing at all wrong with being a minimalist golfer, and I would hesitate to give anyone trouble for it. In fact, keeping things as straightforward and down to earth as possible is what can help some people focus on their game more effectively than others.
Buy on AmazonCallaway offers a simplistic and effective golf practice mat which is ideal for practicing your driver shot. Thanks to a rubber universal tee holder, you can use your golf tee of choice, too! The Launch Zone lives up to its name, but does feature slightly less exclusive feeling materials than its rubber mat competitors. That’s not to say however that it isn’t an effective training tool.
This mat allows you to get a good feel for your swing, so you can figure out exactly where you need to improve. Plus, if you’re the golf simulator type, you might find this to be a useful backup mat for your basement setup as well.
Overall, the value is there for this easy to use golf training aid.
Pros:
- Tee holder can support any brand of tees so you can use your favourites
- Protects your club from damage
- Rubber base is weighted which helps it stay put while you swing
Cons:
- Tee holder can break if you’re not careful
- On the smaller side
Best Outdoor Golf Practice Mat – Conclusion
Hopefully one of these mats has enough appeal to inspire you to get off of YouTube and really take a hands-on approach to improving your golf game piece by piece. First, make sure you’re selecting a mat that provides you with enough versatility and features to accomplish your training goals.
For me, it’s a hands-down clear winner for the best outdoor golf practice mat. I’d have to say the Victorem backyard golf practice mat is one you just can’t go wrong with. It’s a high-quality product that offers three different lies for training your shot, and you just can’t beat that combined with a really nice material.
Thanks for checking out our reviews for the best outdoor golf practice mats! Stop by for more golf, sporting and backyard fun for you to enjoy with your friends and family this year.