Hitting mats

[psace]

Pictures of setup, the golfer?

Yup, everybody is waiting!

[CPA]

He does have them posted somewhere, including the real sand bunker in his basement

[MICHO54321]

Jajaja, I showed that video to my wife and told her "see, everything could always get worst" That video has helped me do many things I would have had to fight for weeks to get the approval from the wife. I do wish she would let me do something like that, You are so lucky TheGolfer!! congrats, it looks amazing.

[bubba22]

Which video or pics are you talking about? Link?

[MICHO54321]

Which video or pics are you talking about? Link?

Isnt itthis one? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pM4N6...e_gdata_player

[MICHO54321]

Oops, my mistake, just read the comments, its a store in Florida. Got confused, this link was in some other thread and i got confused, still, I am still using it as an excuse

[ZMax]

LOL!!!

That looks like the video that I posted in the sand bunker thread. I found it on Youtube. That is not a basement and I don't think that was thegolfer.

[syhlif32]

You are looking the wrong place!
It is on the same page as the in-depth review of all the worlds top golf simulators.

[Andisblue]

Real feel mat vs true strike?

[MICHO54321]

I like truestrike and also like fariway pro

[JBimsal]

Anyone try the real feel? Thoughts?

[Asics]

JB, I use the real feel country club elite with the GC2. It's the best I have found to enable you to hit down on a ball. I like it much better than the trustrike. No mat is grass, though, and different people have different preferences for these things. Best suggestion is to try hitting off of one before you buy if possible. Haven't checked lately, but you used to be able to buy smaller strips of the real feel mat on the Bay pretty cheap...could be a good way to try one before buying a full size mat.

[JBimsal]

Thank you. Has anyone found a good mat t simulate rough or grass?

[shoot4one]

Asics, GC2 on way! how big is your realfeel mat? Are you standing on and hitting from the same mat? I am leaning towards the Realfeel either with the 5x5 surrounded (inset) in carpet or turf or now I am thinking of doing the whole surround as the stance portion too and just in setting a smaller hitting section . Suggestions?

[Andisblue]

In my week of sim experience, you do not want your stance mat and hitting mat to be the same piece, if that piece will shift during your swing (it will). Also, you probably don't want the GC2 on the hitting mat either, but on an elevated separate piece.

[shoot4one]

Thats why I am thinking the 14 x 9 section should be the stance mat too since that big of a surface will no shift and then just inset the hitting area into the whole thing at the right location and set the GC2 next to it where it belongs. The only problem I see in this is getting the two surfaces to be the exact height. Truestrike users - can I get only the impact gel area section and inset it? What is the total thickness of that section?

Next , thoughts on the whole surround/stance area - would you want that to be more like a fairway or more like a putting surface? I figure you should always be able to raise the surround surface to equal hitting zone with either plywood or even capet padding.

Pros to higher suface would be the balls would not bounce around after landing but would not be putting surface. A tighter putting surface would simulate a green but the balls would bounce and roll around more after landing from screen. Thought?

[shoot4one]

Why spend $700 mat only, Truestrike or Realfeel, that money could be spent on turfing the whole area and then insetting the smaller less expensive impact zone. It seems neither would move or shift and you get one complete area done for alittle bit more money, probably be done with whole thing for about a grand. But if I spend $700 on mat and then another $700 on surround area im in it for alot more money. Just talking out loud hoping someone is listening,lol.

[Asics]

shoot4one, I am only using a strip of the real feel mat. I previously had a mat with a cutout for the optishot to fit in. I cut a strip of the real feel mat to fit in my previous mat's cutout. Works great and was a lot cheaper than buying an entire real feel mat. As I mentioned in a previous post, they used to sell a strip pretty cheap on ebay, but I haven't looked on there in quite a while. I've never had a problem with the mat moving and causing the GC2 to not register a shot.

[shoot4one]

Ebay still has it.

[CPA]

shoot4one why dont you just buy the gel section of the truestrike- I have seen them for $300, take the black surround off, screw it to the floor (it has plastic tongues on the side) and then use the rest of your cash to surround it in turf with a cutout for the mat.

[shoot4one]

I think that is a good plan. I have concrete floors, probably have to lay plywood on top to get thinkness right, that would give me something to screw to and something to glue the turf to since I dont want to mess up nice stained flooring. The only draw back I see to the truestrike is the tee arrangement. Do you and the golfer like it and gotten use to it? Do you putt off the gel too? Would it be better to surround it in a tight greens type turf or a longer fairway grass?

[Andisblue]

I spoke with custom design golf today - they guarantee their divot action mat will feel more realistic than ANY other solution out there, and invited me to come try it for myself. It'd be several hours away, but I may do it when I have business in atlanta

[CPA]

it you surround it you would have no problem putting.
I have used green style but it is thick and if I remember my measurement about 8 on the Stip.

if glued it would be good for stance.

the board would give you the height needed to get level with the truestrike gel section.

When I get the GC2 will workout the tee situation, 2 weeks to go.

[shoot4one]

CPA - can you tell me how thick just that section is? How much would I have to build up my stance around it to be level? Someone told me that thing is 3.5 inched thick, I just cant find any measurements on it and thought that was awful thick. That means I would have to build up 3 inches.

[CPA]

I will measure it tonight but no way 3.5 inches, maybe 1.5 at most

[shoot4one]

I spoke with custom design too today and John does make a good sell on his mats. He is the owner too so I would not expect any less.

[wbealsd]

In my thread for a floorplan - http://forum.ottawagolf.com/showthre...estions-Welcom - Libbing made this suggestion "if you do your base correctly the entire hitting area could be a practice putting greens (just drill some holes in whatever platform you want)".

Since I was looking at the bent greens putting surfaces at Custom Golf last night, I started wondering if I could have John make a custom size green (about 15x18) with cutouts for the Protee hitting and putting sensors and cover the entire area to eliminate the need for a separate stance mat? I'm assuming I'd need to have the surface cut in a way I can get to the sensor boards for maintenance / repair, but that should be doable.

All things considered, it looks like it would price out about the same as buying a separate putting system and a high quality dual stance mat. Plus the Bentgreen surface can even include chipping fringe!
http://www.customdesigngolf.com/bent...nal_greens.htm

Does anybody see a downside to this idea?

[shoot4one]

The only downside I have heard is that if you dont have a seperate stance mat that can be changed out later that area will show wear over time. Also, most padded putting turfs are only 1/2" inch thick so you will have to work out a way to level it with the hitting surface.

Has any GC2 users used Custom's Divot Action mat? They state they have many GC2 users and all are very happy with it.

[Andisblue]

I'm curious too, shoot. I'm going to a wedding near custom design so I will check it out this month hopefully. I am especially wanting to test the sand insert.

[wbealsd]

Shoot4one, I can see the wearing issue on the surface over time... It still might be worth doing though, if I could have a custom sized green for most of the simulator area, with a cutout for a stance mat. I figure I'll need to add flooring on top of the concrete floor anyway, so I'll need to have it built up enough to use shims to level the differences between the stance mat, simulator sensor and putting sensor anyway. Something I'll be discussing with my builder, but I've got plenty of time to think about it before we get to that point.

Andisblue, please post what you find out at Custom Design, it looks like he's got some pretty interesting turf products and willing to work with his customers to personalize their setup.