The Perfect Practice Putting Mat
Is there a hotter product in golf right now than the Perfect Practice putting mat? It seemed like this putting mat was taking the world by storm (at least based on my Instagram) and that was before all the quarantine/shelter in place orders hit for the COVID-19 pandemic. Once people were staying home, the buzz for the Perfect Practice mat only seemed to increase and it was everywhere I turned. Being stuck home with all golf courses in the area closed, I needed to see what all the hype was about for myself!
Setup
Setting up the Perfect Practice putting mat is about as easy it gets. Just pop open the box, pull out the pieces, unroll the mat, connect the ball return rails, and drop in the backboard. Out of the box, the mat will take a little work to get to lie flat. Not to worry, it will settle if you keep rolled out for awhile. I’m sure there are tricks you could use to speed that process up. The ball return rails connect via two small magnets on each end. Just make sure you line them up correctly so the ball rolls down smoothly.
There are a few setup things I want to specifically point out. A major performance function of this mat is to force you to get comfortable putting through the hole. As a result of the uphill finish, you will likely run a few through the back. While the ball may fly off of it like it’s a launch ramp, the wood backboard stops the ball in the air and drops it into the return. So don’t forget to put the backboard in. Point 2: consider your surface underneath the mat. The mat isn’t super thick, so your surface will play a factor. For instance, the rug pictured in this review did not make for a super smooth putt or even surface. My hardwood floor in the hallway was much better.
Lastly, your floors may not be level and you may have a natural break in your putts. With the two hole design, this can potentially make things difficult. Try to find yourself as flat and level of a surface as possible for your Perfect Practice mat.
Perfect Practice’s Drop-5 System
Golf Sply Co and Zach Allen put together a practice plan to go along with the Perfect Practice mat. The program consists of 5 segments which are as follows:
- Day 1: Posture & Setup
- Day 2: Grip Techniques
- Day 3: Rhythm and Tempo
- Day 4:The Importance of Short Putts
- Day 5: Pre Putt Routine
There are five videos for each segment which you can find here. Listen, you won’t confuse practicing on this mat for sessions on real grass with differing contours and conditions. Sometimes just rolling straight putts inside can start to feel tedious. That’s where I think this Drop-5 program is real beneficial. By giving you some specific topics to work on it will actually help you practice with a focus and be more productive. Will you “vastly improve your putting in five days” as they claim? That’s hard to say, but it will help you stay on track and keep you practicing with a purpose.
Performance
I’ve already touched on a few performance aspects of the Perfect Practice mat in the Setup section. Just to reiterate, make sure you get setup on the smoothest and flattest surface possible for an optimal roll. Golf Sply Co claims the Perfect Practice mat will roll anywhere from a 10-14. I don’t have the means to technically measure this, but I imagine that’s heavily dependent on the surface you’re setup on and how clean you keep the mat. What I can say is that I never felt speed was an issue and the ball rolled nice and clean when setup flat on a smooth surface.
The different distance markings are a nice touch as well for a point of reference. While they may not simulate the distances at your club exactly, they are good for practicing. The different size holes are also real nice to have. Once again, if you aren’t setup super flat, natural break in the putt could make that smaller hole very tough. The last features I want to mention are the Train Track lines. Both “paths” have alignment lines to track your stroke. Without realizing it, I found myself really utilizing the Train Tracks to track the noise level in my stroke. In my stroke, I expect to see a natural arc, but the lines still made it easy to see how much I was moving around. The lines helped me see how wobbly or smooth my takeaway was which is a regular issue for me.
Final Thoughts – Perfect Practice Putting Mat
The Perfect Practice putting mat is an excellent in-home option that’s easy to setup/teardown, rolls well, and is a good value compared to the rest of the market. Its solid construction and stronger materials make it a much better option than most of the “more affordable” at-home putting mats. If you’re looking for something to help keep your putting stroke healthy while on quarantine (without breaking the bank), the Perfect Practice mat is definitely worth your consideration…if you can get your hands on one.
I agree with Bill about seeing your wobbly stroke. That part has really helped me realize I should concentrate on my backswing. I have also been concentrating using the horizontal lines to ensure that my followthrough is twice the distance of my backswing. Instead of playing their recommended two made shots exercise at 2, 4 , 6 and 8 feet, I try to make as many consecutive shots until I miss and then go onto the next length.
Can you set this up on a wall to all carpeted room, or does it need to gon a hardwood floor? Thanks.
I would say you can set it up on any even flat surface, BUT the firmer it is underneath the better. Hardwood is the 1A option, but you can still use it on carpeting.