Becoming better at putting is a quick way to lower your golf scores. For amateurs, putts make up roughly 40 percent of your overall score.
You can argue that by improving other parts of your game, especially short irons, you will be closer to the hole, lowering your average putts per round. And that is true, to some extent.
That means you don’t necessarily need to spend 40 percent of your practice time on putting. However, three-putts (or worse) are the killers for amateurs. Proper practice on the greens will definitely reduce those numbers.
How much of your practice time should you spend putting? It is impossible to give a number that is perfect for every golfer, but on average putting should make up around a third of your practice time.
That creates a problem for many of us. When we make it to the driving range, we all want to pound balls into the ether. Sure, we may start with wedges, but what we really want to do is grab the driver and flail away.
The answer to this could be to change your mindset. But there is an alternative. Perhaps you should consider practicing putting at home and the rest of your game at the driving range.
Practice putting mats come in a variety of configurations, enough so that one is a good fit for almost every level of golfer in almost all living arrangements.
Few of us can install a full-on practice facility in our back garden. But just about all of us have a spot in a living room or bedroom where we can install, even temporarily, a practice putting green.
Below, we have tried to add several different varieties and price points in our choices to give you more options when finding the perfect putting green.
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Putt-A-Bout
The best thing about this practice green is the price. You can find a large number of practice putting greens that are inexpensive. Unfortunately, the quality of many of them are lacking.
This one features a hole that is merely a cut-out with a backstop. That may be preferable to the ramp you see on many cheaper models, but it still is lacking in real-world simulations.
Pros
- Price
- Portability
- At 8-feet long, it is a decent size
Cons
- Cheaper construction
- Does not imitate real-world conditions
TrueBirdie
While pricier than the Putt-A-Bout, this one is still relatively inexpensive. It also has higher construction quality. There are markings on this green to help you know exactly how far the putt is, and to help you with alignment.
You putt to a target, which is less than ideal. Included are a couple of silicone cups, intended to simulate a real cup. It largely fails to do so.
This green comes with a travel bag and is easily taken on the road.
Pros
- Price
- Markings for alignment
- Portability
Cons
- Putting to a target instead of a real hole
ProAdvanced ProInfinity
Of all the less-expensive and smaller models, this one seems to have the most bells and whistles. You can adjust it to produce four different speeds. It also comes with foam wedges to add contours, two slope creators, a moveable cup, and a moveable metal basket designed to catch the putt.
The company claims it is made with high quality materials that should last a lifetime with a little care. The materials come from Japan, with the surface made what the company calls “microvilli.” That is typically a term found in biology. Here it means a large number of small protrusions from the surface, creating a firm putting surface.
You also get a booklet filled with fun games you can play on this green.
Pros
- Adjustability
- Decent quality
- Stroke guides for instant feedback
Cons
- Putting surface is very busy in design
- Silicone cups are unlike those on real greens
VariSpeed Putting System
Similar in price to the above choice, the VariSpeed practice putting green offers some ideal feedback. You can choose from four different speeds, ranging from 7.5 to 13 on the Stimpmeter. A 13 Stimp reading is quite fast, something you might find on a professional tour. That is rare to find on a practice putting green.
A unique feature to this green is the visible ball trace left after each putt. This allows you to see the path the ball took.
It is 10 feet long and just 20 inches wide, making portability fairly easy.
Pros
- Instant feedback
- Adjustable speeds
- Portability
Cons
- At 20 inches wide, it is quite narrow
77tech Golf Putting Green
You can get this practice putting green in a number of different sizes. The 3.3-feet wide by 10-feet long seems to be an ideal combination of size and price. This is a high-quality constructed mat that resist creases created when folding it up and putting it away.
It also has cups on either end of the green. You do not have to retrieve the balls. Just walk to the other end and hit in the opposite direction.
It has a 10mm rubber base and a 35mm thick grass surface. That means no slope is needed for the holes at either end.
This mat is easy to clean and good for use both indoors and out. The company says it is easy to clean and could last from 5-8 years, a reasonable assertion.
Pros
- Wide enough to stand on when putting
- Cups on either end
- Sturdy construction
Cons
- Cups are not deep enough to mimic real greens
All Turf Mats
Designed to mimic real-world conditions, this is a large 6 feet by 15 feet mat constructed with NY-TUFF yarn. The surface is non-directional with four pre-cut holes. The depth of the green does not provide enough room for the cups to be realistic, but still preferable to a ramp-style cup.
This one rolls at 10-11 on the Stimpmeter, which is pretty quick but not uncommon on greens found in the U.S.
Comes with an eight-year warranty, and is good for use both indoors and outdoors.
Pros
- Large size
- Four pre-cut holes
- Good warranty
Cons
- May be too big for some homes
- Cups not realistic
BOBURN Golf
A realistic appearing putting green, this is a choice good for both indoor and outdoor use. It has a rough around the edges, which may not offer any practical use but does give a realistic feel.
There are three cups inserted, one at each end a third near the middle.
This practice mat comes in four different widths, ranging from 2.5-feet to 5-feet wide. All are 10-feet long.
The company admits it may come with creases on the surface upon opening the box. You may think that is a negative but it seems like an honest admission for a common issue among practice putting mats. Roll the mat out flat and add weight to the spots with creases. The company says it should lay perfectly flat after a few days.
Pros
- Realistic look and feel
- Wide enough to stand on while putting
- Three different cups
Cons
- Construction quality seems iffy
FORB Professional
This is the most expensive putting mat on this list, running from around $400 to $1,200 in the U.S.
While that may seem exorbitant, you will receive a lifelike putting surface that is versatile enough to be used indoors and outdoors.
It has a 40mm rough surrounding a 12mm green surface. The regular version is 12 feet in length and 3.2 feet long, with an additional foot in length and double the width for the XL version.
This is a high-quality mat intended to ape real-world conditions.
Pros
- Easily rolled up for storage
- Nicely constructed
- Mimics real-world greens
Cons
- Price is steep
- Too big for some applications
Things To Consider
Let’s take a look at some of the considerations you have for purchasing a practice putting green, and then we’ll list some good options for buying.
Price
You will find a huge disparity in price, from just a few bucks to thousands of dollars. Clearly, you need to decide how much you are willing to spend before shopping. Here are some of the questions you need to ask yourself before purchasing a practice putting green.
How serious am I about getting better at golf?
How much room do I have?
Budget
Do I want a larger full-scale practice green or a temporary set-up that I can store away when not in use? Or maybe something with features of both?
The answers to these questions will give you a head start on narrowing down the large selections you have to choose from. And those answers will be unique to you. Give a bit of time to answering them before shopping.
Components
Whichever way you decide to go, any decent practice putting green should have a mat of a decent distance and at least one regulation-sized hole.
Other than that, you might want to add some kind of automatic ball return. While it may seem superfluous to some, but is up to you.
The mat should be similar to the kind of greens surfaces you will play on. To make room for the hole’s depth, practice putting greens have two options. One is a ramp and the other is a platform. The platform is much better in that it recreates real-world putting conditions. You will never see a ramp on the course as you do with the cheaper practice putting green models.
Still, those with a ramp are better than nothing. Ramps are common on those that you can roll up and store when not in use. If you are tight on space, you may not have a choice.
Indoors or out?
One negative aspect of the cheaper storable practice putting greens is that they can get creases in them, making them difficult to remain flat along the putting surface. If you have a basement or otherwise have the available space, leaving the putting green out all the time will reduce this problem.
Outdoor mats need to be more durable than indoor counterparts since they are out in the elements. They should be resistant to wearing and fading caused by sunlight.
Adjustability
There are really only two ways that you might want to adjust your practice putting green. One is to add slopes for practicing putts that break. Typically that is done by putting foam inserts under the green surface.
The other possible adjustment is to change the speed of the green. That is a rarity but can be done in a couple of ways. One is to put the practice green on a slope. The other is to change the height of the grass by adding sand to the surface. Both are those are almost exclusively confined to the outdoors.
Specifications
If you have the available room, a longer putting surface is better than a short one. Wider is also better as it allows you to stand on the putting surface while you putt. Even with a small difference, standing on the floor while putting on an artificial surface is not real-world conditions. For that reason, it is less than ideal.
Another reason that bigger is better is that it allows for the installation of more cups to choose from. Some practice greens have as many as five cups, adding some variety to your practice.
The Perfect Putting Green For You
Finding the right putting mat for you should not be too difficult considering the wide range of choices. The ones provided here are merely a representative sample. If you are merely looking for something cheap and easy, or are more serious about improving your game, there is a right mat for you.
For more serious golfers, either the FORB or the All Turf Mats choice would be a good one.
For golfers with limited space, the 77tech Golf Putting Green is a fine selection. It might well have the best combination of features and affordability of all the above.
Regardless of which one you choose, practicing your putting skills at home is an added plus. It affords you an excellent way to practice in any kind of weather conditions.
