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Perfecting your golf swing, be it with a driver or iron, takes serious work, both in terms of training and upkeep. Even professional golfers practice their swing hundreds (if not thousands) of times before playing a single round. It's a necessary part of the game. Natural Looking Artificial Grass
One of the best ways to work on your swing is by practicing at home with a hitting mat. A purpose-built artificial surface for hitting off is vital because no lawn could handle the wear and tear and no carpet or pad keeps your hands and wrists safe from injury.
Having co-authored many golf instruction books, I've learned from top golf teaching pros about the qualities most desired in a hitting mat — and I've included the six best I've tested below. After taking a look at the best hitting mats, be sure to also check out the Insider Reviews guides on the best golf clubs and the best golf gloves.
Best overall: DURA-PRO Commercial Golf Mat - See at Amazon The DURA-PRO Commercial Golf Mat is full-sized at four-by-five feet and range-tested for both durability and the natural grass feel a superior mat needs.
Best for experienced golfers: Original Real Feel Country Club Elite Golf Mat - See at Amazon The Original Real Feel Country Club Elite Golf Mat, built to suit top players, is super-durable yet loaded with "playability" features demanded by tournament golfers.
Best budget: GoSports Pro 5x4 Golf Hitting Mat - See at Amazon The GoSports Pro 5x4 Golf Hitting Mat is a hit with recreational golfers who practice for enjoyment and keep their swings smooth and rhythmic.
Best for short-game improvement: Rukket Tri-Turf Golf Hitting Mat - See at Amazon The Rukket Tri-Turf Golf Hitting Mat is a compact, portable practice aid featuring three turf heights, to simulate the feel of rough, fairway, and close-cropped "collar" turf.
Best for alignment training: SASRL Golf Trainer Mat - See at Amazon The SASRL Golf Trainer Mat is a portable, 13-by-24.4-inch functional swing aid that you hit off, leaving trace marks that indicate a correct or misaligned path through impact.
Best for beginners: Champkey Tri-Turf Golf Hitting Mat - See at Amazon Affordable and rugged, the Champkey Tri-Turf Golf Hitting Mat is divided into three grass heights to introduce players to the feel of "real golf" conditions.
The DURA-PRO Commercial Golf Mat is full-sized at four-by-five feet and range-tested for both durability and the natural grass feel a superior mat needs.
What we like: Absorbs shock to wrists and elbows, has a durable, non-slip surface, and its turf fibers are thermally bonded to a base
This quality-built range mat is big enough to stand on, which is a must for serious practice by improvement-minded players. Its hitting surface is 100% nylon for premium durability and feel, and it delivers a smooth club glide. Thick padding underneath also absorbs shock at impact.
The mat comes pre-punched with holes for rubber tees and even has a receptacle for the wooden tees some purists prefer.
Artificial hitting surfaces can turn the soles of a golf club bright green, but this mat is non-staining. For what it delivers, the price tag is undoubtedly reasonable.
The Original Real Feel Country Club Elite Golf Mat, built to suit top players, is super-durable yet loaded with "playability" features demanded by tournament golfers.
What we like: Dynamics of ball-club impact closely mimic ball-striking on natural grass, and it can use wooden tees
The classic problem with hitting off mats is making swings that on a grass fairway would produce "fat" or "heavy" shots, and not realizing it. What you pay for in a hitting mat like this one is a real-grass equivalency that rewards fundamentally correct delivery of the club through impact. It's a level of functionality you don't often find in other golf hitting mats.
That's on top of the expected characteristics, like durability, extra-dense turf fiber, comfort underfoot, stability, and yes, the capacity to accept and firmly hold a wooden tee wherever the golfer wishes to insert it. We've highlighted a four-by-five foot model, but the same mat also comes in five-by-five dimensions, for a slightly higher price.
The GoSports Pro 5x4 Golf Hitting Mat is a hit with recreational golfers who practice for enjoyment and keep their swings smooth and rhythmic.
What we like: Maximum durability and impact-feel in an entry-level mat, full-size for proper stance, non-slip padding, can suit varying clubs
There are construction elements built into golf hitting mats strictly to handle the harsh treatment of all-day use at public driving ranges. A good-quality mat for home use doesn't need all that to deliver fine performance over the long term.
This full-size mat from GoSports features a 15mm layer of non-slip foam padding for comfortable impact as well as stability on any surface, indoors or outdoors. There's a socket that accepts wooden tees along with range-style rubber tees at varying heights, to suit whichever club a player chooses to practice with.
The Rukket Tri-Turf Golf Hitting Mat is a compact, portable practice aid featuring three turf heights, to simulate the feel of rough, fairway, and close-cropped "collar" turf.
What we like: Challenges a player to learn the right touch on shorter shots, mimics different grass conditions, is portable, doesn't take up much floor space
This product shows that a mat doesn't have to be full-sized to serve the golfer who's serious about improvement. Best suited to the so-called partial swings that every player needs when inside 100 yards, it can be placed anywhere for a quick tuneup or longer practice session.
Included are indoor practice balls that won't dent your basement paneling. Built by a manufacturer known for quality, it comes with a 100% lifetime warranty and guarantee of satisfaction.
The SASRL Golf Trainer Mat is a portable, 13-by-24.4-inch functional swing aid that you hit off, leaving trace marks that indicate a correct or misaligned path through impact.
What we like: Portable, solid base, visual indicators for more productive practice
There's more to golf practice than taking full swings to generate maximum power, as this simple yet intriguing portable mat demonstrates. Hitting the equivalent of 50- to 75-yard shots off this velvet-like surface allows the golfer to focus on a square clubface and get feedback on how well the arc of his or her swing matches up to the correct path, as indicated by the mat's markings.
A player can also "dial in" the ball position relative to the feet and learn to match the bottom of the swing arc with that position. The mat is portable but has enough weight and traction to stay in position on most swings.
Affordable and rugged, the Champkey Tri-Turf Golf Hitting Mat is divided into three grass heights to introduce players to the feel of "real golf" conditions.
What we like: Heavy rubber base is slip-resistant, hitting surfaces are varied, carry handle and ball tray add convenience
Newer golfers will often feel anxious before a round and frustrated after one — two occasions when the urge to practice tends to strike. A product like this portable, multi-surface hitting mat can serve as a security blanket for that golfer, helping to sharpen eye-hand coordination and overall feel for how hard to swing on shots of various lengths.
An appropriate gift for any friend or relative who is getting into golf, this mat has plenty of built-in durability for its entry-level price. Tee receptacles and a tray that holds a good supply of practice balls add a nice convenience factor.
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