We all know that regular putting practice can deepen our attunement to the game – but it’s not normally convenient.
If we don’t have close by, lightweight putting equipment, then how can we practice at all?
Indoor putting mats are the perfect solution to golf course inconvenience!
You can practice anytime you are at home, and this has made these mats extremely popular amongst experienced and novice golfers alike.
The Perfect Practice putting mat sets a gold standard for getting in your putting practice – but that’s not the whole story.
In this article, I’ve compiled some alternatives to the Perfect Practice putting mat so that you can practice perfect putting like a pro (what a mouthful!)
I’ll cover:
- Benefits of indoor putting mats
- Top 5 perfect practice putting mat alternatives
- Comparison with perfect practice putting mat
- Price and value analysis
- Factors to consider when choosing a putting mat.
Let’s get into it!
Benefits of Indoor Putting Mats
If you aren’t sold on the concept of an indoor putting mat, I’ll let you in on the secret to conveniently improving your put point by point.
Convenient Practice
At the end of the day, you can bring the golfer to the course but you can’t exactly bring the course to the golfer.
Or can you?
We could probably all do with putting practice, but that doesn’t mean we will travel all the way to our local course just to piddle around putting!
An at-home putting mat brings maximum convenience to honing this skill. You don’t need a friend, a coach, or even a lot of time when you have a putting mat.
Improved Putting Skills
Do putting mats really improve your skills?
The answer is yes! Putting mats provide you with feedback on your putting stroke.
Having a straight hit and a controlled hit are two factors in putting on an at-home mat that will actively help you to improve; carpets just don’t cut it.
Cost-Effective
You’ll find that there is a huge range of affordable putting mats available that won’t cost much more than $100 (or slightly under). You don’t need to get a very expensive mat to see improvement while you practice!
All-Weather Use
Everyone gets rusty during winter weather, and if we aren’t getting rusty then the price to pay is getting damp or blown away in the wind!
Indoor mats obviously aren’t weather dependent, which is a major drawcard for putting mat purchasers who live in unpredictable or unpleasant climates.
Customizable Difficulty
I’ll freely admit it: this is one of the best benefits on the list!
Putting mats are completely suited to the purchaser. For example, some putting mats include an incline that helps to improve the swing fault of many beginners.
The incline slows the ball down, encouraging the user to hit the ball at a consistent speed to get it to the target!
Other putting mats are designed for experienced players, offering more difficult distances to simulate the real golf putting experience.
Portable and Compact
You won’t have a piece of equipment as light as this! If you ever need to transport it with you, it’s a piece of cake.
Reduced Noise and Disturbance
My friends have often come to me after I’ve recommended them a putting mat to talk about how their wives and kids often don’t even notice they’re in the garage practicing.
It’s a stealthy piece of equipment to say the least, since it’s so quiet!
Time-Saving Practice
You don’t need to transport yourself to a course or practice center when you have an indoor putting mat.
Instead, you can spend more time putting and sipping mai tais from the comfort of your home while practicing your close-range skills!
Top 5 Perfect Practice Putting Mat Alternatives
WellPutt 10ft Premium Mat
This premium quality mat also comes with an app and over 50 games to practice your putt!
When I tried this one out, I used it most days of a week. The app makes structured practice extremely easy so that you can focus on the task at hand.
It performs highly in the quality department and is made of a durable material. Markings on the mat guide practice by indicating “good” and “poor” outcomes. This is an easy guide for improving straight hitting and general consistency!
You can choose a size that works for you from three options (10ft, 13ft, 26ft). I found storing and setup to be particularly convenient, and the durable box is worth keeping for storage purposes.
SKLZ Accelerator Pro Indoor Putting Green
This mat is a great choice for casual golfers. At an affordable price range, you get a mid-range mat with a narrow, light, and ramp-style design. It doesn’t come with guiding lines, but the flat and even surface makes practicing easy and consistent!
The ball will return to the base of the mat after rolling down the ramp so that you don’t need to go and retrieve it.
The mat quality is not excellent, but it is perfect for beginning golfers who want to focus more on the general putting skill than the real nitty-gritty of simulating the green.
Putt-A-Bout Grassroots Par Three Putting Green
The Putt-A-Bout is a fantastic mat for practicing putting and uneven green. The flexible mat material lets you slide objects beneath its surface to simulate more difficult putting moments!
There isn’t one particular hole with this mat. You get three possible targets and two ‘overshoot’ slots for failed attempts. This means you can set up a variety of different putting scenarios with different terrains and targets to keep things varied!
The turf is not pro-quality, but it is durable and reflects the response of a country club grass surface.
StarPro Practice Putting Green
The StarPro is an excellent improvement upon carpet putting! Its firm, high-quality turf results in a good amount of speed and lies quite flat.
With the StarPro, you get a 9 by 3 foot green with three holes for practice. The holes are a great opportunity to practice letting your putt “die” before reaching the hole! If you are looking for a mat that is high quality and durable, the StarPro will make you sing.
Big Moss Augusta Putting Green
Big Moss is going to give you a true roll. Its mats range from 6ft long to 60ft long to provide you with the absolute most customization for the size of your basement or man cave.
Big Moss mats are generally very customizable; you can reduce the hole size to make things more difficult, or use the included foam pieces to create breaks. You can even have a go on the included chipping mat!
Overall, Big Moss mats are extremely durable and will hold up to lots of use by yourself and guests alike.
Comparison with Perfect Practice Putting Mat
| Similarities with Perfect Practice | Differences with Perfect Practice | |
| WellPutt 10ft Premium Mat | Similar price point Similar overall quality | Perfect Practice lacks the included app Perfect Practice has fewer indicating lines and markings |
| SKLZ Accelerator Pro Indoor Putting Green | Both have a ramp style that makes ball return easier | Perfect Practice has a dual-hole system with one larger and one smaller hole |
| Putt-A-Bout Grassroots Par Three Putting Green | Suitable for beginners and experienced golfers alike | Perfect Practice is more narrow and designed to practice straight putting Putt-A-Bout is much more customizable |
| StarPro Practice Putting Green | Multiple holes of varying difficulty come with each mat | Perfect Practice is narrower and straighter Perfect practice is outdoor-suitable whereas Starpro is designed for indoor use. |
| Big Moss Augusta Putting Green | Both come with modifications for more difficult/ easier shots | Big moss doesn’t include a ramp Perfect Practice is designed for straight putting up to a professional level whereas Big Moss is designed for varied putting practice amongst causal golfers |
Price and Value Analysis
Finding value for money with a putting mat always depends on personal preference.
| Mat Choice | Price and value for money rating |
| WellPutt 10ft Premium Mat | $$$ – high range, useful for experienced golfers. Value for money: 8/10 |
| SKLZ Accelerator Pro Indoor Putting Green | $$ – mid-range, excellent for moderately skilled golfers who are invested in the hobby. Value for money: 7/10 |
| Putt-A-Bout Grassroots Par Three Putting Green | $ – Affordable price that doesn’t detract from the practicing potential Value for money: 9/10 |
| StarPro Practice Putting Green | $$$ – high range, useful for experienced golfers but with fewer features than the WellPutt. Value for money: 6/10 |
| Big Moss Augusta Putting Green | $$$ – high range, comes with many add-ons and potential for variations. Value for money: 8/10 |
Factors to Consider When Choosing a Putting Mat
Let’s do a quick rundown on features to consider when making your final decision on a putting mat.
Mat Size
Always measure the area where you’d like to lay the putting mat so that you can match the mat you choose appropriately!
Also, consider which distance of putting is ideal for you to practice. Further distances will invite more challenges.
Material Quality
The more you pay for a mat, the higher the material quality and the more it will simulate what the green is truly like.
As a rule of thumb, venturing below $65 will result in some pretty cheap felt turfs.
Speed and Roll Control
Some mats hit fast and some hit slow. If you are anxious about choosing the right style, then pop into your local golf merchandiser to try a faster and a slower mock green! You may find one to be more challenging than the other.
Durability
I always recommend that my clients opt for durability. Putting requires lots and lots of practice.
Once you choose the right mat, you’ll want to use it often and a non-durable choice will backfire on you eventually. All the mats that I’ve discussed rank high in durability.
Portability
If you need to take the mat in and out of storage frequently, then choose one that reviews well for portability.
There’s nothing that kills the putting habit more than an irritating setup and packup process.
Slope and Contour Options
There are a variety of slope and contour options to consider. I prefer a mat that lets you customize the contours of the green to introduce different challenges as you improve your abilities.
Straight mats are nonetheless a classically optimal choice for improving your putt swing! All putts are straight putts no matter the contour of the green.
Final Word
There are plenty of fantastic and equally varied indoor putting mat options similar to the option provided by Perfect Practice.
There are a plethora of reasons to start practicing your putting immediately, such as convenience, enjoyment, and putt improvement.
By getting an indoor putting mat delivered, there is nothing standing in your way of putting better on a consistent basis.
In this article, I’ve discussed the main features of putting mats from brands like Big Moss, Wellputt, and Starpro (and more) to reveal the good putting mat options for novices and experienced golfers alike.
After all, we shouldn’t need to settle for carpet as golfers!
