The most common question we get about True Strike is: Which True Strike mat do I need? In case you're not familiar with True Strike golf mats, let's first give you a quick rundown on what a True Strike mat is and how it differs from other golf mats.
The secret is a gel bag built into the hitting area, where you hit all of your iron shots from. You never see it, because it sits inside the mat underneath a very tough, woven strike surface. Most turf is "tufted", but this strike surface is "woven", so it won't stretch over thousands of shots.
The strike surface looks like a regular stance mat like you'd see at the driving range, but it has a structured foam material inside the bag which is then permeated with silicone gel. The woven turf works together with the gel and foam to create a very realistic energy dispersion when it is struck at high speed with the force of an iron.
This strike surface is engineered to withstand 150,000 strikes or more with an iron moving at 92 mph. You can drive a nail into the gel bag and it won't leak. This is not a gimmick: it took 9 years of engineering and trial and error, including 4 complete redesigns and 7 overall changes, which is why the final version is called the MK7.
There are two very important reasons why the density of the strike surface matters.
The density of the strike surface is designed to replicate the actual physical density of a real fairway.
Ball hit first
Reason one is good contact. On good contact with an iron from a True Strike mat, the ball is struck first, in a downward motion. This downward strike is what creates spin, because the ball pinches between the clubface and the turf below and then travels out and up.
On all other golf mats this spin rate is inaccurate, because the turf below is either too soft or too hard. At either extreme the spin rate is lower. A lower spin rate causes a ball to "jump" and carry a longer distance, because it never "tops out". Spin is what makes a well struck iron shot carry the correct distance. Here is a graphic that shows a shot that "jumps".
When a shot is hit pure on a True Strike, it not only sounds like a well struck shot, it acts like one. It carries a realistic distance (not long like a jumper) with the correct spin and readings on a TrackMan. Spin and launch angle test within 3% of a natural fairway on a True Strike. Traditional mats don't test within 12%.
Ground hit first
Reason two is bad contact. Again, all other golf mats are either too hard or too soft. On a normal range mat, like the ones you see at a range sitting on top of concrete, the club head is "repositioned" upward when a fat shot is struck. The fat swing hits the hard mat first and is pushed up in the millisecond before contact, so you think you hit a good shot.
Not only does this make you think you hit a good clean shot, it also causes a nagging injury called "golfer's elbow", an ailment which can and will last for years. The energy pushes the club head up and through the shaft, into your arms.
On mats that are too soft, the club head is allowed to move freely under the ball, and even though you're catching it a groove or two high on the face, it will still fly out at speed with a lower spin rate, because it hasn't hit the sweet spot on the clubface.
When you catch the True Strike surface a bit fat, say a groove or two high, you've hit the mat first, which slows the club head down, and you'll hit the fat shot you're used to on the course. A real fat shot changes the face angle as it makes contact with the ground, resulting in the high flame-outs or the low running shot. This is real feedback on a fat shot, and other golf mats cannot provide it.
Modular parts
Better engineering means better, safer practice. The True Strike system is completely modular, so let me explain the parts, what they are and how they work together. Please take a moment to review this graphic of a True Strike Single Model:
Four modular parts make up the entire Single Model system, and together they weigh 112 lb. The parts are:
- The gel section (1 piece)
- The range mat section (3 pieces)
- Edge trim (1 piece)
- Ball tray (1 piece)
Each True Strike comes with a tee receiver and 50 tees (25 long and 25 short) that fit in the receiver and won't fly out when hit. These are packed inside the packaging of every gel section.
Now that you have the basics, let's discuss the 5 standard models.
Here are the 5 models, listed in order of popularity:
- Single Model
- Academy Model
- Impact Model
- Portable Model
- Double Model
Single Model
The Single is by far the most popular, as it has all of the True Strike functionality plus a ball tray. It is most popular in home settings where a player is hitting into a net and rarely has to switch from right-handed to left-handed.
While the modular pieces can easily be taken apart and switched, the Single is not ideal for right-handed and left-handed players at the same time. The second most popular, the Academy Model, is best for left-handed and right-handed players without moving parts around. Shop True Strike Single
The True Strike Single Model is also the most popular choice for ranges buying multiple units, as you can orient most of the units for right-handed players and a few for left-handed players. The ball tray is popular in driving range settings too.
The real value for a driving range is this. Inevitably a range mat is going to wear out. It is simply impossible for a range mat to last forever, given the beating and the weather it is exposed to. But when a True Strike does wear, it only really wears in the gel section, and because a True Strike is completely modular, you only have to replace the gel section and not the entire mat.
If your driving range sells a large bucket of 55 balls for $8.00, that comes out to about 14.5 cents per ball. Let's assume that 30% of those shots are hit off the tee. At 150,000 strikes, this range mat has an economic life which delivers $31,116 worth of hitting. Many range players come for entertainment and hit 80% drivers, and none of those driver shots are included in the 150,000 strikes.
Even more important to the calculation is the return traffic you'll receive, because the players who care about their game feel the difference in a True Strike mat on their first shot with an iron. They will come back again and again, because they'll notice that the mat is more realistic, offers better practice and did not cause their joints to hurt.
Academy Model
The Academy Model is the most popular with custom club fitters and indoor teaching facilities, or outdoor teaching facilities with only 1 or 2 stalls set up for teaching.
The Academy Model does not come with a ball tray as standard, but being completely modular, ball trays can be added at any time. Shop True Strike Academy
The most popular buyer of a True Strike Academy is a college golf program. It serves left-handed and right-handed players on the same mat without changing the layout.
For launch monitors like TrackMan, Foresight GC2, FlightScope or SkyTrak, the Academy is most popular because you can place the unit right on the mat in the case of a GC2 or SkyTrak, which are "side reading" devices. (Side reading means they read the first 8 to 10 inches of ball flight, perpendicular to the ball flight, from ground level.)
A TrackMan or a FlightScope launch monitor is a rear reading device: it is set a number of feet behind the ball address position and reads the ball from behind. Because they are rear reading, they read a very slender sliver of ball flight; let's call it the "read line". Each range mat section has two plugs in it for the tee receiver, so the range mat section can simply be picked up and rotated to put both drives and iron shots inside the read line of a TrackMan or FlightScope. This takes less than 10 seconds and does not require you to lift the frame of the True Strike.
If you're going to spend the money on a device as good as a TrackMan or a FlightScope, it only makes sense to hit off the right mat. Why spend the money on the most realistic technology and not on the most realistic hitting surface?
Impact Model
The Impact Model is designed for hitting irons only, but you can, and many people do, hit driver and tee shots from an Impact Model True Strike.
If budget is a concern or you only plan to hit a few drivers, you can easily take the center panel and place it on the other side of the strike surface, and then hit drivers or any other tee ball. Shop True Strike Impact
Many people hitting indoors only have 9 ft of clearance, so they only hit iron shots, and the Impact Model is a perfect solution for them. Remember, you can add the other modular pieces later if circumstances change. For driving ranges where the maximum distance is 200 yards and the range is "iron only", like many older private clubs, the Impact is a great answer.
Portable Model
The Portable is a good option if you plan on inlaying your strike surface in base panels or flooring, or if you have another surface to stand on while you hit but want the realism of a True Strike.
The Portable is elevated 2.25 inches, so if you do not plan to inlay it or have another surface to stand on, you'll have an awkward stance. Shop True Strike Portable
Double Model
The Double Model is a luxury version of the Academy. It is very spacious and offers left-handed and right-handed hitting, with a ball tray on each side.
It is ideal for high-end residential simulator setups or high-end fitting studios, and a popular choice for the teaching area of a private golf club. There is plenty of room to put a launch monitor right on the surface, or for the read line of rear reading simulator devices. Shop True Strike Double
Additional applications
At Pro Putt Systems, we can inlay a True Strike golf mat in a putting green. This type of inlay is highly customized and must be professionally cut in for the best performance, but we can build and ship these greens for self-install, very much like a kit.
On custom simulator flooring, where we install a wall to wall green and the preferred simulator is a Foresight or TrackMan, the inlay is very popular.
Learn more about custom simulator flooring
An inlay lets you putt right from the strike surface, and your ball won't drop off an edge as it rolls toward the impact screen.
Very popular in homes is an inlay of the gel section only. It saves space and leaves plenty of room for putting and chipping when the room is not that large.
We hope this helps you decide which True Strike is right for you. This golf mat features the latest in golf mat technology, and we know you'll love it as much as we do once you've had a chance to try it.
If you have more True Strike questions, call us toll free at 844-776-7888 or send us a note through our contact page.