Of all the parts of my $9,500 golf simulator, this $280 hitting mat was the key to improving my game

(Image credit: Future)

There are three primary hitting strip materials, and each has its own benefits and drawbacks.

I asked Carl Markestad, Founder and President of Carl’s Place, about choosing a hitting strip. “When selecting the right hitting strip, [it’s] one of the most critical and often overlooked parts of the simulator buying process,” he said. “It’s important to think about the type of feel you want, whether that’s forgiveness, realism or something in the middle. You also need to consider who will be using it, because the right choice can make a real difference in joint comfort and how long someone can practice in a single session.”

For Carl’s Place models, which I used with the Carl’s HotShot Golf Mat System, the most affordable is the Standard model at $79. It offers a mix of softness to help keep your joints from taking too much impact and firmness to properly punish chunked shots.

The next model is Foam, and it’s all about providing more softness that won’t punish your body on missed shots and chunks. The foam material is designed for longer practice sessions, playing around with family and inexperienced golfers and entertainment-focused setups. Anyone who’s worried about overtraining. If you’re dealing with injuries or other chronic conditions, you will benefit from this strip.

The foam mat costs quite a bit more than the Standard at $229. Of course, in the grand scheme of what you’ll spend on a golf simulator, the extra money is pretty negligible.

When selecting the right hitting strip, one of the most critical and often overlooked parts of the simulator buying process, it’s important to think about the type of feel you want

Carl Markestad, Founder and President of Carl’s Place

Finally, we have the most expensive golf mat of the bunch, and it’s the most realistic. It sells for $279, but it offers the benefit of a closer feel to real turf and will punish chunked shots, just like on the course.

The drawbacks here are that this realism does a number on your joints. It’s also a bit less durable if you’re known to chunk the ball often, since the gel material will wear out. At least, that’s what Carl’s Place says. I’ve been using mine daily for more than eight months, and it hasn’t shown a bit of wear.

If you really need to work on consistent ball-first contact, this mat will suit your needs.

At the end of the day, personal preference is important. “There’s no one-size-fits-all when it comes to hitting strips, and that’s exactly why we developed multiple options. Some golfers want maximum forgiveness to save their joints, others want that true fairway interaction, and some prefer a more traditional, feedback-driven feel. Understanding those differences is key to getting the most out of your simulator,” said Markestad.

Which leads me to the one I ultimately like best.

(Image credit: Future)

For me, the answer is a no-brainer: I love the gel mat, and it’s helped me improve my ball striking faster than anything else in my golf simulator setup. I’m relatively young and healthy at 39, so the extra impact on the joints isn’t a significant drawback for me at this time.

Will it be eventually? Almost certainly, but as someone who’s only been golfing for around four years, the ability to closely simulate the real thing is priceless.

I do like the standard mat primarily because it’s so affordable and feels relatively authentic.

For my needs, I don’t like hitting off the foam mat. The idea that I’m making practice “easier” on my body at the expense of realism isn’t for me, but I think it’s incredible that the mat exists for those who need the extra softness on their joints.