I enjoyed your post BillyG....very funny....
I know that silly thing with the self-loading tees....it drives me mad!! I take my practice swing, set up for the ball at my normal pace and ohhhh...the tee drops away just as I'm ready. I quit the only range that has these tees.

As for the mat thing, it's an old chestnut that crops up on here from time to time. It is hard to make the ideal swing with short irons on a mat.....we all know this.....but the doomsayers who say you can't become proficient on mats are exagerating a tad.

I got down to single figures never having practiced on turf. The guys at my club said it couldn't be done. Admittedly, I tend to pick off the ball a little cleaner than I should, but on the course I don't struggle with fats or thins and I do take divots, just maybe not with mid-irons.

Of late, I've been hitting only mid & long clubs at the driving range and short clubs & wedges at the course range. I've got to say i.m.o. that this has helped NO END. If you learn to hit wedges on a mat (especially the 1/2 and 3/4 shots) and develop a clean strike (i.e. little or no divot) my personal recommendation would be to quit this practice immediately. To hit a clean 1/2 wedge so clean is gambling with tiny margins for error.

Personally (getting on my soapbox) I reckon OFF A MAT using up 1/4 off your balls on warm-up short swings is a complete waste of time. Better to develop some good warm-up drills and go straight in with 7/8 iron, then move onto longer clubs. I've seen guys hitting most of their balls into nets and stuff.....why???.....it's a totally different game off turf...better to do this at the pitching area of the club.

Am I wrong or do I sound like an ex-waster of balls??