Well one good thing about mats are that they are a regular surface with minimal variables. Meaning the only variables are ourselves, especially for those of us who need to work on mechanics of our swing So although we all complain about mats & how the club contacts mat & ball the idea still surely is to squeeze that ball off the surface.

Okay, so my elbows & wrists hate me sometimes, especially when the mat is starting to shift away from its underlay after the ball.

There are some mats with a little give which maybe a little closer to turf.

Fair enough nothing can compare with playing off turf & off varying surface conditions & angles, but without working on the basics on the range mats & level ground where would many of us who may not be like those that are completely natural to the game.

I think that's part of the reason why when I go for lessons I like to mix up what I get taught to me on the range with time on the course.

I do wish our range did have a choice of mats or turf, like say Morley Hayes does near Derby, but I'm not driving all the way up there everytime I want to hit balls.

I also don't like these new mats that send a ball up to you from a special hopper, but we don't need to use that hopper & at lest you get two different surfaces to take balls off of. As whats wrong with tipping a basket of balls on its side as we used to & use the club to get the next ball.

I hate those rubber tees if the truth is to be told & I'm none too chuffed with those supposed brilliant brush tees. Not brilliant in my book. But that's another subject.