TopflyGolf Practice Mat, 5x4ft Artificial Dual-Turf Golf Mat, Outdoor & Indoor Golf Hitting Mat, Golf Training Mat for Backyard Driving Chipping

It was easy to set up and be able to practice my new swing. I set up in my garage and was surprised how well it worked for me. Highly recommend,

Desire to play golf: Check.Inheritance of clubs someone else believed were their reason for a high handicap: Check.Absence of measurable golf skill: Check.Lack of money to pay for golf lessons: Check.Embarrassing experiences at local driving range: Check.Abundance of time to try to build out a budget home simulator: Check.I recently acquired a complete set of golf clubs and like many whose experience is about as far as the nearest TopGolf, I hadn't a clue how to hit a golf ball. I figured with enough practice, I could at least hit the ball in a deliberate direction but a several trips to the local driving range proved that not to be the case. I then started to practice my swing on the carpet but noticed I was literally melting the carpet fibers under the club head.Enter the TopFly practice mat. It's not as thick as the mats you experience while you're shamelessly getting your free lesson but there's enough rubber so you don't feel like you've hit a 2 ton rock when you swing too deep. After repeated swings, it seems like the thinner turf has some longevity and should outlast my mental capacity and physical ability to play golf.The thicker turf (taller fibers) does shed a bit. I don't think this will hold up to a swing that puts most back hoes to shame but for it's probably more than enough for someone who knows what they're doing.The folks at TopFly have included some nice reusable tees: the soft rubber ones and the ones you poke into the mat. I've only used them with a foam ball thus far, but they're decent quality so I'll probably lose them in the bowels of my garage before they split/fail.The flattening of the mat is a small gripe. It arrives rolled and won't stay flat unless you weigh it down. In my case, a warmer day with a lot of sun on an dark truck's bedliner did the trick. In addition, it's not a super heavy mat, either. You can't leave it outside or else you'll find it in the neighbor's yard on a windy day.