Soft Strike Golf Mat vs. Fiberbuilt vs. Quattro

[linkkingx]

Hi guys, I see that a few people have been getting the Soft Strike mat through Jay Lasco's contact. I'm planning my sim room and have all but settled on this mat myself, but I'd love to get some comparisons with other mats if possible. I'm still a few months out so I have time to decide. I currently have a fiberbuilt launch pad and a quattro hitting strip that I ordered directly from China. I hate to say it but after using the quattro hitting strip for a few weeks I have definitely developed some tennis elbow (top of forearm) pain in my left arm. I'm not 100% sure it's the mat because I was going through a swing adjustment at the same time and was exaggerating the move a little bit and putting too much torque into my lead arm. Anyway, after using it for a while, I do like it, but it is basically like a brand new driving range mat with a slightly fluffier top. There isn't much give with the "3D" padding layer in the middle so if you're really hitting down on the ball it's not going to help much. From what I can tell, the Soft Strike seems to be similar to a divot action mat, which I've also used) in that there is a lot of give with the soft foam underneath. The added benefit seems to be that it is attached at the back with some springs that allow it to also move forward with the strike. Unfortunately I don't have an opportunity to try it out anywhere, but aside from the fiberbuilt it looks to be the most forgiving. I don't typically have elbow or joint pain, but I know once I have a full time setup indoors I'm going to be using it a ton and don't want to risk injury. I'd just go with the fiberbuilt, but I feel like the soft strike could be the best of both worlds when it comes to injury prevention and realism for both putting and full swings. I know people haven't been using it very long, but I'd love to get some feedback and possibly comparisons to other mats.

Thanks

[Jnc10]

I have had 4 Mats so far, A quattro is where I started. A fiberbuilt performance mat that came with my sim in a box and I eventually turned this into a FB studio mat with FB hitting strip.

I am now using the soft strike. I like it the best out of all of them for hitting purposes. The only draw back is the mat has to be secured to the floor somehow. Either needs to be screwed in, build a base or some sort of adhesive like velcro or carpet tape( I have not done this so far)
I have been looking not only for the feel of a tight fairway but also something that does not beat you up. The soft strike seems to fit that and the price is right too.
The quattro was great to but like you said can be a little troublesome on the body if your miss is fat or you have a steep swing.
All of the mats I have pro's and cons and I believe a mat is personal preference. Most people love FB but it was just not right for me.

[linkkingx]

I have had 4 Mats so far, A quattro is where I started. A fiberbuilt performance mat that came with my sim in a box and I eventually turned this into a FB studio mat with FB hitting strip.

I am now using the soft strike. I like it the best out of all of them for hitting purposes. The only draw back is the mat has to be secured to the floor somehow. Either needs to be screwed in, build a base or some sort of adhesive like velcro or carpet tape( I have not done this so far)
I have been looking not only for the feel of a tight fairway but also something that does not beat you up. The soft strike seems to fit that and the price is right too.
The quattro was great to but like you said can be a little troublesome on the body if your miss is fat or you have a steep swing.
All of the mats I have pro's and cons and I believe a mat is personal preference. Most people love FB but it was just not right for me.

That's great feedback, thanks! I don't mind the Fiberbuilt so much but what I realized after switching to the Quattro is that I developed a tendency to hit very slightly behind the ball. It is almost imperceptible on the Fiberbuilt, but became very evident using the Quattro. For sim purposes, the Fiberbuilt wasn't very good for putting. I plan on screwing the Soft Strike tray directly into the floor so that shouldn't be an issue. My only other concern with the Soft Strike would be long term durability. The Fiberbuilt is basically indestructible and will last for years. I've been to a bunch of commercial places that have grooves and depressions in the hitting area where the ball sits because of wear over time. I'm sure it will take a very long time for that to happen and I'll always have the option to replace the strip so it's not a huge concern.

[linkkingx]

Anybody have any long term updates on the soft strike now that it's been around for a little longer?

[mpkelley20]

I’ve had mine a few months now. I bought the strip and the two stance mats. I was using CCE before and my elbows couldn’t take it anymore.

here are my thoughts.

1. Hitting off softstrike produces no pain in my body

2. It feels more like a fairway shot where you take a divot

3. Mishits like fat shots are not penalized as much as CCE so it uses a little realism there

4. the edges of my mat do not sit completely flat and tend to bunch up making a kind of slope to the center. Does not affect hitting the ball unless you don’t hit dead center

5. the edges tend to rip/shed for some reason where the grass part overhangs the foam mat underneath. The clue used seems inconsistent

6. my hitting area is already showing signs of wear. I am not sure if I can reverse the strip and mount the current front to the back. If so, that will help but I’m a little disappointed in the wear. I probably have 50 rounds on it. My CCE looks brand new after about 100+ rounds.

7. I like the stance mats and I use the pre cut out hole with a small rubber tee holder for my drives. I will use these mats even if I switch center strips at some point.

8. To secure my strip to my floor since I don’t have a frame, I added some duct tape to my garage cement floor, applied Velcro strips to the floor on top of tape (won’t stick to cement without it) and a strip on back of tray that holds mat. It works awesome.

that’s my current feedback. I have talked to so many people lately and every option seems to have it pluses and minuses. I’m contemplating either grabbing a FB or TrueStrike as my next strip but not sure yet.

[linkkingx]

I’ve had mine a few months now. I bought the strip and the two stance mats. I was using CCE before and my elbows couldn’t take it anymore.

here are my thoughts.

1. Hitting off softstrike produces no pain in my body

2. It feels more like a fairway shot where you take a divot

3. Mishits like fat shots are not penalized as much as CCE so it uses a little realism there

4. the edges of my mat do not sit completely flat and tend to bunch up making a kind of slope to the center. Does not affect hitting the ball unless you don’t hit dead center

5. the edges tend to rip/shed for some reason where the grass part overhangs the foam mat underneath. The clue used seems inconsistent

6. my hitting area is already showing signs of wear. I am not sure if I can reverse the strip and mount the current front to the back. If so, that will help but I’m a little disappointed in the wear. I probably have 50 rounds on it. My CCE looks brand new after about 100+ rounds.

7. I like the stance mats and I use the pre cut out hole with a small rubber tee holder for my drives. I will use these mats even if I switch center strips at some point.

8. To secure my strip to my floor since I don’t have a frame, I added some duct tape to my garage cement floor, applied Velcro strips to the floor on top of tape (won’t stick to cement without it) and a strip on back of tray that holds mat. It works awesome.

that’s my current feedback. I have talked to so many people lately and every option seems to have it pluses and minuses. I’m contemplating either grabbing a FB or TrueStrike as my next strip but not sure yet.

Thanks, great feedback. You confirmed my reservations about the soft strike, durability being the main one. I also noticed in jay's videos how the edges look a little sloppy at times and I don't like that it could become uneven at all. I think I'm going back to the drawing board. I already have a quattro strip, fiberbuilt, and cce. Definitely ruled out cce because of how much grab it has on the club. I've also used divot action in an older setup but when I had some higher handicap guys over they managed to hit so far behind or forward on the strip that the turf started ripping off. When the weather warms up I'm going to try out the STI eztee hybrid at a local course. If it doesn't grab the club too much when hitting down and through it could be good, especially if I put some extra soft foam or gel underneath to level it with my turf. I could always swap between that, the fiberbuilt, and possibly a divot action since they are all the same width at 12". One thing is for sure, I'll be able to give a good review in a few months when I'm all set up, haha.

[Brettster]

Awesome linkkingx - looking forward to that review, once you've tried them all out.

[Chanman]

Sounds like the Quattro could be more of the answer for durability and forgiveness? But like you said it could lead to tennis elbow after many hits!

[DreamsofaGamer]

I have owned the soft strike mat for about 9 months and used it with EYE XO...I have bought both stance mats along with the hitting strip...I had to place 1/4 inch rubber mats below the stance mats to feel like they are all even with the hitting strip....I have recessed all three of those into a 20x15 foot area of putting green so the entire set up is even....I didn't have to secure the stance mats given the weight and i have secured the hitting strip with just a few pieces of carpet tape, not need to bolt into floor...I have hit off a number of mats and have had hand and wrist pain from them, the reason i moved to soft strike....I have had no pain to the hands or wrist since using this mat...I have also drilled a hole into the mat and have place a fiberbuilt tee into the mat for my tee shots, this has had no impact on the overall sturdiness of the strip....After 9 months, i am starting to see some wear in a 6x6 square from hitting off the mat where the XO hitting zone is at...I am very happy with the way this mat feels and the zero pain it causes on the hands and wrists....I have no problem buying a new strip every year if it stops the pain from other mats...hope this helps.

[grhenry@mac.com]

I ordered the “soft strike mat” and stance mats from Jay’s contact at HD Golf. I was told that I would need 1/8” rubber mat to raise stance mats to the proper height for the soft strike center piece. It sounds like I will need 1/4”, then right? Did you use tiles or a mat? I’m having trouble finding these items under 1/2”. May I ask where you got them? Also, what is the height of the large putting area you put in? Did you have to build it up with rubber tiles/mat? If so, how much? Sorry for all the questions but since you have the same hitting mat set-up I was hoping to borrow from your expertise. Thank you so much!

[richerod]

Have you tried the Divot action? Seems reasonably priced.

[Underdog]

I have the Divot action for about 3 weeks. Love it over traditional mats that I had tried. Mainly compared to fiber built and swing turf from rain or shine. I bought 18x24 and cut slot in swing turf mat, put 1/4" MDF board under to flush it up. Works great.

[richerod]

Do you have any images of your mat setup with DA insert. Been curious about a setup with a DA insert.

[Alex.Morgan]

Can anyone tell me where you can purchase a soft strike mat and how much is costs?

[DS12]

Jay (Golf Simulator Videos) said to email him because the soft strike mat was from his HD Golf build.

[Alex.Morgan]

ok cool thanks - just wondering how much it might be before reaching out to him