Custom Design Golf / Divot Action / John Carilli

[Baller]

I ordered a practice mat, which is great, but also a replacement top for my Protee (not listed on the website). He has a turf top, which is a great idea, because I am really not a fan of the Fiberbuilt mat.

BUT, what I received was a very poorly cut mat that covered my sensors and would not let my system work at all. I lined up the Fiberbuilt and the new mat back to back to see how badly it was and it was BAD. I contacted him several times and he just blew me off and told me it must just need to be adjusted and to play around with it. No, really, it is useless. I measured how off it was and it was major. I'm happy to share pictures if anyone wants them.

Fortunately, I used my Amex as they always have my back. They will either sort it out for me, or just void the charge. But, just thought I'd let people know to make sure they are protected if they want to work with that guy. Also, the turf top and plexiglass were so simple I may just Try to make my own.

UPDATE: THIS ISSUE HAS BEEN RESOLVED
"Just wanted to update this thread. I've been using these mats, both for my sim and for my regular practice hitting for about a year now and they have exceeded my expectations. Despite my issues I had with my initial purchase, I would do business with them again. The mats wok great and much much better than the original mat, in my humble opinion"

[Maverick]

Thanks for the warning Baller.

[Richard_Askren]

Did it come with plexiglass to protect the sensors? I'd be very interested in just getting the plexiglass for my sims. I'm tired of having to grab needle nose pliers to get tees off of the sensors. Would be great if I could cover them.

[mmlincon]

You might try taking some pics and sending them to John Carilli so he can see how messed up it is. If he doesn't do anything about it then I'll scratch the divot action off my list of possible mats.

Richard - I installed at thin piece of IR passing plexiglass between the fiberbuilt panels and was very happy with the results. I had my ProTee setup in the garage it was pretty dirty and this helped a lot. It also stopped the fibers from falling onto the sensor pad. I think it also helped with ambient light hitting the sensors. I think I still have a couple sheets left over although the stuff was a B to work with. It cracks super easy so you have to be super careful drilling the holes.

[Baller]

Yes, it's a simple piece of plexiglass screwed right where the Fiberbuilt mat is now, on top. The long screws that attach the Fiberbuilt come out, the short ones that hold the black sides stay, and some small screws go from the plexiglass into the side pieces to hold it there.

Yes, as I said, I emailed John several emails and several pictures with measurements. He got pissy in his email saying that he had a die and matched the holes with Protee, which is why I sent the pics with measurements. He completely ignored me and I know he got them. I called and was told I'd get a call right back. I did not. The next day I called Amex.

[SFR]

If you want to see if it is plexiglass or lexan you can do a quick test. If you try to shave a very thin cut from an edge of the sheet with a utility knife, you can find out. Lexan will let you cut a sliver of material off. Plexiglass will chatter and the piece you cut will crack and fall apart. Plexiglass is not the right material to use.

I would think it is lexan which is a lot stronger and will not break as easily when hit down onto with a club. You can drill and cut without cracking. Not sure if the sensors can shine through the lexan without issues. The pads made for the P3pro had the openings cut out but that created a an issue if you hit down onto the openings and could then bend the edges and eventually crack or break out that area.

[mcook]

Very interesting....I like the idea of this for several reasons. I wouldn't have to worry as much about my kiddos spilling on the sensors. Some of my friends place their irons low on the mat and almost down into the sensors a bit. MM or those with experience....did you have to replace the plexi often? Does it scuff quickly with the clubs striking the surface? Thanks for the input.

[Baller]

It's like the stuff you get at Tap Plastics... Acrylic (or so it seems to me). It probably said something on the covering for it when it came, but I didn't pay attention to it. I was just excited to get it on. Yes, overall, I think it's a great idea to have it covered as it's easy to clean. The mat does not need to be secured and just sits right on top of it. Seems like it would scratch easily, but nothing should hit it in a place that matters. The mat laying on top of it won't matter if scratched below the mat. The problem with what I received is the mat was not cut properly. Now that I'm home at my computer, I can attach a picture. You can see how off center everything is as well if you look at the tee hole.

I like the idea and if John doesn't make it right, I'll make my own. I don't get the right feedback from the Fiberbuilt mat to make me happy. Here is another shot of the plastic over the sensors with no mat there. You can see what else I did; I got a regular Divot Action practice mat and cut it into my stance mat. I practice a lot of shots that I don't use my SIM for, and so this works pretty well for that. Otherwise I end up with pain from hitting too many shots off that crappy stance mat.

[Richard_Askren]

This topic took kind of a left turn, but I'm looking into getting Lexan sheets for covering the sensors. What I'm not sure of is if infrared light passes through Lexan. Been difficult finding info on that. It passes through acrylic (Plexiglass) just fine.

EDIT: Posted too soon. Found an article showing polycarbonate (Lexan) does allow IR to pass through. I ordered some 1/16" x 12" x 24" Lexan sheets to try out. I'll let you guys know if they work.

[SFR]

Ya Lexan (polycarbonate) is great stuff. That was what I used on my table hockey games ice surface that I used to make (in my avitar) and you can cut bend drill and no issues with cracking. The only thing that may happen is if the club actually makes contact with the open slots in the turf and catches the lexan, it may scratch it up and eventually cause deflection in the sensors as they shine through. Still better than hitting a sensor.

[Hoosierdaddy]

Has anyone actually done this yet? I would think the microphone would need to be turned up to detect the delicate chips and short putts. . And don't the boards in there create heat? If all the holes are blocked off won't it get to warm in there? I would love to do this and have thought about it many times. I too hate it everytime I have to get the pliers out to grab a tee.

[mmlincon]

I did this and it worked fine. You need to drill a hole for the tee to fit through so there is little impact to the mic. The mic sensitivity can be tuned if needed too. I built my GSA panel which is a very similar board to the ProTee one with I think it was 3/8" and it was completely enclosed. The voltages are so low that heat isn't an issue. When I did this with my ProTee I added a thin piece of 1/16" dark IR passing plexiglass. Like the type used in remote controls. I did this with the theory that it would block ambient light that was hitting the sensor causing some misreads. It seemed to help but if so only a little.

Really I'm a little confused why ProTee doesn't just come with a protective cover over the sensors. In my mind it's a bit of a design flaw. I'm not sure the reasoning behind it but I ended up having to purchase a replacement board because my board got damaged by a piece of ice falling on the board. That was the main reason I started looking for a protective cover in the first place.

[mmlincon]

Baller, aside from the piss-pour cutting job, which is obvious in the photo how to you like the divot action for hitting off of? I'm looking at the true strike vs divot action to replace my hitting area on my country club elite mat.

[Baller]

There is a hole in the plexiglass where the mic is and where the tee goes in.

As an update to my issue, John Carilli called me and explained how this is his busiest time of year and he thought he sent me instructions to return the mat. He has now sent a replacement that he said d he will check before sending to me. I will update when I receive it.

For the Divot Action, I got a separate a Divot Action insert just for practice that I installed into my stance mat (shown in a pic above). I did not get the Divot Action that goes over my Protee, what I got works the same way and the two (Divot Action and the mat I got) are interchangeable, which is great if I do get it. The one I got is a standard mat. I was worried that I or someone would hurt the Divot Action.

[Baller]

Next update: I got the new mat today. Cuts are still far from perfect, but they do work without any issue and I'm happy with it. Feels much better to hit off of and I get feedback for my shots. Wasn't cheap, but better than trying it myself.

Forgot to comment on the true strike versus Divot Action. I looked at both. I didn't hit the True Strike, but it was between the two for me as well. I decided on the Divot Action because (1) the price was much less - $99 for the practice mat I got vs. $340+ and because (2) the sizing of it worked better for me as well. If anyone has tried both, I'd love to hear thoughts, but I am happy with the Divot Action. It's a pretty simple product that seems to work pretty well.

[mthunt]

It's good to see you stood behind your product and did right by baller.