[kkingston57]

Originally Posted by UpNorth

As long as the range balls are in good shape, pretty close to hitting off real turf.

Took a lesson recently and instructor suggested that I never hit from mats. My personal experience is that you can not hit a fat shot and the mat squares up the irons. I can hit balls great from mats. Not so good on the course

[kkingston57]

Originally Posted by Markgolf

I respect your response. I don’t hit that many balls. The villages do have some great instructors. I’ve considered the pkg. But it’s not for me and doesn’t address the shortcomings of mats and what we could possibly do with what we already pay.

It’s amazing the # of palettes of sod that I see daily in the villages. It’s amazing how fast they erect villages.

Is it wrong for me to reason that the Villages could modify what they are doing with better dialogue.

Golf courses in TV have some of the smallest ranges I have ever seen on a regular course and some have none. SInce some courses do not have a range golfers will go to another course to hit balls. Courses in TV do a good job with the land available

[kkingston57]

Originally Posted by Markgolf

Shanks can occur a number of ways.

1) Hand path goes towards the target or away from the body going through the ball on the downswing.

2) One is told to hold the release through the ball. This can create the shanks and then manifest into the yips.

3) Grip pressure

4) Distance from the ball.

5) Body limitations

6) unclear understanding of how the ball interacts with the face

7 Focal dystonia

The list can go on. Mats affect the angle of attack in which the club is swung. It can do some damage to your confidence and your game. There is better information out there for the shanks than you have expressed. There are better options than accepting the status quo by remaining uninformed.

Guilty I started discussion on shanks. All I stated was that they occurred less when hitting from a mat than when I hit off of grass. Mats do have a tendency to square up the clubface with the ball and create a more solid hit