FatPlate Tour Roll PuttMatt

With such a huge choice of training aids available to even the average golfer these days, you’d be correct in thinking that most are probably quite similar in their disposition. How you get effective results out of them is another point that’s up for debate too – what training aids you should choose to improve your game is mainly based on what sort of results you want to see. And of course, you have to put the time in.

However, looking at the PuttMatt from FatPlate could be the answer to what is perceived by many as the most critical part of your game. The old adage ‘drive for show, putt for dough’ couldn’t be more true – if you can’t get it in the hole from say, 5 feet, then ask yourself… what chance have you got from 10, 20 or even more?

The features

In all honesty, we probably wouldn’t get that excited about a putting mat normally. But we’ve made an exception with the Tour Roll PuttMatt. You’d be mistaken in thinking that this is just a big bit of artificial grass, so let’s look at the features…

• It’s an incredibly realistic practice putting surface – think mid-season well established green.
• Features ‘multi-directional synthetic turf loops’ to ensure that the ball never unnaturally deviates off-line – the closest thing to real grass you can get.
• Offers a whopping 10ft in length to practice a decent length putt.
• Perfect for also practicing short greenside chip & run shots (if you’re inside, for goodness sake, be careful).
• Comes with two ‘PuttCups’ – which is FatPlate’s most realistic shallow putting cup developed yet and provides true pace & line feedback – basically, if you don’t hit perfect pace, the ball will either lip-out or jump the back of the cup (see more details later on in this article)
• Provides a stimp pace of 11 (medium to fast pace) typical of most greens.
• Perfect for all skill levels – not just the seasoned Pro.
• Can be used both indoors and outdoors – grab some extra garage space for the winter months if you can!
• It’ll get you as close to a real-life golf green in your own home as you can (no need for pruning the grass to the nth degree anymore)
• Can be used in conjunction with a number of FatPlate’s other products such as PuttPlate, ArcMat, MirrorPlate & MirrorBoard.

The techy bit

Sounds impressive. But we know what you’re thinking. What does ‘multi-directional turf loops’ even mean? Well, this is the sciencey bit and where FatPlate have spent a lot of time perfecting the art of replicating a true green feel. The multi-directional turf loops mean that when you roll a putt, the ball will always stay true to its line – and therefore, will not deviate or deflect by the direction of the synthetic turfs pile. Sounds simple, but a lot of have tried in the past and a lot of failed on this brief. FatPlate have nailed it.

Also, they’ve spared no expense with the PuttCup either. It has been purpose designed with a ‘one and a half feet past-the-hole’ pace in mind, meaning that should your putt not ‘lip-out’ or jump the back of the cup, you’ve hit it at the preferred pace.

Furthermore, the sloped ‘Capture Speed’ wall that surrounds the PuttCup provides a scientifically correct pace – meaning that any putt will lip-out in exactly the same way as it would on the course. Not bad for a synthetic grass mat with a hole.

But what we really like about the PuttCup is that it offers everything that a putting hole would, but without the actual hole!

Ok, so you’ve heard about what we’ve got to say, but let’s take a look at what FatPlate are saying about their product.

‘PuttMat gives you less to think about by making setup and stroke instinctive. On average, 9ft putts finish 25% closer to the hole after a 1-hour session.’

You'll have to wait for our feedback on this point, but the initial signs are good!

Conclusion

FatPlate have created something really solid here. Sometimes, it doesn’t have to look fancy or have complicated know-hows to enable it as a technical product – the magic is in the fine detail of the product itself, which is not clear to the untrained eye. What’s also great is that all skill levels apply, so you can literally start from level zero and be able to see genuine improvements with visual feedback.

You can simply just get on and practice, with PuttMatt – no frills and no thought required. Because clearly, the more you do, the better you’ll get with this one. Scores a great 17/20 overall.

• Product innovation: ★★★★★
• Value for money: ★★★★☆
• Practicality: ★★★☆☆
• Build quality: ★★★★★