I never seem to find enough opportunities to practice putting so having a better putting mat has been top of mind. Despite trying several options from Amazon and Temu, the results have been mixed. Some are a little slow, others are a little busy to look at, some just simply get too repetitive with limited options. My hunt continued. Did I finally find a winner in the Saplize Putting Suite?
The Problem
I have tried less expensive putting mats and the results have been mixed at best. While some work well enough, often they are no better than just putting on my living room carpet. The other issue (at least for me) is putting practice can be awfully mundane: the same thing over and over with practice that doesn’t necessarily reflect real-world situations.
The Solution
The Saplize Putting Suite aims to fix the problems by including a variety of features, plenty of accessories and combinations to make putting practice more engaging. Simply put, the Saplize Putting Suite and its accessories enable the user to practice the way they want and not get bogged down with the same flat, straight putts time and time again.
How I Found It
At this point, Amazon and Temu just keep recommending these to me on my “interested” lists but most of them are pretty standard and plain. I have had good luck with Saplize equipment in the past using their grips, regripping kit and another putting mat. So when the Saplize Putting Suite popped up on my recommended list, I gave it a deeper look. The price was right, the size looked bigger and it had features which others did not. This seemed to be exactly what I had been wanting.
How It Works (Or Doesn’t)
As mentioned, this putting suite is more than just a putting mat. It is a whole combination of accessories and features to help make practice more interesting and more enjoyable. Let’s run through what came in the box before diving into how the features work.
- Two-way speed
- Foam roller for changing speed
- Extra-wide putting mat with alignment and markings
- Slope wedges for creating a break in putts
- Hole with flag for aiming
- Foam backstop for better practice efficiency
- Putting mirror for alignment and consistency
Pretty extensive, isn’t it? But does it all actually work and are they actually additive features or just filler items?
Let’s get into the features, accessories and how the mat performed overall.
Materials and Size
Unlike the other putting mats I have tried from Temu, this one is nearly double the width and more than three feet longer. The added length makes lag putting practice somewhat possible. No, it will not be a replacement for 20-foot lag putts but it’s a start. The material is also different and almost like a softer suede (key to the next feature). It works really well with a smooth, consistent roll. It laid out flat instantly versus others that took a bit more time to relax after being rolled up.
Saplize Putting Mat Two-Way Speed
I have really enjoyed this feature. Although I definitely prefer the faster direction, I have found good use for the slower direction, even if it has a few hiccups. The faster direction is pure and smooth with an excellent roll. The slow direction is akin to putting on a dewy green. While it works really well initially, a putt on the same slow line twice turns into a fast putt. This is due to the texture acting like a fine grain of grass that is either bent towards or away from the putting direction. So, on the slow side when the ball rolls over the mat, it converts that line from slow to fast. Thankfully, the width of the putting mat allows for several putts in the slow direction before having to reset it with the provided foam roller.
The roller makes it easy to convert the whole mat to one directional speed or another simply by dragging it in the desired direction to move the flow of the suede either towards (slow) or away (fast) from the intended putting direction.
Putting Mirror and Target Cup
These are very basic but serve their purpose. The mirror has the appropriate markings and is very similar to others which can be found online and is a very good basic training aid.
The target cup is the same one that came with my previous Saplize putting mat and fits multiple golf balls which makes it preferred for extended training sessions.
Foam Accessories
This is where my opinion is divided. The backstop is great and, while someone would hope to not miss too many putts left or right, the foam backstop has made this more useful in more areas. It has also allowed for making firmer and more confident putting strokes. It also means the setup area is much broader as there is less possibility of golf balls finding their way under furniture.
The wedges for slope, on the other hand, I found a bit jarring. The slopes they create are severe and much harsher than I would have preferred. Creating a more gentle left-to-right or right-to-left putt proved to be a lot more difficult. Same goes for downhill putts: it didn’t really work as I had hoped. However, uphill putts were a success and something I have used fairly consistently. While I will give it a pass as it does technically allow for a breaking putt, the better option would be to have cardboard or something less severe to create a more gentle slope.
Final Verdict
This is my new go-to putting mat. It doesn’t get a perfect score and there are some small faults but it overwhelmingly succeeds in most areas. As someone who plays most of his rounds in the morning, the practice in the slower direction has been of great benefit.
For everything that is provided within this package, it is a win. The putting mat is longer and wider than others and most of the accessories are useful. All of this makes putting practice more enjoyable with the results that my on-course putting has improved.
Hopp Man
8 months ago
Temu just seems likea scummy site to even think about purchasing from. Lots of knockoff things sold on that site and when I went there to look at the mat, it wanted my email address and then some verification thing, no thanks.
Vito
8 months ago
Try this site, cheaper than Amazon, and the same stuff. https://www.saplize.com/products/saplize-two-speed-golf-putting-practice-mat-with-putting-alignment-mirror-20-in-x-10-ft