Accessories

Want better contact? Fix hooks and slices with this popular impact mat

By: Marley Sims

August 24, 2023

Knowing what's wrong with your swing is one thing, but applying a fix and practicing those skills is another. This striking aid will help.

COURTESY

Knowing or figuring out what to fix in your ball striking is a way to improve your golf game, but putting the technique to fix the issue is where practice and skill development come into play.

Have you ever heard anyone say this phrase: “Lose a ball, take a ball. Lose two balls, take two balls. Lose three balls… go to the driving range.”

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“It amazes me how often I meet a new student who doesn’t have a clue about proper ball-ground contact,” said Rob Akins, one of GOLF’s Top 100 Teachers. “Sure, many players fight a slice or a hook, but solid contact with the ball is their biggest problem.”

To hit the ball more solidly, Akins suggests using the “forward thinking” method. Essentially, to practice “forward thinking” in your golf swing, you want to hone your focus on where your ball is sitting, then move your focus to just in front of your ball.

You can practice this method at home or on the range with the rapidly popularizing Pathfinder Impact Mat by Rukket Sports.

Rukket Sports Pathfinder Impact Mat™

$69.99

Are you looking for a golf training mat to help your golf game? The Rukket Pathfinder Impact Mat™ was designed with input from professional golfers and golf teachers to help players of all abilities improve their game. The strike mat tracks club face alignment and helps ensure clean contact with the ball while the foam pylons can be used to keep your swing on plane. Use all four pylons to practice hitting straighter shots or remove pylons to practice hitting draw or fade shots. It’s the most versatile golf swing practice mat available and works with every club in your bag! Features 2-in-1 golf swing training mat combining the features of an impact mat / strike mat and a swing path trainer to help golfers quickly identify and correct common swing problems like hooks and slices. It’s a golf swing impact / strike mat to help identify and correct club face alignment. Use the “velvet” turf to ensure you’re making clean contact with the ball. It’s also a golf swing training aid to help with swing plane alignment. Use it to fix a slice or a hook, and to practice hitting draw and fade shots. What’s in the Box (1) Rukket Pathfinder Impact Mat™ (4) Foam Pylons (1) Instruction Booklet Product Specs 25in x 13in x 0.8in RUKKET FAIR PLAY GUARANTEE & LIFETIME WARRANTY: At Rukket Sports we know you came to win. We also understand that in order to win you need to train hard, so that’s why we’re proud to offer the Rukket Fair Play Guarantee & Lifetime Warranty for no-risk purchasing plus outstanding USA-based customer service!

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Your ball impact will affect your ball flight, and it’s easy to understand if you think about it from a (very simple) physics perspective. To make your ball fly straight, you have to hit the ball in the middle of the face to keep the ball from spinning to the left or right (which creates a hook or a slice).

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If you’re coming in from the inside to impact your ball, your club face is most likely wide open, causing you to hit the ball on the side of the ball facing your body. If you’re a right-hander, this means you’re making the ball spin to the right, which is what causes a slice.

By using the Pathfinder Impact Mat, you can arrange the foam pylons to help you keep your swing on the right plane. For example, if you come in from the inside, you’ll know because you will have hit one of the inside pylons.

Use all four pylons to practice hitting straighter shots or remove pylons to practice hitting draw or fade shots. Use the “velvet” turf to ensure you’re making clean contact with the ball.