Gear guide · Hitting mats

The best golf hitting mats for a simulator

This is where I'd spend more than feels necessary. A mat that's too firm hides fat shots and, according to a lot of owners, hurts wrists and elbows over a winter of practice.

By Nouman Sabir, EditorUpdated Oct 27, 20269 sources cited

Carry & Spin is reader-supported. If you buy through links on this page I may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you. It never decides what I recommend, and no brand pays to be included. Affiliate disclosure

An iron behind a golf ball on synthetic turf — Photo: Unsplash

My picks

Best overall: Fiberbuilt Flight Deck station ($499). Fiberbuilt's vertical-fiber grass is designed to let you "repeatedly hit down and through", with a 300,000-shot guarantee on the hitting surface.
Best for joints: SIGPRO Softy 4×7 ($999.99). A soft, replaceable hitting strip; owners and retailers point to it for comfort.
Best for lefty + righty: Fiberbuilt Player Preferred center ($1,699). A 10 × 4 ft center-hitting mat.
Best budget: Fiberbuilt Hourglass kit ($349). A 5 × 3 ft entry into Fiberbuilt's feel.

Mats compared

Mat	Size	Price	Notes
Fiberbuilt Hourglass kit	5 × 3 ft	$349	Budget Fiberbuilt
Fiberbuilt Flight Deck	61 × 40 in	$499	300,000-shot guarantee
Country Club Elite	4 × 5 to 5 × 10 ft	$479–$1,199	Takes real tees; firm
Carl's HotShot (4×5)	4 × 5 ft	$599.95–$839.95	Replaceable strips
SIGPRO Softy LITE	4 × 5 ft	$739.99	Can't take a real tee
SIGPRO Softy	4 × 7 / 4 × 10 ft	$999.99 / $1,199.99	4 × 10 for center hitting
TrueStrike Single	52 × 77 in	$1,127	Gel section; sold out when I checked
Fiberbuilt Player Preferred center	10 × 4 ft	$1,699	Lefty + righty

Golfer addressing a ball on an indoor hitting mat — Photo: Unsplash

Feel and joints

Firm, dense mats like Country Club Elite let the club skip into the ball, so fat shots get under-punished. Carl's Place says wrists and elbows "felt more impact, especially on chunked shots" on CCE. In Golf Simulator Forum threads, owners with joint pain repeatedly moved toward Fiberbuilt, gel and Divot Action-style inserts; one said his elbow issue "almost gone away completely" after switching.

Owner experience, not medical advice

I found no controlled studies on mats and injuries. These are owner reports. If you have joint problems, talk to a professional.

Size and tees

A driver typically needs about 5 ft heel to toe, so 5 × 5 ft or larger (OnDeck/Real Feel). Country Club Elite and Carl's HotShot take real tees; the SIGPRO Softy LITE can't. Fiberbuilt's fibers swallow standard tees, so owners use taller or rubber ones.

Questions people ask

What is the best golf mat for a simulator?

For most people I'd look at Fiberbuilt (from $349) or SIGPRO Softy ($739.99–$1,369.99), because both let you hit down through the ball. Owners with sore joints mostly moved toward these, gel or replaceable-strip mats.

Are golf mats bad for your joints?

There's no controlled data, but in owner forums golfers with wrist or elbow pain repeatedly report trouble on very firm mats like Country Club Elite and relief on Fiberbuilt, gel or Divot Action-style inserts.

What size hitting mat do I need?

A driver typically needs about 5 ft heel to toe, so 5 × 5 ft or larger (OnDeck/Real Feel). A 4 × 9 or 4 × 10 center mat lets lefties and righties share it.

Keep reading

Sources

Every number on this page comes from one of these 9 pages. We checked them on Oct 27, 2026. Prices change often, so confirm before you buy.

About the author

Nouman SabirFounder & Editor

Nouman Sabir founded Carry & Spin and edits every page. Nouman reads the makers' manuals and plan pages, retailer listings and owner forums, works out what each setup really costs, and keeps every claim linked to its source. Nouman is a researcher, not a golf pro, and says so.

Expert review panel: PGA professionals and launch monitor testers who advise on the technical side of these guides.