The 7 Best Putting Mats to Help You Sharpen Your Stroke

There’s no excuse not to practice your putting on a regular basis. You can practice putting day or night, indoors or out, year-round. On top of that, the best putting mats out there today are more life-like than ever, and give you all the reps and feedback you need to save strokes. No matter what your space or budget allows – from under $100 to over $600 – you can find an excellent putting mat to help your game.

I personally tested seven of the best and most popular putting mats out there today. Here’s everything you need to know to select the best putting mat for you.

Why have more putting mat makers not questioned the ramp that leads up to the hole before? If we’re being honest, when your putt hits a steep slope as it’s losing speed just before the make-or-miss moment of truth, it’s kind of tough to get real feedback.

This, in my opinion, is the biggest differentiating factor of the PrimePutt putting mat. There is no ramp, no slope. Your putts are completely flat and straight. However, there are drop-in holes, giving you a real-life result of every putt. At just one-half-inch thick, you’re not standing on a platform in order to get that performance, and you can easily stand either on or off the mat while practicing on the PrimePutt. 

This might sound simple, but I think this is a huge deal in a good putting mat.

If the flat nature of the PrimePutt mat is its biggest asset, its roll is a close second. PrimePutt uses a nylon turf that emulates a real putting green, and after testing several putting mats, I’m comfortable saying no other mat rolls closer to a real green than PrimePutt. PrimePutt says the mat rolls at a 10 on the Stimpmeter, and although I don’t have my own Stimp to verify this, that feels pretty accurate to me.

To compare PrimePutt’s roll to its competitors, some of the competition uses a velvety surface, which rolls smoother and no doubt provides a satisfying putting experience, but I’ve never used the word velvety to describe how the greens at the golf courses I play roll. That’s why I say the PrimePutt delivers the most realistic putting experience. It’s not the smoothest, it’s the most realistic.

Another feature I really like about the PrimePutt mat is the wooden bumper that goes behind the holes. Aside from simply making putts, I like working on speed when I practice putting, and that bumper is a great barometer for practicing speed.

The PrimePutt mat rolls up surprisingly easily, and it’s also tough enough for outdoor use, as long as you don’t leave it out in the elements. 

Pros

• Lays flat
• Putt drops into the hole
• No slope/ramp approaching the hole
• Indoor/outdoor use
• True results (misses don’t rebound in, makes don’t carum out)
• Bumper past the hole with ball rack
• Distance markers are a nice touch without being distracting

Cons

• Pricey
• While the roll is true to real life, the grainy surface is not as satisfying as some of the velvety competitors

The PUTTR is unlike any other putting mat or practice putting green out there. That’s because the PUTTR adds some serious gamification and technology to a premium putting surface. 

The AI-powered PUTTR uses an 80-frames-per-second camera to track every rotation of your putt and deliver feedback, stat-tracking and competition that no other putting mat can offer.

With more than 50 games and drills in the connected PUTTR app, plus global leaderboards and stat-tracking, practicing on PUTTR is seriously addicting. If you’re looking to shave strokes, that’s a good thing. But even if you’re more interested in some friendly competition than grinding over your PUTTR handicap, games like Cricket, Beer Pong and Around the World deliver for golfers and non-golfers alike. 

The putting surface itself on the PUTTR is incredibly smooth and satisfying. Checking in at an 11 on the Stimpmeter, PUTTR delivers a slightly faster roll than the PrimePutt mat mentioned above. PUTTR does, however, have a ramp leading into the hole, which affects how hard you must hit each putt. And yes, that premium green rolls out and lays flat straight out of the box. No bumps or ridges to contend with. On top of that, it all rolls nicely into the luxurious-looking metal box for easy storage.

Pros

• Engaging and addicting putting practice
• Results and stat tracking
• Fun for golfers and non-golfers
• Global leaderboards
• Built-in games and drills
• Routine updates and improvements 

Cons

• Pricey
• Some features, like tournaments and personalized training, require subscription
• Some misses roll into the back of the hole

Perfect Practice, the putting mat with Dustin Johnson on the box, is one of the most popular options on the market today because it offers some premium features, yet checks in at a more palatable price than the truly luxurious competition.

I found putting with the Perfect Practice mat to be a different experience than any other mat. The train-track markings and centerline make the Perfect Practice mat the best option for improving your putting mechanics, especially if you’re trying to hone a straight-back-straight-through stroke.

Regardless of your stroke type, you’ll see exactly when and where your putts fall offline, if at all. And if your putts don’t fall offline, step up to the half-sized hole and work on draining putts in the dead center. 

All of these features make for really efficient putting practice, and for around $150, depending on which model you choose, the Perfect Practice is much more affordable than some of the top-end options. However, that value comes with a couple tradeoffs. 

First of all, the Perfect Practice mat did not roll out flat for me out of the box. In the box, the mat was wrapped around the end with the holes, which resulted in creases and ridges that significantly affected the putting mat’s performance.

Second, the slope at the end of the mat is more severe on the Perfect Practice mat than any other mat I tested. That sloped killed too many well-struck dead-center putts, leaving them one revolution short before sending them right back to my feet. Even though the mat rolls true at a satisfying speed, I felt like I had to smash 6-footers just to get them to the cup.

Pros

• Half-sized hole option is addicting and gives a lot of confidence
• Markings provide great feedback on stroke and line of the putt
• Marked distances are nice
• Ball drops into the hole quietly and the ball return is as smooth as can be
• Roll is smooth when you find a flat spot

Cons

• Hash marks every inch is excessive 
• Too many markings on the putting surface
• Does not roll out flat out of the box
• Ramp leading up to the hole is too steep and kills speed more than any other mat we tested

Odyssey’s putting mat is one of the most popular on Amazon, and after putting it to the test, I can see why. The first thing I noticed is the velvety surface provides a really good roll. And, even though there is a ramp to accommodate real hoes for your ball to drop into, it’s the least severe of any that I’ve tested, and therefore interferes with your putts the least. Given how nice the roll on this mat is, I’d almost say that slope is a non-factor. Finally, this Odyssey green comes with a shim so you can add break when and where you want, which can take your putting practice up a notch.

I tested the 12x3 size Odyssey putting mat, and I liked that variety of putts you can practice on that sized mat. And, at around $150, it’s a very good value mat. However, like the other lower-priced mats, there are some trade-offs.

First and foremost, I could not get the Odyssey putting mat to lay flat. While the majority of the mat sits on the floor nicely, the foam backing underneath the holes at the end of that mat held its roll after I unrolled the mat. I had to use weights to weigh down the end for testing.

There is also no bumper at the end of this mat. That might seem like a small issue, but when you’re practicing longer putts, 10 to 12-footers on this mat, you’re going to roll some past the hole, and and simple backstop is really handy. Finally, this putting green has five holes cut into it, which I found to be a bit excessive, though you can simply fill any holes with the plugs provided.

Pros

• Really good roll
• Comes with foam shim to add break
• 12-foot length allows practicing longer-range putts
• Good value

Cons

• Doesn’t lay flat – weight needed for the side with holes
• No bumper
• Five holes is excessive
• Some misses roll in the back of the hole

We go from one putting mat that allows you to practice breaking putts, to one that all but requires it. The Breaking Ball putting mat from Me and My Golf is a one-of-a-kind putting mat that emphasizes breaking putts. 

The mat comes with three weighted balls that, when stroked, replicate varying degrees of break. The mat itself is marked with target lines for each break. If you hit the putt on the right line with good speed, it’ll break right into the hole. I spent hours testing and practicing on the Breaking Ball mat, and it’s really good at getting you comfortable with starting lines for breaking putts. Plus, when you use a regular ball on the mat, it performs just like any putting mat.

I also love that the mat is marked with a speed zone at the end, which also helps you learn how to hit putts with the ideal speed.

As for the putting mat itself, the roll on the Breaking Ball mat is smooth and satisfying. However, there is no actual hole in at the end of the mat, simply a target. While this is nice for using the speed markings beyond the hole, I always like to see my good putts actually drop. Second, there is no bumper beyond the hole, so you’ll want to bump the mat up against a wall or lay a couple books or something at the end of the mat to prevent runaway golf balls.

Pros

• Unique opportunity to train breaking putts
• Great roll on the mat
• Great value
• Marks on the mat entice you to train speed and accuracy
• Great value compared to some of the premium competitors 

Cons

• No bumpers and no hole
• Design of the mat is non-traditional and could be distracting

There are plenty of putting mats and putting greens that offer all sorts of bells and whistles and cool features, and most of them are actually really effective and clever. But what if you just want a nice piece of turf to practice your putting, without all the extras? Well, you’re in luck, because the Putt-A-Bout is not only great for simply rolling putts, but it’s also great on your budget.

At under $100, the Putt-A-Bout green offers an 11-by-3-foot putting surface that rolls smooth and true. It comes with two movable above-ground targets that sit securely on the mat, but also move wherever you want them.

You’ll have to come up with your own solution for bumpers, and create your own rules for counting makes and misses on the above-ground holes, but this is good old-fashioned blue-collar putting practice at its finest, and if that’s what you want, this is your mat.

Pros

• Best value
• Long enough to practice the important putts
• Ability to adjust targets
• Mostly lays flat (edges curl slightly)
• Backing grips the floor nicely
• Basic, straightforward, serviceable mat to practice putting

Cons

• No holes
• No bumpers

The Birdie Ball putting mat is the only mat on this list that I don’t personally own, but I’ve still probably stroked over 100 putts on various Birdie Ball mats over the last couple years, and it would be criminal to leave the Biride Ball mat off of this list. 

The truth is, Birdie Ball putting mats deliver many of the same benefits that the aforementioned PrimePutt mat offers. It lies flat on the ground, has a hole for your ball to drop into, and doesn’t have a ramp. Meanwhile, its unique putting surface rolls true. 

The Birdie Ball putting surface, however, is a little different than the Prime Putt surface. It is more of a foam-like texture, as if they somehow turned a pool noodle into a premium putting mat. No matter how that sounds to you, I’m here to tell you that it works brilliantly.

The other great thing about Birdie Ball mats is that you can get them in all shapes and sizes, and even customize where, and how many, holes come in your mat.

Pros

• Ball drops in hole
• Rolls true, pick your speed
• Additional shims for break available
• Variety of sizes available to fit any space

Cons

• Pricey
• Foam-like surface can rip, tear, or warp over time