Putting Mats in Australia: How to Choose the Right One for Home Practice

Spring is when golf gets serious again across most of Australia. Fairways are firming up, the evenings are stretching out and club comps are filling up again. It's also when a lot of us find out our putting stroke went into hibernation over winter.

For a golfer shooting around 90, putts typically account for somewhere in the low-to-mid 30s of those strokes. That's more than a third of the round, and it's the one part of the game you can practise properly without leaving the house.

Here's how to choose a putting mat that suits your space, what the features actually do, and three drills that make ten minutes a day count.

Why practise putting at home?

Because putting rewards repetition more than anything else, and repetition is exactly what a trip to the course rarely gives you. By the time you've warmed up, hit a bucket and found a spot on the practice green, there isn't much time left for the part of the game that decides the score.

A mat flips that around. Ten minutes in the lounge room after work gives you the same stroke, the same start line and the same target dozens of times in a row. That's how a stroke becomes automatic, and automatic is what holds up on the 18th with a card in your pocket.

The short ones are where it shows first. Holing more putts from inside two metres is one of the quickest ways most club golfers take strokes off, and any decent mat covers that range comfortably.

How to choose a putting mat

1. Length: measure your space first

Length is what lets you work on pace as well as line. A 2.5 m mat covers the short, must-hole range. A 3 m mat gives you more room to practise stopping the ball at different distances.

Before you buy, measure the floor you'll actually use and add about a metre behind the ball for your stance and backstroke. A hallway, a lounge room with the coffee table pushed aside, or a clear stretch of garage floor is usually plenty.

2. Width: narrow for line, wide for angles

A narrow mat, around 40 cm, keeps you honest on straight putts, which is exactly what you want when you're grooving a start line. A wider mat, around 90 cm, lets you set up from different spots and putt at holes on different angles, so practice feels less like a groove and more like the course.

3. Ball return: more putts, less walking

A ball return sends the ball back to you after each putt. It sounds minor, but it means far more putts in the same ten minutes, because you're not walking to the hole and back after every stroke. On a narrow mat in a small space, it's the feature that makes practice easy enough to actually keep doing.

4. Surface and base

Look for a turf-style surface that rolls the ball smoothly and a base that stays put. On timber floors and tiles an anti-slip underside matters, because a mat that creeps a centimetre every putt quietly ruins your alignment. Most mats arrive folded, so lay yours out flat for a day or so before you judge how it rolls. Fold lines usually settle as the mat relaxes.

5. Mat only, or with a putter and balls?

If you already own a putter, the mat-only version is all you need, and practising with the putter you use on the course is the better habit anyway. If you're buying for someone just taking up the game, or you want a second putter to leave at home or in the office, the bundle saves a separate purchase.

Which of our putting mats suits you?

We stock two Centra putting mats, each available on its own or bundled with a putter and three balls.

Short on space? The 250 cm putting mat is the efficient choice. The ball return and upslope keep putts coming back to you, and at 2.7 kg it packs away between sessions without fuss.

Got a bit more room? The 300 cm putting green gives you the width to practise from different angles and the length to work on pace. If you don't have a spare putter, the bundle adds one along with three balls.

Three drills that make ten minutes count

The gate drill: start line

Set two spare balls about 30 cm in front of your ball, on your line to the hole, spaced just wider than a ball apart. Roll putts through the gap without touching either. Clip one and you'll know straight away the ball started offline, which is usually a sign the putter face wasn't square at impact.

The ladder drill: pace

On a 3 m mat, lay coins at roughly 1 m, 1.5 m and 2 m from your ball. Putt one ball to stop level with each coin in turn, then work back down the ladder. Miss your spot and start again. It trains the part of putting most home practice skips: how hard to hit it.

Ten in a row: pressure

From about a metre, hole ten putts in a row. Miss one and the count goes back to zero. It gets harder than it sounds by putt seven or eight, and it's the closest thing at home to standing over a short one to win a hole.

Rounding out your home practice

Once your putting is sorted, a few more pieces cover the rest of the game at home or in the backyard:

• Centra 3 m Golf Practice Net: a 300 x 180 x 200 cm net with fibreglass poles, a target and a carry bag, for full swings in the backyard. Give it clear space around and behind, keep it well away from windows, and check nobody is nearby before you swing.
• Centra Golf Hitting Mat with Swing Path Feedback: a 42 x 32 cm rubber mat that helps show your swing path and contact area after each strike, with non-slip backing and a spare mat included. It pairs naturally with the net.
• Centra Golf Alignment Sticks with Cast Iron Base: a 101.5 cm fibreglass rod on a cast-iron base with angle markings, for checking setup and swing plane. Suits both left- and right-handed golfers.

Shopping for a golfer this Christmas?

Practice gear is one of the few golf gifts that's hard to get wrong. It doesn't depend on club fitting, ball preference or handicap, and a putting mat suits everyone from beginners to single-figure players. The bundles include a putter and balls, so they're ready to use straight out of the box.

For something more social, the Golf Beer Pong set turns a 3 m putting mat into a party game, with cup holes at each end and two folding putters. Fill the cups with soft drink and it works just as well for a family games night.

Putting mat FAQs

Are putting mats worth it?

For most club golfers, yes. A mat won't copy every green you play, but it gives you the repetition that builds a consistent stroke and start line, which are the two things that fall apart fastest without practice.

What size putting mat do I need?

Measure the space you have and allow about a metre behind the ball for your stance. A 2.5 m mat suits hallways and offices. A 3 m mat suits a lounge room or garage and gives you more room for pace work.

Can I use a putting mat outside?

Yes, on a flat, firm surface such as a deck or paving. Bring it back inside afterwards, because sun and rain shorten the life of any turf surface.

Will a putting mat play like a real green?

Not exactly, and that's fine. Green speeds vary from course to course and even day to day. Use the mat for stroke, start line and repetition, then spend a few minutes on the practice green before your round to get a feel for that day's pace.

Do I need a special putter?

No. Use the putter you play with. If you don't have one, both of our mats come in a bundle with a putter and three balls.

Ready to sharpen your putting this spring?

Pick the 250 cm putting mat with ball return for tight spaces, or the 300 cm putting green for room to move. Both are dispatched from Australia with 30-day returns.

Browse the full Sports & Fitness collection for more home training gear.