The ifrothgolf review
A premium roll-out putting mat with a wooden frame, two hole sizes, alignment "train track" lines and a gravity ball return, fronted by Dustin Johnson. Aimed at golfers who want to grind their short putts at home or in the office.
What's great
The thing genuinely earns its keep on the short stuff. The surface is fast and smooth (roughly tour pace), and the ball return means you can fire off dozens of reps without ever walking to pick balls up, which is the real reason you actually practise. The alignment lines are great for grooving your start line and stroke path, and the two holes (regular plus a smaller one) let you ramp up the difficulty as you get sharper. Plugged In Golf, Golf Monthly and Practical Golf all rate it highly, and the wooden frame feels properly made rather than tat. Setup is about a minute once it has flattened.
Worth knowing
It is not for everyone. It only does dead straight putts inside about ten feet, so there is no break, no lag work and no speed control over distance. The surface is so smooth it punishes any tilt in your floor, so you NEED a properly level hard surface (carpet introduces random breaks, hardwood is best). It takes around 24 hours to flatten out of the box, the ball return geometry favours right handers, and it costs a fair bit more than the cheap mats. If your floor isn't flat, skip it.
The verdict
I rate it for what it is: the best home aid going for drilling confidence into short, straight putts, as long as you have a flat hard floor and accept it won't teach you break or pace. If you want all-round green practice, this isn't it.
What reviewers say
Owners love the realistic roll, ball return and tour pedigree, with the common gripe being initial curl or ripples that need flattening time.
