Has anyone built a golf net?

With no prospect of golf for the next couple of months at the earliest, I wondered if anyone has either built a golf net, or bought one?

There are plenty on Amazon or Ebay, but most of them are little, and flimsy looking things. I had one years ago, but the net suddenly let a drive go through (which bounced off a house roof down the road). I ran indoors and hid for about 2 hours!

I've costed out building one of timber - a 10ft x 10 ft x 10ft cage with a proper net round the sides, roof and back (this back part being higher strength impact netting). The timber isn't too bad - £30 or so, but the net is about £250. I'd need astroturf for the floor as well.

It would be a project to keep me busy for a while too, but if there's an easy alternative somewhere then I'd love to know.

Rick Shiels - a golf vlogger as they say - had an inkling of what might happen, and built a golf simulator in his garage. VIDEO HERE. Bit more than what you were thinking, George?

Would think there an alternative net material available for far less than that without too much looking.

Super - yes there probably is, but I was just googling golf net. There's no point in me looking at some net which conforms to BS xxxx, because I would have no idea whether it's going to stop the ball this month, next month, after it rains and next year. So I assume a purpose built golf net - or archery net would do it, and they are ~ £250.

INW - really interesting video, but I'm just looking for something to put in the garden. I could borrow the tracking thing to see how I'm hitting it, but building somewhere to hit it first is step one.

I reckon something with a double skin mesh and something loose to absorb the power would work, especially if you held the net on with elastic.

Not yet but if golf is banned for much longer I will buy or build one. I just worry with nets that you don't know where the ball would have gone. It seems like it might not provide much feedback on the extent of hooks or slices.

McLaren wrote:Not yet but if golf is banned for much longer I will buy or build one. I just worry with nets that you don't know where the ball would have gone. It seems like it might not provide much feedback on the extent of hooks or slices.

I don't think that matters Mac. I'd be happy to be hitting balls regardless of where they go. Just keeping a swing going is important.
I'm thinking of getting some of those Swingspeed shafts as I don't need to leave the house to get the benefit. Some of the results I've seen look pretty impressive.

McLaren wrote:Not yet but if golf is banned for much longer I will buy or build one. I just worry with nets that you don't know where the ball would have gone. It seems like it might not provide much feedback on the extent of hooks or slices.

Maybe it's better you don't know. If you can hit a few shots every day, and concentrate on making good swings each time, you'll probably find you are making good contact after a few days. The wrong thing is just standing there hitting it as hard as you can because you'll introduce all sorts of bad stuff into your swing.

George

My plan was to get some strike tape or put talc on the club and just concentrate on getting it out the sweet spot. Especially with the driver. Over the last year or so I have really struggled to get center strikes with my driver.

McLaren wrote:George

My plan was to get some strike tape or put talc on the club and just concentrate on getting it out the sweet spot. Especially with the driver. Over the last year or so I have really struggled to get center strikes with my driver.

Can't you tell from the ball contact sensation?

No net but I did order new clubs the day before the lockdown was imposed I have the driver (which has never been struck in anger on the course only on the simulator where I bought it) but the irons and hybrid are still in transit! Same goes for LordPutt except he's only got his 3 wood! Timing obviously isn't my best attribute

navyblueshorts wrote:

McLaren wrote:George

My plan was to get some strike tape or put talc on the club and just concentrate on getting it out the sweet spot. Especially with the driver. Over the last year or so I have really struggled to get center strikes with my driver.

:headscratch: Can't you tell from the ball contact sensation?

Sort of, but I have seen loads of coaches say that amateurs don't focus enough on getting it right out of the middle. I can probably tell what a really bad shot is but it would be good to know where my average contact is low/high and left/right. Why not try and get as accurate as possible?

Pal of mine bought a new(nearly new) Merc on the Friday before we closed down we said you must be mad the only person on the planet buying a new car.He has previous though as far as we know he has never kept a car long enough to have it serviced or buy a new tyre .If he was a smoker he would part ex when the ashtray was full.

McLaren wrote:

navyblueshorts wrote:

McLaren wrote:George

My plan was to get some strike tape or put talc on the club and just concentrate on getting it out the sweet spot. Especially with the driver. Over the last year or so I have really struggled to get center strikes with my driver.

Can't you tell from the ball contact sensation?

Sort of, but I have seen loads of coaches say that amateurs don't focus enough on getting it right out of the middle.  I can probably tell what a really bad shot is but it would be good to know where my average contact is low/high and left/right. Why not try and get as accurate as possible?

I got a shoebox full of strike stickers off Ebay. Always forget to take some to the range though.

McLaren wrote:

navyblueshorts wrote:

McLaren wrote:George

My plan was to get some strike tape or put talc on the club and just concentrate on getting it out the sweet spot. Especially with the driver. Over the last year or so I have really struggled to get center strikes with my driver.

Can't you tell from the ball contact sensation?

Sort of, but I have seen loads of coaches say that amateurs don't focus enough on getting it right out of the middle.  I can probably tell what a really bad shot is but it would be good to know where my average contact is low/high and left/right. Why not try and get as accurate as possible?

I guess. Maybe it's just me, but I pretty know exactly where I struck a shot. Perhaps that's learning w/ fairly old-style blades? Who knows...

Navy

I learned with old style blades.

And also how do you know if your perception of where you hit it matches reality unless you test it?

McLaren wrote:Navy

I learned with old style blades.

And also how do you know if your perception of where you hit it matches reality unless you test it?

I've hit a lot of practice balls on the range over the years. I know thin from fat, heel from toe - the latter is easy to confirm via sensation of torque and ball flight, as I'm sure you know.
You'll just have to believe me I'm afraid, but just to keep you happy, I've also had the odd session where I've used impact tape or talc on the faces. I'm not claiming to know to the fraction of a millimetre...

Navy

Ok, we are talking past each other here. I am not talking about identifying heel, toe, high, thin etc. I am talking about finding out where shots I think come out of the middle actually come out. The coaches I have seen talk about this (for example crossfiled. Dan Whitteker, Cowan, Torrance) say you need to find out exactly where you strike the ball in order to make changes that move your average strike towards precise middle of the sweet spot.

Mac, sounds like you're taking nonsense, if you can't tell a good shot from feel alone, you probably aren't a very good player.

Super

Find some top coaches doing trackman lessons on youtube. You will often see them try and move elite players strike point.

McLaren wrote:Navy

Ok, we are talking past each other here. I am not talking about identifying heel, toe, high, thin etc. I am talking about finding out where shots I think come out of the middle actually come out. The coaches I have seen talk about this (for example crossfiled. Dan Whitteker, Cowan, Torrance) say you need to find out exactly where you strike the ball in order to make changes that move your average strike towards precise middle of the sweet spot.

Oh, bollox. That's absurd quackery and part of the 'mystique' of golf i.e. only those in the know (coaches) can help you. They are the dispensers of wisdom. Bit like organised religion. Think of me as your golfing William Tyndale.

Yes, you need to know why you're striking thin, fat etc, but millimetre accuracy isn't really relevant. Never mind...

McLaren wrote:Super

Find some top coaches doing trackman lessons on youtube. You will often see them try and move elite players strike point.

Mac, none of us are anything close to being elite. We would all settle for hitting it as close out of the middle as we can.

Instead of a "net", have you thought of re-purposing some old discarded bedding? or even some new sheets from a discount store. I figure about 4 top sheets from a Queen size bed sewn together would do the trick.

GPB wrote:Instead of a "net", have you thought of re-purposing some old discarded bedding? or even some new sheets from a discount store.  I figure about 4 top sheets from a Queen size bed sewn together would do the trick.

Not a bad idea, but unfortunately my partner has quite expensive taste in sheets. I am not whacking balls into them.

If you try it let us know if it works.

Your "partner"

I haven't thought about using a sheet, or sheets, since aesthetics are important. Not a bad idea though.

From talking to a few people and reading a bit, I gather the net suffers a lot of punishment in very particular places. If you hit drivers and long shots from 10 feet, then the area about 3½ feet up, right of centre (for righthanders) can fail quite quickly. The spin on the ball rips the net quite quickly. So having a 10 foot square impact net can help a lot because you can turn it four times to even the wear a bit. Apparently archery panels are very good, but are very expensive. The rest of the net (sides and top) don't matter so much because the ball seldom hits them. Well we hope so anyway.

You just need a couple of layers of nets, unless you're Happy Gilmore it's not going through.

super_realist wrote:Your "partner"

What sort of bedding does an inflatable doll need, I wonder?

navyblueshorts wrote:

super_realist wrote:Your "partner" :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

What sort of bedding does an inflatable doll need, I wonder?

Duck feathers can certainly be too spiky.

McLaren wrote:

navyblueshorts wrote:

super_realist wrote:Your "partner"

What sort of bedding does an inflatable doll need, I wonder?

Duck feathers can certainly be too spiky.

Is this where a fleshlight would come in handy?

Be careful with your golf net......CLICK HERE

My neighbour just put together his golf net this morning looks like it was on offer at Poundland very flimsy.Im out doing the lawn and he took first steady shot ,second shot full iron broke one of the connectors clean off.Now our adjoining property has a glass sided garage with a gull wing Mercedes worth more than the house carefully stored .I'm thinking this could get very expensive.!!

Update -next door and his golf net hit one off the toe and put through a window in my shed

Just taken delivery of mine, hastily erected over lunch. Couple of work Zoom meetings this afternoon then it’s a back garden session :-)

Bumping. Heard about this on a podcast and I remembered this thread

https://rukket.com/collections/golf

Anyone going to get a net or set one up again this time around?

No Im afraid golf seems a million miles away.My neighbour still has his golf net up and he hasnt repaired the broken window in my shed so I think this may be a cause of social conflict in the near future.

Must get the net up this weekend, almost forget what it feels like to swing a club. All nicely settled after the move now, so much to do though which will push practice (and playing when things reopen) way down the pecking order. The one saving grace is it that eventually, when most of the work is done on the house I AM having a sizeable Practice putting green & chipping area in my back garden.

JAS wrote:Must get the net up this weekend, almost forget what it feels like to swing a club. All nicely settled after the move now, so much to do though which will push practice (and playing when things reopen) way down the pecking order. The one saving grace is it that eventually, when most of the work is done on the house  I AM having a sizeable Practice putting green & chipping area in my back garden.

Do you now have all those Florida Jupiter pros as neighbours now? Jealous? Me? Nah...

navyblueshorts wrote:

JAS wrote:Must get the net up this weekend, almost forget what it feels like to swing a club. All nicely settled after the move now, so much to do though which will push practice (and playing when things reopen) way down the pecking order. The one saving grace is it that eventually, when most of the work is done on the house  I AM having a sizeable Practice putting green & chipping area in my back garden.

Do you now have all those Florida Jupiter pros as neighbours now? Jealous? Me? Nah...

Naw!! I can tell because there's no Florida weather outside!!

I just found out that the Estate agents promotional vids for the house are still up on Youtube, an outside one and an inside one. If you go to Youtube and type Greenway Grange, that's the garden from last summer. where would you put the green?

JAS wrote:I just found out that the Estate agents promotional vids for the house are still up on Youtube, an outside one and an inside one. If you go to Youtube and type Greenway Grange,  that's the garden from last summer. where would you put the green?

In the video, the camera person walks from a patio where the whilygig is past some nettles on the left. I would cut down those nettles and put the green in that corner, up against the corner hedges.So you would be playing into the south west corner.

The size of that fireplace! You could roast a small animal in that. Is it a listed building Jas? Just wondering, as there is plenty of potential to make changes and put in extra bathrooms, put a dividing wall in to close off that middle bedroom etc.

I'm never wrong wrote:The size of that fireplace! You could roast a small animal in that. Is it a listed building Jas? Just wondering, as there is plenty of potential to make changes and put in extra bathrooms, put a dividing wall in to close off that middle bedroom etc.

I suspect the sort of person who buys a house like that is aiming to preserve the original essence of the property.

I'm never wrong wrote:The size of that fireplace! You could roast a small animal in that. Is it a listed building Jas? Just wondering, as there is plenty of potential to make changes and put in extra bathrooms, put a dividing wall in to close off that middle bedroom etc.

Yes it is Grade 2 listed Inw. There is actually a small hole in one side of the fireplace which we assume given its position, was a hole for one end of the spit, there’s also what looks like a small bread oven built in on the other side. We do intend to create a master suite and put a sunroom on the back.

The nettles will get hacked away yes but that area is going to be a vegetable plot next to the orchard. My first instinct was to earmark exactly where you said for a chipping/putting green but I’m going to go down the east end of the garden. The grass has poor growth down there due to the trees. I’ll be going for a good quality astroturf with some flat and some sloping contours.

JAS wrote:

navyblueshorts wrote:

JAS wrote:Must get the net up this weekend, almost forget what it feels like to swing a club. All nicely settled after the move now, so much to do though which will push practice (and playing when things reopen) way down the pecking order. The one saving grace is it that eventually, when most of the work is done on the house  I AM having a sizeable Practice putting green & chipping area in my back garden.

Do you now have all those Florida Jupiter pros as neighbours now? Jealous? Me? Nah...

Naw!! I can tell because there's no Florida weather outside!!

I just found out that the Estate agents promotional vids for the house are still up on Youtube, an outside one and an inside one. If you go to Youtube and type Greenway Grange,  that's the garden from last summer. where would you put the green?

Nice. Lot of character, but can see why you mentioned that golf will be down pecking order for a bit. Was going to say same sort of place for green etc as INW (sunlight etc), but if you're going for astro then could be elsewhere.