SKLZ Accelerator Pro Putting Mat- Best mat under $60 [2024]

Sklz Accelerator Pro Putting Mat Rating- 9/10 stars

If you are looking for a realistic putting experience while also not breaking the bank, I would try out the SKLZ Accelerator Pro Putting Mat. This mat is perfect for those on a budget looking for a realistic rolling mat that will help improve their accuracy on those crucial short to mid-range putts.

This post contains affiliate links. I earn commissions from my sponsored links at no cost to you.

SKLZ Accelerator Pro Putting Mat – (Amazon Affiliate Link)

Pros:

Alignment guides are great for working on your stroke path and stroke length

Ramp and alignment guides encourage acceleration through impact, perfect for golfers who decelerate through the putting stroke.

Great value mat for any handicap golfer looking to improve on those crucial 3-8 footers.

12″ wide. Able to stand comfortably in a small hallway if this is your practice space.

Easy to store, compact and lightweight.

Cons:

Mat and plastic are thin. When rolled up, the mat tends to curl up when unrolled.

Not made for Lefties. The ball return is on the right-hand side, so lefties who stand close to the ball at address will have to remove part of ball return ramp.

Due to the thin mat, the ball will “bump” when rolled on tiled surfaces

The ramp at last 8″ of mat encourages putt to go in with some speed. It’s not ideal for putters who like to die the ball at the hole.

No adjustable breaks, mat will follow level of floor it’s laid on. Putts could easily break 2-4″.

I’ve had it for about 6 years now, and have had no complaints with it. It gives you a realistic putting surface that rolls about a 10-11 on the Stimpmeter. It has precise alignment guides at 3, 5, and 7 feet to help you line up the putts. Alignment guides also show ideal backstroke lengths to encourage accelerating through impact.

The most common reason amateurs miss short putts is due to inconsistent contact because of decelerating through impact. The SKLZ Accelerator putting mat helps you accelerate through 3-7 foot putts, leading to more consistent contact with more accuracy and speed control.

To quickly improve short range putting, GOLF.com suggests putter aiming directly at your start line, limiting backstroke, and practice with feedback. The SKLZ Accelerator Pro putting mat does all of this and more!

First Reaction to SKLZ Accelerator Pro Putting Mat

I remember opening it up and immediately noticing how light it was. The back of the ramp is made of extremely light, cheap plastic. This would be a con, but I’ve had it for 6 years now with the occasional 15-20 pound toddler standing on the incline of the ramp and it somehow still looks as good as day one!

The carpet is a little thinner than I was expecting, but it is fine as long as you put it on a level, flat surface. If your floor is not level you will notice it, I usually have to aim at the edge of the cup to make it center cup for 7 footers in my basement due to the uneven floor.

This was easy to set up, it only takes 1-2 minutes to unroll it and attach the 3 piece ball return to the plastic ramp. The mat did not want to stay completely flat, so I had to set some weights and books on it to stretch it out and flatten it.

The ball return is a great feature for a cheaper mat that allows you to hit putts without having to constantly get the ball back after each putt. The ball return comes down the ramp in about 6-10 seconds on makes and 8-15 seconds on misses. However, I am impatient and usually reach and use my putter to get the ball back to me faster.

What I loved about the SKLZ Accelerator Mat

The main selling points were the alignment guides and the ball return. Who wants to chase down a ball after every missed putt?

The alignment guides are a great practice tool for those golfers who decelerate on short putts (I was guilty of this). I know this mat was the main reason I dropped a stroke on my 9 hole average over the past couple of years with no added practice (39 to 38 on par 36). I keep track of my stats, and it can be largely contributed to my success on those 3-10 foot putts that make or break your round.

SKLZ Accelerator Putting Mat Alignment Guides

The mat teaches you to accelerate through the ball with the alignment guides. These alignment guides show you the ideal putt stroke length (back swing & follow through) for 3 foot, 5 foot, and 7 foot putts.

The alignment guides are about the width of a putter head, so they serve as a great visual aid to see if your putting stroke is staying centered. The alignment guides have longer follow through markings than backstroke, encouraging you to accelerate through impact.

SKLZ Accelerator Putting Mat with Taylormade putter

You will notice the less tension you have in your arms and hands, the smoother and more on path your putting stroke becomes.

At only 12″ wide, it is small enough to place in a hallway if that’s the only place you can put it. I have mine permanently in my living room, it’s a great place to get a few minutes of practice in during a commercial break of a golf tournament or football game. It’s super easy to disassemble and is compact, so it can easily be put into storage if you can’t afford to have it permanently laid out.

What I Hated about the SKLZ Accelerator Mat

The main complaint I have about the mat is the thin mat possibly causing several issues. The ball return ramp is also not able to be put on either side, so lefties who stand close to the ball will have to remove some or all of the ramp return pieces to putt.

SKLZ Accelerator Putting Mat Ball Return Ramp

It takes a few minutes and some heavy books or weights to flatten out the mat when unrolling it from storage. It will want to stay rolled up and this is a major con for those who have limited space and/or time to putt.

The mat can not be sat on tiled surfaces, it will “bump” across every grout line. If the only place you can put this is on a tiled surface, I would look for a thicker mat.

The thin mat is also susceptible to every little bump or slight slope on your floor, so it may take a few minutes to find the ideal spot on your floor for a level putt. Use this to your advantage, I often will move the mat around to practice left to right putts, right to left, and straight putts depending on where I put the mat on my basement floor.

I’m not a lefty, but the ball return ramp is fixed on the right side. Any putt shorter than 6 feet a lefty will have to remove a piece or 2 of the ball return ramp. You may get away with it if you stand far away from the ball, but it will affect most lefties.

Some reviews complained about the ramp being too steep, but I feel like that did not affect me at all on the course. I usually let the ball die at the hole, and now I feel my short range misses go 18-24 inches past the hole. That should be ideal speed for most because most courses don’t have silky smooth greens and a slightly faster putt will not be affected as much by the minor imperfections on the greens.

Best Surface to put SKLZ Accelrator Mat on

Here’s my ranking system of different surfaces and how well putts rolled and the speed they rolled at with the Accelerator Mat on them.

Wood/Laminate/Vinyl flooring- If there is no ridges or creases, you can expect these putts to roll at a 10-11 on the Stimpmeter.
Thin carpet- Ball will roll true, but ball rolls ever so slightly slower (2″ less on a 7 foot putt.)
Concrete Floor- Ball rolls just as fast as wood flooring, but will most likely have breaking putts due to floor not being level.
Thick carpet- Ball rolls true, but significantly slower and noticeable (6″ less on a 7 foot putt.)
Tile or Stone flooring- Ball will be affected by every bump along every grout line or change in elevation.

The ideal surface to put the mat on is a wood or vinyl floor with no ridges or creases between pieces on a level floor. This will give you the best chance to practice and improve your aim and speed for those crucial short putts.

How to practice with SKLZ Golf Accelerator Mat

What I have found works best for me is to first focus on the alignment guides at 3 feet. Once you get your stroke length close to exactly matching the length indicated on the mat with your putter head staying centered, repeat for 5 feet. Once your 5 footers are looking good, move back to 7 feet.

Once you have a good putting stroke length and centered stroke path from 3-7 feet and are regularly making 90+% of putts, I will move putts on the left and right side of the mats to not be so reliant on using the alignment guides to help me aim the putter at the hole.

After all, there are no alignment guides on the golf course! I also move it to the back of the mat so you can also practice 9′ putts. Once I am regularly making putts from everywhere on the mat, I will try to make 1/3 of the putts go directly up the ball return located in the middle of the hole. This opening at the back of the hole is slightly wider than a ball, so if I can make it go up this, I know I am hitting the dead center of the cup.

A fun, quick little drill I like to do before I leave for a round is to make five 3′ putts, then five 5′ putts, and then finish with five 7′ putts. However, if I miss one, I have to start back with the 3′. It will give you some added pressure, the last two 7′ putts will bring some nerves into play. Depending on your skill level, it may make sense to say make 3/5 putts to move back and restart. This drill if completed the first time only takes about 3-5 minutes.

There are so many variables to putting, my advice is to experiment until you get the combination that gives you the most confidence! From if you should hover your putter at address or what type of putter grip to use, there are thousands of combinations to try!

REcap of SKLZ Acclerator Putting Mat

The average golfer will greatly benefit from practicing on this mat. One of the quickest ways to lower your handicap is to improve your make percentage from 3-9 feet, and this mat will do just that. It helped me greatly improve my putting stroke and speed, resulting in more made putts from 3-9 feet and lower scores.

This is a great practice tool for someone who is looking to not spend hundreds on a golf mat and improve on those 3-9 footers that make or break a round. There are limitations to the mat, but as long as you have a flat, level surface to put this on, it will roll just as good as any public course! It’s a great practice tool to help improve your putting path as well as the ideal length for your putting stroke. I know it has personally helped me improve my % of putts made inside 8′.

If you are someone who only has tile/stone floor to put this on or will have to store it rolled up tightly, this may not be the mat for you. It takes a few minutes to flatten out and the mat is just too thin and will bump around on grout lines. Lefties will also have to deal with the dilemma of removing pieces of the ball ramp.

That being said, this is THE best value practice putting mat for the majority of golfers like myself who do not want to pay hundreds for a putting mat. Let me know if you agree or what your opinion is on the SKLZ Accelerator Putting Mat!