Outdoors & Fitness · Head-to-head
PuttOut Large Putting Mat vs BirdieBall 3' x 10' Standard Putting Mat
Which should you buy? Our verdict on both, pulled from our full The Best Putting Mats: 4 Compared (and One to Skip) comparison.
PuttOut's Large mat is the pick - a real practice area with alignment markers that rolls flat and reads 10 on the stimp, in the mid-range tier. BirdieBall's foam green is the true-roll runner-up in the premium tier. PrimePutt's turf mat is the premium it-depends, at roughly three times the PuttOut. Skip the AirBreak Max - a flagship-tier break trainer, a different class of product most golfers will never calibrate.
PuttOut Large Putting Mat
Buy itThe practice-area mat - printed distance and alignment lines, five targets, reads 10 on the stimp.
- Sized for real work: PuttOut lists it at 367 x 67 cm (about 12 ft by 26 in), the largest mat in its range - a practice area, not a hallway strip.
- Printed distance markings up to 10 ft, alignment lines and five independent targets give every putt a reference - the feedback structure most mats leave out.
- Extra-thick TPR rubber backing; PuttOut says it rolls flat straight out of the cardboard cylinder it ships in, and a drawstring carry bag is included.
- Reads 10 on the stimp, per PuttOut - pair it with the brand's pressure trainer or putt to the printed targets.
- No cup in the surface - the targets are printed, or you add a separate trainer.
- A single fixed speed of 10 reads faster than many municipal greens.
BirdieBall 3' x 10' Standard Putting Mat
Buy itThe foam green with grain, a choice of stimp speed and two drop-in cups.
- Real green physics: BirdieBall's patented aerated foam has grain, and the mat is bi-directional - one speed with the grain, another against it.
- Ordered in one of three speeds (Slow 9-10, Medium 10-11, Fast 11-13 stimp), so it can match the courses the golfer plays.
- Two holes cut into the half-inch foam, one foot from each end, with two standard cups, a high-back cup, two extraction flags, two rubber bumpers, hole plugs, a reducer insert and a deepening shim in the box.
- 3 by 10 feet of green that rolls up for storage and lays flat again, per the maker.
- Indoor-only - BirdieBall states it plainly; the foam is not for the deck.
- Premium tier, and it ships without a ball return; the ball stays in the cup until the flag lifts it out.
Side by side
The 5 criteria below are the ones our full comparison judged every product on, narrowed to these two.
| PuttOut Large Putting Mat Our pick | BirdieBall 3' x 10' Standard Putting Mat | |
|---|---|---|
| Our verdict | Buy | Buy |
| Best for | The golfer who will actually practice - daily reps with alignment feedback built in. | The purist gift - for the golfer who wants the closest roll to a real green indoors. |
| Price tier | $$ · mid-range | $$$ · premium |
| Surface | Carpet-style, printed lines, TPR backing | Aerated foam with grain, half-inch deep |
| Stimp speed (maker) | 10 | Choice of 9-10, 10-11 or 11-13 |
| Size | 367 x 67 cm (about 12 ft x 26 in) | 3 x 10 ft |
| Cups | None (printed targets) | 2 drop-in cups |
| Use | Indoor, rolls up | Indoor only |
Which one is right for you?
Pick the PuttOut Large Putting Mat if
the golfer who will actually practice - daily reps with alignment feedback built in.
Know before buying: no cup in the surface - the targets are printed, or you add a separate trainer.
Pick the BirdieBall 3' x 10' Standard Putting Mat if
the purist gift - for the golfer who wants the closest roll to a real green indoors.
Know before buying: indoor-only - BirdieBall states it plainly; the foam is not for the deck.
The bottom line
Our overall pick is the PuttOut Large Putting Mat - The practice-area mat - printed distance and alignment lines, five targets, reads 10 on the stimp. Choose the BirdieBall 3' x 10' Standard Putting Mat instead if the purist gift - for the golfer who wants the closest roll to a real green indoors.
Want the full picture, including the other options we compared and the popular one we'd skip? Read the complete The Best Putting Mats: 4 Compared (and One to Skip).