Does hitting forged irons off of artificial turf mats harm the club? – GolfWRXers have their say

Published

6 years ago

Jun 16, 2020

In our forums, our members have been discussing forged irons and whether hitting the clubs off of artificial mats will affect the irons in any way. WRXer ‘Brenkj’ is concerned about the potential issue and asks members what exactly hitting forged irons off of artificial mats will do to the club – and our members have been having their say in our forum.

Here are a few posts from the thread, but make sure to check out the entire discussion and have your say at the link below.

jeffrey r: “Yes, mats will affect forged irons if used on a regular basis. As you say, potentially loft, lie angle, etc. could be affected. All of that is fixable of course, but you’ll need to be more on top of it than if you were hitting cast irons. Mats are also harsher on your joints. Forged irons or not, I would never hit a ton of shots off of mats, but that is me. Proof will be in the pudding if you start noticing changes out on the course with their performance. If they are playing fine despite practicing off of mats, then just roll with it as long as you can.”
SubaruWRX: “I hit my forged irons on my mat at home all the time. I’ve never had an issue. Had them checked after regular rounds and hitting them at home all the time. In 3 years one or two irons loft were off by half a degree. Lie angles were all correct. Maybe it’s worse for someone that has a steep descending swing that tries to take divots out of the mat. But I take shallow long divots on the course and never had a problem with mats.”
bnperrone: “Basically, your club lie angle will creep upright over time. All else being the same, the softest forged metals will naturally move the fastest. Make friends with a club builder who has a bending setup.”
Nard_S: “I don’t generate beaver pelts with my divots, do tons of forged on mat practice. Have had maybe one set that went out of whack and that took three years to do it.”

Entire Thread: “Hitting forged irons off of artificial turf mats”

Details on J.J. Spaun’s surprise putter switch

Published

6 hours ago

May 27, 2026

Alistair Cameron

J.J. Spaun had the best year of his career on the greens in 2025, gaining strokes for just the second time in a season. He did it after switching to L.A.B. Golf’s Df3 putter, and his year with it was highlighted most memorably by the 64-foot putt he drained on the 18th green at Oakmont Country Club to win the U.S. Open.

With the 2026 U.S. Open just around the corner, Spaun is looking to make a surprising switch away from his center-shafted Df3 and into L.A.B. Golf’s OZ.1i HS – the heel-shafted mallet putter.

“Just something I kind of wanted to change the way the putter was looking, just a completely different look than the DF3 that I’ve been using for the last year and a half,” Spaun told GolfWRX about the swap. “So it’s just easier to line up for me with less onset looking design, and it’s just something I felt like switching it up and seeing how it goes.”

The OZ.1i HS was the first model from L.A.B. Golf, which applied the Lie Angle Balance technology to more conventional putter shapes. The company created the zero-torque concept by using a proprietary aluminum riser to place the shaft axis through the center of gravity of the putter.

The more traditional shaft placement on the OZ.1i HS allows for a full alignment line across from front to back of the putter head, without being obstructed by the shaft. It’s something that Spaun believes is “easier to aim.”

Spaun has had a mixed 2026 season so far, with a win at the Valero Texas Open, but also only making 7-of-13 cuts for the year. The Southern Californian has seen himself 155th in Strokes Gained: Putting on Tour, losing over half a shot to the field.

Along with the change in head and shaft style, Spaun is also moving into L.A.B. Golf’s stainless steel insert.

“It’s a little firmer, a little faster,” Spaun said. “I feel like my pace has been pretty weak this year, so I thought a little bit of a firmer face, maybe it would get the ball to the hole a little bit faster and just kind of see what it gives me.”

Don’t worry, though, there’s still potential for the U.S. Open-winning putter to be in the bag come Shinnecock Hills Golf Club when Spaun returns to defend his title.

“I still have the gamer, the old faithful, sticking around,” Spaun added. “So hopefully she gets a little jealous and wants to start cooperating after using the hail shafted one.”

Equipment

From the GolfWRX Classifieds: Foreward Irons – TPT build

Published

10 hours ago

May 27, 2026

Gianni Magliocco

At GolfWRX, we are a community of like-minded individuals who all experience and express our enjoyment of the game in many ways.

It’s that sense of community that drives day-to-day interactions in the forums on topics that range from best driver to what marker you use to mark your ball. It even allows us to share another thing we all love – buying and selling equipment.

Currently, in our GolfWRX buy/sell/trade (BST) forum, @3wood has a set of Foreward Irons – TPT build up for grabs.

From the listing: “TPT Build (6–PW) $1500

Chrome — Low bounce
Lie: 2° flat
Standard length and loft
Shafts: TPT 14 Lo (variable head weights)shafts are $300+ ea
Grips:
- Mixed (unknown brand)
- JumboMax Tour XS on 8i
- Extra grips included.”

To check out the full listing in our BST forum, head through the link. If you are curious about the rules to participate in the BST Forum, you can learn more here: GolfWRX BST Rules