PuttOUT AirBreak Putting Mat Review
Joe Ferguson has been testing out the new PuttOUT AirBreak to see if it can help improve performance on the greens...
This is an exceptionally clever piece of engineering that provides golfers with the ability to practice all manner of breaking putts in their own homes at an affordable price. The build quality is excellent and adjusting the break is simple. This mat will give golfers of all abilities a better understanding of breaking putts and the importance of matching line and pace.
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Lightweight and transportable
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Excellent design and value
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Easy to use
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Can create any type of putt you want
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The lightweight design gives me potential concerns over long-term durability
Why you can trust Golf Monthly
I am thrilled to be able to say that PuttOUT Golf is bringing to market a new putting mat that will allow players to manually adjust and practice putts of different breaks and slopes in the comfort of their own homes, the AirBreak. For a number of years, PuttOUT has been making some of the best putting mats that allow you to hit straight putts and work on technique and start line, which is a crucial element of putting practice.
Watch: Joe Ferguson details why the PuttOUT AirBreak was included in Golf Monthly's Editor's Choice for 2024.
However, how many dead straight putts did you face in your last round of golf? My guess would be not many. Reading greens and learning how to match up line and pace on breaking putts is fundamental to becoming a great putter and lowering your scores.
Over the past few years, I have seen, and tested, a number of hydraulic-based systems that allow you to manipulate break and have both thoroughly enjoyed and found them very beneficial. What I haven’t enjoyed however is the price tag of these which can run into the tens of thousands of dollars! Now for $349/£299 PuttOUT is saying that you can manipulate break and learn the green reading and technical skills required for improvement in your very own home. I put the AirBreak mat to the test to see what it had to offer...
Firstly, the technology. Featuring a light, flexible, and extremely strong EPP base, with 8 points of adjustment, AirBreak allows you to quickly create an almost limitless amount of breaking putts across its 8ft putting area. This is cleverly achieved by having 8 air pockets built into the frame, with players using the pumps and release valves to raise and lower the base which PuttOUT says allows users to create break in seconds.
Users of AirBreak can create up to 7.5% of side slope (right to left and vice versa) as well as a continuous up-hill or down-hill slope of 3%.
I thoroughly enjoyed testing the AirBreak out and found both the setup and usage really simple and intuitive. The flexibility of the base means that, unlike some other solutions, AirBreak doesn’t just pivot on a single plane, which allows you to create double-breakers even within a 6.5 ft putt. This flexibility allows AirBreak to mirror the realistic, gradual slopes you experience out on the course. The artificial surface ran extremely smoothly as you would expect and the pace (although adjustable) was comfortable in the flat position.
Another feature of AirBreak that I enjoyed was the automatic ball return. It is battery-powered, and holed putts are returned to your feet instantly, which is a great reward for a successful putt for a lazy golfer like me! It is a little firey however so be on alert otherwise the balls will zip past you off the mat!
As well as all this, in order to help users easily set up specific putts and generally improve their ability to read greens, AirBreak will come accompanied by PuttOUT’s brand-new green-reading app. Essentially this acts as a digital spirit level and can help the AimPoint users out there to quantify the break into numbers and percentages. The app is easy to access and provides some good insight and learning.
I genuinely feel that this is a real breakthrough in the home practice space and that golfers of all abilities will benefit. From the seasoned elite player looking to hone their feels, to the novice player just trying to figure out the complexity of breaking putts, there are serious benefits across the board.
AirBreak will be available for pre-order in the US and UK throughout May and June, prior to general release in July, and there is some early bird incentive for Golf Monthly readers. AirBreak is on sale now in the US for $369 and will be available in the UK in January 2025 for £319.
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Joe has worked in the golf industry for nearly 20 years in a variety of roles. After a successful amateur career being involved in England squads at every age group, Joe completed his PGA degree qualification in 2014 as one of the top ten graduates in his training year and subsequently went on to become Head PGA Professional at Ryder Cup venue The Celtic Manor Resort. Equipment has always been a huge passion of Joe’s, and during his time at Celtic Manor, he headed up the National Fitting Centres for both Titleist and Taylormade. He’s excited to bring his knowledge of hardware to Golf Monthly in the form of equipment reviews and buying advice.
Joe lives in North Devon and still plays sporadically on the PGA West region circuit. His best round in recent years came earlier in 2023 where he managed a 9 under par 63 at Trevose GC in a Devon & Cornwall PGA Tournament.
Joe's current What's In The Bag?
Driver: Switch between Ping G430 Max 10K & TaylorMade Qi10 - both with Fujikura Ventus Black 6-X
Fairway wood 1: TaylorMade BRNR Copper Mini Driver - Fujikura Ventus Black 7-X
Fairway wood 2: Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke TD 5 Wood - Fujikura Ventus Black 8-X
Irons: TaylorMade P7CB 3-PW with Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 shafts
Wedges: Callaway Opus 50, 54, and 60 degrees - Project X LS 6.0 shafts
Putter: Odyssey Toe Up #9
Ball: TaylorMade 2024 TP5x
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet 60R
Bag: Vessel Player IV Pro DXR Stand
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