The Exputt putting simulator device brings the putting green right into your living room, and here's the thing, it actually works pretty well!
When you open the package, you'll find the main unit that measures about 10 inches long and 4 inches wide. Think of it as a small ramp with sensors built in. The simulator connects to your phone or tablet through Bluetooth, which means a wireless connection without any messy cables. You also get a putting mat that rolls out to 10 feet, though you can buy longer ones if you want.
The setup takes about 5 minutes, tops. You download the app, pair your device, and you're ready to roll. No complicated instructions or tools needed!
The heart of this system is its high-speed VGA camera, and I've got to hand it to them—this little black box is smarter than it looks. Set up about 40 inches from where you're putting, it tracks your putter movement, ball speed, and direction with precision I didn't expect from a sub-$2,000 system. We're talking about measurements of clubface angle at impact, putter path throughout the stroke, and even tempo analysis that shows if you're decelerating (guilty as charged on those pressure putts).
What really impressed me was how the camera picks up subtle differences in my stroke. When I tested it against my buddy's SAM PuttLab at his teaching facility, the numbers were remarkably close. The Exputt tracked my typical 2-degree open face at impact and my slight outside-to-in path that I've been fighting for years. It even caught the tempo issues that crop up when I'm trying to be too careful on short putts—you know, those knee-knockers where you guide it instead of stroke it.
The visual feedback is instant and clear. After each putt, you see your stroke path overlaid on the screen, complete with face angle indicators and a breakdown of what happened at impact. It's like having a teaching pro standing behind you, except this one never gets tired of watching you miss left. This level of visual feedback reminds me of the Divot Board's color-changing surface that shows club travel, though the Exputt takes it further with digital precision.
Setting up the camera takes about 30 seconds. You position it using the included stand, connect it to your TV via HDMI, and you're rolling. The alignment stickers they include help guarantee the camera is positioned correctly, though after a few sessions, you'll eyeball it perfectly every time. The fact that it runs on standard DC 5V power means you can even run it off a portable battery pack if you want to set up in different locations.
This is where the Exputt really separates itself from the putting mat gathering dust in your closet. The system offers five distinct practice modes, and each one serves a real purpose in developing your putting skills. Classic practice mode is your baseline—just you, the mat, and instant feedback on every stroke. But it's the other modes that turned my skeptical grimace into genuine interest.
The tempo practice mode has become my morning warm-up routine. It tracks the rhythm of your backstroke to follow-through, displaying it as a ratio that helps you find consistency. Mine started at an erratic 2.3:1 (way too quick on the through-stroke), but after two weeks of focused practice, I'm holding steady at 2:1. That might not mean much on paper, but on the course, it translates to far fewer decelerated putts under pressure.
Challenge mode gamifies the whole experience with specific targets and scores. You might need to hit five putts within a foot of a 15-foot target, or alternate between 6-foot and 12-foot putts while maintaining consistent ball speed. It sounds simple, but when you're trying to beat your personal best or compete against the online leaderboard, suddenly you're an hour deep and your coffee's gone cold.
The distance drills—fixed, random, and increasing—have changed the game for my lag putting. In random mode, the system calls out distances between 3 and 20 feet, and you have to adjust on the fly. It's remarkably similar to what you face on the course, where you rarely get to hit the same putt twice. The increasing distance mode starts you at 3 feet and works up to 20, forcing you to maintain your stroke while adding more power. This mode exposed how much I was changing my stroke for longer putts instead of just lengthening it.
But the feature that really hooked me was the 9-hole simulation mode. The system includes famous courses with realistic green speeds and slopes. Playing the back nine at Augusta (yes, that Augusta) from my basement while snow falls outside? That's not just practice—that's therapy. The ball reacts to slopes you can't physically feel on the flat mat, teaching you to trust the read and commit to your line.
Let's talk about what you're actually putting on, because a simulator is only as good as its physical components. The mat itself measures roughly 40 inches by 12 inches—compact enough to leave set up in most spaces but long enough to practice meaningful putts up to 20 yards (though realistically, you'll max out around 15 feet indoors).
The putting surface has a stimp speed that feels authentic to what I encounter at my home course. It's not lightning-fast tour speed, but it's not mini-golf slow either. The ball rolls true without hopping or skidding, which was my main concern with a portable mat. The surface has held up remarkably well after several hundred putts a day. No wear patterns, no dead spots, just consistent roll every time.
The aluminum ball stopper at the end deserves its own paragraph. This low-elastic backstop catches balls firmly but returns them quietly—a vital feature when you're practicing while others are sleeping or on work calls. It's positioned at just the right angle to roll the ball back to you without it picking up too much speed. After testing dozens of putting aids over the years, I can tell you this seems like a small detail until you've chased balls around your basement for the hundredth time.
The mat edges feature something I've never seen before: an interactive strip that lets you use your putter as a mouse to guide menus. Tap the edge with your putter head to select options on screen. It's gimmicky, sure, but when you're in the middle of a session and don't want to put down your putter to grab the remote, it's surprisingly convenient. My teenage son thinks it's the coolest thing ever, which means he actually wants to practice with me now.
Portability was clearly a priority in the design. At just under 5.5 pounds, the entire system fits in a closet or slides under a bed. The mat rolls up without creasing, and all the components fit in the original box. I've taken it to the office twice for lunch-hour sessions, and setup takes less than five minutes.
The Wi-Fi connectivity (802.11b/g/n on 2.4 GHz) might seem like overkill for a putting simulator, but it enables features that keep the system fresh. Software updates arrive automatically, and in the three weeks I've been testing, they've already added two new courses and enhanced the ball physics engine. No USB drives, no manual downloads—it just updates overnight like your phone.
The multiplayer capability has turned Tuesday nights into a putting league with three buddies who also bought the system. We connect through the app, play the same courses, and talk trash via group text. It's not quite the same as meeting at the course, but in the dead of winter, it's keeping our competitive juices flowing and our putting strokes sharp. The latency is minimal, and seeing your opponents' scores update in real-time adds genuine pressure to those must-make putts.
The HDMI connection to your TV is rock solid, displaying at 1280x720 resolution. It's not 4K, but honestly, you don't need ultra-high definition to see your putting data clearly. The graphics are clean, the text is readable from putting position, and the ball tracking overlays are smooth. I've had zero connection dropouts or display issues, even when running it through my AV receiver.
What surprised me was how well it works with mobile devices. While the primary setup uses your TV, you can connect tablets or phones for a more portable experience. The smaller screen isn't ideal for the full simulation modes, but for quick practice sessions or when traveling, it's a viable option. The app interface is intuitive, though I'll always prefer the big-screen experience when possible.
What matters is: after three weeks with the Exputt, my putting stats have measurably improved. I track every round with Arccos, and my putts per round have dropped from 32.3 to 29.7. More significantly, my three-putt percentage has been cut nearly in half, from 14% to 8%. Those aren't tour-level numbers, but for a 10-handicap trying to get to single digits, they're game-changing.
The tempo work has been the biggest revelation. That consistent 2:1 ratio I developed in my basement? It's holding up under pressure on the course. Last Sunday, facing a downhill four-footer to win our weekend Nassau, I focused on tempo, not mechanics. The ball dropped dead center. My playing partners asked if I'd been taking lessons. In a way, I had been, just from a camera and a mat in my basement.
Distance control, especially on lag putts, has altered my game. The random distance drill trained my brain to adjust without overthinking. I'm leaving far fewer putts short (my typical miss) and my leaves on long putts are consistently inside three feet. The visualization from practicing on simulated slopes helps me commit to break I might have under-read before.
The stroke path feedback identified a compensation move I'd been making for years. I was opening the face slightly on the backstroke, then having to square it up through impact. Sometimes I'd overdo it and pull putts left. The visual feedback made this crystal clear, and after focused practice with the alignment aids, I've developed a much more neutral path. It's the kind of technical improvement that would have taken multiple lessons to identify and fix.
Even my pre-round routine has improved. I'll run through 10-15 putts on the Exputt before leaving for the course, grooving my tempo and getting a feel for the stroke. It's more effective than hitting random putts on the practice green, and I arrive at the first tee with confidence in my stroke.
Yes, you'll find the Exputt fully compatible with left-handed golfers. You'll use dedicated control keys (03, 05, 07) designed specifically for left-handed play, while right-handed golfers use different keys (02, 04, 06). You can switch between left and right-handed players seamlessly without recalibration or equipment adjustments. The camera-based tracking system reads your putter stickers uniformly well from either orientation, providing identical accuracy and performance metrics regardless of your dominant hand.
Your Exputt RG Golf Putting Simulator comes with a 12-month warranty from the date you purchase it. This warranty covers the EXPUTT camera unit specifically, not the putting mat or other accessories. If you experience defects during this one-year period, you'll receive free repairs or a product exchange. After the warranty expires, you can still get repair or replacement services, but you'll need to pay fees for those services.
Yes, you can use the ExPutt on carpeted floors without any issues. The mat's sturdy metal backing and foam base provide excellent stability on carpet, preventing slipping during use. You'll simply unroll the mat in front of your TV, and the high-speed camera will accurately track your putts. The system's calibration, ball tracking, and performance metrics work perfectly on carpet, with many reviewers successfully using it on carpeted surfaces.
No, you don't need a subscription after purchasing your Exputt RG. You'll get full access to all core features with your initial purchase, including real-time feedback, practice modes, analysis tools, multiplayer games, and online leaderboards. You'll receive automatic software updates and new course greens via Wi-Fi at no extra cost. There aren't any hidden fees, mandatory recurring payments, or premium features locked behind paywalls after you've bought the device.
You'll need a space that's at least 6-8 feet long to accommodate both the camera setup and mat placement. The mat itself measures 13.4" x 44.1", and you'll position it 2-6 feet from your camera depending on the tripod height you choose. Make sure you've got enough room to stand comfortably behind the mat for putting, plus clear space for the camera tripod without any obstructions blocking the view.
So, what's the bottom line on the Exputt? If you're serious about improving your putting and willing to invest both money and time, this system delivers more value than any putting aid I've tested. It's not just about the technology—though that's impressive, it's about how the system motivates consistent practice through varied, engaging modes that translate to real improvement on the course.
This isn't for the golfer who buys gadgets and lets them collect dust. But if you're the type who'll spend 20 minutes a day working on your stroke, if you're tired of three-putting from 30 feet, if you want to practice meaningfully when you can't get to the course, the Exputt is worth every penny. My only regret is not buying it before winter started. Those January rounds are going to be interesting when I'm the only one in my group who kept their putting sharp through the off-season.
