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The Holy Grail Hitting Strip PLUS fixes the biggest problem I had with the original: it’s firmer, more stable, and the ball stays put when you ground your club. For $20 more than the original, I think it is the better buy and Gungho Golf made some nice updates.
I reviewed the original Holy Grail Hitting Strip from Gungho Golf a while back. I liked it a lot, but it felt too soft and floppy, and the ball would roll off if I set up anywhere outside the center. Gungho Golf went back to the drawing board with the PLUS, so I put it through the same testing to see if they actually fixed it.
What Is the Holy Grail Hitting Strip PLUS?
The Holy Grail Hitting Strip PLUS is Gungho Golf’s upgraded indoor hitting strip for golf simulators. It drops into a cutout in your hitting mat, so you can swap it out when it wears down instead of replacing the whole mat. It costs $199, which is $20 more than the original. I’d personally recommend pairing it with the Holy Grail Hitting Mat so that you know it fits the stance mat and contains the same height dimensions.
The main change is underneath the hitting strip itself. The original used five thin foam layers. The PLUS uses three thicker, firmer foam layers that come to about 3 inches thick. On top is the same GrassTex Money Putt turf, which rolls at about 11 on the stimp. That’s a realistic green speed, so the strip works well for putting and chipping too. Both versions have velcro on the top and bottom to hold them in place which is a nice addition.
How It Plays
The PLUS feels solid at impact and still forgives you when you hit down into it. I’d encourage you to watch my tests in the YouTube video linked above where I purposely hitting down on the ball and trying to take a divot like I would outside. It responded the way real turf should: firm, but with enough give that my wrists and elbows never took a beating.
The fat shot test is where it really proves itself. A good strike carried 178 yards with about 5,300 rpm of spin and an 18 degree launch angle. My fat shot came out with almost the same spin and launch, but it lost about 20 yards of carry. That is exactly what Gungho Golf says the strip is built to do. Chunk it and the ball comes off higher on the face and comes up short, just like on the course, instead of the club bouncing off the mat and giving you a perfect number.
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| Shot (7 iron) | Carry | Spin | Launch angle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good strike | 178 yds | 5,300 rpm | 18° |
| Fat strike | 158 yds | About the same | About the same |
This genuinely holds a lot of value in my eyes. A mat that hides your fat shots makes your simulator not feel entirely real. I don’t like that, I want to be as close to outdoor feels as possible.
Holy Grail PLUS vs the Original Holy Grail Hitting Strip
The PLUS is firmer and more stable than the original. The color was a slightly different shade of green, turf and velcro are basically unchanged; the real difference is the foam, as I mentioned.
The original’s five thin foam layers made it bendy. If I set the ball anywhere outside the center and grounded my club, the strip would flex and the ball would roll off toward the side. It made chipping a little easier because it was so easy to get under the ball as a result of the flimsy strip.
On the PLUS, I can push down hard enough to move the whole mat and the ball barely wiggles. The surface plays the same across the whole strip, not just in the middle. It’s still flexible enough to protect your joints, but it gives you a much better surface to hit from. Let me be very clear, it still plays true for chipping and putting, it just simply doesn’t give you an advantage like the original might.
Side by Side Comparison
| Feature | Holy Grail PLUS | Original Holy Grail |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $199.00 | $179.99 |
| Foam | 3 thicker, firmer layers (about 3″ wide each) | 5 thin layers |
| Feel | Firm and stable | Soft and bendy |
| Ball stability at address | Stays put across the whole strip | Rolls off outside the center |
| Turf | GrassTex Money Putt (about 11 stimp) | GrassTex Money Putt (about 11 stimp) |
| Mounting | Velcro top and bottom | Velcro top and bottom |
| Fat shot penalty | Yes, about 20 yards lost in my test | Yes (similar results) |
| Corner lifting | None so far | Corners started to bend up |
| Chipping | Realistic | Slightly easier because it’s softer |
Final Thoughts
The Holy Grail Hitting Strip PLUS is worth the hype, and worth the extra $20. Gungho Golf kept everything I liked about the original, including the turf, the joint protection and the honest fat shot penalty, and fixed the softness that bugged me most.
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If you’re building a golf simulator or replacing a worn out strip, this is the one I’d buy. If you already own the original and it’s holding up, you don’t need to rush out and replace it. But when it’s time for a new one, go with the PLUS.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
The PLUS costs $199. That’s $20 more than the original Holy Grail Hitting Strip, which is $179.99.
The main difference is the foam. The PLUS uses three thicker, firmer foam layers instead of five thin ones, so it’s more stable and the ball doesn’t roll off when you ground your club. The turf and velcro mounting are the same.
For most simulator owners, yes. The firmer, more stable surface fixes the original’s biggest weakness for only $20 more. If your original is still in good shape, you can wait until it wears out.
Yes. In my testing, a fat 7 iron lost about 20 yards of carry compared to a good strike, with nearly identical spin and launch. That’s the realistic feedback Gungho Golf designed it to give.
No. Even though it’s firmer than the original, it still has enough give to absorb impact when you hit down into it. That’s a big advantage over cheap all in one turf mats you might find on Amazon.
Yes. The GrassTex Money Putt turf rolls at about 11 on the stimp, which is a realistic green speed for simulator golf.
So far, yes. After using it for a while now, I’ve only seen a couple of loose threads, and the corners haven’t lifted the way they did on my original. When it does wear out, it’s easy to swap in a new one, but the durability seems solid.
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