How can you tell if your hitting ball then turf if you are using a mat? Should I put something in front of the bell like a guitar pick? Then try to hit that off the ground?
Aside from the Divot Board, here are a couple of suggestions that can help you discern between crispy and soggy impact when hitting off mats:
1) Get yourself an old hand towel fold it in half. Place it no more than 2 inches behind your ball, thereby requiring you to miss the towel and make ball first contact on your downswing. As you improve, move the towel closer to the ball. The small thickness of a one-half folded towel will not impede your backswing takeaway.
2) Along the lines of what @burkholder.ronald said, if you can put down a thick chalk line or some inexpensive spray foot powder on the mat about an inch in front of the ball. Try to hit the ball first and then the chalk or powder. The mark on the mat - or lack thereof - will give you instant visual feedback.
Aside from the Divot Board, here are a couple of suggestions that can help you discern between crispy and soggy impact when hitting off mats:
1) Get yourself an old hand towel fold it in half. Place it no more than 2 inches behind your ball, thereby requiring you to miss the towel and make ball first contact on your downswing. As you improve, move the towel closer to the ball. The small thickness of a one-half folded towel will not impede your backswing takeaway.
2) Along the lines of what @burkholder.ronald said, if you can put down a thick chalk line or some inexpensive spray foot powder on the mat about an inch in front of the ball. Try to hit the ball first and then the chalk or powder. The mark on the mat - or lack thereof - will give you instant visual feedback.