As we all know it can cost a pretty penny to get out to golf range multiple times a week to get some serious practice in. So the question is how can I practice my swing without emptying my wallet. Well with a practice net you can shag some balls without spending the dough every time. It also gives you more flexibility to practice whenever you have time. Well the Izzo Big Daddy Insta-Net will give you that opportunity. I picked one up for myself at my local Dick’s Sporting Goods location. Out of all the practice nets this one was the least expensive one that I could find.
Let’s start with what comes in the box. The Izzo Big Daddy Insta-Net is a pretty simple design. It’s basically flexable, interconnecting poles and a snap on net. It also comes with a small green piece of practice turf with a rubber tee and a rubber wooden tee holder. It also comes with simple two page instruction manual.
The Izzo Big Daddy Insta-Net isn’t all that difficult to setup, but if your a perfectionist like myself it will take you a bit longer to setup. If you hate building tents then you will really hate putting this together. There are a bunch of three foot poles that are interconnected down the middle by a bungee cord. As you connect the poles together you basically make a big flexible circle. Now comes the fun part. You now have to connect a bunch of nylon straps to flex the circle of poles into the shape you see in the picture. Once you have the straps in place you now have to attach the net. The net just snaps on but you will have to readjust the position of the snaps as you go along so that it is spread evenly across the poles. This way you don’t have too much slack on one side or the other.
As you can tell the setup is not too hard but can be time consuming. The net is constantly flopping around and doesn’t stay standing very easily until you work with it for a bit. Also once you have the net setup, plan on keeping it up for a while as it’s not the easiest to break back down and put away. One other concern that I have with the Izzo Big Daddy Insta-Net is that the net angles back when standing up. You have to be careful to not hit a high lofted shot or top the ball when you hit the ball. If you do, you run the risk of hitting the ball up and over the net. I did this once and watched in slow motion as the ball when way up in the air and came down right on my neighbors truck! I quickly piled my things in the garage and went inside. 
The Izzo Big Daddy Insta-Net does however keep the balls in the net as long as you hit it there. It just takes some getting used to and you have to play with the positioning of the net. All in all, for the price you can’t beat it.
Now onto the little piece of practice turf. The turf is approximately one foot by two feet and has a tee hole on each end. The rubber tee and the rubber tee holder are great. They are the standard height and quality of the rubber tees you use at the golf range. The turf is also the same quality make you would find at the range. The one issue with the turf is the size. Since the piece is so small it makes it very light. Every time you hit a ball, especially an iron shot directly off the turf, it moves. So you constantly find yourself readjusting the turf every three to four shots. Again, like the net, you get what you pay for.
Izzo Big Daddy Insta-Net Conclusion:
Pros:
- Can’t beat the price. The next least expensive net is about $30 more and is the exact same thing.
- Easier to setup and take down than other more expensive nets
- Extremely durable
Cons:
- Very flimsy and can fall over easily
- Turf constantly moves around when hitting balls
- Too difficult to take down and put back up for such a simple net, though its easier than other bigger nets
