Rukket SPDR Portable Driving Range Review

My original Rukket Net was in dire need of an update. And boy, did it get one!

Many years ago, I did a review of a new company, Rukket, that was trying to establish a place in the hitting net market. They were small and new but had some fresh ideas on the practice net market.

That review I did took place seven years ago. Pretty much over the last seven years, I’ve been beating balls into the Rukk Net consistently. The only issue I’ve ever run into was the inside net losing its durability. The cage system held up very well, and the outer netting or the backup netting never broke down.

However, the abuse it was receiving has taken its toll on this last swing change I’ve been going through. Two hundred swings a day vs. 200 a week sent the Rukk Net over the cliff. Its lifecycle had come to an end. I reached out to Rukket to see if they would be interested in a review covering one of their different products, and in less than a week, I was setting up the new SPRD system.

Out of the box, I was impressed with this new SPDR practice net.

The box the net system came in is very durable. Even with my postal worker dragging it across my yard and dumping it off on my porch, nothing inside was damaged in the least bit.

After opening it up and going through the parts, though, it was clear said postal worker could have kicked it off the truck, I feel al the contents would have remained safe. The materials are of high quality and combined with the care of the packaging from Rukket; customers should feel secure about their orders coming in damage-free.

Within the packaging came the net, along with the side wings. The structure that holds the net up and some hardware to help attach it to the ground in the event you use the system outdoors. And, there was also an excellent “travel” bag that contains the entire net assembly so you can take it with you to the park or wherever. Hence the “portable” part of the product name.

The last item I pulled from the box was a three-tiered hitting mat that features, you guessed it, three different types of surfaces to hit balls. I have one of the large 4×4 hitting mats you’ll find a driving range (best $50 I ever spent), and I’ll more than likely never use the supplied mat; however, it’s a quality product that will do great for its intended purpose.

The SPDR Portable Driving Range features from the Rukket website

COMPLETE PACKAGE: Professional at Home Driving Range Package – Includes the SPDR Net (10x7ft), FREE Side Barrier Protective Wings, 3 Turf Portable No Skid Hitting Mat!
TOUGH and RUGGED: Heavy-duty folding metal frame. 2-minute setup, quicker to store away with the included carrying case.
FOOLPROOF PRACTICE: Net STAYS on. NO need to remove each time the net is packed away!
USE REAL GOLF BALLS: Rukket Tough Netting! Use real golf balls and your own tee with any club in your bag.
ADDED BENEFITS: Use only one ball and includes our NO scratch rubber base.
RUKKET 100% LIFETIME WARRANTY AND SATISFACTION GUARANTEE: Includes lifetime replacement parts and outstanding USA-based customer service for no-risk purchasing. ??

Assembly and the first swings

From out the box to first swings took only about 20 minutes. Everything, minus the ways to attach the wings, is relatively self-explanatory. After fiddling around with the little cords that secure the sides to the main net, I got the gist of it, and I was on my way. The side wings are a nice touch, and they take the fear of the dreaded miss-hit down a notch. I guess it depends on where you’re practicing. With me, I’m in the garage, so the wings haven’t gotten much use. I did install them to see how they work, though.

Like the original Rukk Net, the ball return is a key feature. There’s no need to have multiple balls for your practice session. Only one is needed, and the return system is very good at its job. I have noticed the shots seem to “return” at a much higher rate of speed than the Rukk Net. I think it has more to do with the strength and “newness” of the net and the fact it’s not broken in yet.

What I like about the Rukket SPDR vs. the Rukk Net

Construction

First off, the structure of the SPDR is superior to the Rukk Net. There are a lot less moving parts, and the materials I feel are going to last much longer than the Rukk Net.

Size

Even though the net has a lot more surface area to hit into, which is a huge bonus, it’s easier for me to leave it up when I’m not practicing. With the Rukk Net the overall footprint, because of its pyramid shape, is significant. After every session, I had to take the net down and store it. That has a lot to do with the wear and tear on the bottom of the net.

With the SPDR, I can pick up one side and turn it against the wall where I store my bicycles. Even with the net fully assembled, it is out of the way, and the rest of my garage is accessible.

Surface Area

Like I mentioned a few minutes ago, the net is LARGE

The Rukk Nets widest spot is where it meets the ground. It goes up to a point from there. The higher the net goes, the smaller the hitting area. With the Rukket SPDR, you have 10′ of the net from the ground to 7′ high. That is a massive increase in surface area, and it has allowed me to take full swings with a 9iron or even a pitching wedge and not worry about missing the small top section like there was on the Rukk Net.

For the record I never missed but my kids, now that’s a different story. And no longer will I have to explain the creative wall texturing in some regions of the garage to my better half.

It’s Portable

Yes, before you jump down my throat, the Rukk Net was portable as well. But I wasn’t a big fan of the way you had to store the net. The bag was nice, but it was so big, I huge round bag that wasn’t exactly easy to toss in your truck and head off to wherever it is you’d go.

The SPDR system has a much more condensed bag that is rectangular and can easily fit in your truck along with your clubs. If you’re a truck owner, this is, of course, a non-issue, but for us car people, this is a feature that makes the Rukket SPDR much more valuable if you plan on taking the net with you to practice.

In Conclusion

Time will be the real test to see of the Rukket SPDR holds up to the abuse the Rukk Net took. I have a strong feeling, based on the last two months, that it’s going be a fixture in my garage for many years to come. It’s built better and look how long my other Rukket Net lasted!

Congrats to Rukket for making an excellent practice net for us golf junkies to enjoy our home sessions. I think if you’re in the market for a practice net and you have the space to house the SPDR system, then it’s a no brainer. You can’t go wrong with this net.

The SPDR 10×7 Portable Driving Range sells for $299.00 but is one sale right now; as of 12/27/19, for $229.00, you can make your purchase directly for their website. See below for a link.

That is an incredible deal for what you get, and I highly recommend you jump on this offer before it goes away.

Give Rukket a follow

Check out their social channels to stay up to date on deals and new offerings from their different sports divisions.

Instagram: @rukket_sports
Facebook: @Rukket
Twitter: @RukketSports
YouTube: RukketSports

And of course, be sure to visit their WEBSITE. While we mainly focused on their golf products for this review, they have a full line of merchandise for a wide variety of sports.