Quick answer
The hardest part of buying a shooting pad, flooring tiles, or a shooting tarp is knowing whether it will actually fit your space. On BetterHockey.com you can view these products in augmented reality (AR) straight from your phone — place a full-size shooting tarp in your garage, drop a set of flooring tiles on your floor, or set a shooting pad on your driveway, and see the real dimensions in your own space before you buy. No measuring tape guesswork, no ordering the wrong size.
Above: a set of Better Hockey flooring tiles viewed in AR, placed on a real garage floor to check the footprint before buying.
Key takeaways
- AR lets you place Better Hockey gear in your real space at true size, using just your phone's camera.
- It works on shooting tarps, flooring tiles, and shooting pads — the products where fit matters most.
- You can walk around the virtual product, see how much floor it covers, and confirm clearances before ordering.
- It removes the two biggest buying questions: "Will it fit?" and "How many tiles do I actually need?"
- No app to download — it runs right in your phone's browser on the product page.
Why sizing is the hardest part of buying training gear
Every year the most common question we get is some version of the same thing: "Will this fit my garage?" or "How many flooring tiles do I need to cover my space?" It makes sense — a shooting tarp, a full tile floor, or a large roll-up pad is a real piece of equipment, and a photo on a product page doesn't tell you how it sits in your garage next to your car.
Measuring helps, but numbers on a tape measure are abstract. "7 by 10 feet" sounds like one thing until you actually see a 7x10 tarp standing where you were going to hang it. That gap between a dimension on paper and the real object in your space is exactly what AR closes.
What AR does on BetterHockey.com
AR — augmented reality — uses your phone's camera to place a true-to-scale 3D model of the product into your real surroundings on the screen. You point your phone at the floor, and the product appears there at full size. Walk closer, step back, move around it — it stays anchored in place like it's really there.
See it in action
Here's the AR feature being used to place training gear in a real garage — AR view next to real life:
We built AR for the products where fit is the whole decision:
Above: a Better Hockey shooting pad viewed in AR on a real driveway — the AR model matches the real product almost exactly.
| Product | What AR answers | Try it on |
|---|---|---|
| Shooting tarps | Will a 7x10 or 7x16 tarp fit the wall or garage opening I want to hang it on? | Tarp 7x10, Tarp 7x16 |
| Flooring tiles | How much floor does a 10, 20, or 30-pack actually cover? How many do I need for my space? | Flooring tiles |
| Shooting pads | How big is a 24"x48" vs a Pro 28"x57" vs a roll-up pad in my garage or driveway? | Shooting pad, Pro pad |
How to view a product in AR — step by step
- Open the product page on your phone. AR runs on your phone's camera, so use your phone (not a desktop). Go to the shooting tarp, flooring tiles, or shooting pad you're considering.
- Tap the "View in your space" button. On products with AR, you'll see a small cube / AR icon on the product image, or a "View in your space" button.
- Point your phone at the floor. Give it a second to detect the surface, then the product drops in at true size.
- Walk around it. Step back to see the full footprint, walk up to it, move your phone to view it from different angles. This is where it clicks — you see exactly how much space it takes.
- Check your clearances. For a tarp, see if it fits the wall or garage opening. For tiles, see how much of the floor a pack covers and whether you need more. For a pad, see how it sits relative to your net and shooting distance.
Coach Erik's tip: When you're checking flooring tiles in AR, don't just look at whether a pack fits — stand where you'd actually shoot and stickhandle, and picture the drills. Most families I help underestimate how much surface they want once they see it in place. It's cheaper to size it right the first time than to order a second pack later and pay shipping twice.
AR vs real life: it really is that accurate
The reason AR works for buying decisions is that the 3D models are built to the product's real dimensions. When you place a shooting tarp in AR and then stand the real one in the same spot, they line up. That's the whole point — what you see on the screen is what shows up at your door.
Above: a Better Hockey shooting tarp with the goalie backstop graphic, viewed in AR against a real garage — exactly how it will hang once you own it.
What you need to use it
| Requirement | Detail |
|---|---|
| A phone | A modern iPhone or Android phone with a camera. AR runs in the browser — no app to install. |
| The product page | Open the specific product on BetterHockey.com and tap "View in your space." |
| A bit of floor space | Point at the floor where you'd actually put the gear. Good light helps the camera detect the surface. |
| 30 seconds | That's genuinely all it takes to answer "will it fit." |
Common mistakes to avoid
- Trying it on a desktop. AR needs your phone's camera. Open the product page on your phone.
- Guessing tile quantity instead of viewing it. The number one sizing mistake is under-ordering tiles. Place them in AR and count the coverage against the space you'll really use.
- Only checking the product, not the clearances. Look at what's around it too — the car, the net distance, the wall height for a tarp.
- Measuring once and hoping. A tape gives you a number; AR gives you the picture. Use both.
FAQ
Do I need to download an app to use AR on BetterHockey.com?
No. AR runs directly in your phone's browser. Open the product page on your phone, tap "View in your space," and the product appears through your camera — nothing to install.
Which products can I view in AR?
The products where fit matters most: shooting tarps, flooring tiles, and shooting pads. These are the items where knowing the real size in your space makes the buying decision.
Is the AR size accurate?
Yes. The 3D models are built to each product's true dimensions, so what you place in AR matches the real product's size. When you compare the AR view to the real product side by side, they line up.
Can AR tell me how many flooring tiles I need?
It's the best tool for it. Place a pack in AR on your real floor, see how much it covers, and you'll immediately know whether one pack fills your space or you need more. It beats trying to picture square footage in your head.
Does AR work on both iPhone and Android?
Yes, on modern iPhones and Android phones. Both use built-in AR through the browser — no separate app needed.
Why can't I see the AR button?
Make sure you're on the product page on a phone (not a desktop), and that you're viewing a product that supports AR — shooting tarps, flooring tiles, and shooting pads. The "View in your space" button or a small AR cube icon appears on the product image.
Summary
Sizing is the hardest part of buying training gear, and AR solves it. Instead of guessing whether a shooting tarp fits your garage or how many flooring tiles cover your floor, you can place the real product in your real space from your phone in about 30 seconds — and see it at true size before you order. It's the closest thing to trying the gear at home before you buy it.
Next time you're deciding on a shooting pad, a set of flooring tiles, or a shooting tarp, open the product on your phone and tap "View in your space." For help choosing sizes, see our shooting pad buying guide, flooring tiles explained, and home training setup guide.
