I spent some time in my local Golfsmith yesterday during their tent event (bought another 5 dozen Top Flite Strata TL-Tours for $9.97 a dozen
) and decided to spend some time on the putting green with some of the latest models.
Ping G5 Anser: Since my favorite putters of all time are the Cameron Newports, I decided to give the godfather of the Newport design a few rolls to see how it felt. I kind of liked the half moon alignment aid, but the top just looked too busy with all the blue and white paintfill and the additional angles created with the alignment aid. Feel wise, its no Cameron. The feel is kind of muted and I had a hard time distinguishing where on the club face I was striking the ball. Not a horrible putter, but there are better ones out there in the price range.
Odyssey 3-Ball: My first impression was that if you wrapped this putter head in foil that you could pick up Direct TV
. This thing is a monster. I did not see the head cover, but I am guessing that you would be able to hide a small dog in it. I do not know if it was a mental block or not, but I could not putt worth a damn with this thing. The top is even busier than the Ping, and I had no idea where on that giant head I was hitting the ball. Absolutely no feel. I put this one back fairly quickly for fear that I would develop bad habits.
Odyssey XG-7 (Fang): The head looked smaller than I expected, but that could be because I had just put down the 3-ball and even my ample stomach fat was looking smaller. The fangs do add some alignment ability, but for whatever reason I could not get comfortable with this putter in my hands. The insert feels even softer than the White Hot insert in a 2-ball, but the putter provided better contact feedback than either the white hot or white steel inserts I have tried. I did not sink too many putts with this one, but I could probably get away with it in a different head style. The fangs did not do much for me.
Scotty Cameron Detour: At first glance, this is one ugly putter. Sitting against the wall, I was debating on whether to even pick it up and try it. Once you pick it up and address a ball, the design is highly functional. The "T" shape is great for alignment, and once you get used to the arc shape that extends back from the face stroking putts is a snap. Following the arc with you backswing made for an easy to repeat putting stroke, and the feel is pure Cameron. Great feedback on impact location and just that awesome Scotty feel.
Scotty Cameron Circa 62 #3: This club looks great sitting against the wall. The only thing I did not like about it was the sqared off toe. I prefer a more rounded toe, but it is still a beautiful putter. I was a little disapointed with the feel as it did not feel as good as my Studio Style Newport2. I could roll the ball really well and the feel was definately better than the Ping, but not as good as the Studio Style Newport 2. Again, I club I could live with in the bag but it would not be my first choice.
Scotty Cameron Red X: If I had to buy a putter yesterday, this would have been the one. It looks good sitting against the wall and even better at the adress postion. Feel is outstanding! I would even dare put it above the Studio Style line in terms of feel. Great feedback at impact and the ball was rolling perfectly off the face. I was making putts left and right no matter what the distance. If my current putter ever fails me or disappears, I would pick up a 33/350 Red X in a heartbeat.
Taylor Made Monza Corza: I find these putters rather attractive for some reason. The Monza Corza is probably the flagship of the line and has some nice lines for a mallet. On close inspection, I was not really enamored with the insert. It looked rather cheap for a putter in this price range. It had decent feedback on impact, but not as good as the Camerons. The ball rolled OK off the face, but there was no noticable difference between it and any of the other putters. I have read a lot of hype on the AGSI grooves, but I did not notice any additional advantage over other putter face designs.
Yes C-Groove: I did not look for the name, but it is the Anser/Newport style head with the plumbers neck. It felt kind of light in my hands which is a negative for me. After handling the Camerons and Monza Corza, it just felt way too light. Just like the Taylor Made, there was not any noticable difference in roll compared to grooved or non-grooved putters by other name brands. I did not have a lot of impact feedback, but it was hard to judge accurately because the weight issue. I could not get comfortable with this putter, but it is way better than the 3-ball. The closest competitor would probably be the Ping Anser and if forced to choose between the two I would probably go with the Yes.
Guerin Rifle Two Bar Blade: Not the prettiest girl at the dance, but not the ugliest either. I was not expecting great things from this design but decided to give a few rolls to see what it was about. I was quite surprised by the impact feedback and even more surprised by how well I was rolling the putts. The feeback is not as good as a Cameron, but better than most of the other putters I tried. For a while, I could not miss a putt with this putter. Definitely worth giving it a go if your in the market for a putter. If you can get by the looks, it is highly functional. I would have to say it would probably be my second choice if I were in the market for a putter behind the Red X.
As always, putter selection is a highly individualized thing. I tend to favor Camerons, and my reviews probably reflect that. Enjoy!