Some putter thoughts.

[ualtim]

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!

[chemboy2]

Great reviews and fairly comprehensive. Nice job of covering multiple brands/models.

[warbirdlover]

You should have tried the Odysses 2-ball with the "White Hot XG" insert. Far better then anything I've used. I agree on the 3-ball and the 2-ball with those ugly rings on them. Ugly.

But the Odysses White Hot XG 2-ball mallet... Oh my!!

[ualtim]

Originally Posted by warbirdlover

You should have tried the Odysses 2-ball with the "White Hot XG" insert. Far better then anything I've used. I agree on the 3-ball and the 2-ball with those ugly rings on them. Ugly.

But the Odysses White Hot XG 2-ball mallet... Oh my!!

I did not see a 2-ball with the XG insert, but after the 3-ball experience I worked my way past the multiball section of the Odyssey line up really quickly. I am thinking that a #1 or #2 may be more of the answer. I did not see the #6 in person, but that putter looks like someone dropped a forging hammer on it and are trying to pass it off as first quality. The 2-ball XG blade on the website looks nice too. Back to the pumbers neck style rather than the multibend style they released in White Steel, too bad it will not be released until Feb 15.

[Rockford35]

The "Fang" and the Yes! Victoria are the two best putters in my hands next to my #2. I just love the muted feel with them, you can lag like no tommorrow with both.

I guess that just goes to show how incredibly personal putter choices are.

Nice reviews, 'Tim.

R35

[ualtim]

Originally Posted by Rockford35

The "Fang" and the Yes! Victoria are the two best putters in my hands next to my #2. I just love the muted feel with them, you can lag like no tommorrow with both.

I lag with the hotter faces already, the muted ones leave me way short. That was my primary issue with my White Hot 2-Ball. The XG face, while soft, did seem to have more feel to it than the White Hot and I was not leaving putts short. Maybe its the way the shaft mets the head or some other reason, but I just could not get comfortable over the "Fang". On the plus side, if you ever had to play a course in an unsafe area of town, the "Fang" would make a fine weapon. Those teeth are sharp and could do a lot of damage .

[VtDivot]

Tim - you have any beaches?

Nothing beats the click of putting with a beach, takes some getting used to. I'd like to get one, to have around for fun. Love my Tracy2 tho

Great review dude.

[ualtim]

Originally Posted by VtDivot

Tim - you have any beaches?

Nothing beats the click of putting with a beach, takes some getting used to. I'd like to get one, to have around for fun. Love my Tracy2 tho

Great review dude.

I have one Studio Stainless Newport Beach in 3X black. I have not played it yet as it is still at 35" and I need a shorter putter and I have been looking at shaft options. I am currently playing the TT T2C heavy shaft in my SE Z9 and love it, but I am still intigued by that UST Frequency filtered shaft but can not get myself to pay $60 for it.

[Stanters]

If I was going to buy a Scotty it would be the RedX - it's just poetry.

May have to get one - it's not as if it's going to be difficult to sell on if it doesn't feel like it did in the pro shop.

Great reviews all round I thought, nice post.

[bigred]

I'm a huge Scotty fan. I play the Newport 2.5 and it has the best feel of any putter I've ever played. I also have the Red X which is a tremendous putter itself. I also have the Rife 2 Bar Mallet. Although you can't beat the overall performance (IMO) of the Cameron line, the Rife putters roll like no others. If you've never tried one you owe it to yourself to check it out. It may be the best putter you've never heard much of. Bought mine on ebay and saved a few $$.

[ualtim]

I am going to have to amend my Yes! C-Groove review. Has anyone ever just pick up a putter and have a religious experience? Sun shining down, waves parting, a voice from above saying "you have chosen wisely?" Maybe it was an Indiana Jones flashback after all, but whatever it was I experienced it on Thursday. I was at the puttalite demo area and all they had were Yes! putter to attempt the putting contest with. As I searched around to find one that would suit me, the only putter I could find in 33 inches was the Carolyne center shafted/face balanced model. I have been a diehard heel/tow weighted, offset plumber's neck guy for years and I was not feeling too confident in the only 33 inch selection. Well, it was only a contest that I was not going to win anyway so I will just use this thing and get it over with. 6 Putts later (without a miss) I was in the running for $1000 (lost to a guy who sank all 6 putts in 8 seconds versus my all 6 putts in 11 seconds.) The next day, it was an accuracy contest and I sank all 6 dead center for the highest point total for the day (did not win again as I did not win the lottery of the other people who hit all 6 dead center). Day 3 I hit all 6 putts again, but had one go in the left side and one the right side instead of dead center so I was out of the running. No practice putts were taken on any of the 3 days, just the 18 putts during the contest and I did not miss one. I noticed in the PGA Show Daily magazine that Yes! was offering a personal use discount during the show so I ran my butt over to their pavilion to go see what the discount was and to try and pick up my Carolyne. No Carolynes in 33 inch. None. I was not going to be able to hang out until closing to try and buy the one from Puttalite so I was out of luck. The Yes! rep said I could contact him this week and he will give me the show price since they were out of stock. I hoping and praying that the deal holds up.

[Boulder]

Long ago was a Scotty freak, then was a Yes! junky for a few years, went to the "Fang" this year with an oversized grip (I now swear by this) to stop the wrists. Stroke sensation actually feels smoother and more consistent than the years I went lead-hand-low. When I miss now, I don't miss by much. Over last ten years, thought Scotty, then Yes! blades, now White XG #7 (once I became used to its feel), were the best consistent stroke and distance control putters I've played. The "Fang" has put fun and confidence back into my putting.

[ClairefromClare]

This question may be heresy, but can someone explain in simple terms what the big deal is with the whole Scotty Cameron thing? I know people get all bent out of shape about them (both ways), but I don't get it.

[wirehair]

Originally Posted by ClairefromClare

This question may be heresy, but can someone explain in simple terms what the big deal is with the whole Scotty Cameron thing? I know people get all bent out of shape about them (both ways), but I don't get it.

I've got a dog in this hunt since I collect Scottys. I appreciate the quality of the milling and the finishes, and they do an exceptional job of getting the ball in the hole.

I really don't know why the Scotty bashers feel compelled to rip 'em. Maybe it's because he doesn't try to market to "Joe the Plumber" and some folks see that as arrogance?

[Pa Jayhawk]

Tim, not meaning to jack the thread, but what do you think of the Top Flite Strata TL-Tours? How do they compare to the old Strata Tour Professional that we used to play? Still not sure I don't like that ball better than any I have found since for what I pay for golf balls. I figure you are one of the few on here that may have played the old one as much as I.