2011 Holiday Golf Gift Guide

'Tis the season to give the gift of golf to your friends and family...and to yourself. So whether you've been naughty or nice, we've rummaged around Santa's workshop to share some of our favorite golf gear for the 2011 holiday season:

iPING Putter App & Cradle - $30 (Stocking Stuffer!)

The free iPING Putter App for the iPhone and iPod Touch is simply revolutionary, bringing high-tech personal putting analysis to the masses. This nifty app measures your stroke path, face angle and tempo. Along the way, it can tell you what you’re doing right—or wrong—and help you find a putter that fits your stroke. The only catch is that you need to purchase a $30 cradle to hold your device, but that’s a small price to pay for access to this app. Stick the cradle (and an iPod Touch if necessary) in the stocking of your favorite golfer and you’ll forever be known as Santa Claus.

Cleveland Classic Belly Putter - $129

Want to try a belly putter without breaking the bank? Well, here’s your ticket—the new $129 Cleveland Classic belly putter, available in lengths of 39, 41, 43 and 45 inches. Most belly putters cost well north of $150, so this is just another instance of the Cleveland Classic line hitting the sweet spot of quality and value. It won’t fit into a stocking, but it looks great under a tree.

SCOR Golf Wedges – Starting at $149

The traditional off-the-rack wedge is dead, at least according to SCOR Golf. Indeed, this wedge specialist offers a stunning array of fitting options for your scoring clubs, including shaft type and flex, as well as length, lie and grip size. Lofts can be dialed into one-degree increments from 41 to 61 degrees, and the clubs accordingly feature progressive weighting and design. In other words, you can easily build your own custom wedge set to become a true sniper around the green. These innovative wedges begin at $149, and a set of three will set you back $399. But when you consider all of the custom options that come with it (not to mention the fact that a single driver can cost $399), you might call it a deal.

Invisibrush Towel by Rule Golf - $20 (Stocking Stuffer!)

It’s a towel. It’s a brush…It’s the Invisibrush! That’s right, boys and girls, this ingenious invention may look like a regular golf towel at first glance, but it is more than that. It features a soft microfiber material and a coarse scrubber backing. In other words, you can rub the grit out of your grooves on one side, and then clean up the rest of your club on the other. A perfect stocking stuffer.

Antigua Desert Dry Xtra-Lite Golf Shirt - $55

Hey, it's not going to stay cold forever. Soon enough, the sun will be out and you'll want to look sharp and stay comfortable as you march up the fairway—and the Antigua Xtra-Lite Desert Dry golf shirt will help you do just that. These shirts are designed to wick away moisture and minimize garment friction. As such, they perform well when worn over a turtleneck or other long-sleeve shirts on cooler days. Better yet, the Spring 2012 collection will lift you out of your winter gloom with "shades of cool wedgewood, bright berry, electric keylime, sharp melon, rich azalea and a wash of turquoise."

Bettinardi NFL Headcover - $75 (stocking stuffer!)

Are you ready for some football? How about some golf, too? Now you can fly your favorite team’s colors around the putting green with Bettinardi Golf’s new NFL putter covers (they also have select MLB teams). Yes, other team covers exist, but these ones are a cut above the rest, boasting the patented slip-on cover design developed by famed putter designer Robert Bettinardi. The embroidery and overall feel of these covers is top notch. They are pricey, but hey, isn't Christmas is the perfect excuse to splurge?

Putter Perfection - $12.99 (Stocking Stuffer!)

Tired of being on the hamster wheel of buying the hottest new putter, only to be disappointed by the results? Do as the professionals do—get properly fit for better results on the green. Putter Perfection (written by PutterZone.com editor Sean Weir) walks you through the do-it-yourself essentials of putter fitting, so that you can begin to maximize your putting potential. The New York Times says this book “goes through everything you need to know.” ‘Nuff said.

Amazon Kindle Touch - $99

Lugging your instructional library to the range or practice green is terribly inconvenient—unless that library is packed into a svelte Amazon Kindle Touch that can easily be tucked into your golf bag. Now when you need to remind yourself of your favorite drills and swing points, you can just grab your Kindle and find them in a snap. The glare-free screen is readable even in direct sunlight, and the ability to mark pages and make annotations is ideal for navigating your instructional titles for quick reference.

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Find Your Belly Putter Balance

Belly putters are growing wings and flying off the shelves these days, and the phenomenon shows no signs of abating as more and more golfers aim to tap into the belly putter magic that has recently made such an impact on the professional tours.

But before you rush out and buy the nearest belly putter, you should be vigilant about finding the proper fit to maximize your putting potential. Do tour professionals just grab the nearest putter with no regard to how it fits? Of course not—and neither should you.

In a recent piece, we delved into how you can establish the proper belly putter length for your physique and setup. Now we are going to take a closer look at the balance of the belly putter, and how you can find a better fit for your stroke.

As illustrated in PutterZone.com’s putter fitting book Putter Perfection, putter balance falls into two general categories. A “face-balanced” putter will generally appeal to golfers who employ a more straight-back-and-straight-through putting stroke, while a putter with “toe hang,” also known as “toe droop,” will generally appeal to those with an arcing stroke.

To determine the balance of a putter, simply stick out your hand and balance the shaft on an outstretched finger. If the face of the putter remains parallel to the ceiling or sky when balanced on your finger, then the putter is face balanced. If the face angles toward the ground, the putter has toe hang, as the toe of the putter is hanging down. And according to conventional golf wisdom, that hanging action is designed to flow with the path of an arcing stroke. Which brings us to the belly putter…

According to Adam Sheldon, master putter craftsman for Never Compromise and Cleveland Golf, when you take a conventional grip on a belly putter, the angle of the shaft combined with the rotational pivot of the torso essentially forces the putter head to move on an arcing path. “With any anchored stroke, when there’s equilibrium with the hands and stomach, it will take your putter head inside to square to inside along an arc,” he says.

This is why Cleveland Golf’s new Classic belly putters are balanced with toe hang to fit the arcing-style stroke. The SeeMore Putter Company also offers several belly putters with toe hang.

Sheldon does say, however, that if you hold your belly putter with an unconventional claw grip, you will mitigate the rotational force, thus making a face-balanced putter more appropriate. “As with any putter,” he says, “it simply comes down to matching the balance of the putter to the path of your stroke for improved consistency and results.”

To be fair, some experts maintain that putter balance is of little consequence to performance, and some golfers find that a face-balanced putter works just fine with an arcing stroke. Nevertheless, finding the best balance for your physique and stroke can be a crucial factor in your putting performance.

The larger point is that with a belly putter—as with any putter—a little time spent on finding the best fit can generate a big payoff on the green.

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Rife Putters Sold to Innovex

The seemingly inevitable sale of Rife Putters has finally arrived, as Innovex Golf announced that it has acquired the fading brand.

A few years ago, founder Guerin Rife stated in a Golfweek story that one of his goals was to sell the business. It now sounds like he was forced to sell the business. According to the announcement, "This acquisition signals the resurrection of Rife Putters, who for the past year has struggled to manufacture and distribute product due to a lack of funding."

Rife Putters' struggles have been an open secret for the past year, and the company has been eerily quiet lately.

Rife Putters once boasted the aura of a powerhouse putter brand on the rise. Indeed, even without the resources of the major global golf brands, Rife Putters still managed to become the top brand on the Champions Tour. Along the way, it produced some standout putters in recent years, such as the Two-Bar putter and the underrated Island Series putters.

Founded in 2004, Innovex Golf is best known for its golf balls, such as the V-Motion Tour. Innovex also produces clubs, and states that its clubs offer "the greatest value in the golf equipment industry."

According to Innovex, the Innovex Golf and Rife Putter brands will continue to be marketed independently but cross-promotional opportunities will be offered at both the wholesale and retail levels.

Let's hope that Rife Putters doesn't stray too far from its roots, and that it will continue to produce thoughtfully designed products with a unique point of view.

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New Bettinardi NFL Putter Covers

Are you ready for some football? How about some golf? Well, famed putter designer Robert Bettinardi has you "covered" on both fronts with his new officially licensed National Football League team putter covers ($75).

Oh, and for all of you seamheads out there, Bettinardi has also released a line of Major League Baseball team covers as well (only select MLB teams are available so far, however). Rumor has it that NCAA team covers may be forthcoming, too.

We're told that these licensed covers have been in the works for years, and that Robert Bettinardi is a big professional sports fan who is partial to the White Sox and Bears (which is only natural considering that his company is headquartered in Illinois). Numerous PGA Tour professionals have told Bettinardi that they are excited about flying their favorite team's colors on their putters.

Like all Bettinardi putters and products, these premium covers are made in the U.S.A. They feature Bettinardi's patented ultra-leather cover design, which includes a stretchy neoprene slip-on enclosure and embroidered team logo.

Sure, they're a bit pricey, but if you're a big sports fan, the line between "want" and "need" can be razor thin, right? And considering that Scotty Cameron head covers routinely fetch hundreds of dollars on the secondary market, you could say it's all relative. We plan to get our hands on one of the Bettinardi covers and let you know our thoughts. The covers can be purchased via the "licsensed products" page in the store at Bettinardi.com.

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Tour Edge T-Balance Putter Review

For more than 25 years, Tour Edge Golf has specialized in clubs that aim to offer high performance at a lower price.

Among these clubs is the T-Balance putter ($120), a Tour Edge original that has been re-booted this fall with four new models.

Is the T-Balance technology worthy of a resurrection? Following is PutterZone.com’s Tour Edge T-Balance putter review, specifically the 05 model.

The Storyline

According to Tour Edge, "The T-Balance putter features a patented 90-degree bend shaft that delivers an advanced level of feel new before achieved in any other putter design. The shaft's arched structure is stronger than a traditional straight putter shaft, thereby minimizing vibration and dramatically improving feel. You'll feel the effectiveness of the design as the shaft pulls the head through the ball with a pure, effortless stroke."

Tour Edge says that the lower portion of the "T"—the stability bar—places more weight directly behind the sweet spot to increase the putter's moment of inertia (MOI, or ability to resist twisting) for increased accuracy on contact.

Comparisons to the Odyssey Backstryke putter—the other rear-shafted flatstick—are inevitable. However, unlike the Backstryke, the T-Balance putter is face balanced, and the shaft exits the hosel in a more traditional position. Also, the original T-Balance putters actually preceded the Backstryke putter by many years.

The stock loft of the T-Balance putters is 3 degrees, and the lie angle is 71 degrees. Each of the four models comes in both black and white finishes. Each comes in traditional lengths of 33 to 35 inches, as well as belly putter lengths of 41 and 43 inches.

The View from PutterZone.com

I was pleasantly surprised by the Tour Edge T-Balance putter. To be honest, I didn’t have the highest expectations for a $120 putter with so-called special technology. I’ve been down that road before, and it’s been a little bumpy. But not this time.

What jumped out at me about the T-Balance 05 putter was the pure solid feel off the face. The sweet spot is thick and sturdy, with a firm little pop at the front end. Some golfers may prefer a softer feel, but you can’t argue with the overall sureness of this putter upon contact.

Beyond the solid feel, it’s hard for me to say just how much of a benefit the T-Balance configuration provides. Some golfers probably won’t notice anything different, since the shaft and grip positions are traditional, despite the fact that the hosel is mounted at the rear. But I think that for some golfers, this rear-mounted hosel will help foster more of a sweeping—as opposed to “hitting”—stroke. There’s something about it that does seem to promote a sure, steady stroke path.

The shape of the T-Balance 05 putter is distinctive yet effective, with a nice sense of squareness and overall purpose. It’s not particularly large, which I like—it gives off mallet vibe, but borrows from the blade aesthetic as well.

My only quibbles with the T-Balance putter are optical in nature. The first one may be a matter of nitpicking, but it’s still a pet peeve of mine—the loud shaft band (the brand sticker on the shaft beneath the grip). The band on the T-Balance putters is particularly egregious, measuring more than two inches in length. Simply put, it’s a visual nuisance, but it can be easily removed.

My other quibble is the fact that the curved T-Balance hosel protrudes at an angle from the rear of the putter. In other words, it’s not perpendicular to the face. At setup, therefore, you get a bit of linear visual competition. On the T-Balance 05 model, the outer edges, rear stability bar and numerous sightlines are all square to the face and consistent with the target line, while the hosel “aims” slightly left of the target line.

The upside of this orientation is that it does afford clear look at the center of the topline (including a small sightline) and ball. But I had to work a bit to train my eyes to ignore the hosel, because, to me, it tended to make the face look hooked or closed. Intently focusing on the face angle and perimeter lines seemed to remedy the issue for me.

Lastly, on an accessories note, it’s always a good sign when your $120 putter comes with a sturdy, snugly fitting head cover with a nice magnetic closure. The T-Balance putter earns points for not skimping on the little things.

The Bottom Line

From price to performance, the Tour Edge T-Balance putter provides a smooth ride, earning “best buy” status along the way.

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The Greenside: Bellies, Drone, Sydney and More

The latest episode of The Greenside radio show is now airing via The Hacker's Paradise and iTunes. Co-hosted by Josh of The Hacker's Paradise and Sean of PutterZone.com, The Greenside focuses on the short game with an emphasis on putting.

The latest episode delves into the belly putter phenomenon, which began on tour this past summer, and which is now making serious waves in the retail market with the Cleveland Classic "Almost Belly" and other new belly putter offerings.

Two high-MOI mallets also take center stage: the PING Sydney and Nike Drone, which exhibit some similarities, as well as some marked differences. Lastly, a discussion about Michael Breed's new book, The 3-Degree Putting Solution, concludes the show.

Please have a listen and let us know what you think.

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Get Fit for Your Belly Putter

Belly putters are growing wings and flying off the shelves these days. Cleveland Golf and TaylorMade are tripling their sales forecasts for belly putters. The SeeMore Putter company told PutterZone.com that "we can hardly keep them in stock."

It's just another example of how the tour tail wags the retail dog.

Indeed, it's a very human impulse to imitate what we see as elite and successful, and to want to use the same putter on Monday that just won a PGA Tour event on Sunday. And right now, the belly putter is the hottest thing on tour.

As with any putter, however, you will want to be vigilant about finding the proper fit to maximize your putting potential. And a major fitting component with belly putters is putter length. Whereas traditional putters typically come in lengths of 33 to 35 inches, belly putters come in a general range of 40 to 45 inches.

On that note, SeeMore has posted a helpful video (featured below) showing you an easy way to calibrate your best belly putter length. The steps are: (1) stick a yardstick in your back pocket, grab your traditional putter and get in your regular putting posture; (2) raise the butt end of the putter grip to your stomach, right to where you plan to anchor your belly putter (typically just above or below the navel); and (3) holding the putter with one hand, grab the yardstick and measure the distance between the floor and the sole of the putter.

So, if you started with a 35-inch putter, and now there's nine inches between the floor and the sole of the putter, you would be wise to order a 44-inch belly putter (35 inches plus nine inches).

SeeMore offers belly putters in both its mSeries and Si Series putter lines. The SeeMore belly putter is the natural extension of SeeMore’s RifleScope Technology (RST) alignment system that helps the golfer set up in a more consistent, neutral position. Kyle Reifers used a SeeMore belly putter to cash the largest first-place check to date on the Nationwide Tour in 2011.

P.S. Check out PutterZone.com's putter fitting guide Putter Perfection for a crash course in putter fitting essentials.

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