Yes! Nicky Putter Review

With its new Nicky model putter, Yes! Golf has gone back to the future, incorporating modern groove technology into an old-school blade.

Does the Nicky ($149) do justice to the classics? Following is PutterZone.com’s Yes! Nicky putter review.

The Storyline
Yes! Golf unveiled its first C-Groove putters at the 2000 PGA Merchandise Show and entered the U.S. Market in 2004 after Retief Goosen won his second U.S. Open title using the same C-Groove putter he used in his 2001 U.S. Open victory.

Today, Yes! Golf ranks at the top of LPGA putter usage, and is also a force on the PGA Tour, with Goosen, Stephen Ames and Colin Montgomerie among its converts.

The concentric C-Grooves on Yes! putters are designed to send the ball on a truer topspin roll for enhanced directional and distance control. A truer roll essentially means less skidding and hopping, which translates to improved accuracy.

As Yes! Golf CEO Francis Ricci stated in an earlier interview with PutterZone.com: “The groove edges on impact—assuming the plane of the strike is slightly upward—grip into the surface of the ball and impart an over-the-top rolling force.”

The Nicky is a classically styled heel-shafted blade, one of a wide variety of putter styles offered by Yes! Golf. The 304 stainless steel head weighs 350 grams, which is heavier than most traditional blade putters. The sole and grooves are chromium plated. Two alignment lines are scored in black atop the crown.

The View from PutterZone.com
In profile, the Nicky looks sleek and classic, but its shiny chrome accents and signature C-Groove face are purely 21st century. The Nicky manages to be both flashy and classy, and it will definitely turn heads on the green.

As a fully toe-down blade, the Nicky naturally favors a gated stroke (as opposed to straight back and through). Additionally, the heavier 350-gram head seems to magnify the blade’s predisposition to opening and closing along the path of the stroke. In the words of Volkswagen, this putter requires some “Fahrvergnügen.” It’s a putter for folks who like to take their putter for a ride, not vice versa.

To me, the feel of the Nicky is neither firm nor soft, but rather both. I know that sounds like a contradiction, but the Nicky exhibits a clicky firmness as well as a supple core, sort of like biting into an Oreo cookie.

I’ve generally been noncommittal when it comes to the efficacy of putter grooves in matters of imparting truer roll. Putters with face grooves usually have lower lofts, and I play in a dry climate with relatively hard, fast greens—conditions that favor less loft. So is it the chicken (grooves) or the egg (less loft)?

The C-Grooves on the Nicky, however, do make me wonder. There just seems to be a little bit of magic in the roll off the Nicky. It’s tight and glassy and precise. The ball hugs the ground, a mesmerizing visual effect that translates to heightened performance.

I’m not crazy about Yes! Golf’s black-white-yellow brand color scheme, which is found on the grips of all Yes! putters. However, the folks at Yes! tell me that this scheme is a big hit for them, so what do I know? It certainly sets the brand apart. And, color aside, the Nicky’s grip feels great in the hands.

The Bottom Line
The Yes! Nicky is a sexy blade for those who prefer the look and behavior of a more traditional putter. It offers classic blade performance with the added advantage of the signature C-Groove face, which enhances accuracy by way of a beautiful roll. Yes! Golf is coming on strong these days, and the Nicky is no exception.

PING Karsten Anser Putter Review

It sounds too good to be true—a classic putter made by a legendary company for under $100.

Indeed, with its new Karsten Series putters, PING Golf has released several of its beloved designs at a street price of just $89. So is there a catch, or do we truly have a steal on our hands?

Following is PutterZone.com’s PING Karsten Anser putter review.

The Storyline
No company has played the putting game like PING over the past 40+ years. PING putters have won more than 2,300 professional tournaments around the world since the 1960s.

Founder Karsten Solheim crafted his first putter in his garage in 1959, igniting a revolution in putter design. At the time, he worked for General Electric. It wasn’t until 1967 that he resigned from GE to start Karsten Manufacturing, the parent company of the PING brand, so named for the “ping” sound of the putter upon contact. That was the same year that Julius Boros helped cement PING’s credibility, winning the Phoenix Open with a PING Anser model putter.

According to the lore, Solheim initially sketched his "answer" on the sleeve of a vinyl record album. The putter featured a cavity-back design for heel-toe balance, as well as an offset hosel. At the suggestion of his wife, he removed the ‘w’ from "answer" so it would better fit on the club.

Today, the Anser is the most-copied design in the putter market, a testament to its enduring genius. PING was also a major force in iron design, and today offers a full range of clubs and accessories. The company remains a family affair, with Solheim's son running the show.

In late 2006, PING unveiled its Redwood Series putters ($249), its first foray into the high-end milled putter market. A year later, PING launched the Karsten Series, an affordable yin to the Redwood’s luxury yang. In addition to the Anser model, the Karsten Series includes other classic PING designs, such as the Piper and Zing.

According to PING: “For golfers preferring the performance of a steel face with an insert feel, the Karsten Series meets the criteria. An elastomer insert in the cavity provides enhanced feel while maintaining the solid response of a steel-faced putter. Weight savings from the new cavity shapes were redistributed to the perimeter to increase each putter's moment-of-inertia for added forgiveness.”

The View from PutterZone.com
I’ll never forget my father buying me a PING Anser in the late 1970s or very early 1980s (I can’t recall the exact year). I was over the moon. This was the ultimate putter at that time.

Playing the new Karsten Anser inspired me to dig that old Anser out of storage as a point of comparison. The new Karsten version is just a bit thicker, but otherwise looks identical in shape. Of course, there are points of difference, such as the older version’s darkened bronze finish, sound slot and lighter weight. But in terms of overall profile, the Karsten Anser is true to its roots.

The Karsten Anser is the real deal in matters of performance, too. While dozens of companies have produced countless iterations of the Anser, PING knows this design better than anyone else, enabling them to deliver the Anser’s classic playability at even the Karsten’s remarkable price.

I wouldn’t say that this putter has an “insert feel,” and that’s just fine with me. I don’t want my Anser to feel like an insert putter (ie: a face that isn’t metal). However, the elastomer insert behind the face (which doubles as a PING logo in the center of the cavity) does seem to add a bit of fullness the feel, which I find appealing. It’s still steely, but with a nice plumpness, too.

The color scheme of the putter is silver and black with accents of gold for a sleek, sophisticated look. The included head cover is equally sweet. Silver piping separates panels of black canvas and gray pleather, with the PING logo is embroidered in gold and white. There’s even a magnet sewn inside the top of the cover that gently grabs the putter for a cozy fit.

My only quibble is that the putter is a bit wordy. From head to shaft, grip to head cover, the words PING and Karsten appear a total of 15 times. Of course, some of these instances are minor (such as the little Karsten on the butt of the grip), but it’s still a tad indulgent.

Wordy or not, however, the Karsten Anser rises well above its price point in terms of performance and presentation. It seems like nothing is a deal these days—gasoline is going up, stocks are going down and money is tight for many folks. In that context, the Karsten Anser is a particularly welcome sight.

The Bottom Line
Rather than simply stooping to the under-$100 price point, PING raised the bar on it with the Karsten Series. The Karsten Anser delivers proven performance in an attractive package, making a serious value statement in the process. If you want bang for your putting buck without breaking the bank, you can’t go wrong with PING’s Karsten Series putters.

SeeMore mFGP Putter Review

The putter that helped Zach Johnson win the Masters last year is going back to the future.

Indeed, the classic SeeMore FGP putter used by Johnson has been refashioned into the mFGP putter ($325), a high-end milled version of the original.

Is the mFGP a worthy sequel to its legendary predecessor? Following is PutterZone.com’s SeeMore mFGP putter review.

The Storyline
The SeeMore Putter Company story has been told at length in earlier pieces here at PutterZone.com, including our review of the SeeMore m1 putter and recent interview with Jim Grundberg, co-owner of SeeMore Putter Company.

The short story is that Payne Stewart won the 1999 U.S. Open with a SeeMore FGP putter, sinking some epic putts to secure his victory and turning the spotlight on SeeMore in the process. SeeMore’s calling card was (and remains) its signature RifleScope Technology (RST) alignment system, whereby a blackened lower shaft visually intersects and hides a red dot on the putter crown. Two parallel white lines frame the shaft and serve as an indicator that the golfer is in perfect position to make a consistent and reliable stroke.

Despite its tour-proven success, however, SeeMore ultimately fell on hard times before Grundberg and his partner Jason Pouliot, both putter industry veterans, acquired the company in 2006 and re-launched the SeeMore brand in early 2007 with their new mSeries line of super-premium milled putters, including the mFGP.

Shortly thereafter, Zach Johnson seemingly came out of nowhere to win the 2007 Masters with an original SeeMore FGP model in hand (although PutterZone.com never gets tired of reminding people that we took note of Johnson and his SeeMore putter on Thursday after the first round). Some might have called it good fortune for SeeMore, but it seemed more like fate to those who knew the whole story.

Whereas the original FGP—which SeeMore still offers for $149—is cast from an aluminum-bronze material, the mFGP is precision milled from 303 stainless steel. The straight shaft meets the head just short of center, and the balance is nearly fully toe down. The head weight is 330 grams and the loft is 3.5 degrees.

The mFGP comes with three lie angle options, four grip options, lengths customized to the half inch, and your choice of one of eight available head covers. SeeMore is clearly committed to the concepts of proper fitting and personal customization.

The View from PutterZone.com
In contrast to its shapely siblings in the mSeries, the mFGP strikes a more industrial profile that is true to its FGP roots. The heel and toe are squared off, and the cavity has an old-school look—just like the original FGP.

At the same time, this putter just oozes the aura of quality that distinguishes the entire mSeries, with a classy black satin finish, fine milling marks on the face and elegant stamping on the sole.

To me, there is nothing sweeter than finely milled, high-quality steel that meets the ball with a sensual balance of firmness and suppleness, bringing music to the ears and magic to the hands. Like its sibling m1 blade, the mFGP delivers this beautiful sensation, but with a slightly softer touch.

Putters like the mFGP and m1 make me want to practice my putting. The sweet spot is so sweet that I keep coming back for more. Off-center contact is vividly communicated—it’s not harsh, but not nearly as rewarding, either. So I keep at it, pursuing the reward, challenging myself to groove the pure center again and again. While some putters are designed to mask your putting flaws, the mSeries putters inspire you to fix them.

The white framing lines of the RifleScope alignment system really pop against the black finish of the mFGP, making it very easy to ensure that you’re square to the target line. This alignment aid is a brilliantly simple piece of visual insurance that keeps your setup on the straight and narrow.

I wouldn’t suggest rushing out and investing in the mFGP or other mSeries putters with the expectation that they will provide a quick fix for your putting game. Rather, these putters offer something more lasting, and more important, than a quick fix. They offer the opportunity to take your game to the next level, particularly if you’re ready to commit to the tour-preferred arcing stroke and the RifleScope visual system, and if you’re ready to put in the hard hours required to raise your game.

The Bottom Line
The mFGP is a masterful update of a true classic, honoring the original FGP design with the highest levels of quality and craftsmanship. The RifleScope alignment system is a timeless performance aid, and the mFGP matches it with phenomenal touch and old-school style. With its mSeries putters, SeeMore is making nothing less than some of the finest putters in the world today.

Never Compromise Exchange 2 Review

With its Exchange Series putters, Never Compromise aims to put tour-caliber customization in the palm of your hand.

Is it just a pipe dream—or a promise fulfilled? Following is PutterZone.com’s Never Compromise Exchange Series 2 model ($229) mallet putter review

The Storyline
In an earlier interview with PutterZone.com, Never Compromise’s Adam Sheldon observed: “There is no single putting condition, surface or stroke in the game today. In fact, it is safe to say that everybody is different and different players have different tendencies…If you look at the professional tours, most of the players have putters weighted to suit their preference. They also change their equipment regularly to suit the course conditions. We wanted to offer this same customization to our customers.”

Hence, Never Compromise’s Exchange Series putters, which feature four separate ports (two on the blade models) that can be mixed or matched with three separate pairs of included interchangeable sole weights spanning five, 10 and 15 grams—for a total head weight range of 320 to 370 grams. The weights are color coded and can be changed with the included allen wrench.

Not only can you align the weights evenly—say, one 10 gram weight on either side—you can also manipulate the balance of the putter by putting more weight toward the toe. This enables you to not only fine tune the weight of the putter, but its behavior as well. Such fine tuning can be used to combat personal tendencies, such as pushing or pulling putts.

The Exchange 2’s center-shafted head is milled from high-quality aluminum and features an aluminum composite weave insert for enhanced feel. The Exchange 2 is one of eight models in the Exchange Series.

The View from PutterZone.com
Many mallet putters these days are rather self-indulgent when it comes to cosmetics, but the Never Compromise Exchange Series 2 isn’t one of them. With its clean lines and confident profile, the Exchange 2 stands out from the louder crowd.

The advantages of this design are immediately apparent when you address the ball. The tapered edges add squareness and energy to what otherwise might have been a softer half-moon look. The company’s signature black-grey-black alignment scheme is aided by single black sightline, as well as a notching behind the face that mirrors the roundness of the ball for visual synergy.

The whole design seems very purposeful. Everything works—and nothing gets in the way. At the same time, the Exchange Series does bring a welcome bit of flash to the Never Compromise portfolio, with gleaming polished sole plates and red accents on the grip.

The aluminum weave insert is neither hard nor soft, achieving a happy medium with solid tactile feedback. The sound off the face, however, is a sort of synthetic pop that seems to come out of nowhere. I can’t say I’m a fan of the audio feedback.

Nevertheless, I found the Exchange 2 to be phenomenal in matters of touch and distance control. I’m not sure if this was due to the properties of the insert, the high MOI of the design, the consistency afforded by the putter’s superior alignment attributes, or a combination thereof. All I know is that it rarely left me far from the hole.

The Exchange system really allows you to explore the nuances of weighting and how it relates to your game. Amid the myriad combinations, there is something for everyone. Mine turned out to be a 15-gram blue weight on either side, for an evenly balanced head weight of 350 grams.

The Bottom Line
Never Compromise’s Exchange technology sets an unparalleled standard for personal custom weighting. The Exchange Series putters bring a fresh aesthetic twist to the Never Compromise portfolio while preserving the company’s distinctive look, and the Exchange 2 mallet earns points for its classy profile and confident performance.

Rife Two Bar Hybrid Putter Review

Hybrid cars are all the rage, so why not hybrid putters? Rife Putters presumes to have the answer.

Indeed, with its new Two Bar Hybrid putter, Rife aims to unite the best qualities of two existing models into a single stick. Is this marriage built to last?

Following is PutterZone.com’s Rife Two Bar Hybrid ($199) putter review.

The Storyline
Rife Putters hit the ground running when they released their first putters in 2005. The original Two Bar mallets and blades—so named for the distinctive weight bars protruding from the back of the face—were met with widespread acclaim.

In 2007, Rife launched its Island Series putters, skipping the Two Bar technology for more traditional designs, which included the successful Barbados mallet.

Now, with the Two Bar Hybrid, Rife has merged the Barbados design with its Two Bar technology. According to the company, “The most distinct features and performance benefits from both models have been blended into one new spectacular design that is a game improving ‘hybrid’ product in every sense of the word.”

The Hybrid is the first Rife putter to feature a face insert. Under the banner of “Dual Response technology,” this insert fuses anodized aluminum with high durometer polymer for enhanced feel.

The two "adjustable speed weighting" bars can be loaded with one of two pairs of included weights for a total head weight range of 345 grams to 360 grams.

As with all Rife putters, the Two Bar Hybrid also features the company’s patented RollGroove face groves, which are designed to impart truer roll; and the LieAline fitting system, whereby you can easily ascertain your correct lie angle and personally adjust the lie to fit your setup.

The Two Bar Hybrid comes with a LieAline bending tool, an instructional DVD and a head cover with a magnetic closure and a zippered pocket for storing the extra pair of weights.

The View from PutterZone.com
I’ve always found Rife putters to have an intangible coolness about them. Rife can take a traditional blade putter and somehow make it look fresh and hip. Rife can air infomercials without veering into “as seen on TV” territory. Rife can pack its putters with tons of features and freebies yet not seem gimmicky. Even the company’s putter model names, such as Aussie and Antigua, pass the cool test.

Now, Rife has taken the unusual step of merging its two most popular putters into one putter—and, not surprisingly, the results are pretty cool.

The Two Bar Hybrid effortlessly incorporates the Two Bar technology without disturbing the fundamental beauty of the Barbados, resulting in a putter that is truly the best of both worlds. In fact, the Hybrid incorporates the Two Bar design so well that you might wonder if it was all part of some master plan, and if the original Two Bar mallet and Barbados were individually engineered with this subsequent union in mind.

The blue Dual Response insert has a firm, crisp feel with perhaps a bit more suppleness than the original non-insert Two Bar mallet. I like the fact that Rife, while incorporating an insert for the first time, hasn’t gone the squishy route. The roll remains very solid off the face of the Hybrid.

I sank a 15 footer with my very first practice putt with the Hybrid, which made for a particularly pleasant first impression—one that endured over several sessions. I found the Hybrid to be very stable and excellent in matters of distance control. The Hybrid’s high MOI also helped keep my putts on the straight and narrow.

Rife’s self-serve lie adjustment technology is a brilliant piece of added value. With a few quick, gentle tugs, I was able to adjust the Two Bar Hybrid by a few degrees to fit my setup. The Two Bar adjustable weighting system is another nice feature. I like a heavier putter at 34 inches, so I happily loaded the Hybrid up to 360 grams. The bars themselves act as nice a three-dimensional alignment aid.

My only quibble is cosmetic in nature. On the bottom of the putter, the word “Hybrid” is stamped in a blocky font that resembles the Hummer logo (rather ironic for a putter named Hybrid), accompanied by airbrush-style blue striping. It all looks a bit awkward and out of place.

But what really counts is the top view, and from this vantage the Two Bar Hybrid is clean, quiet, confident and, of course, cool. While far from small, this putter manages to look sleek and shapely, making it one of the most visually appealing mallets on the market today.

The Bottom Line
The Rife Two Bar Hybrid is a high-performance putter that combines a distinctively sleek design with innovative customization. The Two Bar technology achieves its finest expression to date in the Hybrid, and the new face insert adds a fresh twist to the Rife experience. By maintaining its cool with the Two Bar Hybrid, Rife scores again.

TaylorMade Monza Spider Putter Review

So what was that exotic creature that J.B. Holmes used to sink the winning putt to beat Phil Mickelson at the FBR Open in Scottsdale earlier this month? The new Monza Spider putter by TaylorMade.

The Spider is the latest and edgiest member of TaylorMade’s diverse line of Rossa putters. Is the Spider destined to spin a large web across the putting universe? Following is PutterZone.com’s TaylorMade Monza Spider ($199) review.

The Storyline
The Monza Spider’s top selling point is its high “moment of inertia” (MOI), which is a measurement of a putter head’s weight properties, and specifically how that weight is distributed. A putter with high MOI is resistant to twisting and turning upon impact, resulting in more forgiveness for enhanced consistency and accuracy.

According to TaylorMade: “Even tour professionals frequently miss putts because they fail to hit the ball with the center of the clubface. With most putters, when impact is made toward the toe or heel, the head twists and the ball rolls off-line and finishes short of the target. Off-center hits also impart different types of spin compared to center-hits, contributing to inconsistent distance and direction.”

For this reason, TaylorMade engineered the Spider to “deliver a quantum leap in total performance” and to “give players better results on all types of impact locations, to promote super smooth and accurate roll.”

The Spider’s steel wire-frame head construction positions increased weight at the perimeter, adding stability on miss-hits. Additionally, a light aluminum core allows more weight to be positioned on the perimeter, further increasing the MOI.

The Spider also features Moveable Weight Technology (WMT), whereby you can change the weights in the outer rear ports with an optional weight kit that currently comes with TaylorMade drivers. The putter comes with two preinstalled four-gram weights. However, you can increase it by a total of 20 grams with the optional weight cartridges.

As with all Rossa putters, the Spider features TaylorMade's signature AGSI+ grooved insert technology, which is designed to impart truer, smoother roll.

The Spider will be officially released to the public on March 15, but it has already made a big splash on the PGA Tour this year. A total of 12 Spiders were put into play at Torrey Pines. Nine were in play at the aforementioned FBR Open, and 11 were put into play at Pebble Beach.

The View from PutterZone.com
The Spider could have easily been called the Tarantula, because it is truly a beast, measuring nearly four inches from face to rear, and slightly more than four inches at its widest point. Even the putter’s official name is brawny: TaylorMade Rossa Monza Spider.

A putter this radical looking will naturally have its naysayers. But remember the massive drivers that once looked absurd to our collective eyes, yet which are now the norm? The Spider just might be a similar glimpse into the future of high MOI putters.

Personally, I find the Spider to be a bit noisy in the visuals department. The outer harness is silver, the body is black and the alignment markings are white, and large patches of green grass are visible through the three open areas of the chassis. It’s a lot to tune out when the putter is in motion.

Behind this noise, however, is a putter that is generously calibrated to keep your stroke straight and focused. The high MOI works as advertised, making it difficult to hit a truly errant putt.

I’m not in possession of the optional weight cartridges, but the putter feels balanced enough with the preinstalled four-gram weights. The option to customize the weighting is a nice touch. The Spider is not light, but there’s a certain impression of lightness, because the mass of the putter would suggest something heavier.

The aggressive shape of the Spider is a confidence booster as well. This putter just looks like it means business, especially on close putts. It sort of begs the question: How could you possibly miss from three or four feet with this weapon in hand? Many golfers will find comfort and confidence in the shapely attitude of the Spider.

The AGSI+ insert has a nice, slightly soft feel with a pleasant grippy-chalky quality. And, as usual for TaylorMade, the presentation and finish work of the Spider are impeccable, from the paint fills to the stampings to the embroidery on the head cover. This is a company that doesn't take your dollar for granted.

The Bottom Line
The Monza Spider is not a putter that will, or wants, to please everyone. Rather, it very much intends to push the envelope, in terms of both physics and aesthetics. Hardcore traditionalists will probably choose to look the other way (TaylorMade's blade putters are an excellent alternative). However, those who are inclined toward something more unusual or edgy—a group that apparently includes a lot of PGA Tour pros—will enjoy the Spider's predisposition for stability and accuracy.

GEL Emerald Putter Review

GEL Golf is making a statement not only with its putter groove technology, but also with its groovy brand colors, specifically powder blue and yellow with an occasional touch of pink.

Is it just a matter of style over substance, or rather form celebrating function? Following is PutterZone.com’s review of the GEL Emerald model putter ($165).

The Storyline
GEL stands for Groove Equipment Limited. The company was founded by Alec Pettigrew, entrepreneur and former CEO of Yes! Golf Asia Pacific.

GEL is hardly the first proponent of putter face grooves, but the company claims to have taken groove technology to the next level. Each GEL putter incorporates an aluminum insert with a series of finely milled saw-like grooves engineered to minimize skidding and hopping, and thus to initiate true roll more quickly for straighter putts.

Face grooves are a somewhat controversial topic in the putter industry. Some swear by them, others say they’re a non-factor, suggesting that roll is more a function of putter loft, green conditions, player skill and other factors. Nevertheless, GEL has produced test results showing that the ball achieves steady forward motion earlier with the Emerald than with several familiar competitors. According to the company, the test was conducted independently by Quintic Sports Group.

GEL putters tend to be heavier than standard putters. The Emerald’s head weight is 400 grams, which is 50 to 65 grams heavier than most putters. The Emerald is a face-balanced putter made from 431 stainless steel with a black nickel finish. The loft is 2.5 degrees. The face insert is powder blue with white trim, and the grip features thick horizontal striping of powder blue and yellow. The head cover is yellow and black with powder blue trim.

The View from PutterZone.com
I’ve had the GEL Emerald for some months now. GEL Golf’s public relations staff has done an excellent job of spreading the news about its putters, but distribution and availability have been slow to materialize in the United States. Since I don’t like to review putters that readers of PutterZone.com will have trouble finding, I really hadn’t paid the putter much attention.

However, GEL continues to push forward and is clearly here to stay after a strong showing at the 2008 PGA Merchandise Show. So I recently dusted off the Emerald, gave it a workout and was unexpectedly dazzled by the experience.

The design of the Emerald is unconventional and edgy. It’s an approach that easily could have gone wrong, but GEL managed to do it right, successfully hybridizing the visual and performance attributes of both a blade and a mallet.

By today’s standards, the head isn’t large. In fact, the top line of the blade portion is barely thicker than the shaft. The back-weighted rear is also relatively slim at a width of 1.5 inches. The shaft is mounted at the heel with no offset, creating visual harmony between the eyes, hands and putter head. The overall effect is one of sleek, modern minimalism that helps maintain your focus on what counts.

The Emerald’s proprietary insert is buttery yet responsive, and the audio feedback is congruent with the feel of the putter. Better yet, miss-hits are gently communicated, and the head firmly resists twisting when struck off center. You know when you’ve erred with the Emerald, but your sin goes largely unpunished.

In my hands, the heavier 400-gram head is just enough to aid stroke smoothness without veering into distraction or imbalance. And, as promised, the ball rolls beautifully off the face. I can’t say if this is due to the grooves, and I’m not sure if I care. All I know is that the Emerald has a remarkable nose for the hole.

The putter’s black nickel finish could be more durable, and the glossy arrow alignment marks are prone to glare in high sunlight conditions. To my eye, the detail work—including cast edging and paint fill—looks a tad rough. However, mine is one of GEL’s first production models, and I suspect that the company will improve upon these shortcomings in future iterations. These things certainly don’t affect what matters most, which is performance.

As for the loud brand colors, at least you can’t fault GEL for going halfway. While this technicolor ensemble might not appeal to traditionalists, it will likely find friends among the newer generation of stylistically adventurous golfers who take their cues from colorful young pros like Camilo Villegas and Paula Creamer.

The Bottom Line
GEL Golf is one of the best-kept secrets in putting, but if the Emerald is any indication, the company won’t be a secret for long. The GEL Emerald boasts phenomenal forgiveness, feel and accuracy. Some may not be able to get past the brash, unconventional look of the Emerald. Those who embrace it, however, will likely sink more putts.

Heavy Putter Deep Face (DF) Review

Can the Heavy Putter truly compete with conventional putters? Here’s one way to answer the question: Troy Matteson has banked more than $1 million on the PGA Tour in each of the past two years with a Heavy Putter in his hands, and Adrian Mork shot a remarkable score of 59 on the European Challenge Tour with the help of a Heavy Putter.

But the bigger question is: Will the Heavy Putter work for you? Following is PutterZone.com’s review of the new Heavy Putter Deep Face F3 model putter ($169).

The Storyline
The Heavy Putter is the creation of Stephen Boccieri, an engineer and inventor with a deep knowledge of golf and a knack for challenging conventional wisdom. The first Heavy Putters were released in 2005. Click here to read PutterZone.com’s earlier interview with Boccieri.

The Heavy Putter F3-DF is one of several new models in Boccieri Golf’s new Deep Face (DF) series. The DF putters feature the same core weighting technology found on earlier Heavy Putter models, but with the added feature of a taller, or deeper, face. The DF putters also cost $30 less than earlier models.

The F3 is nicknamed the “Stealth” for its shapely resemblance to the F-117 stealth fighter jet. True to the brand name, the head weighs 465 grams, more than 100 grams heavier than a standard putter head. According to Boccieri Golf: “The heavier mass of the putter head disengages a golfer's small wrist muscles and engages the larger shoulder muscles of the upper body. This promotes a pendulum stroke and leads to a more consistent swing path.”

As with all Heavy Putters, the F3 also features a 250-gram weight in the grip end of the shaft to create a higher balance point. According to Boccieri Golf, this higher balance point “eliminates excessive hand and wrist action for the promotion of a smoother stroke.”

Meanwhile, the new Deep Face feature is essentially designed to sweeten the sweet spot: “With a putter face one-quarter inch taller than conventional putters, the Deep Face more closely aligns the equator of the golf ball with the ‘sweet spot’ of the clubface to optimally transfer energy for improved overall putting.”

The F3 is made from 303 stainless steel with CNC milled surfaces. The finish is matte gray along the crown, with brushed stainless along the sole and face.

The View from PutterZone.com
I’m already on the record as a believer in the Heavy Putter. Is it for everyone? I can’t say that. But will it raise your game? Quite possibly.

With its distinctive design, the F3 puts a new twist on the Heavy Putter experience. An overwhelming percentage of the weight is distributed to the perimeters of the head, so that the only part striking the ball is a thin portion of the face. So while the putter may be heavy, it feels surprisingly light and buoyant in matters of feedback, because there is so little mass behind the point of contact.

This unconventional design also yields rather unconventional acoustics. It’s sort of a “ping,” but with an airy, glassy resonance. An added asset of the F3 design is an arrow-like convergence into the target line, which acts as a natural alignment aid.

As with other Heavy Putter models, I found the F3 to be effective, as advertised, in terms of enhancing stroke stability and consistency. The F3 performed quite well for me on short putts and lag putts and everything in between. The balanced weightiness of the Heavy Putter does, indeed, seem to calm the twitches, resulting in improved command, consistency and confidence.

As for the Deep Face feature, it’s certainly compelling—and comforting—to see the top of the ball nearly even with the top line of the putter at address, and with the centers of both more closely aligned from a vertical perspective. The concept makes perfect sense, and it no doubt lessens one’s need to manipulate the club head in order to achieve optimal contact and thus forward roll.

Of course, there is an acclimation period when switching from a conventional putter to a Heavy Putter. However, I’ve never found this period to be long or troubling. At first, the heaviness can feel a bit alien. Soon enough, however, it feels quite natural.

With the DF series, Boccieri Golf has chosen to accessorize the putters with a marbled grip and glossy vinyl accents on the head cover, flashy touches that I find to be a bit incongruous with the confident industrial aesthetic of the putter itself. Some, however, will love these accents, while party poopers like me can always buy a more sedate replacement grip for $8 from Heavy Putter.

The Bottom Line
Boccieri Golf scores again with the Heavy Putter DF-F3. The F3 fully earns its “Stealth” nickname with its unconventional look, forward-thinking technology and lethal ability to straighten out your stroke. The new Deep Face feature offers added performance security to the proven Heavy Putter technology, and the F3 in particular brings a new level of feel to Boccieri’s lineup.

MacGregor Face-Off DCT1 Putter Review

With Greg Norman now steering its ship, MacGregor Golf is gearing up to navigate new competitive waters. Indeed, when the “Shark” himself was named chairman of MacGregor’s board of directors in October, it was clear that his presence would be felt going forward.

Norman tends to have the Midas touch in the business world, succeeding at everything from wine to apparel, so when he says that he wants to “unlock the true brand value that is embedded within MacGregor,” it’s not advisable to bet against him.

Lucky for Norman, MacGregor doesn’t have to look far for major talent in the putter department, because he’s already got some in the form of designer Bobby Grace, whose latest offerings are MacGregor Golf's Face-Off family of putters with Distance Corrective Technology (DCT), which consists of two blades and a mallet.

Following is PutterZone.com’s review of the MacGregor Face-Off DCT1 model blade.

The Storyline
Bobby Grace first made a splash in 1994 with his “Fat Lady Swings” putter, a mallet that he hand-milled in his garage. This distinctive putter helped Nick Price win the 1994 PGA Championship by a record six shots. Grace’s smaller putter, “The Pip-Squeak,” was used by Annika Sorenstam to win her first seven professional events.

Grace’s continued success in club design eventually led to the sale of his company and a position with MacGregor Golf as vice president of putter research and development.

Last year, MacGregor Golf launched its new series of Bobby Grace-designed putters featuring his innovative Distance Corrective Technology (DCT) and Face-Off features.

According to MacGregor Golf: "Distance Corrective Technology uses patented inserts to provide consistent distance control even on the most common miss-hits by a combination of the materials and weighting in the clubhead."

More specifically, the DCT face inserts are denser and harder as they move away from center, therefore transferring more energy to the ball on miss-hits, thus correcting putts that otherwise would fall far short of the hole.

As for the Face-Off feature: "The polymer insert, designed for faster greens, makes every impact feel dead-center and, with 3 degrees of loft, performs best with this material. The milled metal insert, designed for slow greens, provides golfers with more feedback."

The View from PutterZone.com
The DCT1 is styled in the classic Anser shape with a plumber’s neck, but the head is taller and wider than the average Anser-style blade (some will argue with characterization of this shape as a true “blade,” but MacGregor and others call these putters blades, and this isn’t the place for semantic quibbles). In fact, the DCT1 dwarfs most of the other Anser family blades here at PutterZone.com headquarters.

There are merit and differentiation in the largeness of the DCT1, allowing it to stand out from the crowd while offering performance benefits to golfers who prefer the look of a traditional putter while seeking the forgiveness—perceptual or actual—of a larger head. With the DCT1, Bobby Grace and MacGregor Golf seem to be enrolling the concept of a larger mallet into a more traditional package.

The DCT1 features a luminous satin stainless steel finish, which is more striking than the drab gray of its sister mallet, the Response DCT. So if you’ve seen the mallet and found it aesthetically uninspired, don’t hold it against the DCT1—this is one sharp looking putter.

The DCT1 comes with a zippered kit featuring the second of the two interchangeable faces along with a custom wrench. Changing the faces is a breeze, requiring you to remove just two screws accessed from the back of the face mounting. Thirty seconds is all you need to radically change the feel of the putter.

When MacGregor says that the polymer face “makes every impact feel dead-center,” they’re not kidding. And while the word “titanium” might sound hard and unforgiving, the titanium face is, in fact, sufficiently friendly in terms of feel and feedback. It’s not as supple or sophisticated as carbon steel, but it doesn’t rattle your cage, either.

Oddly, I prefer the titanium insert over the soft polymer insert on the DCT1, whereas I preferred the polymer on the Response DCT mallet reviewed earlier on PutterZone.com. Perhaps it’s just my biased expectation of what an Anser-style blade should feel like.

I’m not convinced that the average golfer will, or should, interchange the faces regularly depending on course conditions. I’m a big believer in developing a personal relationship with your putter and its overall feel, and that can be difficult if your putter has multiple personalities. Still, the ability to choose from two different faces to fit your game is pretty cool, and if your game changes at a later date or you start using a firmer or softer ball, it’s comforting to know that you have the option of adapting.

As for the Distance Corrective Technology technology, I can only say that the DCT1 is generally quite forgiving and friendly in matters of distance control, be it due to high MOI or Distance Corrective Technology or, most likely, a combination thereof.

The Bottom Line
The Face-Off DCT1 is an elegant, traditionally styled putter that is nevertheless unique in both look and features. The large head and interchangeable faces may not appeal to those who prefer a more classical putter, but others will benefit from the stability and flexibility that the DCT1 affords. With the DCT1 putter, Bobby Grace has given us a fine taste of things to come from MacGregor Golf.

Nike Unitized Putter Review

Some golfers are skeptical of Nike Golf’s ability to match the highest levels of quality and performance delivered by more established putter brands.

Yet with the launch of its innovative Unitized putters last year, Nike Golf sought to prove the skeptics wrong by entering the rarefied air of the ultra-premium putter category, in which the baseline price is essentially $250. And now the company is introducing three new additions to its Unitized lineup.

Is Nike Golf just going farther out on a limb with its new Unitized models, or is the company putting down serious roots in the high-end soil? Following is PutterZone.com’s review of the new Unitized Leo model ($249).

The Storyline
The ultra-premium putter category exploded in 2007, as evidenced by the introduction of PING’s Redwood series putters ($249) and Odyssey’s Black series putters ($249), both category firsts for their respective companies. The new Mizuno Bettinardi Black Carbon putters ($249) further attest to the phenomenon.

The market for such putters is growing as the average golfer becomes more sophisticated and discriminating when it comes to putting, seeking an extra edge in terms of feel and confidence on the greens.

Nike Golf is hardly a latecomer to the ultra-premium party, having introduced its first Unitized putters in November of last year. Like virtually all putters in the category, the Unitized putters are 100-percent milled and promise exquisite detail and quality. The real hook, however, is Nike Golf’s proprietary “unitized” technology.

According to Nike Golf, its Unitized putters “hold the distinction of being the only putters in the marketplace that have the head and shaft designed and engineered as one piece.”

The 303 stainless steel Unitized heads are initially forged, then precision CNC milled into their final shape and detail. The heads are laser welded to the shaft and nickel plated as a single unit, with no bonds or joints to interfere with the goal of pure response.

According to the company: “The seamless construction creates an express line straight from the putter face to the grip, with no stops along the way to interrupt frequencies between the putter head and the golfer’s hands. This delivers a pure response and unparalleled feel.”

The View from PutterZone.com
My role at PutterZone.com affords me the unique opportunity to compare and contrast a wide variety of putters, and to obsess over attributes like feedback—the very thing that Nike Golf aspires to master with its Unitized technology.

On that note, I believe that Nike Golf has loaded the bases and knocked it out of the park with the Unitized Leo. When the sweet spot of this putter meets the ball, the result is sensory purity. The effect is buttery smooth, yet also crisp and resonant. It’s a perfect balance of soft and firm, yielding an immensely responsive and pleasurable putting experience.

Can I say for certain that this remarkable sensation is attributable to the Unitized technology? No, I can’t. But nor can I come up with any other explanation, so consider me a believer.

True to its name, the Leo is “unitized” as a one-piece, uniformly hued unit of head, hosel and shaft. In addition to tactile harmony, this technology offers the added advantage of visual unity when you address the ball, similar to Nike’s IC series putters, but within a more traditional color palette.

The shape of the Leo is what I might call “neo Anser,” maintaining the visual familiarity of the classic Anser shape while achieving a sleek, modern profile. The color of the nickel finish could be described as storm gray or dark metallic—it’s definitely darker and more distinctive that the product photos would suggest. The face is elegantly milled with arced crosshatching. The sole is brightly polished, adding just the right touch of luxury to the ensemble. The nicely textured grip is tastefully stylized in black and gray with accents of yellow. The Unitized Leo ultimately oozes class and quality, two attributes that contribute to putting confidence.

My only quibble with the presentation is the accompanying headcover, which is not up to the quality or the price point of the putter itself. This same headcover issue plagues Nike Golf’s IC and Ignite putter lines as well, so it now qualifies as a pattern. The Leo’s faux suede headcover has a wrap-around Velcro enclosure and ultimately fails the style test. I just don't get it. Whoever designed the Leo itself needs to walk down the hall to the headcover department and administer some tough love.

I have no quibbles with the putter’s performance, however, as the Unitized Leo works ample magic on the greens.

When you combine exquisite materials and workmanship with the proven Anser-style shape, the results are bound to be good. What puts the Leo over the top, however, is the aforementioned purity of feedback. This, in turn, enhances touch and feel, which ultimately improves control and accuracy. My distance control was at its peak when using the Leo. The threat of three-putts was minimized while my putting enjoyment was maximized. I can’t ask for more than that.

My gushing about this putter doesn’t necessarily mean that you should rush out, spend $250 on a Unitized Leo and expect it to magically and immediately transform your game. There are no training wheels on this putter, such as overt alignment aids, special inserts or adjustable weighting. In fact, the Leo is so minimalist that it doesn’t even have a sightline or sight dot.

However, if you are comfortable with a traditional Anser-style blade, and if you’ve seasoned your putting game to the point of investing in the next level, the Unitized Leo demands consideration.

The Bottom Line
Nike Golf’s Unitized Leo ranks comfortably among the most elite putters to come along in recent years, at least on the broad retail market. This putter offers top-to-bottom excellence, from visuals to materials to performance, and it is particularly remarkable in matters of feedback and feel. Nike Golf’s Unitized Leo ultimately belongs on the short list of any golfer seeking a world-class putter that will raise his or her game.

The Simple Joys of Puttle

In addition to helping lower your handicap, putting practice can also be a lot of fun, especially when complemented by a game of Puttle—a simple new invention that aims to raise your game.

Puttle was created by KO Kleppert, a Pennsylvania-based graphic designer and self-proclaimed director of the International Puttle Organization. Kleppert came up with the idea while practicing putting in his office, and, after refining the concept, unveiled Puttle to the world in March of this year.

Puttle artfully combines the concept of bowling with the art of putting, employing three miniature wooden pins and a point system that rewards accuracy, both in terms of direction and distance. Puttle is meant to be played indoors, which makes it a great winter sport, as well as a wholesome pastime for kids and family.

To play Puttle, you set the pins 2.5 inches apart in a straight line. You place a marker 18 inches behind the pins, and then you stand 12 feet away on the other side of the pins and putt your ball, aiming for the middle pin, which has a red crown.

The Puttle point system rewards knockdowns of the pins and, as with golf, the lower your points the better your score. If you knock just the middle pin down, you get one point. If you knock the middle pin and a side pin down simultaneously, you get two points. If you just knock a side pin down, you get three points.

According to Kleppert, “For the serious competitor, Puttle is a challenging game with a par of 54 over 18 Puttle attempts.”

A cool twist to the game is the fact that you are penalized a point if your ball crosses the 18-inch line behind the pins—ensuring that the game is about managing distance control as well as aim.

A complete Puttle package, which costs $18, consists of the three pins, full instructions that double as a handy pin placement guide, pieces of pre-cut fishing line (18 inches and 12 feet) to make it easy to guide the setup, and some dot stickers that you can place on the floor for easy resetting of the pins and marking of the distances.

Puttle can be played alone, one on one, or in teams. Kleppert, whose motto is “play by the rules,” may not like this suggestion, but you can also easily modify Puttle to your liking. Here at PutterZone.com headquarters, where putting is often a solitary pursuit, walking 12 feet back and forth to re-set the pins after each putt isn’t always feasible, so it can become a game of knock all the pins down in as few shots as possible. But if you have a partner, playing by the official rules is a breeze.

One note of advice if you are playing on your living room carpet—conduct some test putts and make sure you’re on a level playing field. Carpets can have invisible breaks that throw your ball off line.

If you’re looking for the perfect golfer's stocking stuffer or a just a new way to have fun with your putting practice, you can't go wrong with Puttle.

In Review: Nike IC Putter

Yes, it’s true—the new Nike IC series putters are totally green, from head to shaft to grip.

When word leaked a few months ago that Nike Golf was poised to release a series of all-green putters, the news was met with some skepticism. When photos of the new putters started circulating, the skepticism mounted. Let’s just say that the traditionalists weren’t jumping for joy.

The IC putter, however, isn’t merely a radical fashion statement. Rather, it’s an outgrowth of optical engineering by the folks at Nike Golf. So, will the Nike IC putter make you green around the gills, or will it make your friends green with envy?

Following is PutterZone.com’s review of the Nike IC 2010 blade putter ($139), one of five models in the new IC series.

The Storyline
In a recent article about Nike Golf, Golfweek Magazine documented the company’s unapologetic pursuit of the cutting edge: “Undaunted, the company continues to push one unconventional creation after another, which some purists describe as an affront to their golf sensibilities.”

As far as such affronts go, the all-green IC putter might be Nike Golf’s biggest yet, judging by some of the knee-jerk jeers that accompanied its arrival.

According to Nike Golf, however, there’s a method to their alleged madness: “With the putter’s head and shaft color blending into the background of the putting green, the Nike IC Putter eliminates ‘visual noise’ and mutes the areas of the club that aren’t critical. Instead, the eyes are focused on what is critical—alignment.”

Playing on the words “I See,” the IC Putter was developed by Nike Golf in collaboration with Dr. Alan W. Reichow, the global research director of Vision and Science for Nike, Inc., and Tom Stites, director of club creation for Nike Golf.

In the words of Nike Golf: “After much testing, they meticulously came up with the white, triangular shape alignment aid that is a key feature of the Nike IC Putter. The optically engineered alignment aid helps square the face in relation to the hole and starts putts on the line.”

Additionally, says Nike Golf, “The face of the Nike IC Putter is milled to precise tolerances to enhance accuracy, predictability and distance control across the putter face. With a high moment of inertia (MOI), the head is stabilized throughout the stroke and at impact for greater confidence and improved accuracy.”

In terms of pricing, the IC putters are positioned between Nike’s value-priced Ignite putters and high-end Unitized putters.

The View from PutterZone.com
I don’t belong to the anti-Nike camp. I can’t help but admire the company as a force of sports nature and I count a few of their products among my favorite golfing gear. This doesn’t mean that I’m a fan of everything that Nike Golf produces (I’m not impressed by the Ignite putters, for example), but it does mean that I will take an unbiased view of the company’s products. That’s not too much to ask, is it?

On that note, I am happy to report that the IC putter is not the first sign of the Golfing Apocalypse. In fact, it’s a pretty slick instrument that, while a bit alien in appearance, is quite effective in matters of performance.

The first thing I noticed about the IC putter is that it looks more sophisticated in person than in its product photos, which somehow make the putter look a bit drab. The green hue—which is seamless from the head through the grip, including the entire shaft—is rather rich and calm. The milled face, which looks white in the photos, is actually metallic silver.

As for the optical concept itself, it would be impossible for me to prove or disprove its efficacy. There’s certainly merit in the concept of minimizing visual noise, however. I’ve commented before about how certain putters can be distracting at address because they’re overloaded with bevels, cuts, decorations or other noisy flourishes. Thus, by achieving visual calmness and blending in with the putting green, the IC design certainly won’t hurt, and very well might help the average golfer.

More importantly, the IC blade simply rolls a beautiful ball. The putter has a nice heft and feels quite balanced, which aids smoothness in the stroke. The sweet spot is small but supple, providing ample reward for precision and consistency. On miss-hits, the metal face can yield quite a clang, but I don’t have a problem with that—it just makes me really focus on consistently finding that sweet spot.

If you’re a fan of spongy insert putters, the IC might rattle your cage. But if you enjoy the firmness of metal, you will appreciate this putter's substantive feedback. Also, while the IC blade can sound and feel punitive on miss-hits, it’s actually fairly forgiving in terms of where the ball ends up.

I do have a few quibbles with the peripherals of the IC 2010 blade putter. The grip has a light green design flourish that wraps around the back, and this flourish is much slicker than the rest of the grip, which creates a tactile dissonance that will be amplified during the summer months, when sweat becomes more of an issue. Also, the headcover is a bit flimsy and not up to the standard of the rest of the putter.

In parting, the IC 2010 blade earns points simply for being one of the most unusual putters among the many here at PutterZone.com headquarters. People gripe about Nike being a big corporate global brand that’s allegedly all about marketing, then complain when the company doesn’t play it safe and produces products with inherent marketing challenges, such as an all-green putter. I’m not saying that the IC putter is a total home run, but I appreciate the fact that Nike Golf is swinging for the fences instead of simply trying to put the ball in play.

The Bottom Line
The IC 2010 blade putter will earn converts among edgier souls who don’t mind standing out from the crowd, and who seek an effective putter at a nice price. The IC 2010 particularly appeals to those suffer from focusing issues when addressing the ball, as it minimizes visual distraction and can therefore enhance concentration. As a daring design with a scientific purpose, the IC 2010 blade putter ultimately hits the mark.

In Review: Sizemore XB-1 Putter

Like no other club in the bag, the putter captures the imagination of artisan designers who turn the simple act of rolling the ball into a thing of beauty. Whereas the driver is a tuba and the iron a trumpet, the putter is more like a violin, an instrument that begs for artistic interpretation as well as precise craftsmanship.

With recent advances in design technology and online distribution, combined with a growing number of golfers who seek a competitive or aesthetic edge in their putting game, the market for boutique putters is more robust than ever before. We are, indeed, entering a new era in artisan putter design.

Among the newcomers is the Sizemore Collection, led by veteran designer Bruce Sizemore, Jr. The Sizemore Collection’s putters certainly aren’t cheap, but they promise superior quality and artistry. Does the Sizemore Collection deliver on its promise?

Following is PutterZone.com’s review of the Sizemore Collection XB-1 blade putter ($349).

The Storyline
As a young man, Bruce Sizemore, Jr. learned course management at his local club in Michigan. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Sizemore became a PGA professional, specializing in golf instruction. His work with students ignited his passion for custom-designed golf equipment, leading to a two-year project with Copper Stix Putters, where he developed a specialized computer-driven milling process. Sizemore’s putters gained considerable traction on the PGA Tour and ultimately captured prize earnings exceeding $6 million dollars.

After two more years of design, as well research and development work, the Sizemore Collection was formally launched in 2006. The XB-1 putter was released earlier this year as one of two blade putters in Sizemore’s XB series, which complement the two mallet putters in his XM series.

The carbon steel XB-1 putter head features a framed-in alignment pocket with sloping flanges that, according to the company, “create a superior optical focus.” The carbon steel head is complemented with a 110 annealed (99.9% pure) copper insert.

According to the Sizemore Collection: “To produce the highest level of performance, the pure copper insert is crossed-milled in the company’s computer in 27 different directions. It is then finished in a geometric pattern with exceptionally fine spacing. This patented and state-of-the-art IND-X process produces the flattest, most accurate face finish possible. This astonishingly flat surface guarantees optimal reliability with a uniquely true response on all points of the putter face. Even outside of the normal “sweet spot”, the cross milled face finish ensures a true roll and does not deflect a ball off-line as with other milled surfaces.”

Says Bruce Sizemore, Jr.: “The XB-1 putter represents a new generation of modern equipment. It integrates progressive technology with sophisticated materials yet distinctively looks like a conventional blade. This dynamic design combination will appeal to the golfer who likes a classic blade but needs more accuracy and consistent feedback.”

Sizemore’s arrangement of a carbon steel head with a copper insert “guarantees that the XB-1 Putter will generate a distinctive feel with an outstanding low resonance sound.” According to Sizemore, although accuracy is an important component of a putter, golfers respond to feel and auditory sounds for the perfect putt.

The View from PutterZone.com
The remarkable craftsmanship of the XB-1 is immediately apparent in the seamless fusion of the copper insert with the remainder of the putter face.

I queried the Sizemore Collection about the depth of this copper insert, and was told that it is a quarter-inch thick. In other words, it’s a serious chunk of copper. Yet up close, the copper literally looks painted onto the putter face, without the slightest hint of a seam or gap. This certainly adds credibility to Sizemore’s boast that “the IND-X process produces the flattest, most accurate face finish possible.”

From an aesthetic standpoint, the XB-1 is both exotic and elegant, a finely crafted instrument that manages to stand out from the crowd while maintaining artistic dignity and poise. As with most works of art, photographs don’t really do it justice. Let’s just say that Bruce Sizemore Jr. is as much a jeweler as he is a designer.

The feedback of the XB-1 is extremely vivid. Any variation in your point of contact is uniquely communicated, meaning that a perfect strike sounds and feels different than a slightly imperfect strike, and the same for miss-hits in varying degrees. Such could be said for most putters, but with the XB-1, these slight variations in contact are quite pronounced in terms of feedback. When struck well, the sound and feel are crisp but soothing, and ultimately quite appealing.

Personally, I love the XB-1’s feedback attributes, as they force me to be acutely aware of consistency and repeatability in my stroke. A big, squishy meat hammer-type putter might go gentle on your psyche, but it’s not always the best way to raise your game. The XB-1 is the type of putter that becomes a relationship, with all of the complexities, nuances and rewards that the term implies.

Also, there is a difference between feedback and forgiveness, and I find the XB-1 to be quite forgiving. The head is on the larger side for a blade, and miss-hits, despite being clearly communicated, are treated with sufficient tenderness. The result is reliable accuracy.

My only quibble is that the XB-1 is rather optically active at address. The upper sole features black alignment line along the center, as well as two surrounding grooves that visually hug the golf ball, which is a nice touch. However, there are several additional dips, notches and bevels along the upper sole, both along and perpendicular to the target line. I personally find these flourishes to be a bit distracting, but others might, in fact, find them to be geometrically appealing.

The color scheme of the XB-1 is uniquely striking, combining copper flourishes with silver and black. The slip-on cover is well made and looks sharp i