Rife Rolls Out New Cayman Putter

Rife Putters is set to unveil the newest model in its acclaimed Island Series—the Cayman blade.

According to Rife: “The latest addition to the Rife Island Series…will appeal to golfers looking for a more traditional look and feel. The new Cayman, like all of the Island Series putters, is 100-percent CNC milled from soft 303 stainless steel and features Rife’s patented ‘RollGroove’ technology, producing the quickest roll in golf.”

The Cayman has already been spotted at several PGA tournaments. According to Rife, it will be posted for sale on the company’s web site at the end of this week, and will start appearing at retail outlets shortly thereafter. The price is $179.

The Cayman borrows from the classic “softtail” design popularized by T.P. Mills and others, with a curving topline toward the toe. At first glance, the Cayman looks striking.

The initial iterations of the Cayman featured a “sound slot” at the base of the cavity behind the face for enhanced audio feedback. However, Rife determined that the Cayman performed better without the sound slot, so the retail version will not have it.

Rife says that the Cayman’s “mid-slant hosel produces a toe-ward weight bias promoting a open to close swing path so common among the greatest players in golf.”

Following are the Cayman’s specs:

Head weight – 345 grams

Lie Angle – 70 degrees

Loft of head – 2 degrees

Shaft kickback – .5 degree (shaft leans back away from the face toward the right eye)

Effective loft – 1.5 degree (head loft minus kickback)

Groove to land ratio – 1 to 3 (groove width 45/1000” to land 15/1000”)

Lengths – Available in 35” and 34” RH and 35” LH

Winn custom AVS grip

Proprietary extruded tube stepless steel shaft

Head cover with magnet clasps

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.

A Preview of New Putters for 2008

If you are desperate for a new putter, you might want to wait a few more weeks, as your options are about to greatly expand.

Indeed, as the PGA Fall Expo unfolds today in Las Vegas, many putter companies are already starting to unveil their new putter lineups heading into 2008. The PGA Fall Expo is one of two major annual PGA equipment expositions, the other being the PGA Merchandise Show.

The Sizemore Collection, a boutique putter company led by designer Bruce Sizemore, is introducing its new Sizemore XM-1 Putter in a center-shafted version. The putter features Sizemore’s patented Alignment Insert Management system, or AIM. This system allows players to choose their alignment preference as well as optimize their speed and distance control with a set of interchangeable weighted end caps. According to the company: “As with the entire Sizemore Collection, the Sizemore XM-1 features pure copper inserts that are cross-milled in 27 different directions. It is then finished in a Sizemore signature geometric pattern with exceptionally fine spacing. This patented and state-of-the art IND-X process produces the flattest, most accurate face finish possible."

Rife Putters is set to release its Two Bar Hybrid, a cross between the company’s traditional Barbados mallet and its more radical Two Bar putters. According to the company, the Two Bar Hybrid has been quietly tested on the Champions and Nationwide tours for the past three months to great reviews. Click here to read PutterZone.com’s exclusive interview with Rife Putters President Matt Molloy.

Mizuno Golf is releasing a new series of putters designed by Robert Bettinardi. Under the banner of Carbon Black, the putters ($249) are crafted from milled carbon steel with a black chrome finish. According to the company: “The new patented Feel Impact Technology (FIT) Face…gives gives the golfer an all new enhanced feel when putting the ball. The FIT Face milled area dramatically reduces the surface area of the where the ball makes contact with the face and, in turn, delivers an extremely solid and soft feel to every putt.” Click here to read PutterZone.com’s exclusive interview with Robert Bettinardi.

SeeMore Putter Company is releasing three new putters: the mFGP Plantinum, as well as belly versions of the m1 and m3 models. The mFGP Platinum is a milled, platinum-finished replica of the putter Zach Johnson win the 2007 Masters. Each of the new putters features SeeMore’s signature RifleScope Technology, through which a blackened shaft visually intersects and hides a red dot on the putter crown. Two parallel white sightlines frame the shaft and serve as an indicator that the golfer is in perfect position to make a consistent and reliable stroke. Click here to read PutterZone.com’s rave review of SeeMore’s m1 putter.

Come October, Boccieri Golf will release several new Heavy Putters, including an Anser-style blade (which has already been put into play by Troy Matteson on the PGA Tour), as well as three aesthetically progressive designs that represent a major departure from the existing Heavy Putter portfolio—a half-moon mallet with a hollowed-out underside; a blade tentatively named the Stealth for its resemblance to the F-117 fighter jet; and a nearly impossible-to-describe putter tentatively called the Camelback, which resembles three connected pipes cut longways in the direction of the putter face. Click here to read more about the next Heavy Putters.

British Open Exclusive: Hot Putters on Tour

Which PGA Tour players will wield which putters at this week’s British Open? What are the hottest flatsticks on the professional circuits at this moment? Everybody knows that Tiger Woods uses a trusty Scotty Cameron putter and that Phil Mickelson keeps two custom Odyssey putters in his stable. But what about other golf legends and rising stars? What’s working for them on the green?

PutterZone.com is no stranger to these questions. It’s only natural that recreational golfers want to know what works for the top players in the world, as it just might work for them as well.

So, with a little reconnaissance, PutterZone.com developed the following unprecedented dossier on who’s using what right now.

There are a few things you should know about this dossier. It is accurate and up to date, but only to the point that a pro golfer decides to switch putters, which can happen at any time. Also, where possible, I have taken care to specify if a putter is a prototype or has been highly customized. But you can bet that all of these putters have been customized in one way or another, in terms of loft, lie, length, weighting, etc. You’d be hard pressed to find a pro who pulls a putter right off the rack—and for the same reason you might consider having your putter professionally fit to your own physique and mechanics.

So, without further ado...

Several hot hands on the PGA Tour are playing Rossa Series putters by TaylorMade. David Toms has won nearly $2 million this year with a Rossa Imola 8 model in his bag. Sean O’Hair employs a Rossa Monza Corza AGSI model, while Kenny Perry favors the Rossa Inza model. The Anti-skid Groove System Insert (AGSI) on the latest Rossa putters is engineered to reduce backspin and promote forward spin earlier in the shot for enhanced distance control and accuracy.

Angel Cabrera used PING’s Redwood Anser model putter while outpacing Tiger Woods to win the recent 2007 U.S. Open—earning him a solid gold replica of the putter as part of PING’s gold putter program for tour victors (a regular win gets you gold-plated putter while a major victory earns you a solid gold putter). Other PGA Tour pros wielding the Redwood Anser putter include Lee Westwood. The new Redwood Series features three classic PING shapes, all crafted from precision-milled 303 stainless steel. The series name pays tribute to Redwood City, California, where founder Karsten Solheim created the first PING putter in his garage. Meanwhile, Chris DiMarco uses PING’s Anser IsoForce putter.

Boccieri Golf’s Heavy Putter continues to gain momentum on tour, and Troy Matteson has already won more than $1 million this year with one in his bag. Matteson’s current putter is a prototype Heavy Putter blade with a satin finish. Brad Fritsch is also playing the same prototype on the Nationwide Tour, while Ken Staton plays with the Heavy Putter A3 model. Heavy Putter’s tour prototypes may or may not be precursors to future models, but PutterZone.com has confirmed that Boccieri Golf plans to release new Heavy Putter models later this year. Stay tuned.

Yes! Golf’s C-Groove putters are proliferating on professional circuits worldwide. Since 2001, Retief Goosen has used an early version of the company’s Tracy model, with which he has won two U.S. Opens. Jerry Kelly has rapidly ascended to 24th on the PGA Tour money list with a Sophia model in hand. On the LPGA Tour, Juli Inkster uses a Marilyn model. The concentric C-Grooves on Yes! Putters are designed to send the ball on a truer topspin roll for enhanced directional and distance control.

Never Compromise’s Exchange Series #7 model (pictured here) is getting a serious workout on the PGA Tour, with Vijay Singh, Boo Weekley and Michael Putnam all wielding it (Singh frequently uses the belly version). The Exchange Series putters come with adjustable color-coded weights that fit into four ports. The putter head by itself weighs 320 grams. Both Singh and Putnam typically use two white 10-gram weights in the back ports for a total head weight of 340 grams. Weekley typically uses two of the white weights in front and two blue 15-gram weights in back for a total of 370 grams. The Exchange Series kit also comes with a pair of red five-gram weights.

Rife Putters is red hot right now, having released its acclaimed Island Series putters on the heels of its successful 2 Bar line. Justin Rose uses the Island Series Barbados model. Brian Gay, who is currently ranked 13th in putting average on the PGA Tour, employs Rife’s GR5 mid blade, which is similar to the current GR6 Aussie model. Peter Lonard uses the cool 2 Bar Scarab—alas, the Scarab is a prototype that is unavailable to the general public. The standard 2 Bar mallet, however, is widely available. Rife’s putters feature RollGroove technology, through which precisely milled face grooves are designed to impart a more consistent roll.

It’s no secret that Zach Johnson won the 2007 Masters and 2007 AT&T Classic with a SeeMore FGP model putter in hand. Meanwhile, Vaughn Taylor has ridden his SeeMore FGP to a ranking of 21st in PGA Tour putting average. Earlier this year, SeeMore released its new mSeries precision-milled putters, and the m1 model has seen a lot of action in the hands of Stuart Appleby, who has been hanging around the top of several leaderboards of late. SeeMore’s calling card is its RifleScope technology, through which a blackened shaft visually intersects and hides a red dot on the putter crown. Two parallel white sightlines frame the shaft and serve as an indicator that the golfer is in perfect position to make a consistent and reliable stroke.

Jesper Parnevik uses a V-Foil M7.5 K GT putter by MacGregor Golf. Meanwhile, Billy Mayfair is using a prototype of one of MacGregor’s new DCT putters with Face-Off technology. Designed by Bobby Grace, MacGregor’s DCT putters features Distance Control Technology (DCT), which transfers more energy to the ball on miss-hits for enhanced distance consistency. They also offers two interchangeable putter faces: a polymer face designed for faster greens and a titanium face for slower greens

Newcomer GEL Golf will make its major tournament debut at the British Open in the hands of David Gleeson of Australia, who will play with GEL’s Ruby model putter. In addition to fashionably bright color schemes, GEL putters incorporate a soft aluminum insert with a series of finely milled saw-like grooves engineered to start the ball rolling faster and straighter.

Staying Power Award: Heavy Putter

Heavy Putter earns PutterZone.com’s Staying Power award for a young putter company that, despite tough competitive odds, is clearly here to stay.

This award is the latest in PutterZone.com’s 2007 Midyear Putter Awards, which began Monday with the Next Level Award, followed by the Comeback Award and Heritage Award. Stay tuned tomorrow for the Anticipation Award.

The Staying Power Award was a very close call between Heavy Putter and Rife Putters. Both are young, nimble putter companies with big ideas and, more important, terrific execution. The nod here goes to Heavy Putter, mainly because it represents the more radical concept, and is thus meeting the steeper challenge.

The Heavy Putter ($199) is comprised of six models (three blades and three mallets) in two different finishes. The Heavy Putter is made by Boccieri Golf and was invented by founder Stephen Boccieri. You might call Heavy Putter a brand instead of a company, but Heavy Putter and Boccieri Golf are, for now, essentially one and the same.

Some are under the impression that the Heavy Putter is simply a putter that is, well, heavier. But it’s much more than that. It’s heavier not only in the head, but also in the shaft, which raises the balance point for more control. The Heavy Putter also boasts a customizable weighting kit, a unique alignment concept and high MOI.

The bottom line is that we’re not talking about some slight technological nudge. We’re talking about a paradigm shift, which is immediately evident when you handle a Heavy Putter for the first time. In the words of 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.”

Boccieri Golf views its Heavy Putter as the successor to the original Ping Anser putter (1966) and the groundbreaking Odyssey 2-Ball putter (2001), in terms of being a departure point in putter technology and design. This remains to be seen, and, to date, the Heavy Putter hasn’t matched the runaway success of the Odyssey 2-Ball or Ping Anser.

On the other hand, Heavy Putter wasn’t just a new idea when it was launched in 2005. It was a brand new company. They'll have to run the race before they can win the sprint.

Heavy Putter has already enjoyed international tour success, including a win by Troy Matteson on the PGA Tour, which bodes well for a bright future. The Heavy Putter may not ultimately be for everyone, but it appears poised to change the game for many.

Runner Up
Rife Putters hit the ground running in 2005 with the launch of its innovative Rife Two Bar putter, which one observer characterized as “an odd-looking gizmo.” Odd looking perhaps, but certainly no gizmo. In fact, the Rife Two Bar putter is a serious flatstick loaded with meaningful features that put the ball in the hole. At $179, it still manages to offer tremendous value. This year, Rife Putters launched its more traditional line of Island Series putters, which are as artful as the Two Bar is distinctive. The Island Series is enjoying tour success and proves that Rife Putters is not a one-hit wonder, but rather a force to be reckoned with.

Facing Your New Putter Choices

In the competition for your golfing dollar, several putter manufacturers are facing off with new technologies designed to impart “true roll” for optimal accuracy on the green—and much of this competition is being waged right on the putter face itself, where you will find inserts, grooves and other special features that aim to raise your game.

True roll is defined as the ball rolling with perfectly straight topspin off the putter face without skidding, hopping or other unpredictable movements that can wreak havoc on direction and distance control. Actual true roll is a bit of a mythical concept, given the many variables of natural putting surfaces, but the pursuit of what you might call “truer” roll is keeping a lot of putter designers very busy.

If you’re in the market for a new putter, the technological crossfire can be confusing. Following is a breakdown to help you navigate your current choices in putter face technology—and to alert you to some newcomers that will be hitting the market soon.

Face Inserts
A face insert is a separate material that has been inserted into, or on, the putter to create a desired ball-striking effect. In most cases, the insert is a softer material than metal.

The notion of a face insert sounds relatively simple, yet in practice it can be quite complex and multidimensional. For example, Odyssey’s White Hot XG insert technology, found in the popular Odyssey Marxman and other models, features an elastomer core material, a thin outer striking surface and a textured impact zone that the company claims creates “even better forgiveness and truer roll than previous models.”

STX Putters takes the tech talk a step further, referencing scientific concepts such as “dwell time” and “coefficient of friction” to demonstrate how its elastomeric inserts cradle the ball during contact for reduced skidding.

MacGregor’s new Response DCT putter is literally changing the face of insert technology with its “Face-Off” design—the putter comes with two easily interchangeable faces, one made of polymer and the other titanium, to best fit your game or playing conditions.

What next? Keep an eye out for the Dark ACE by Profound Putters, an exciting new European putter that should cross the Atlantic sometime this summer. The Dark ACE features a soft insert behind the face to dampen vibrations while maintaining the pure audio feedback of metal.

Face Groove Technology
Rife Putters, Yes! Golf, TaylorMade and GEL Putters are some of the companies leading the charge with groove technology, through which precisely engineered grooves on the putter face are designed to create a truer, more consistent roll.

According to Yes! Golf, “the key to more accurate putting is to achieve forward rolling motion immediately upon striking the ball.” Yes! Golf’s answer is its C-Groove technology, which features distinctive concentric grooves on the putter face, as seen on Yes! putter models such as the Yes! Callie and Yes! Dianna. According to Yes! Golf: “The patented concentric edges on the C-Groove putter face grip the surface of the ball and apply physical forces which simultaneously lift the ball out of its resting position and impart an over-the-top rolling action.”

The horizontal RollGrooves found on Rife’s putters, such as the Rife Barbados, and the Anti-skid Groove System Insert on TaylorMade’s Rossa putters, such as the Rossa Imola (pictured here), promise a similar effect. A newcomer on this groovy scene is GEL Putters. GEL stands for Groove Equipment Limited, which tells you that this company takes the groove business pretty seriously. Keep an eye out for GEL Putters, as they are poised to make a national rollout soon.

Face Loft (or lack thereof)
Larry Garcia, founder of Q-Roll Golf, believes the answer to true roll is found in loft (or lack thereof), not in inserts or grooves.

Putter loft is the angle of the putter face in relation to the ground, in the same way that a nine iron has a lot of loft and a three iron has less loft. Most putters feature a small degree of loft.

Q-Roll’s putters, however, feature Radius Face Technology, through which the leading edge of the putter face is toward the top of the face, not at the bottom—a sort of anti-loft. Radius Face Technology is designed to “strike the golf ball above its equator, producing immediate topspin and a true, forward role for improved control and accuracy.” Q-Roll is a smaller company with a big idea that is gaining converts by the day.

As you can see, the answer to achieving true roll depends on who’s asking the question. Regardless, you can take comfort in the fact that many great scientific minds are working hard to raise your game, and that somewhere among the above technologies is a putter that just might perfectly fit your stroke and style.

In Review: Rife Two Bar Mallet Putter

For some reason, I was never drawn to Rife's Two Bar putters, despite their uniquely appealing look. But after getting cozy with Rife’s Two Bar mallet putter ($179), I have made a quick transition from disengaged to smitten. This is the story of our first date. Is it too early to shop for a ring? I think I’m in love.

The Storyline
Rife’s Two Bar putters feature multiple technologies, including Adustable Speed Weighting, RollGroove faces and LieAline fitting. My personal take on these technologies is detailed below. As for the science behind these technologies, and in the interest of keeping this review from turning into War and Peace, I encourage you to visit www.RifePutters.com for the company’s own comprehensive explanations. Rife’s site sets the standard in terms of explaining the features and benefits of their signature technologies.

In fact, Rife’s problem may be that the company is simply too good at selling its products. They don’t just throw out some buzzwords and ask you to fork over $179. They work it. They pack their putters with special features. They explain everything in great detail on their web site. They air infomercials. They include an instructional DVD with your putter. They might even wash your car.

So is that really a problem? In retrospect, and upon further review, it’s not. After all, I’m often griping about putter companies that don’t offer enough for my dollar, that don’t adequately explain the features and benefits of their products, or that generally treat me like a cheap date.

If you’re wondering why innovative upstarts like Heavy Putter and Rife can quickly gobble up market share from some of the bigger boys, here’s your answer: They are producing Tour-quality putters while taking great care to honor the hard-earned dollar of the average golfer.

The View from PutterZone.com
For starters, I must rave about this putter’s magnificent feedback properties. Connecting with the sweet spot on the Rife Two Bar mallet is like biting into a perfectly ripe Georgia peach. The sound is crisp, almost a click. The feel is firm yet juicy, which is the best of both worlds. This isn’t a putter for those who prefer the quieter, squishier feedback associated with soft inserts. But for those who like a little sweet music with some good vibrations, this putter has to be near the top of the list.

The color of the putter head is a soothing ice blue-gray. You can choose between a straight or double bend shaft (I sampled the double bend version). The two signature silver bars protrude from the back of the face above the shallow sole, terminating at the back edge of the sole. Three pairs of included weights comprise the Adjustable Speed Weighting system. The weights easily screw into the otherwise hollow bars. I prefer the medium weights. In my hands, the putter just feels more balanced with the medium weights. The idea behind the adjustable weighting is that you can change the weights, from light to medium to heavy, to fit your playing conditions on any given day or course. But I’d rather stick with what feels most balanced to me and make simple stroke adjustments to accommodate the conditions.

At address, the respective centers of the two bars visually hug the golf ball. A white sightline splits the two bars along the length of the sole. The visual impression is striking, because these aiming cues are three-dimensional, which to my eyes makes them more assertive and ultimately more effective. In my limited exposure to the Two Bar blade model, I found the bars to be a bit distracting as they jutted well beyond the back edge of the sole. But on the mallet, the opposite is true: the sightline impression is utterly seamless and complete.

As for the RollGroove technology, which consists of extruded horizontal grooves on the putter face that are supposed to grip and lift the ball for a truer roll, it’s hard for me to say it truly works without conducting scientific tests (as if I could). I will say that it seems to work, that my ball does seem to roll more smoothly, but that may simply be the power of suggestion. I can say that it certainly doesn’t hurt.

The LieAline system is sound as well. The white sightline between the two bars lines up with notch on the back of the face. At setup, you check to see if the sightline “docks” into the notch. If the sightline visually clips either edge of the notch, then you can use the included plastic LieAline tool to gently bend the shaft in the appropriate direction to achieve the ideal lie for your setup. Once you’ve set your ideal lie, you can use the notch as a constant feedback device to ensure a consistent setup.

The Rife Two Bar mallet also comes with an instructional DVD and a nice pleather putter cover with velcro closures. The 13-minute DVD, which is hosted by Ian Baker-Finch and Jim McLean, is beautifully produced and features some nice putting tips and drills. The DVD also briefly demonstrates how to adjust the putter’s lie and weighting, but quickly, and smartly, focuses on ways to improve your putting game instead of trying to further sell you something you’ve already purchased.

The Bottom Line
To sum it up in one word: Wow. The Rife Two Bar mallet is packed with special features that can make a difference in your game, yet all of these features merge gracefully into a unified design. Best of all, this putter offers excellent touch and feel for optimal confidence on the green.

Insider Interview: Matt Molloy - Rife Putters

On April 9, 2007, Matt Molloy was officially promoted to the position of president of Rife Putters. Matt now oversees all of the company's day-to-day operations, as well as the overall future direction of Rife Putters. Matt was the company’s chief operations officer prior to being named president. Said Rife Putters CEO Jim Barfield: "Matt has done an exceptional job right from the start developing our overall initial business model and producing our highly successful infomercial. He has made some very tough directional decisions along the way that continue to better position Rife Putters for a successful future. Matt truly has been the de facto president of Rife Putters for quite some time now, but he's never cared much about his title, only the success of this company.” Rife Putters is most known for its distinctive “Two Bar” putter designs and Horizontal RollGroove putter face technology, which claims to offer the “truest ‘no skid’ roll in golf.” The company also recently launched its more traditional Island Series putters to considerable acclaim (pictured here is the Barbados model). Matt was kind enough to take time out of a busy travel schedule to answer questions about the direction of Rife Putters, as well as the new Island Series putters. Following is the transcript of our exclusive interview:

Upon being named president of Rife Putters, one of your stated goals was to “help Rife Putters evolve from a successful infomercial based company to a mainstream retail putter brand.” Can you elaborate on this point?
Infomercials have gotten a tough rap over the years as a lot of bad products have been peddled and a lot of false claims have been made via this medium. We believe our product and our infomercial was an exception but retailers and consumers are often wary of companies that experience some initial success via an infomercial because many of these companies often have trouble following up their initial success with a product of equal or better quality. We have made a firm commitment to proving to both groups that Rife’s Two Bar Putter is far more than a “one hit wonder”. With the success of the Aussie and Mr. Beasley putters in 2006 both on tour and at retail, and now the overwhelming response to the 2007 Island Series, we are certain that we are on the right track. We also have several other great products that we’re developing, including a remodeled 2008 Two Bar model, that we’re certain will raise a lot of eyebrows.

Many golfers are familiar with the name Guerin Rife, yet the company is now simply known as Rife Putters. Can you clarify the relationship between these names, and where they both stand in terms of your current brand identity?
As you probably know, our designer's name is Guerin Rife. At the end of 2005, we decided that we really needed to simplify the company’s name, as getting people to correctly pronounce the name “Guerin” was proving to be a challenge. Just look at the footage from the NBC Today show on our website. We thought it was best to simplify things from a branding standpoint, so when good things started to happen for the company it wouldn’t be overshadowed by people mispronouncing the name. Our company firmly stands behind Guerin Rife as an amazingly talented designer and a true innovator in the golf industry, but, from a brand awareness standpoint, Rife Putters was simply a much cleaner approach. Not to mention that "Rife" fits much easier at the bottom of a grip and in the cavity of putter than "Guerin Rife" does.

Your new Island Series putters, particularly the Barbados model, have created some serious buzz. What do you think is most remarkable about these putters? What sets them apart?
Quite frankly, the Barbados is just a great looking mallet. If you look closely at any one of our putter designs you will see a lot of subtle craftsmanship, specialized milling, and subtle weight configurations that have been lost on many other putters these days, unless you plan on spending $300 or more for a putter. Guerin continues to find ways to mesh breakthrough technology with aesthetically pleasing designs, which is a true art form. Not to mention the fact that we get them in the hands of consumers at a very reasonable price. There are several aspects to the Barbados that give it that little extra something that allows it to standout against the other run-of-the-mill cast products that sell at the same price. For example, the channels in the bottom of the putter…Very few designers would have thought to add that small feature, but he did it to get the exact weight he was looking for while achieving a very finished and distinct look. What has impressed me the most about Guerin’s masterful design ability is he always keeps the flow of a putter completely uninterrupted. Very rarely do you see hard edges unless he was trying to achieve something very specific to aid the optics of the putter.

The Island Series model names, such as Martinique and Barbados, are distinctive and appealing. Can you elaborate on how you came up with the concept of the Island Series, and what it signifies from a marketing and identity standpoint?
Originally, the Island Series as a whole was just something fun that we thought fit what our company was all about. Golf is a game of leisure and is usually accompanied by great scenery or surroundings, so we thought the Island Series names reflected that. Currently, we have several other Island Series putters in the pipeline.

Rife Putters is perhaps most known for its distinctive “Two Bar” technology, yet the new putters do not feature this technology. Will the Two Bar technology continue to play a role in your future?
Yes, as I mentioned earlier, we currently have a new 2008 Two Bar design already in production which should debut on the PGA Tour in early summer and we are very excited about where the Two Bar line is headed. There are a lot of directions we can go with this concept in the years to come, so the Two Bar technology, as well as some new technologies, will be around for quite sometime. We still want to have a full line of options, though, for the traditionalists, and we hope the continued expansion of the Island Series line will meet those needs.

Thank you, Matt. For more information, visit www.RifePutters.com.

Putter Success Roundup

So how is your putter doing? Following is roundup of recent successes on tour:

YES! PUTTERS
On the PGA Tour, the YES! Dianna finished third and the Sophia putter finished tied for eighth at the Verizon Heritage in an unusual Monday finish because of high winds on Sunday. Battling similar wind conditions on the LPGA Tour, Laura Davies finished third at the Ginn Open in Reunion, Fla using a YES! Victoria II putter. YES! also finished second in the putter count on the LPGA Tour with 28 putters in play.

SEEMORE PUTTERS
SeeMore Putter Company sustained its momentum at the Verizon Classic with impressive top 10 finishes by Masters Champion Zach Johnson and Vaughn Taylor. Taylor finished fourth with an impressive 1.556 putts per GIR with an outstanding 1.375 in the final round. He jumped nine spots on the money list to 22nd from 31st this week. Taylor finished in the top 10 in only his second Masters last week. Johnson followed up his stunning Masters victory with a sixth place finish at Harbourtown. He is now in fourth place on the money list jumping from eighth place. Both are in the top 20 in Tour putting statistics.

RIFE PUTTERS
Rife Putters found success on the LPGA Tour this past weekend in Orlando, Florida with a T-4th and a T-6th Place Finish at The Ginn Open. Prior to making the switch to a Rife putter at the Ginn Open, the T-4th Place Finisher's best showing this season was a 60th Place Finish. She decided to make the switch to Rife's Aussie Blade putter and it immediately landed her in the Top 5, earning a paycheck for $118,370.00.This week's T-6th Place Finisher at the Ginn Open used her Rife 2 Bar Mallet putter to earn her 2nd Top Ten Finish of the 2007 season and a paycheck for $79,340.00.