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.

Insider Interview: SeeMore's Jim Grundberg

With the Masters just around the corner, now is the perfect time to catch up with the putter company that helped fit Zach Johnson with the green jacket in 2007. This time last year, the SeeMore Putter Company had only recently re-launched itself under the new ownership team of Jim Grundberg and Jason Pouliot (both pictured here, with Jim at right). The company was famous for making the putter that Payne Stewart used in his epic putting performance to win the 1999 U.S. Open, but had subsequently fallen on hard times. Grundberg and Pouilot, however, proved they were up to the challenge of saving the venerable SeeMore brand, launching their new mSeries milled putters in early 2007 to widespread acclaim (PutterZone.com called the m1 putter a “masterwork” in an earlier review). Then, when Zach Johnson won the Masters using an original SeeMore FGP putter, the rebirth of SeeMore was sealed. PutterZone.com recently caught up with Jim Grundberg to discuss last year’s exciting developments, as well as what’s next from SeeMore Putter Company. Following is our exclusive interview:

What sets SeeMore putters apart—and how does the average golfer benefit from using a SeeMore putter?
Our patented RifleScope Technology (RST) alignment system works to help the average golfer gain confidence and consistency with their putting stroke. SeeMore putters are very unique in that they offer the average golfer a built in system for game improvement.

This patented RST, known by a visible gun sight on the top line, allows the golfer to set up the putter perfectly each and every time in relation to the intended target line, by framing the black bottom part of the shaft between two white lines and covering the red dot. If the golfer is seeing red at any time during setup or the stroke, then there is something that needs to be fixed. When the RST is locked on, the golfer is able to focus solely on the speed of the putt, knowing that he is square to his intended target line.

For most golfers, and at all levels, putting is much more art than science. They are constantly seeking that magic putter, one which feels right and looks right, one which will give them confidence. Yet even when they find one they love, the feeling rarely lasts for long. Then they are onto a new search. That tends not to be the case with golfers who use SeeMore putters. When things start to get a little off track, the SeeMore RST provides important feedback to the golfer that will help him or her self-correct. It’s like having a putting instructor with you.

Can you briefly describe the state of the SeeMore Putter Company when you acquired it in 2006?
The SeeMore brand had been basically inactive in the market for the past five years. At the time we acquired SeeMore in 2006, it was nearly impossible to find a SeeMore putter in the golf shops. Golf professionals no longer knew where to find a SeeMore putter and wondered what had ever happened to the brand. Yet many avid golfers still used their trusty old SeeMore putters and swore by its benefits. In fact this period of being essentially off the market was a blessing in disguise for us as we set out to re-launch the brand. It meant that the prior owners had done a fantastic job of not sacrificing the brand in any way for any type of short-term gain. And they never gave up hope. They had waited for the right time to re-launch the brand, and decided it was better to do nothing rather than to bring the brand back to market under the wrong circumstances.

When we first met the prior ownership groups, they decided that Jason and I had the commitment, the resources, the passion, and the long-term plan that would be right for the brand that they had all so carefully built.

In our due diligence we could not find anyone that had anything bad to say about SeeMore. Most told us that the company had always had a core group of raving fans that loved the simple alignment technology. These SeeMore loyalists wanted this brand back and they wanted the company to adapt the proven RST alignment system to more models with an improved look and feel. Our best customers were already laying out the plan for what was becoming obvious that we needed to do.

What ultimately drove your new vision for SeeMore?
Based upon the feedback we received from golfers who had loved SeeMore for years, we added a new high-end milled line called mSeries (m1 model pictured here). Simply stated, our goal was to marry up the finest game improvement technology in the world in RST with the most expensive and precise materials in the world for the ultimate in precision putting performance. The unique, jewel like designs of each putter in the line would offer the ultimate in pride of ownership as well.

However we also wanted to continue to support our loyal customers and new RST converts with a more affordable option, so we kept our most important original model in the line and in fact plan to expand that offering later in 2008. So what drove our vision was to offer the best of both worlds. At the top would be the new and improved 100% milled mSeries at $325, which we consider the best of the best. But also we would keep the original cast FGP in the line at $150. It gives the customers a clear choice. The functional technology works in both models. The mSeries simply takes it to a new level of excellence. All of our putters are made in the USA, which is something we are very proud of.

We were delighted to learn last month that our blade and mallet mSeries putters were featured by Golf Digest in their exclusive 2008 Hot List, which is another great validation of the mSeries putters which PutterZone.com first featured last year!

People should know that the 2007 Masters win didn’t make the new SeeMore. Your new plan, vision and products were already in place when that happened. That said, the visibility couldn’t have hurt. Can you describe that Sunday night and the days following, in terms of how it impacted SeeMore?
The Masters victory in 2007 was obviously a catalyst for the re-launch of the brand. Jason and I were first and foremost golf fans that day, watching the Masters telecast from start to finish with our friends and families and enjoying every riveting second of the drama that was unfolding. We were on the phones all afternoon with our club designer Andre Shmoldas, as well as our international partners and our team here in Tennessee.

When Zach continued pouring them in on the back nine, it started to hit us that this dream might really be happening. By the last hole we were receiving hundreds of phone calls and text messages from friends in the industry who knew how special the exposure was going to be for us. Our public relations director Kevin Donnellon and I were on the phone until well after midnight polishing and executing our communications strategy. Our phones started ringing the day after and haven’t stopped since. It has completely energized our employees and our partners around the world to believe that they are part of something very special.

You are rolling out some new models and a new shaft for 2008. What do these add to the existing SeeMore experience?
We launched the mSeries with what we are calling the whistle shaft in 2008, based upon strong input from the tours and from our partner golf professionals at the club level. The Whistle line involves a new shaft with a simple bend that maintains the alignment and performance integrity of the SeeMore putting system while favoring a slight hands-forward at address position.

The original straight shaft versions of the mSeries putters, as well as the original FGP putters, are designed to have a golfer place his hands in line with the eyes and with the putter head. Golfers now have many choices with the new SeeMore line in terms of head shape as well as hand position. Many golfers told us they loved the idea of our system but have always putted with their hands slightly forward and felt more comfortable that way. We have designed the offset whistle shaft line for these players.

As a result of the Whistle design, golfers will still enjoy the multiple proprietary benefits of RST: the guarantee that the hands will be in the same place each and every time, the confidence that the putter head will be perfectly square to the intended target line at address and at impact, and the ability to groove a perfect pendulum putting stroke.

Thank you, Jim! Stay tuned for PutterZone.com's review of SeeMore's mFGP model putter.

SeeMore Eyes Another Masterful Year

“Two white lines, one red dot and a green jacket at Augusta”—such was the cleverly colorful message featured on the recent holiday card sent by the SeeMore Putter Company, summarizing a triumphant run in 2007

As you may know, SeeMore’s signature RifleScope alignment system consists of two white lines and a red dot on the crown of the putter head. The company re-launched itself last year to critical acclaim, and when Zach Johnson won the 2007 Masters, he did it with an original SeeMore putter in hand.

It was a very good year, indeed, for the SeeMore Putter Company.

But rather than rest on its considerable laurels from 2007, the SeeMore Putter Company is charging into 2008 with a new mallet putter and a new shaft design option for its milled mSeries putters.

According to SeeMore, the company’s new m5 large mallet putter (pictured here) is a “tour-inspired design that addresses the growing demand and requests from PGA Tour, Nationwide Tour, European Tour, PGA club professionals and top amateurs, who have been seeking a classic, full-size mallet from us.”

The m5 joins three blades and a mid-size mallet to become the fifth entry in the mSeries, which was released last year in tandem with a re-launch of the company by new owners Jim Grundberg and Jason Pouliot.

Another addition to the mSeries for 2008 is the option of choosing the company’s new offset “Whistle” shaft (pictured here). The Whistle shaft features a slight bend for those who prefer to have their hands forward at address. Until now, all of the mSeries putters came with straight shafts.

What makes the Whistle shaft special is that, even with the bend, it maintains the properties of the RifleScope alignment system, 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.

“We spent a significant amount of research, design and engineering time and resources consulting with the world’s best golfers to develop a proprietary shaft that would satisfy them and preserve the benefits of the proven and proprietary SeeMore putting system,” Grundberg says.

Stay tuned for PutterZone.com’s upcoming Insider Interview with the owners of the SeeMore Putter Company.

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.

Win a $325 SeeMore Putter

Would you like to win one of the hottest putters of 2007? Now is your chance! Entering is easy, and the odds are quite favorable.

Payne Stewart used a SeeMore putter to win the 1999 U.S. Open in what is recognized as perhaps the greatest putting performance in major tournament history. In 2007, Zach Johnson also wielded a SeeMore putter on his march to winning the Masters.

Now is your chance to own the putter of champions as PutterZone.com and the SeeMore Putter Company team up to offer a SeeMore m1 putter (35 inches, right handed) to one lucky reader. This putter belongs to SeeMore’s new generation of mSeries precision-milled putters featuring the company’s signature RifleScope alignment technology, a 303 stainless steel head and a lightweight aircraft aluminum back cavity insert.

The retail price of this putter is $325. Click here to read PutterZone.com’s review of the m1 and learn more about the “masterwork” that could be yours.

How to Enter / Rules
Send an email to sean@putterzone.com with “SeeMore Putter” in the subject line. Inside the email, provide answers to the following questions:

1. Who won the 1999 U.S. Open using a SeeMore putter (see above)?

2. Who won the 2007 Masters using a SeeMore putter (see above)?

3. Be sure to also provide the following: Your full name, shipping address and telephone number.

IMPORTANT: Follow the above instructions carefully to ensure qualification. Deadline for entry is noon on September 14, 2007. Contest prize is limited to one putter for one winner. Sorry, eligibility is limited to residents of the United States and Canada. Only one entry allowed per household. Area codes and zip codes will be monitored to ensure that the proverbial ballot isn’t stuffed. The winner’s provided name, address and phone number must all be legitimate and accurate. Anything less will result in disqualification. Winner’s name will be publicized on PutterZone.com.

Determining The Winner
PutterZone.com will collate all qualifying entries and assemble them into a random order. The entries will then each be assigned a unique number. PutterZone.com will then ask a SeeMore Putter Company representative to randomly select one number within the final number range. The selected number will determine the winner.

PutterZone.com will call the winner to confirm name, shipping address and telephone number. If a message is left, the winner must call back to confirm within 48 hours or another winner will be selected.

Big Week for Odyssey, TaylorMade Putters

When the dust settled at Carnoustie on Sunday, it was Padraig Harrington and his Odyssey White Hot 2-Ball blade putter at the top of the 2007 British Open leaderboard—just edging Sergio Garcia and his much-discussed Rossa Corzina model belly putter by TaylorMade.

For more insights into Odyssey’s classic 2-Ball putter (pictured here) as well as the company's new Marxman putter, check out PutterZone.com’s recent interview with Rob Arluna, Odyssey’s director of brand management.

Meanwhile, in addition to generating headlines in Garcia’s hands, TaylorMade also enjoyed success on this side of the pond when Joe Ogilvie wielded a Rossa LeMans putter to win the U.S. Bank Championship on Sunday, notching his first PGA Tour victory. Stay tuned this week for PutterZone.com’s review of the Rossa Siena putter.

Finally, newly minted professional Taylor Leon used a SeeMore m2 putter en route to winning the CIGNA Golf Classic on the Duramed Futures Tour last week. Click here to read PutterZone.com’s rave review of SeeMore’s m1 model putter, a close companion to the m2 model.

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.

In Review: SeeMore m1 Putter

The story of the SeeMore putter is similar to that of the American bald eagle—a magnificent creation once pushed to the brink of extinction, only to stage a stirring comeback. Indeed, the once-beleaguered SeeMore Putter Company is again flying high under new ownership, with a victory at the 2007 Masters adding wind beneath its wings.

But does the company’s new m1 putter live up to the SeeMore legacy—not to mention its eye-popping price tag? Following is PutterZone.com’s review of the SeeMore m1 milled putter ($325), one of four putters in the company’s new mSeries line.

The Storyline
One could say that the SeeMore story essentially began during the final round at the 1999 U.S. Open at Pinehurst, when Payne Stewart sank one-putts at holes 16, 17 and 18 to win the tournament by one stroke. His putter that day? The distinctively innovative SeeMore FGP.

SeeMore’s calling card—then and now—is its patented RifleScope Technology, a simple yet proven concept that has stood the test of time. It consists of a red dot on the crown of the putter along with a blackened lower portion of the putter shaft. With a proper setup, the blackened shaft visually intersects and hides the red dot to communicate ideal alignment.

The SeeMore Putter Company, however, ultimately failed to capitalize on its good fortune and proven technology. The company suffered from mismanagement and flirted with obscurity while producing some lackluster putters. In retrospect, the untimely passing of Payne Stewart in late 1999 added a tragic note to the SeeMore story.

The original SeeMore FGP putters, however, remained in play on the PGA Tour—most notably in the hands of Vaughn Taylor and Zach Johnson, two of the hottest young putters on the professional golf circuit. In other words, while the company was fizzling, its old putter was enjoying a youth-inspired resurgence.

Fast forward to 2006, when SeeMore was acquired by putter industry veterans Jim Grundberg and Jason Pouliot, who set out to restore the SeeMore legacy with a new vision and a new line of super-premium putters. They hired Andre Shmoldas, formerly of Never Compromise, to design the next generation of SeeMore putters (resulting in the mSeries), and they retained Pat O’Brien as a consultant. O’Brien, who was a close friend of Payne Stewart, is a former SeeMore tour representative who became the putting instructor to the aforementioned Vaughn Taylor and Zach Johnson.

So when Johnson won the 2007 Masters with his trusty FGP putter in hand, it was as if fate had been itching to smile once again upon the SeeMore Putter Company, bringing the original FGP full circle while also shining the spotlight on the new mSeries putters.

The mSeries putters, which were introduced earlier this year, are precision milled from 303 stainless steel. The head features a back cavity insert milled from 6061 lightweight aircraft aluminum, which increases forgiveness and enhances feedback. In addition to the m1, m2 and m3 putters, the series includes the mFGP, which is a milled version of the classic FGP model. The company also offers an exact copy of the original non-milled FGP for $149. All of the putters in the mSeries are available with custom length and lie options.

The View from PutterZone.com
My expectations for the SeeMore m1 putter were very high, based not only on the price, but also on the fact that I have been following and admiring the latest chapter in the SeeMore story. High expectations often result in disappointment—but in this instance, my expectations were not only met, but exceeded. This putter is an absolute stunner.

Let’s start with the overall design. Shmoldas managed to maintain much of the visual equity of the classic SeeMore FGP while incorporating a multitude of improvements, resulting in a putter that is both familiar and on the cutting edge. It’s a textbook example of how to step into the future without uprooting your brand.

The performance qualities of the m1 are phenomenal. It offers the feedback and playability of a tour-caliber blade within a context of surprising forgiveness. Miss-hits are clearly felt and heard, signaling disaster—but disaster rarely comes. In other words, you benefit from the knowledge of your mistake while evading many of the potential consequences.

Meanwhile, when you strike the ball well, you are rewarded with supple yet solid feedback, both in a tactile and auditory sense—a signature of first-class materials and milling. The RifleScope Technology is effective, communicating a proper setup and encouraging a naturally arcing stroke that befits the toe hang of the putter.

The result of all of this, at least for me, is uncommon confidence, consistency and accuracy, both in terms of aiming and distance control. I simply putt better with the m1 than most other putters, with the ball more frequently finding the hole.

The m1 is center-shafted without offset. None of the SeeMore putters has offset, as the RifleScope alignment system necessarily requires the shaft to line up with the blade’s crown at address. Similarly, the RifleScope system encourages a setup in which the putter head is centered in your stance.

SeeMore’s alignment features coincide nicely with my preferred setup and putting stroke. My lone caveat, therefore, is that what works for me doesn’t work for everyone, as setup and stroke can be highly personal.

Cosmetically speaking, the SeeMore m1 is beautiful in the manner of Audrey Hepburn: it’s not flashy, it just oozes old-soul class and simple elegance. It looks more impressive in hand than in photos. It comes with a black Golf Pride grip and deluxe putter cover with magnetic closures.

As for the $325 price tag, I have no problem with it. If you pay for Porsche and you get a Camry, that’s a problem. But if you pay for a Porsche and you get a Porsche, then it’s all good, is it not? This putter is a Porsche. It’s also liable to stay in your bag for the next 20 years. Can you say the same for your $300 driver?

The Bottom Line
The SeeMore Putter Company is back in a big way. The m1 putter is a masterwork and its performance properties are remarkable. If you are ready to make a serious long-term investment in your putting game, and if the RifleScope alignment system fits your stroke mechanics (or mechanics to which you aspire), then the m1 belongs on your short list of choices.

Comeback Award: SeeMore Putter Company

The SeeMore Putter Company earns PutterZone.com’s Comeback Award for a putter company reasserting its relevance, and major tour recognition, in 2007.

This award is the latest in PutterZone.com’s 2007 Midyear Putter Awards, which began yesterday with the Next Level Award for the MacGregor Response DCT Putter. Stay tuned for the Heritage Award, Staying Power Award and Anticipation Award.

While the SeeMore Putter Company has forged an epic comeback in 2007, the SeeMore putter itself never really went away. Indeed, though the company suffered from mismanagement and flirted with oblivion over the past several years, its putters continued to thrive on tour in the hands of such young guns as Zach Johnson and Vaughn Taylor, as well as their putting instructor, Pat O’Brien—a former SeeMore tour representative and good friend of the late Payne Stewart. It was Stewart who first cemented the SeeMore legend by one-putting the last three holes with his SeeMore putter to win the 1999 U.S. Open by one stroke.

SeeMore’s ace in the hole was its signature RifleScope Technology, through which the shaft visually intersects and hides a red dot on the putter crown to communicate ideal alignment. SeeMore's putters were proven, but the SeeMore Putter Company ultimately failed to maximize its potential.

In 2006, however, the sinking ship was acquired by putter industry veterans Jim Grundberg and Jason Pouliot. Rather than merely trying to turn a fast buck on a fading star, Grundberg and Pouliot took a much higher road, establishing a new long-term vision based on quality, tradition and next-level thinking. They also made the smart move of hiring O'Brien as their top consultant.

The turnaround was swift and forceful with the launch of SeeMore’s new precision-milled mSeries putters earlier this year, including the mFGP (pictured here), a new take on the FGP classic wielded by several tour pros, including Zach Johnson.

Indeed, when Zach Johnson won the 2007 Masters with his SeeMore in hand, it seemed more a declaration of fate than a matter of chance. PutterZone.com was on the SeeMore case well before the Masters, as evidenced here, and sensed the inevitable prior to the second round of the Masters, as evidenced here.

The new SeeMore business plan certainly wasn’t built on the longshot of Zach Johnson winning the Masters. But it didn’t hurt, either. It was ultimately a case of a putter company making its own luck. They may have had more orders to fulfill after the Masters, but the foundation for success had already been built.

This award wasn’t even close. SeeMore Putter Company is, hands down, the comeback putter company of 2007.

Is Your Putter Physically Fit?

If you’re like most golfers, you invest a lot of time trying to figure out what hot new putter technology is right for you. You explore all of the different brands and styles. Then, once you’ve decided on your model, the rest is allegedly easy—you grab the nearest one off the shelf with a “standard” 35-inch length and hit the greens.

There’s only one problem with this approach: there really is no standard. Even the notion that “the taller you are, the longer your putter” is questionable, as arm length is a crucial factor in finding the right fit. For example, my height is the national average for men, yet my arms are a bit short for my size. Thus I require a slightly longer putter at setup than most folks my height.

As Geoff Mangum, top putting instructor and historian, states on his web site: “Does anyone recall the advice that the golfer's setup and technique should dictate the putter length and lie, rather than allowing the putter specs to dictate technique? The dog wags the tail. But in golf, the putter wags the puttee!”

Mangum and leading instructor Todd Sones both recommend generally shorter shaft lengths than what’s historically been considered standard for most people—but both also emphasize the importance of getting professionally fit to ensure the right length for you and your ideal setup.

Sones is also the founder of Coutour Golf, which specializes in high-quality, custom-fit milled putters (pictured here). On the Coutour Golf web site, you can enter your measurements to get fit online, and you can also watch a magnificent video about the fitting process.

Sones and Mangum are far from alone. According Frankly Golf, which was founded by Golf Digest Chief Technical Advisor Frank Thomas, “There have been trends toward shorter putters, allowing one to keep the arms straighter.” Thus, the shift is toward 34 inches average for men and 33 inches average for women.

Not surprisingly, Frankly Golf offers its Frog Putters in custom lengths. Similarly, the red-hot SeeMore Putter Company, which launched its mSeries putters earlier this year under new ownership, offers its putters in half-inch length increments.

In other words, it’s becoming clear that the new standard in putter length is that there is no standard. And the future resides in custom fitting.

But don’t take a hacksaw to your favorite putter just yet. It’s quite possible that 35 inches is right for you after all, depending on your physique and comfort zone. Also, shortening an existing putter can cause swing weight issues. The point here isn’t to undermine your confidence in your existing putter, but rather to simply reinforce the importance of personal fitting the next time you’re in the market for a new one.

M = Magnificent for SeeMore

The SeeMore Putter Company announced today that its entire new line of mSeries putters and its original FGP model have now been played on the PGA Tour. Considering that the mSeries was launched just five months ago, one has to conclude that SeeMore Putter Company is having a very good year. It doesn’t hurt when the 2007 Masters Champion uses one your putters.

The mSeries consists of four models: the m1, m2, m3 and mFGP. The mSeries putters were conceived by SeeMore’s new Chief Designer Andre Shmoldas. According to SeeMore: “This is a dream come true for Andre, who consulted extensively with PGA Tour pros to design the new mSeries…Andre integrated all of those factors with his engineering knowledge and SeeMore’s RifleScope Technology (RST) alignment system to produce the dramatic new mSeries.”

SeeMore first became recognized when Payne Stewart won the 1999 U.S. Open by sinking some epic putts with his SeeMore putter. The company subsequently suffered from poor management and flirted with obscurity before it was recently acquired and reenergized by its new owners, Jim Grundberg and Jason Pouliot.

Stay tuned for more insights into the mSeries putters here on PutterZone.com.

SeeMore, Heavy Putter Remain Hot on Tour

SeeMore Putter Company and Heavy Putter continue to blaze trails on the PGA Tour, as evidenced on Sunday's leaderboard at the AT&T Classic.

Zach Johnson is the blowtorch for SeeMore at the moment, winning the AT&T Classic while wielding the same SeeMore putter that he used to win the Masters (you may recall that PutterZone.com was on the SeeMore case before Johnson won at Augusta, as evidenced here and here). But Johnson isn’t alone on tour with his SeeMore putter. Just last week at the Players Championship, seven pros put SeeMore putters into play, a record for the company. SeeMore first became recognized when Payne Stewart won the 1999 U.S. Open by sinking some epic putts with his SeeMore putter. The company subsequently suffered from poor management and flirted with obscurity before it was acquired and reenergized by new owners earlier this year. To say that the new SeeMore Putter Company is off to a good start would be an understatement.

Meanwhile, followers of the Heavy Putter know that Troy Matteson won the Frys.com Open using a Heavy Putter A1 model last October. Matteson was again atop the leaderboard on Sunday morning, but some unfortunate late breaks—including a plugged ball in the lip of a trap—cost him some shots. Still, he finished tied for third at 12 under par. The putter he was using featured Heavy Putter’s familiar green grip, but the putter head looked different than existing models. PutterZone.com has confirmed that Matteson was, indeed, using a Heavy Putter prototype. However, I was unable to confirm whether or not this prototype represents something that will come to market anytime soon. Regardless, mark my words: the Heavy Putter story is just beginning.

Hot Putters Sizzle at Players Championship

Phil Mickelson may have changed coaches prior to winning the Players Championship on Sunday, but he wielded a familiar Odyssey putter on his march to victory. PutterZone.com confirmed with Odyssey Golf that the putter Mickelson used was a modified Odyssey White Hot XG 9. The putter is essentially a standard model, just with a different finish and Mickelson's name on the bottom (pictured here). Per Mickelson's request, the putter undergoes a gun bluing process that dulls and darkens the putter head for glare reduction. The standard XG 9 comes in a brighter stainless steel finish.

While Phil Mickelson was white hot with his Odyssey putter, the SeeMore Putter Company remained red hot on tour as well, with seven pros playing its putters during the tournament (the best showing in the company's history), including three who used the company's new mSeries putters. You may recall that 2007 Masters Champion Zach Johnson wields a SeeMore putter. Johson and another SeeMore user tied for 16th at the Players Championship.

SeeMore first became recognized when Payne Stewart won the 1999 U.S. Open playing a SeeMore putter. Stewart one-putted the last three holes to win the championship by one stroke. He sunk what’s considered to be the longest putt in U.S. Open history on the 18th hole to win the tournament. The company subsequently suffered from poor management and flirted with obscurity before it was acquired and reenergized by new owners earlier this year. To say that the new SeeMore Putter Company is off to a good start would be an understatement.

Insider Interview: Pat O'Brien

PutterZone.com is honored to publish the following exclusive interview with Pat O’Brien, the putting instructor to 2007 Masters Champion Zach Johnson and other PGA Tour players.

Pat was a self-described “decent” amateur player who didn’t start officially teaching until 2002. Today, just five years later, he is regarded as one of the nation’s top putting instructors. His clients include Johnson and Vaughn Taylor, two of the hottest young players on the PGA Tour. Pat attributes the origins of his teaching success to a longtime friendship with the late Payne Stewart, whom he first met at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am in 1987. At the time, Pat was a starstruck teenage caddy, a gig that he got through neighbor and friend Nathaniel Crosby (son of entertainer and tournament founder Bing Crosby). Years later, in 1999, Pat watched Stewart ascend from 40th to 2nd in putting in the span of one season with the help of Stewart’s new SeeMore brand putter—a remarkable achievement that culminated in Stewart’s epic putting performance at the U.S. Open. In 2000, Pat approached SeeMore Putter Company and secured a position as the company’s tour representative. Along the way, he formed strong bonds with up-and-comers Johnson and Taylor, both of whom use SeeMore putters. Pat remains a big believer in SeeMore’s signature RifleScope alignment technology, and he recently rejoined the company (which is under new ownership) as a consultant. Pat was kind enough to take time away from his busy schedule at the Byron Nelson Championship to speak with PutterZone.com. Following is our interview:

How did you go from being a SeeMore tour representative to becoming a putting instructor?
It was about the time I was figuring out what I was going to do with my life, as I wasn’t going to make it as a golfer. So the SeeMore opportunity came along, and SeeMore is a very interactive product. I had to show players how to use it, and that gave me an avenue into talking to them about their putting in general. When you work at that level, you’d better know what you’re talking about, or they’ll eat you alive. So it really forced me to study everything about putting, not just alignment, but how the stroke worked as well. I saw what worked and what didn’t, and my theories have just evolved from there.

So you’d never taught before that?
No. I was a decent player but I always had a good short game. I never knew why, and this forced me to figure out why mine was good and somebody else’s wasn’t. I only worked for SeeMore for two years. In 2002, I got married and didn’t want to travel anymore, and the company was struggling at the time, it had a bad owner. So I started teaching full time at a facility near my house. And that’s when I turned the corner. I got to work with people at all levels, and my whole teaching philosophy evolved even more.

How would you describe your approach to putting instruction?
I believe in fundamentals: grip, alignment, stance and posture. With putting, we were always told to do whatever’s comfortable—to play the ball up in your stance, keep your head back so you can see the line, get your eyes over the ball—all this stuff that doesn’t work very well. My guys (Johnson and Taylor) are great ambassadors for fundamentals, as is Tiger Woods. He’s got great fundamentals in everything he does. More specifically, I think you create good angles at setup or bad angles. If you create good angles, the putter will go where it should. If you create bad angles, you’re going to have to manipulate your stroke. It becomes a timing issue, and it’s hard to repeat, especially under pressure. For example, if your aim is poor, you’re going to have to make a compensation in your stroke. If you take the putter back shut, you’re going to have to make a compensation coming through. But when your fundamentals are solid and your angles are good, the putter is going to go back and through the way it should, without any manipulation or thought.

Is it easy for the recreational golfer to learn these fundamentals?
Based on my five years of teaching, yes. The grip that I teach is a little bit different, but I think everything else is common sense. Having good posture, not being too crowded over the ball so your arms can swing freely, lining up correctly…If you’re standing nice and tall, your arms hang at certain angles, and that’s natural. If you can replicate those angles when you grip a putter, then your arms are going to swing the way they should. But most people don’t do that. They turn the left arm down and in, because they grip the putter too much in their palm. That’s a bad left arm angle and the rest of the stroke makes a compensation for that. Same thing with the right arm. If your get your right arm too far on top, it won’t rotate out of the way.

Also, I believe that a putter swings on an arc, but the arc happens, it’s not a manipulated arc. Where I disagree with other top teachers, one in particular, is if we stood on the target line as in pool or shuffleboard, then the putter would swing straight back and straight through. But we stand to the side of a golf ball, so physics would say that we have to swing at an arc.

And yet many amateurs are told to swing straight back and through…
Absolutely. And in all fairness, on a three-foot putt, the putter does swing fairly straight back and through. But when you take it straight back on a 30-foot putt, that’s manipulation, that’s not natural.

Shifting gears, did you sense anything leading up to Masters week?
Yeah, I did. I really did. On Tuesday, I saw that both Zach and Vaughn were as prepared as they possibly could be. I didn’t have to tell them anything. I really had a sense of calm on Tuesday, and I wasn’t nervous for either of them, and that lasted the whole week. It was a very strange sensation. I never had it before. And I just had a feeling in my gut that something good was going to happen that weekend. I didn’t know what, but it just stayed with me all week, and it was very, very strange.

Immediately following the Masters, PutterZone.com saw in increase in traffic from people using the search terms such as “Pat O’Brien” and “Zach Johnson’s Putting Instructor.” How did Zach Johnson winning the Masters impact you?
As a friend of mine said, “Pat, you woke up a lot smarter on Monday morning.”

You’re obviously a big believer in SeeMore putters. You alluded to previous poor ownership, and now the company is under new ownership. Is that why you returned to the company?
Yes. I always knew that this putter was special. That fact that it’s still around speaks strongly, considering all of the mismanagement it’s gone through. With the new owners, it’s night and day. These guys are smart, they know the golf business, and they’re great guys. They’re in no hurry to build up the brand, they just want to do it right. They don’t want to cheapen the product by selling it in any old shop. They want to make it a special experience, where you’re going to get fit for it, and it’s going to work for you. It’s not going to be just another putter that you throw in the garage as you move on to the next one.

What is it that truly sets SeeMore putters apart?
With the RifleScope alignment technology—the red dots and the white lines under the shaft—you cannot impose your will on the putter if you want to be successful. If the shaft is dead vertical, not forward or back, then it forces you to be in a position where your your lines are good, where you’re square to your target. There’s no eye dominance, and you set up the same way, every day. You’re not trying 20 different things to get your feel. It puts you in a system where it’s the same every time. When I saw that with Payne Stewart…Well, you saw what he did at the U.S. Open. He went from 40th in putting average in 1998 to 2nd in 1999. He also finished 1st in putts per round. Before that he was a notorious tinkerer. I’d watch him play a round, and he’d be off to the side of the green just working on his stroke, trying to find the feel. Then in 1999, he put this new putter into play, and I never saw that again. He had a system, he had a routine that he would go to every day, and the SeeMore putter was a big part of that. The same can be said for Zach and Vaughn.

Thank you, Pat. Visit www.SeeMore.com for more information.

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.

A Green Jacket for SeeMore Putter Company

What’s old is new again as young Zach Johnson used a SeeMore putter to win the Masters today—a landmark achievement that is vividly echoed by the SeeMore Putter Company itself. Just six months ago, the company was acquired by Jim Grundberg and Jason Pouliot, who have dedicated themselves to restoring the SeeMore tradition and advancing SeeMore’s signature RifleScope alignment technology. They are joined by SeeMore consultant and leading instructor Pat O’Brien (who is Zach Johnson’s putting coach). We can presume that, at least from a marketing perspective, their job just got a little easier. What a great golf story. Congratulations to Zach Johnson, Pat O’Brien, Jim Grundberg and Jason Pouliot for breathing new life into a venerable putter company—and for adding a green jacket to its legacy. For more information, visit SeeMore.com.

Nice Masters Start for SeeMore Putters

SeeMore Putters and putting instructor Pat O’Brien (who is a consultant to SeeMore) are enjoying a nice day at the Masters. Two of O'Brien's star pupils, Zach Johnson and Vaughn Taylor, just finished the first round at one under par and thus in the northern reaches of the leaderboard on what is shaping up to be a tough afternoon at August National. Both players use SeeMore Putters.

SeeMore Putters was recently re-launched with new ownership, new putters and a new vision that will breathe new life into the SeeMore legacy. Visit the SeeMore web site to view an instructional video featuring Mr. O’Brien and SeeMore’s signature RifleScope technology.