Putter Talk

Bettinardi Social Pictures

Mr. Doug — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 21:51:59 +0000

Anyone want a sneak peak at what the boys at Bettinardi are going to be releasing tonight. Shhhh!!! Don’t tell Keith I put these up!

Byron Morgan German Stainless DH89

Mr. Doug — Sat, 03 Jul 2010 20:02:28 +0000

New from Byron Morgan: German Stainless Steel DaleHead 89 putter. Flames finish…soft bumpers…loaded with Awesome.

Gene Nead “MiNi Nead” Putter Review

Mr. Doug — Mon, 10 May 2010 14:01:59 +0000

“Mini” putters have been something of an anomaly in the high-end putter market for the past few years. When Byron Morgan designed the “Dale-Head 9″ putter in 1991 it wasn’t intended as a collectable, or the start of any kind of putter revolution. It was just a smaller putter. Scotty Cameron had a handfull made for a tour player, and as gifts. One of them entered Putter Lore a few years ago when it was rumored to have sold for $50,000. Bettinardi has his “3/4″ putter that is often sold out minutes after their release. Mini putters are HOT right now.

Gene Nead MiNi

Gene Nead is one of a half-dozen different manufacturers actively making smaller versions of their bread-winners to appeal to the avid collectors. The funny thing that has happened is that people are starting to USE these putters…and they are pretty nice! Some say it’s easier to see what your stroke is doing. Others say it helps targeting. There will also always (always) be those that keep one in the bag for novelty. The Gene Nead MiNi is more than all of the above. This is a serious putter, for serious golfers. (And some not-so-serious guys too!)

For those of you that don’t know who Gene Nead is, break out your favorite search engine, and type “Gene Nead NASCAR” to get an idea of his day-job. Gene is a seasoned NASCAR crew-chief that just so happens to enjoy making putters. Often, when someone makes putters as a hobby, it doesn’t equate to a quality product. There are several exceptions to this, and Gene is certainly one of them. (Having unlimited access to state-of-the-art production facilities doesn’t hurt either.)

Gene Nead MiNi

When we first received this putter from Gene, the first comments were about how soft it looked. The putter head made you want to pick it up and hold it in your hand. The hand-work on the putter from the milling to the welding is of the highest quality. There isn’t a sharp edge on the putter. That gives the user a sort of confidence that this putter wasn’t just cranked off of a mill and sanded down for 2min. One could imagine that there was quality time spent with its maker honing its edges and checking every measurement.

Nead MiNi at address

The MiNi Nead is one of the “blockier” designs we’ve seen in a while. At the same time, it’s also soft and inviting. The welding skills displayed on the neck of this putter are superior to 99% of the welded necks in the marketplace. Sharp, controlled, uniform welds secure the neck to the body. You can tell that Gene knows what he’s doing with a TIG torch in his hands. Some people want the welds on their putter, others do not. It’s all about personal preference. Looking at the welds on this head, you can tell that the only reason you are seeing them, is because Gene wants you to. I’ll bet if they were cleaned up and the putter was x-rayed, you’d never be able to tell it wasn’t one piece of metal.

Nead MiNi Face

The face milling is a combination of a few things we have seem before separately. A tight-circle milling pattern, coupled with a non-insert surface reduction that gets the ball rolling quick every time. While the debate continues as to which is better, high-end putter designers are delivering what the consumer/collector is looking for.

As any golfer will tell you, what works for you may not work for the next guy. In our experience, the confidence comes from having a putter in your hands that you believe in, so having Gene Nead make you a putter that is exactly what you were looking for is often more important that what grooves are on the face or the material it’s made from. This putter however, will appeal to the high-end collector that wants to have something special to game. This is an outstanding putter that’ll turn heads without breaking the budget. At a price-point well under $400, you really can’t go wrong with a Gene Nead MiNi.

Nike Method Putter Review

Mr. Doug — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 19:53:52 +0000

Nike Method Putter

If you told anyone 15 years ago that Nike would someday be one of the premier Golf Equipment manufacturers, they’d have laughed you off the course. Fast-forward to present day, and they have a fantastic product line that runs the gambit from balls to shoes…and a serious stable of pros in their camp too. The one thing missing from most Nike staffers’ bag has been the putter. That is, until now.

In 2009, Nike won 2 majors with prototypes of their new Method putter. I’d hazard a guess that British Open winner Stewart Cink, and US Open winner Lucas Glover are going to have a Method in the bag for some time. These also solidified the Method’s place in the 2010 Golf Digest Hotlist.

Nike Method Polymetal Groove Technology

The first thing you’ll notice about the Method was how quickly it gets the ball rolling. Our test putter measured at 3.5° of loft so it wasn’t the old ‘1° trick’ that some companies use. The secret is the “Polymetal Groove Technology” that acts like a hybrid between an insert, a sound-slot, and a deep-groove milling pattern. The ball comes off the face with almost no skip whatsoever. A simple ‘click‘ and it’s is on its way to the hole. This putter isn’t nearly as brisk as the Unitized series that Nike released in 2006. As they learned, even a juggernaut like Nike has a hard time cracking the ‘Premium Putter’ market. Luckily, the only thing these putters share is the Swoosh on the heel.

The Method headcover was is a dream around the green. Opening the magnetic back wouldn’t disturb a newborn from a nap. It provides ample protection for your putter, and doesn’t scream “Steal Me!” in your bag either.

Nike Method 001 Milling

Having a milled putter in the lineup is almost required for modern golf companies. The 303 stainless-steel material helps those in more humid parts of the world keep a nice looking putter for years to come. The bead-blasted finish cuts glare significantly, even on bright summer days. A single sight-dot helps you line things up right on the sweet-spot while you take aim for the hole.

The method comes in 5 different heads. The 001, 002, 003, 004, and 005. Each has a slightly different toe-hang and head size/shape. The most common being the 001, a classic Anser-2 style putter that was no doubt built to be as close to Tiger’s putter as possible. It’s expected by some, that he’ll switch from his Scotty Cameron putter eventually. Others maintain that he’ll retire with that putter in his bag. Only time will tell.

All technology, commercials, majors, and hype aside, at the end of the day this is a serious putter for serious golfers. The best part might be the price. At $249.99 it isn’t even at the high-end of the premium putter market.

Bettinardi Studio Stock Review

Mr. Doug — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 04:36:08 +0000

When I first met Bob Bettinardi a few years back, it struck me as odd that a company like Mizuno that was so ingrained in Japanese culture would be using a company in Tinley Park, IL to make their putters. Then, I got a tour of his facilities and saw the lengths he goes to in the name of quality. When we talked last summer and he told me that he wouldn’t be renewing his Mizuno contract, I was 1/4 shocked, and 3/4 excited. I’ve spent a lot of time with Bob and Keith over the last few years, so I knew what they would be able to do if flying their own flag. When my review samples showed up in December, the contents were as impressive as expected.

The Bettinardi Studio Stock series has 7 putters. 1, 1F, 2, 2F, 3, 3C, and 4. The “F” designates a soft ‘flowing’ neck, and the “C” designates center-shafted models. Plans to expand the line to more tastes are already in the works. The Studio Stock putters return back to something that has been missing in high-end putters for a while. A mass-produced soft carbon-steel putter with a glossy Black Oxide finish. The “Triple Coating” that Bettinardi Golf has used for this putter is more durable than the BO finishes we’ve seen in the past, though it still requires diligent maintenance to avoid tarnishing.

The feel and responsiveness of the Studio Stock series is exactly what you’d expect. The ball comes off the face crisply, and the clean lines of the putter offer an undistracted look at the ball when the putter is at address. The Bettinardi crew spent a lot of time making sure not to tamper with the tried and true designs they’ve had such great success with in the past.

Each putter also comes with the new Patent Pending Bettinardi headcover design. This velcro-less version of a classic putter headcover is completely silent when removing it green-side. Your partners will appreciate it. They are available in a wide variety of colors and designs. If you are in to “High-End” putters, you know the drill with these.

True Temper shafts and Lamkin grips round out the standard offering, but as with any Bettinardi putter in the past, if you get yours at their Putter Studio in Tinley Park, they’ll fit it up with any combination you want. But wait right there Cowboy…this is the new Bettinardi Golf. Remember? They’re doing the same customization from the website now. Pick your Loft, Lie, Length, Dexterity, Grip, and Headcover. All from the comfort of your nearest keyboard. Your putter arrives a week or so later just the way you ordered it. How’s that for service?

The Bettinardi Studio Stock series of putters is the the combination of years of experience milling some of the finest putters in the USA, modern interpretations of classic designs, and a big-ole helping of “awesome.” For $365.00 you get a putter exactly how you want it AND good enough for Bob Bettinardi to put his name on. That’s a tough combo to beat.

You can discuss this review in the Bettinardi Putters section of the PutterTalk Community

Introducing WedgeTalk and Fairway Style

Mr. Doug — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 02:46:50 +0000

Join me in welcoming the two latest editions to the PutterTalk family.

WedgeTalk will be to wedges what PutterTalk is to putters. The best place on the internet to find information on wedges, and wedge reviews. We plan on featuring all the usual suspects, as well as showcasing some of the newer talent that’s come onto the scene in the last few years.

Fairway Style is a site dedicated to Golf Fashion. Just like with every other aspect of golf, there are some that take certain aspects more seriously than others. Clothing is no exception. We will spend time looking at the fashions that make the links fun…even on a bad day.

Each site is the same basic layout as PutterTalk.com. In fact, your existing PutterTalk account will let you in the door of all three sites. We separated these into three different sites, because we find that some of these facets of the hobby transcend, others do not. If you want to talk Putters and Wedges…you don’t need to bother with the other. If you are into Shoes and Wedges…we’ve got you covered. (If you are into all three, we’re probably related.)

Enjoy!

PutterTalk…back to basics.

Mr. Doug — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 23:33:54 +0000

About 18months ago, I had grand ideas for what I wanted to do with PutterTalk, and our new (at the time) acquisition of GolfOpinions.

Ideas flew. Code was written. Best intentions were laid out.

The result? A great looking site that even our best developers weren’t entirely sure how to properly operate. Our rankings on Google went from 1st-page, to somewhere past what a normal person would click to. Did I care? Absolutely. Did I have the time to dedicate to it? Not at all. My other company was taking off, and I had investors that would be (understandably) upset if I was dedicating time to the “hobby site” instead of the company they’d all just invested millions in. “Sorry PutterTalk.com….you’ll need to wait.”

So here I am…more than a year later, and I’m doing the update that I intended for August 2008. We’re getting back to doing what we always did best…reviewing putters. It’ll look a little strange around here as we get the themes put back into place, and have features that we had in the past, added back in…but we’ll get the old-girl fixed back up in no time.

This time with reviews, I’m not going it alone. I’m going to be taking reviews and pics from our outstanding community of members that honestly care about putters. We’ll be tapped into other networks and showcasing some of the latest putters on the market. In short…it’s going to be fun around here again.

So with apologies for letting her get dusty, I’d like to re-introduce PutterTalk.com.

-Mr. Doug
doug@puttertalk.com

Bettinardi Studio Swarm Pics

Mr. Doug — Sat, 17 May 2008 06:41:50 +0000

Here are some pics from the Studio-B Spring Social..or..”Spring Swarm” as we dubbed it.

http://www.puttertalk.com/community/index.php/topic,6591.msg75937.html

Byron Morgan 006 Long-Neck Review

Mr. Doug — Thu, 08 May 2008 13:18:00 +0000

By: JCL

I was lucky enough to be able to purchase an 006 LN a week ago. To the best of my knowledge this putter is a prototype and the first 006 LN that Byron has made other than some welded necks. I have always liked longnecks and currently have 7 of them. The long neck putter is one of the reasons I got into collecting putters. I seam to put my best with a more face-balanced putter. I put this putter into play right away. As soon as I got it out of the box I drove up to the putting green at our club and practiced with it for about ½ hour before it got too dark to see. My first impressing was that I was going to enjoy using this one.

Look:
This putter has the Coldstar finish on it and it is misted throughout. The face is milled with the fine face milling style not the “twilight zone” milling. The pictures I have attached show the fine milling when enlarged. In addition the putter has a sight dot and sound slot. The neck is a bit shorter than some of my other longnecks and that contributes to the putter having a 4 o’clock toe hang vs. being face balanced.

Feel:
This putter head I am told weighs in at 365g as sent to me. I put it on a swing weight machine and it came in at E-5. This is probably the heaviest putter I have ever used. When struck on the sweet spot this putter almost feels like you are just taking a practice swing. I was actually surprised at how soft this one felt. This is one of the softest feeling putters I have used to date. The ball feels soft when coming off the face while it also has a solid quality to it. When you hit the sweet spot it is almost like hitting nothing. The ball just starts rolling towards the target. I had some trouble initially lining things up with a sight dot. I have a sight line on all of my other putters because I like it for alignment. Once I got used to lining things up my putting went along fine.

Overall:
I would rate this design as excellent overall. It fits my eye well and is easy to gain confidence with once the putts start to fall in the hole. In addition the milling and balance are outstanding. I think the only negative comment I would have is the fact that I did not get a sightline on this putter. I may get another with a sightline and use it as a gamer. Right now I will be using this one for the rest of the weekend.

For More information on Byron Morgan Putters, visit byronputters.com

Tiger Shark Putters

Mr. Doug — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 15:56:02 +0000

Tiger Shark wants you to take them seriously. Why not you say? I mean they have a wide variety of putters, a great alignment system, cast putters, milled putters, adjustable weight putters, it just seems they have everything. What is the price for all of this you ask – $59.99. Wait where are you going? Come back here.

In a world where putters go for thousands of dollars it’s hard to take a price point like 60 bucks seriously, well Tiger shark wants you to try. We weren’t going to review the putter or even go to the booth but one of their reps stopped us in the halls and pleated with us to visit. So we did, and we have to say were pleasantly surprised. For the guy out there that should spend more on lessons and less on clubs this makes a good flat stick.

We’ll have a full review later but for now some details. Tiger Shark has 3 levels of putters: Great White ($59), Green Speed ($79), and Optix ($149), represented by the colors yellow, green, and orange respectively. All feature their oversized grips and custom head cover that can include different weights or ball markers. Visit www.tigersharkgolf.com for more details.

Heavy Putters 2008 lineup.

Mr. Doug — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 15:26:03 +0000

A few years back when Heavy Putters hit the scene, they were seen as a bit of a gimmick. It was tough to take a 2 pound putter seriously. Caddies everywhere cringed. But something funny happened. People started making putts with them!

Over the next few years Heavy Putters kept refining their design, and eventually won over enough players to have themselves taken seriously, and people started making more putts.

This year, Heavy Putters brought out 5 new designs. Each one unique…and still very heavy. If you play an Anser head, there’s a putter for you. If you play an old Zebra, there is a putter for you. If you are a fan of stealth fighters, they have one for you too!

Kevin Burns Kustomized

Mr. Doug — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 22:44:02 +0000

Well this is certainly one of the more innovative ideas I’ve seen here at the show. Kevin Burns has spent the past three years designing his system for ordering customized putters, and I have to say it’s pretty cool. Kevin has designed every aspect of not only the putters, but the software and the actually fitting station.

The idea is that a pro shop would have one of his fitting stations and help the customer with the right fit and design. First the customer chooses the look of the putter. There are a 6 different heads to choose from. (3 heads in either right or left handed) Then the customer picks whether or not they want a sight dot or line. Want two lines, no problem. Want all three, why not. You can have a name stamped on the face, and even choose the colors for all these items.

After you have selected all that the really cool part starts. An image of that very putter is placed on the “virtual putter” screen. This screen lies on the floor underneath a mounted grip, and even adjusts the look of the putter depending on the angle I am holding the grip at. The grip is mounted to a measuring device for the fitting. Kevin has me grab the grip and take the stance that is comfortable for me. He has me do this three times and then shows me the average. I get the lie, height and weight for my putter. (see the picture for my stats) All the putters are milled one piece heads. An insert can be added and reduces the noise by 50% according to Kevin.

If this were an actual fitting in 10 or so days I would receive my new totally custom putter. Kevin is launching his product at this show and we are very excited for him. Some additional stats are below.

Lie angle is from 80-63 degrees, head weight is from 310-360 grams. Retail will be around $599-$649. Retailers will be posted on their website when available. www.kbgolf.com

C&L Prototype Mallet

Mr. Doug — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 20:56:02 +0000

No THIS is something special. PutterTalk is the first place you’ll see this prototype.
C&L has been working on a mallet for a while. This is the first plastic test-version ever seen. There are a few things that need to be changed, but the symmetrical qualities will remain. Lefty or Righty…it’s the same head.
There are great things to come from C&L.

C&L CL-2 Prototype Head

Mr. Doug — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 20:54:02 +0000

First, I’ll show you the new C&L Anser style putter. The lines have been refined, the milling pattern improved. A nice “Version 2.0″ if you ask me. Check out the new “C&L” on the heel!

SeeMore Putters for 2008

Mr. Doug — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 18:54:03 +0000

2007 was certainly a great year for SeeMore Putters. When I spoke with Jason Pouliot earlier today, you could tell he was still riding a high from the 2007 Masters…and rightfully so. He and his partner have taken SeeMore putters to a different level, while keeping the traditions of their predecessors.

The new line features a mallet head, an Anser style head, and a better manufacturing process that lets them adjust the shaft by incorporating an inner-hosel into the head.

We’ll look more at SeeMore in the coming weeks, but this should give you an idea of the great things to come in 2008.