DF 2.1

The DF 2.1 is L.A.B. Golf's 2020 release of the Directed Force mallet, a large, high MOI head built around the company's Lie Angle Balance technology. golflink.com notes that the DF 2.1 arrived as a rebranded version of the Directed Force Reno putter, and that not much changed with the model at L.A.B.'s first launch under its current name. Carlsgolfland.com lists the head as precision forged 6061 aircraft aluminum with heat treatment, 100% CNC milled, weighing 370 to 415 grams depending on length and lie angle, with static loft of 3.5 degrees (0.5 effective) and lie of 69 degrees. 2ndswing.com confirms the center shaft neck and face balanced toe hang, and labgolf.ch and clubupgolf.com both note lie options across 67, 69, or 71 degrees, so buyers are fit to a specific angle rather than sold one spec. Length runs 33, 34, or 35 inches per customclubs.eu, tgw.com, and proamgolfusa.com, with proamgolfusa.com citing 34 inches at 69 degrees as the most common combination ordered.

Pricing sits at 399 USD according to clubupgolf.com and sokimnewyork.com, though agentscored.com gives a range of 399 to 449 USD and clubupgolf.com separately notes a 549 USD figure tied to custom builds. tgw.com and agentscored.com both describe the build process as hand assembled and balanced, with tgw.com adding that this can take thirty minutes or more per putter using milled weights and tungsten powder in the weight ports.

The Community's reaction, aggregated at 4.3 out of 5 across 15 reviews, praises the DF 2.1 for its forgiveness on off center strikes, its elimination of torque, and its help with distance control, while flagging the same three friction points: the look takes getting used to, the setup requires some stroke adjustment, and the putter is not cheap. Reviewers split hardest on the visual question. outtabounds.co.uk frames the shape as a feature rather than a problem for golfers who want a head that visibly cannot twist, and describes the DF 2.1 as remaining the most recognisable head in the line. pluggedingolf.com takes the opposite view, writing that the putter's shape has been consistently reviled, mocked, and roasted for its looks, and comparing its appearance to a cross between a cattle brand and a UFO, calling it large, loud, and gaudy. golf.com reports a similar arc in its own words, describing golfers who initially doubt the shape but come around once their putting improves and end up wondering why they ever used anything else. tgw.com and customclubs.eu land closer to the positive end, with tgw.com predicting raised eyebrows on the first tee that turn into curiosity from playing partners by the end of the round, and customclubs.eu noting that golfers only come to see the shape as the Mona Lisa of mallets after they start making putts with it.

On the maker's own page, L.A.B. describes the technology running through the DF 2.1 in plain terms: Our putters employ Lie Angle Balance (L.A.B.) which is a patented technology we developed that simplifies putting. It eliminates torque and produces a repeatable swing. That claim, and the divide in how reviewers respond to the head's shape, are the two threads that define this release within the DF line.