L.A.B. Golf DF3

The DF3 arrived in 2023 as L.A.B. Golf's attempt to take the Directed Force line and make it look like a putter again. The maker's page lists a 6061 aluminum build finished in Type-3 Anodized black, Lie Angle Balance technology, 3 degrees of loft, 69 degrees of lie, and a stock L.A.B. Golf Press Pistol 2 grip at 10 inches with 2 degrees of tilt. Carlsgolfland.com also lists a cutout at the putter's tail meant to let a golfer pick up the ball without bending over, and manufacturing that's hand-balanced and tested at L.A.B.'s Eugene, Oregon headquarters, though breakingeighty.com places the handmade balancing in Creswell, Oregon instead, a discrepancy the record simply holds as it stands.

Where the DF3 sits against its own line is the real story reviewers keep returning to. Golflink.com called it a chiseled version of the DF 2.1 that didn't sacrifice the point-and-shoot accuracy and toe-to-heel forgiveness, and outtabounds.co.uk framed it plainly as the answer to golfers who wanted Directed Force to feel less weird while still staying square and remaining highly forgiving. Proamgolfusa.com put the forgiveness question in comparative terms, close to as forgiving as the DF 2.1, while pluggedingolf.com went further, writing that L.A.B. has admitted the DF3 doesn't carry all of the DF 2.1's stability, then adding I can't say that I noticed a drop in forgiveness. Clubupgolf.com's read was more direct on the tradeoff, noting the smaller head as less forgiving than the DF 2.1. Whether the DF3 closes that gap or merely disguises it seems to depend on who's testing it.

The head itself draws split reactions even from those who like what it does. Agentscored.com credited the DF3 with addressing the biggest DF 2.1 complaint, looks, calling it more conventional in appearance while retaining lie angle balance, and outtabounds.co.uk described it as a sleeker evolution of Directed Force. Community sentiment on the design has been less settled, with the unusual look drawing negative reactions from some and a lighter feel that reportedly made at least one reviewer want to swing harder. Breakingeighty.com's verdict leaned toward the enthusiastic end regardless: once you dial it in, this putter really will help you hole more putts.