PUTTING THINGS RIGHT

Golf Digest Middle East Speaks To Bob Bettinardi After He Picked Up Five Gold Awards In The 2023 Hot List

BY MATT SMITH

Robert ‘Bob’ Bettinardi has always chosen the path less travelled — especially when it comes to creating golf clubs.

His Bettinardi Golf company is now known across the globe as the world leader in creating unique pieces of equipment, tailored to each individual golfer — specialising in bespoke and ‘One-Piece Technology’ putters.

But it has been a journey of more than 25 years — and a lot of hard work — to reach the pinnacle in golf equipment design and production

In 1991, Bob turned the putter industry upside down by crafting a tool from a solid block of metal — what he phrases as ‘one-piece technology’ — rather than follow the herd and opt for castings, forgings and weldings to create putters. He soon had all the top golf industry original equipment manufacturers lining up at his door when word got out about the advantages his distinctive products could offer the top professional players on the greens.

A talent for design and state-of-the-art machining methods has seen Bettinardi Golf add some of the top manufacturers and golfers to its portfolio.

And once more, that determination and talent has has been rewarded as Bettinardi Golf claimed an unprecedented five golds in the Golf Digest Hot List 2023 Awards.

Golf Digest Middle East recently caught up with Bob and Dean Cheesley of eGolf Megastores — the region’s leading golf equipment supplier and fitter — to talk about the Bettinardi journey and plans for the future.

“I started dealing with Golf Digest 20-something years ago, and I was always begging to get into their gold or silver list [on the Hot List], but it seemed they always went with the Scotty Camerons and the Pings and so on,” Bob tells us with his dry humour always lurking during a recent visit to Jeddah. “So around 15 years or go I said to myself: ‘I’m done trying. I will never get on that list.’ As soon as I did that — boom — it all started to happen. It’s like when you give up chasing that girl you were after for years, then she starts calling you.

“That’s when I brought in my son.”

In 2012, said son, Sam, joined the company’s ranks as head of marketing and sales, helping the company embrace the ever-evolving e-commerce market. Today, Sam serves as Bettinardi Golf President, clearly inheriting his father’s eye for putter designs, as well as player development alongside Bob.

“He’s 33 and he’s fantastic,” Bob continues with fatherly pride. “He’s grown the business about 1,500 per cent in the past 10 years. I was always trying to keep things small, but Sam said: ‘No, I need graphic designers, marketing people, this and that,’ and now he has grown the business very nicely into what it is today. But this year was the icing on the cake! On the Hot List we have five Gold putters and a Silver wedge.”

Then the humour creeps in again: “The greatest thing about the Hot List is it is listed alphabetically so we are listed first ahead of the Pings and TaylorMades, so it looks like we are on top — double gold!”

But as we rewind back to the conception of the solid putter and how it was received, Bob takes on a more serious tone.

“So it’s really a simple,” he explains. “When I first got into the business in 1991, everybody was casting their putters out of a mould and then pouring molten metal into the mould, let it cool and there you have your putter.

“I ended up doing some milled putters for Ken Giannini, and they were all welded. The body of the putter and the little hosel were welded together to make a milled putter.

“I started questioning why and how they were doing things. And one of the things that I questioned was, why would you weld that little hosel on to the body of the putter, because when you weld you add heat to the metal, and me being a metallurgist and engineer, I knew that when you add heat to metal, you distort the metal.

“When you’re trying to put the ball into a four-and-a-quarterinch cup from 20 or 30 yards away, you need all the precision you can get, and distorted metal will take away from that and hurt you.

“You want that putter without any spot or wrinkle basically. That’s what you want the putter to be.

“So I said to a couple of people I was doing business with — TP Mills and Scotty Cameron — ‘Why don’t we make the putter from one piece?’ And they go: ‘What do you mean?’

“I explained, we get a big block of metal and carve everything off that until we get to that putter inside.

“At first they were worried it would cost too much. But I knew if you want a precision instrument, instead of welding, you need to carve the entire thing out of one piece.”

And so Bob went off to prove it was worth it and the One-Piece Technology (trademark Bettinardi Golf!) putter was born.

“The first putter I made was very similar to the Ping Anser,” Bob continues. “I made it for Scotty and he gave it to a guy called Bernhard Langer, who in 1993 won The Masters with it. That was ‘Big’ for Scotty and me as Scotty’s name was on the putter and I was manufacturing them.

“Roll on to 1997 and Tiger Woods, you know him? He, at 21 wins The Masters. His big ‘Hello World!’ moment. He did not three-putt for four rounds with a putter that was made in my shop — a onepiece putter.

“In 1998, I decided to go out on my own, and Jesper Parnevik picked up my putter for the 1999 Greater Greensboro Open. My first tournament on my own and he wins with 27-under with 99 putts. Then my name was getting out there and my name was on the putters and that’s how we got started.”

“After a short time with Ben Hogan, I decided to set up my own company. So from 2008 Bettinardi has been on its own and we have grown into what we are today. Francesco Molinari wins the Open with our putter in 2018, Matt Fitzpatrick wins the 2022 US Open with our putter.

“I read comments about my product like: ‘I can’t describe this feeling ... This putter feels like butter ... It putts itself.’

“That is the culmination of doing things the right way, mak-

ARE MADE TO ORDER FOR EACH INDIVIDUAL ing it the right way. If there’s another way in the future that’s going to be better than milling, I would like to know what that is. I would want to do that. I want to make sure I’m always on the cutting edge of making the best. That’s what Bettinardi is.”

Bettinardi golfers have claimed nearly 100 elite tour titles since 1998, with players still knocking on Bob’s door for the latest blades and mallets to give them that extra edge.

Just last month up-and-coming LIV Golfer James Piot joined the likes of Matt Fitzpatrick and Georgia Hall, who carry a Bettinardi putter in their bags.

“Jason Kokrak, who won three times in one year about two years ago, uses a production Bettinardi putter that is actually off-the-rack,” Bob says. “Georgia is using a putter that is off the rack — but she wanted her name stamped on it and made a couple of custom things done to it, so we tailored it to her requirements.

“Shergo Al Kurdi is an example of one player who uses a custom putter, not a production, called our BB0, which is really meant for people who want something special. We don’t sell these production, they are made to order for each individual. Some like the Toyota, Shergo has the Ferrari.”

One of the most popular of the Bettinardi putter ranges is the ‘Hive’ — high-end luxury and Tour putters with one-of-a-kind designs and made-to-order diverse looks and appearances with highquality finishes. “These are very limited-edition and constructed one-to-one,” Bob explains. “It took us nearly a year-and-a-half to persuade Matt Fitzpatrick to find one of our putters that was perfect for him. I’m talking probably eight to 10 times of trial and error. So he was a very difficult person to deal with — in a good way! He would be like: ‘No, it doesn’t feel right. No, the weight is wrong. No, the loft is wrong. No, the lie is wrong. I don’t like that shaft.’

“So you were talking about days, weeks, months of working on a putter specifically for Matthew.

“But now Matt is very happy because he has the right putter for him.

“This just illustrates that the Hive and customs are really all about taking the time and the extra effort to make this special product that a golfer would like. If there is a customer that wants his initials, or a logo, or his son’s name on the putter, we will take that extra time to make the putter just the way they want it.

“We will add a special head cover, a special grip, a special shaft.

“The client is shown renderings, and they may want a few changes — so really the client is being treated like a professional golfer.

“Once we get the green light, we make the putter and 10-15 weeks later, the client has their unique product.”

Just something to ponder — imagine seeing your playing partners’ faces when you whip out that majestic, personalised mallet on the green for the first time …

Visit any eGolf Megastore outlet to work with their team to curate your very own one-of-a-kind putter. Stay tuned for our June edition of Golf Digest Middle East for an exclusive reveal from Bettinardi and eGolf Megastores

EVERYTHING IN LIFE IS A LITTLE BETTER WHEN YOU’RE MAKING PUTTS

PERFORMANCE ★★★★★

INNOVATION

★★★★

LOOK • SOUND • FEEL ★★★★★

PLAYER COMMENT

“The

BETTINARDI

QUEEN B RRP AED 2,295

WHAT IT DOES: The two traditional half-mallets in this line are milled from a block of 303 stainless steel without any weights, face inserts or other affectations. The belief is that anything not pure steel disturbs the direct benefits of a pure milled product. Instead, Bettinardi focuses on a slightly heavier head weight to provide more stability. Also, the two models have different neck styles to appeal to players who have different degrees of arc in their strokes.

WHY WE LIKE IT: Don’t take for granted the manufacturing precision behind these milled putters. The intricate crescent neck on the #11 (left) is a Bettinardi specialty on a toe-hang mallet, and the face pattern isn’t just decorative. Rather, a new tool was developed for the “mini-honeycomb” look to get an even softer feel.

PERFORMANCE

★★★★ ½ INNOVATION

★★★★

LOOK • SOUND • FEEL ★★★★ ½

PLAYER COMMENT

“Gets the ball rolling nicely on short and long putts with more of a blade type of control. Firm, milled feel. Gently quiet off the face.”

PERFORMANCE

★★★★ INNOVATION

★★★★★

LOOK • SOUND • FEEL ★★★★

PLAYER COMMENT

BETTINARDI

STUDIO STOCK

RRP AED 2,295

WHAT IT DOES: The assumption with Bettinardi putters is that they only exude quality and craftsmanship and, well, prettiness. Yes and, um, no. Although the Studio Stock remains a precisely manufactured one-piece milling from 303 stainless steel, these putters feature a face texture designed to improve roll. Developed with tour-player input, the asymmetrical grooved face grabs the ball to accelerate initial forward spin that reduces backspin. Less backspin means that putts get into a true forward roll quicker for more consistent speed.

WHY WE LIKE IT: Bettinardi’s customization regimen offers multiple lengths, five lofts, seven lie-angle options and distinct offsets, toe hangs and hosel configurations on each model. A putter like this only gets better the more you take advantage of a proper fit.

Cleveland

FRONTLINE ELITE

RRP AED 1,245

WHAT IT DOES: When Cleveland introduced its Frontline technology, it upended the ideas on where the center of gravity should be on a putter. Rather than continuing to push it back, the CG stayed forward on these putters through front-loaded tungsten weights to reduce the microscopic inconsistency that actually makes even short putts easily missed. Now, Cleveland has gone further by making the entire face out of tungsten, increasing the weight of the face by four times.

WHY WE LIKE IT: Mallets still need to occupy a lot of visual space to accentuate their alignment benefits, but these mallets accomplish that through a skeletal frame that keeps the look without adding weight in the back. The intricate face-milling pattern is also specific for each style of clubhead to optimize roll.

WHAT IT DOES: The pursuit of moment of inertia (stability on offcenter hits) in mallet putters is a given. Larger putters just naturally are going to be more stable. The problem with making a larger putter is the center of gravity can drift farther back, making it feel like you’re swinging a trash can lid with a brick tied in back. Not so here. These two mallets have gigantic MOI numbers but still manage to keep the CG relatively close to the face. This gives you forgiveness and face-angle control, which basically means distance and direction. We’re not sure better putting requires anything else. WHY WE LIKE IT: Two modern-classic shapes, each with multiple hosel offerings, plus the reliably comfortable White Hot face insert make these an easy transition for the mallet averse.

“The

WHAT IT DOES: When this throwback line was introduced two years ago, it featured the trademark original urethane insert, some familiar heads and some modern tweaks. However, in this newest version, Odyssey has simplified the shaft and head and put all of the attention on the two-decade-old face insert, which redefined how putters should feel with a combination of softness and resiliency.

WHY WE LIKE IT: No one travels back in time in search of greater complexity. The polymers behind the White Hot insert were an idea that never knew how good it was and didn’t much care because being perfect didn’t require an explanation. Same with the three mallet models in this line: Rossie, 2-Ball and No. 7. We need some convincing if any other mallet shapes are required.

PERFORMANCE

★★★★ ½ INNOVATION

★★★★ ½ LOOK • SOUND • FEEL

★★★★

PLAYER COMMENT

“The look is clean with a nice finish and two-tone aesthetic. Putts are quiet, and the heavier feel made it easy to make a tempo stroke.”

PING NEW PING

RRP AED 1,595 frame the ball nicely.”

WHAT IT DOES: The new “family” of Ping putters might be connected aesthetically, but these putters present different approaches in terms of materials and face technologies to produce the best roll for specific player types. Across mid-mallets and high-stability options, this entails a mix of milled faces, polymer face inserts, stainless steel, aerospace aluminum and tungsten heel and toe weights. Together they tackle the feels, shapes, alignment optics and forgiveness different players require without having to adhere to one technology theme. WHY WE LIKE IT: Ping embraces the idea that there is no one right answer in putters. But one thing Ping’s mallets share is ball-speed consistency. Even better, that consistency comes whether you’ve opted for a polymer face insert or a smoothly milled model.

WHAT IT DOES: The reason to gravitate toward a mallet is stability, so if you’re seeking to make a more stable putter, it helps to use a lot of heavy material at the extremities. The seven mallets in this family feature an average of 125 grams of tungsten positioned in the perimeter to stabilize the head on any kind of mis-hit.

WHY WE LIKE IT: Extreme stability in a mallet putter isn’t just a godsend for poor strikes but poor strokes, too. With weight positioned far back in the head, altering that face angle requires more force during your stroke. These putters, which offer loads of fitting options through four hosels on each model, let golfers basically set it down and go on autopilot. A grooved pattern of micro-pyramids on the face further helps mis-hits roll like center strikes.

LOOK • SOUND • FEEL

PLAYER COMMENT

WHAT IT DOES: Ever wonder why there are so many kinds of putters (other than the fact that golfers and putters are like dogs and squirrels)? What companies are learning is that the distance the center of gravity sits behind the face helps a player return the putter back to square more consistently. This distance, however, is not the same for every golfer. The left and right movable weights on this pronged mallet let golfers adjust that CG position by nearly half an inch, resulting in the fullest range of CGs in the history of Spider mallets. WHY WE LIKE IT: Eighty grams of movable weight (more than three times what you would find on a driver) is stupendous. Despite all that shifting of the CG, though, the forgiveness on off-center hits stays high thanks to chunks of tungsten at the outer edges.

LOOK

PLAYER COMMENT feel in perfect balance. I like the contrast of the neon aiming line. Consistent pop. Easy to set down and stroke.”

WHAT IT DOES: Watching Scotty Cameron work with multiple materials in mallets is like watching a strikeout artist work his way through a lineup with six different breaking balls. This line of 10 mallets mixes milled 303 stainless steel and aircraft-grade aluminum in arrangements that run from moderate-stability options like the X5 to maximum-stability options like the X12. Aside from the aluminumfaced X12, most have stainless-steel faces, and aluminum in the sole and steel weights in the toe and heel provide even more stability. WHY WE LIKE IT: With more mallets than any manufacturer, this comprehensive lineup includes multiple-hosel options and alignment styles to fit several kinds of strokes.

WHAT IT DOES: These traditional half-mallet shapes enjoyed a resurgence on tour with the success of J.T. Poston and Sungjae Im last year. The shape of these milled 303-stainless-steel heads hasn’t changed, but don’t be fooled by that similar-looking milled face. Upgraded for 2023, it combines the softer feel of previous deep-milled designs with the feedback and roll benefi ts of the “mid-milled” faces seen most recently on the Phantom X putters.

WHY WE LIKE IT: Scotty Cameron’s reputation might be tied to his Newport blades, but his half-mallet shapes are just as timeless (M1X, Caliente, Red-X). This edition is sleeker, has two neck options, and the heel and toe weights add the right amount of forgiveness.

★★★★ ½

LOOK • SOUND • FEEL ★★★★

PLAYER COMMENT

WHAT IT DOES: These mallets have a hefty moment of inertia for consistency on off-center hits, and they roll consistently because of a special face insert. Borrowed from the design made famous by SIK Golf, the aluminum face has a descending loft in four separate planes from top to bottom. The top has the most loft at 4 degrees. The loft then decreases progressively by 1 degree in three segments down to 1 degree at the bottom of the face. The putter’s varying loft counteracts the stroke’s attack angle so that putts launch at the same 1.5 degrees for consistent roll.

WHY WE LIKE IT: The extreme weighting at the corners increases stability, but it’s the use of a weight-saving carbon-fiber sole cover that frees extra mass for the perimeter.

ODYSSEY ELEVEN

RRP AED 1,595

WHAT IT DOES: A mallet that looks like this typically would not be so easy to square at impact because the center of gravity is so far back from the face. But the CG here is actually close to the face because of the combination of eight distinct parts, including a heavy dose of steel on top and in front, aluminum in the back and sides, and a thermoplastic urethane “brick” in the middle. Conveniently, all of these parts make for a design that’s highly forgiving on mis-hits.

WHY WE LIKE IT: That cornucopia of materials and science is certainly crucial to maximizing performance, but we also use mallets because they’re easy to aim. This one achieves that mission with four alignment features and four hosel options to help you and the putter execute the same line you see.

★★★★

ODYSSEY

WHITE HOT VERSA

RRP AED 1,495

WHAT IT DOES: Introduced in 2013, the contrasting black-and-white scheme grew out of studies of night-vision goggles. Getting a better sense of alignment is crucial because if the face angle is off by as little as 1 degree, it results in a miss from as short as 10 feet. Brought back 10 years later, these mallets benefit from the feel of the White Hot face insert. The two-part urethane mixture yields a soft impact feel combined with resilient ball speed for more controlled roll.

WHY WE LIKE IT: When you resurrect a 10-year-old design idea, it needs some kind of modern tech update. Odyssey does it smartly with the Stroke Lab shaft. The graphite shaft features a steel tip to create more consistency in tempo by shifting the shaft’s traditional balance point closer to the hands.

PERFORMANCE

★★★★

PLAYER COMMENT

WHAT IT DOES: We suppose buying game-worn jerseys is a thing, but we don’t get it. Instead, give us a useful tool designed with direct input from the master. These models come from what tour players want to see, prodded by the engineers who know what works. The three relatively compact mallets in this family are each milled from 303 stainless steel in a four-hour process. In addition to the DS72 model used by Viktor Hovland and the popular Prime Tyne 4 (left), the line now has added the slightly heavier, heel-shafted Oslo 4.

WHY WE LIKE IT: These putters seem almost intuitively smart. The face’s deep-milling pattern provides a softer feel, and keeping the shaping of the angles, edges and ball-width cavities perpendicular or parallel to the target line ensures a proper aim.

PERFORMANCE

★★★★

★★★★

★★★★

PLAYER COMMENT

TAYLORMADE SPIDER GTX

RRP AED 1,695

WHAT IT DOES: This newest Spider mallet family takes a bold step toward stability on off-center hits. A heavy stainless-steel backweight places 154 grams behind the lightweight aluminum body to produce an ultra-high moment of inertia to minimize face rotation. The optometrist-created contrasting-alignment feature is designed to reduce a “parallax effect” that leads to toe mis-hits. Three hosel types and six stock colors (including ice blue) make this putter fit an array of stroke (and personality) types.

WHY WE LIKE IT: TaylorMade’s grooved-face insert has been a highlight for nearly two decades. This version uses flexible, thin aluminum beams encased in urethane. The angled grooves create an efficient forward roll and the click many players prefer.

PLAYER COMMENT

BETTINARDI BB SERIES RRP AED 2,095

WHAT IT DOES: Unlike a lot of blade putters in this category, the three BB28 options (spud neck, center shaft and armlock) favor a straight-back, straight-through putting stroke because of their nearly face-balanced design. The wider blade and deeper fl ange push the center of gravity slightly farther back for better distance and direction control on off-center impacts.

WHY WE LIKE IT : The BB putter line, usually an even-year launch, is still largely available, and the new BB28 (pictured) is a great addition. Multiple sightlines and setups are available, but the deep milling on the face is what stands out. It has been developed with tour-player feedback to produce a soft, resilient feel and performance. Particularly helpful are the multiple lengths for the armlock versions.

BETTINARDI QUEEN B RRP AED 2,295

WHAT IT DOES: Like a grandmother stuck with her daughter’s kids for the weekend, the Queen B’s blades accomplish that diffi cult but desirable mixture of forgiveness with control. The compact but wider soles on these blades keep the center of the face closer to the hosel axis. This also moves the center of gravity a little farther back for increased stability. The line features different necks to better match diff erent strokes. With its single-bend shaft and spud neck, the #6 works for straighter strokes, and the #15’s gently wider sole and plumber’s neck fits arcing strokes best.

WHY WE LIKE IT: Pretty is better when it has a purpose. The minihoneycomb face-milling pattern might be a Bettinardi staple, but this one happens to be the softest version yet.

PLAYER

BETTINARDI STUDIO STOCK RRP AED 2,295

WHAT IT DOES: Use of Bettinardi putters on the PGA Tour is well established, including Matt Fitzpatrick’s win at last year’s U.S. Open, and this line is Bettinardi’s most tour-inspired collection yet. The two heel-toe weighted blades include plumber’s neck and face-balanced models, but Bob Bettinardi’s work with tour players isn’t implemented on a whim. Rather, extensive computer modeling details how visual tweaks can be incorporated and still be precisely milled while maintaining the ideal center of gravity for optimal roll.

WHY WE LIKE IT: Speaking of how putts matriculate to the hole, these faces use asymmetrically spaced grooves to impart forward spin that reduces the backspin at the launch of a putt, helping to get the ball rolling more quickly.

★★★★ ½ INNOVATION

★★★★★

LOOK • SOUND • FEEL

★★★★ ½

PLAYER COMMENT

“It’s so pretty. Clean, elegant and stable through the stroke. Feels balanced: I’m in control the whole time without thinking about it.”

WHAT IT DOES: Compared to casting, milling a putter is an elaborate, high-cost exercise, but it consistently produces the most preferred putters on the market. For Cleveland’s engineers, the idea was to have those benefits in a cast putter at a more affordable price. That meant milling “on the surfaces that matter for performance.” In other words, precise milling certain shaping and alignment areas to eliminate any irregularities in casting. That intense manufacturing commitment produces consistency in loft, lie and face angle. The steel-tipped graphite shaft option is a worthy upgrade.

WHY WE LIKE IT: The milling process makes it look good, but it needs to roll nicely, too. Enter the intricate variable milling pattern on the face. It normalizes energy transfer across the face.

WHAT IT DOES: Evnroll continues to expand the way its V-Series putters transform to fit different players and strokes. Its interchangeable system of six shaft-hosel options aligns with player sight and stroke preferences. In addition, heel and toe weights in the sole bolster stability on off-center hits. The company’s grips even contribute to individual tastes, including the Midlock that makes the transition to an armlock stroke as automatic as four-foot putts will feel.

WHY WE LIKE IT: The Evnroll grooves remain the most interesting in the game. Because of their spacing and variable width, these grooves do the common job of making ball speed more consistent across the face. At the same time, the pattern creates a V-shape that redirects mis-hits back toward the target line.

ODYSSEY TRI-HOT 5K RRP AED 2,195

WHAT IT DOES: What you see here might be the appearance of a blade putter, but it performs more like a larger mallet, especially in terms of off-center-hit forgiveness. Heavy tungsten weights (120 grams) within the heel and toe of the stainless-steel front section keep the center of gravity forward for maximum face-angle control, but the extreme heel and toe weighting also provides stability for a consistent roll regardless of impact location.

WHY WE LIKE IT : Multiple materials in these heads include the choice of tungsten, steel or aluminum sole weights, but the most important one is the lightest. The venerable White Hot face insert, made of a laser cut, two-part urethane polymer, creates a resilient roll and maintains a soft feel.

Demo this club at eGolf Megastore, or buy online at egolfmegastore.ae specs 7 models; head weight 360 grams; length 33-35 inches

ODYSSEY WHITE HOT OG

RRP AED 1,395

WHAT IT DOES: The legendary two-part urethane insert in this line continues to be very popular with tour players. They even ask Odyssey to incorporate it into Odyssey putters for which the insert wasn’t originally intended. Who can blame them. The urethane insert’s unique combination of soft feel and resilient ball speed has proven to be effective and was inspired by the ingredients in Callaway’s early golf balls. Makes sense: If you want putter and ball to flow as one, why not make them two versions of the same thing?

WHY WE LIKE IT: The insert not only performs great on center hits, it is resilient and consistent across the face. Gently used original White Hot putters can be found online for about $30, but the precision milling makes these updates more alluring.

RRP AED 1,595

WHAT IT DOES: These three blades have different faces: Two use milled steel for a firmer feel, and the other is fronted by a polymer insert for a softer touch. They all, however, reflect a similar approach: increasing the forgiveness in a blade. All three of these tour-inspired frames feature heavy tungsten inserts in the heel and toe to increase forgiveness on off-center hits yet remain relatively compact.

WHY WE LIKE IT: Even with these similar-looking blades, Ping magnifi es the diff erences to help you settle on the right model. Examples include off ering diff erent face textures, graphite- and steel-shaft options and contrasting colors at address. Another cool choice: The Kushin 4 is designed for an aggressive arcing stroke and the Anser 2 D for a stroke with less arc.

PING

PLD MILLED

RRP AED 2,495

WHAT IT DOES: PLD stands for Putting Lab Design, which perhaps makes you think of some sort of odd transmogrification of golfer and metal. As it turns out, that’s what happened here. These classic Anser blades, including the longer-hosel Anser D inspired by Bubba Watson, are a precise melding of what tour players want, the insights of Ping engineers and a milling process that takes four hours per head. In addition to that is the process in Ping’s putting lab in which multiple high-speed cameras analyze thousands of putts to better understand how small changes lead to big success.

WHY WE LIKE IT: The precision of these fully milled models extends to a deep aggressive mill in the face. It’s designed to create the consistent ball speed and softer feel preferred by its tour players.

PLAYER COMMENT

WHAT IT DOES: Who says stability is reserved for mallets? The five blades in this series use various amounts of tungsten weighting to keep the head from twisting on off-center strikes. The wide-bodied Closer has 208 grams, and the slender new Dagger+ has 40 grams in the heel and toe. Extra sole weights further optimize stability. A pyramid-studded face reduces the depth of grooves to direct energy into the ball for more consistency across the face. Four hosel options ensure the putter’s setup and alignment matches yours.

WHY WE LIKE IT: Despite its burgeoning online business, PXG remains committed to fitting. An example of this is how the company developed a putter shaft with a graphite upper and steel tip to provide even more stability and a softer feel at impact.

WHAT IT DOES: Scotty Cameron is always looking for subtle ways to improve his iconic putters. An example here is how he milled out a bit more room for the heel and toe weights to increase forgiveness on off-center hits. On the face, a new milling pattern achieves the traditional soft feel of the past Studio Select’s deep milling pattern with the consistent roll of mid-milled mallets like the Phantom X. WHY WE LIKE IT : Naturally, the little things include the shape of a grip or the paint fill in back, but one of the small changes we think is quite big is adding three “Plus” models to the venerable Newport line. The use of aluminum sole plates creates more perimeter weighting for better forgiveness in the same classic footprint.

PERFORMANCE

★★★★ INNOVATION

“Such a beautiful putter. This is one you want to maintain. Even when I strike the ball slightly off center, it rolls pure.” MIZUNO

★★★★

LOOK • SOUND • FEEL

★★★★ ½

PLAYER COMMENT “The look of a treasure Indiana Jones might uncover. Pleasant feel and a ton of feedback. Controlling speed came naturally.” nathan fox

WHAT IT DOES: Sometimes customers are, in fact, always right, even if they don’t know why. These putters grew from an earlier version of Mizuno’s M.Craft line after company research found that customers opted to adjust their putters to the heaviest configuration, using the original model’s weight kit, more than any other choice. That revelation led to this heavier-is-better line in which head weights reach 375 grams. That’s 10 to 20 grams more than typical putters and provides a lot more stability on off-center hits.

WHY WE LIKE IT: Most compelling, and true to Mizuno’s heritage, these putters—completely milled from the same 1025-forgedcarbon steel as its irons—don’t veer from traditional shapes. The heavier weight also serves as a smoothing salve for jerky strokes.

Know your three-putt zone to inform your practice

Is there anything more frustrating than a threeputt? No golfers are immune. According to data from the Arccos Golf stat-tracking app, even scratch players three-putt 20 percent of the time from more than 30 feet and more than a third of the time from 40 feet.

For perspective, the PGA Tour average for three-putting from long range is about 9 percent—and only about 1 percent of the time from 15 to 20 feet. The average scratch player threeputts from 15 to 20 feet four times as often as a PGA Tour player.

So what can you do about it? Try identifying the distance at which you start three-putting most often, and practice that length before moving out farther.

A 20-handicapper, for instance, starts threeputting 10 percent of the time when putts are longer than 10 feet. A 10-handicapper reaches that point at 20 feet, and the average scratch player starts to three-putt nearly 10 percent of the time at 25 feet.

WHAT IT DOES: There is no equipment-industry proclamation that a beautiful-looking putter has to cost the same as a car payment. The crisp bearing of these blades comes from surface milling on the bodies of the 303-stainless-steel cast heads. Further classing up the appearance is the hydro-blast fi nish, a high-powered jet stream of water that smooths out every edge.

WHY WE LIKE IT: As on Tinder, looks might start a conversation, but you had better tell a good story, too. These putters do thanks to the little things such as hidden pockets and channels that help reposition the saved weight for more forgiveness in the form of heel and toe weight screws. However, it’s the grooved faces that provide the ultimate swipe right: better roll for optimal distance control.