TEST RESULT: PUTTERS - March 19, 2007
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There’s only one word to describe the number of putters on the market, “bewildering". Some are conventional in appearance and some are strange looking. However the operative question is do they work, i.e. putt the ball into the hole?
Rankmark has done consumer preference testing of putters for several years and we have come to the conclusion there are two basic ways to compare them, sensory feedback and results. Obviously there is a certain amount of interdependence of the two. For example you use your sense of feel, how the putter looks and the |
contact noise as part of your judgment plus of course whether the ball goes in the hole. So ranking putters is a mix of objective results and subjective factors. Having said that I believe there is anecdotal evidence the two most frequently used methods are “What’s in my favorite pros bag?” and “What was my neighbor playing when he won the club championship?”
I am finding there is another method though, not as popular yet but gaining. It’s the answer to the question, “What do I play?” Readers of this newsletter and visitors to our web site seem to think perhaps I, who try out every new club, have some deep dark secret of what is best which with some prodding I might share. Well, I don’t, meaning there is no secret but at the end of the newsletter I will tell you which putter I am currently carrying.
Our evaluation was conducted using 185 golfers – 125 with handicaps of 11 and higher and 60 with 10 or less handicap. It took almost three weeks to complete the test with more than 8,000 putts struck, measured and recorded. We began with putters from 27 manufacturers and had our testers evaluate each in terms of feel, appearance and ball contact noise.
The nine with the highest scores were: |
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Ashdon Round-A-bout G-360
With the look of a classic blade or mallet and crafted out of 17-4 stainless steel, the Round-a-bout putter is engineered with a milled face and a brass insert, giving the golfer a soft but solid feel on every putt. All the mass has been built into the putter directly behind the ball, and traditional heel and toe weighting gives the golfer the feel and confidence needed to make more putts. With the shaft centered in the middle of the putter and a guide line on top of the circle, the Round-a-bout putter gives the golfer the easiest alignment ever developed in a putter. Weighting 360 grams, the putter slows the golfer's tempo down and allows for a smoother swing, giving you more control and confidence with every putt. The circle on the putter is exactly the size of the ball (1.68"), this shows the golfer the ball is always centered for a solid hit every time. Since you have a circle against circle (the golf ball) you create a true roll every time because you push the ball alone the ground instead of lifting the ball, thus friction creates a true roll every time with no bouncing and jumping. Available in blade or mallet and comes in 33", 34", 35", and 36" lengths.
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Round-A-Bout
G-360 |
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Never Compromise GM2 Exchange
The Exchange Series features a system of interchangeable weights that allows custom tuning to suit conditions, surfaces and a player's tendencies. Weights can be manipulated to create a clubhead that ranges from 320 to 370 grams. Customized Weighting Technology can dramatically improve stroke tempo, distance control, accuracy and adaptability to variuos surfaces and conditions. |
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GM2 Exchange |
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Nickent Pipe PP/004
The Plumber-Neck Blade features a shorter PIPE® section than the mallet and no perimeter bars on the outside of the clubhead. This enables a blade putter with a substantially higher MOI than other blade putters on the market. This design is ideal for players keeping their hands ahead of the clubhead through impact. This tends to make the putter more forgiving and easier to use, even in a Blade model, which is the reason it’s so popular. |
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PP/004 |
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Odyssey White Hot XG Putters
The White Hot XG is the next generation of White Hot Technology. Inspired by proven, high-performance, multi-layer golf ball technology, the White Hot XG is Odyssey's latest advancement that utilizes a multi-layer insert for phenomenal performance on the green. It combines two materials with different properties to take the level of feedback, feel and distance control to an all-new, extreme level.
• Elastomer Core Material - Soft for great feel, and highly resilient to get the ball rolling quickly.
• Thin, outer striking surface - Firm for fine-tuned responsiveness.
• Textured Impact Zone - Enhances feel and clearly defines the sweet spot.
All together, it allows weight to be shifted to the perimeter of the putter head for a high MOI, creating even better forgiveness and truer roll than previous models. It's the softest, most responsive insert we have ever created. |
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White Hot XG |
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Each will receive Rankmark’s “BEST OF THE BEST” designation for 2007. |
Next we conducted a comparison test using each of the 27 putters for putts from six, nine and 12 feet. The results and the percentage of putts made were:
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Each will receive Rankmark’s “BEST OF THE BEST” designation for 2007. |
Please note the Ashdon model was the only putter that made both lists.
In analyzing these test results we seem to have proven there is no “scientific way” to pick a putter. The method appears to be to keep trying putters until you find one that feels comfortable and knocks the ball in the hole… and then of course, keep practicing.
Finally and as I promised earlier, the putter I am using presently and was using prior to this testing session is the Heavy Putter.
I remain,
Charles Mandel
Founder of Rankmark
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