The new Lite-Weight (600- The Country Club Series from Bettinardi Golf The Axis One
grams) putters from Heavy is great for an event or club logo. Umbra has been
Putter-Boccieri Golfinclude a sell-out twice.
a face balanced mallet.
Odyssey for 2011 Features The SeeMore SI4 has their Riflescope The new iN series
the DART Alignment Technology aiming system on the hosel from PING with
System on a new series of nanonickel inserts
Putters that includes the has some non-
Back Stryke Model traditional models
like this Wack-E
Putters are a topic of conversation whenever equipment-knowledgeable players get together and each year the established putter makers are joined by a virtual host of new company flat sticks, each vying for a piece of the market. In 2011 one of the well known players, Yes Putter, is on the sidelines. The company’s assets were bought by Adams Golf in bankruptcy court last November but company spokeswoman Lisa Weistart told me Adams will not have any new products to talk about for several months. Ping has introduced the iN putter series of 10 models in Ping’s classic and some not so classic shapes such as the Wack-E and 1/2 Wack E. All models feature center-body cut-outs to improve perimeter weighting and a nano-nickel insert said to give both a solid sound and feel. Look for a street price of $139-$179 depending the model.
Odyssey, Callaway Golf ’s putter brand, has the brand new D.A.R.T. (Direction and Realignment Technology) line with target alignment that uses a dart shaped pattern on the putter head. According to Austie Rollison, principal putter designer, “D.A.R.T. works via a two-step process. First, the eyes align the putter to the target using the straight lines on the top of the putter head. From there, the mind’s eye completes the realignment by placing the apex of the D.A.R.T. design at the center of the golf ball. This ensures that the face of the putter is in line with the target and promotes consistent contact with the center of the face for greater distance control. The original 2-Ball putter was a revolutionary step in using the golf ball as an alignment aid, and D.A.R.T. is an evolution of that technology.” The D.A.R.T. series is priced at $180. Putter designer extraordinaire Bob Bettinardi of Bettinardi Golf is offering the second installment of the Country Club series putters in 2011. This heel shafted mallet with soft carbon steel head is milled in Chicago as are all Bettinardi’s and features a single top alignment line plus a satin nickel finish. The sole is ideal for a club or event logo. MAP is $325.
SeeMore Putter is back on track after some fallow years following Payne Stewart’s 1999 U.S.Open win using a SeeMore. In 2006 industry veterans Jim Grundberg and Jason Pouliot bought the struggling company and almost immediately got a boost with Zach Johnson’s 2007 Masters victory. For the new season they introduced the black satin Si4, a conventional plumber’s neck putter with the unique SeeMore alignment system, what they call “Riflescope Technology.” Instead of on the putter head, as with earlier models, this time the aiming lines and dot are on the hosel of the Si4. Retail for the Si4 is $180.
It was inevitable. After the huge success of the Rossa Corza Ghost mallet, TaylorMade Golf has brought out a conventional blade putter featuring the same white head and anti-skid insert. The Rossa Daytona Ghost was designed in consultation with Dave Stockton, the nation’s hottest putting instructor, and is already making a mark on the professional tours. The Daytona Ghost should continue the market share gains for TMaG who until now has only had a sliver of the putter market. Street price for the Daytona Ghost is $129.
Heavy Putter has introduced a lighter version to compliment the 900-gram original and the 750-gram mid-weight models. The D3-L Lite-Weight Series model tips the scales at 600-grams which is still 100-grams plus more than other putters. Steve Boccieri, president and CEO of Boccieri Golf said, “The Lite-Weight Series has really struck a chord with consumers, who can now experience the benefits of our line in a variety of weights and models to fit their preference.” Putters in the new series are in stores now at $120.
The Axis 1 Umbra model was introduced at the PGA Merchandise Show in January and has already sold out – twice, according to the Axis 1 Golf CEO Luis Pedraza. Axis uses a large heel counterweight and an extreme goose-neck to create “the first 100% perfectly balanced putters in the game.” Their idea is to balance the putter so the center of gravity is exactly on the center of the putter’s face and aligned with the shaft axis. The new Umbra model is a 350-gram mallet with a milled face and retails for $299.
About Ed Travis
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