GOLD
GOLD
SILVER
OVERALL RATING ★★★★ ½ PERFORMANCE ★★★★ ½ INNOVATION ★★★★★ LOOK • SOUND • FEEL ★★★★
OVERALL RATING ★★★★★ PERFORMANCE ★★★★★ INNOVATION ★★★★ ½ LOOK • SOUND • FEEL ★★★★★
OVERALL RATING ★★★★ PERFORMANCE ★★★★ INNOVATION ★★★★ ½ LOOK • SOUND • FEEL ★★★★
‘What I hear and feel is what I see. It’s on cruise control when it’s in my hands. Left long putts close.’ – PLUS 2-HANDICAP
‘When you have a downhill slider for the match, this is what you want in your hands. It has a soft yet complete feel.’ – 10-HANDICAP
‘The face is stable during the stroke. Easy to line up and keep the putter moving down the line.’ – PLUS 1-HANDICAP
PXG BATTLE READY II R9 000 WHY WE LIKE IT
TITLEIST SCOTTY CAMERON SUPER SELECT R8 500
CLEVELAND
HB SOFT 2 R2 900 WHY WE LIKE IT
WHY WE LIKE IT Someday we want someone to talk about us the way Scotty Cameron talks about his putters. His tone about these blades seems to emanate from a cathedral, and why not? His dominance in the milled-blade market isn’t an accident. Cameron and his team comb over every detail to improve these designs. Tweaks like milling out sections of the plumber’s neck and the iconic “cherry dots” redistribute mass to heel and toe sole weights. Cameron says this makes his blades “as forgiving as a mallet.” Sweet talker.
For all the delightful TV ads, you might forget that PXG is dead serious about one of the less sexy aspects of the business. Fitting is central to PXG’s philosophy, and that’s especially true for putters. These blades, which feature super-thin faces supported by a feel- and forgiveness-enhancing polymer fill, come with an array of hosel options ranging from heel- shafted to armlock. The heel and toe weight ports on the sole can further customise the look you want fit to the stroke you have.
Given the technological efforts in its design and manufacture, this putter sports a price that seems like a misprint. These bargain blades stoutly cater to two stroke types, use different grips to accommodate those strokes and produce the same manufacturing tolerances as more expensive putters. Most importantly, the complex milling pattern on the face with its varying density specific to each model normalises ball speed on mis-hits.
If you prefer the look of a blade putter over a mallet, that’s fine, but I’ve always felt that blade models are more challenging to align. A mallet offers more of a straight-back and straight-through feel to the stroke, but a blade seems to move on a slight in-to-in arc in relation to the line of the putt. It’s more feel versus real, but it does influence aim. To be sure you’re lining up over your blade putter correctly, try this drill to check if you’re standing too far away from the ball – a common mistake. Find a straight one-metre putt and set a ball down. Then, 10 centimetres in front of it, place a ball marker, making sure both are aligned in relation to the cup. Take your address position and see if the marker still appears on-line with your ball and the hole ( above, right ). If it doesn’t ( above, left ), adjust your stance until they line up. Now go ahead and putt. – with Ron Kaspriske DOUBLE CHECK YOUR ALIGNMENT WITH A BLADE PUTTER BY JASON GUSS
• Heel-toe sole weights match head mass to shaft lengths. • Six models (Newport, Newport Plus, Newport 2, Newport 2 Plus, Newport 2.5 Plus, Squareback 2); head weights: 345, 355, 365 grams; lengths: 33-35 inches (84-89cm); loft: 3.5 degrees
• Four models (Brandon, Closer, Dagger+, Mustang); five hosel options (double bend, plumber’s neck, heel- shafted, armlock, centre-shafted); head weights: 325-415 grams; lengths: 33-38 inches (84-97cm); loft: 3 degrees
• Two grips correspond to models that fit the slight arc stroke (narrower) or the straight stroke (thicker). • Three models (1, 8S, 8C); head weights: 355, 365 grams; lengths: 34, 35 inches (86-89cm); loft: 3 degrees
FEEL
FEEL
FEEL
Firm
Cushioned
Firm
Cushioned
Firm
Cushioned
HEFT
HEFT
HEFT
Light
Heavy
Light
Heavy
Light
Heavy
SHAPE
SHAPE
SHAPE
Angular
Soft curves
Angular
Soft curves
Angular
Soft curves
Jason Guss is one of Golf Digest’s Best Teachers in Illinois. The Jason Guss Golf Academy is at Naperville CC.
TOP 5 BEST LOOKING, BLADE PUTTERS, HIGH-HANDICAPS
TOP 5 BEST SOUND/FEEL, BLADE PUTTERS, MIDDLE-HANDICAPS
TOP 5 SOFTEST FEELING, BLADE PUTTERS, HIGH-HANDICAPS
107 GOLF DIGEST SOUTH AFRICA
GOLF DIGEST SOUTH AFRICA 108
HOTLIST 2024
HOTLIST 2024
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