Putter Shoot Out Participants' Thoughts

[JB]

Here is each participant listed and some thoughts on what they liked and what they didn't like. Very interesting to see what putters people really liked and how it was all over the place.

Each putter will be broken down with thoughts from the golfers coming up on the main article Monday.

Rick O - Prefers mallets to blades going on and uses a Scotty Cameron Red X that he has been thinking about replacing recently. The last putter he tried proved to be the best for him performance wise with the Never Compromise XRAY Mallet.

"The alignment tool on the putter is the best I have seen to date and I just felt better with it than anything else."

"The Machine Putter was by far the best looking putter out there".

"I do not know how anybody could putt with that wooden thing".

"I have been looking to change and this one is calling my number. This was a blast and I came away realizing just how different each one feels."

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Tim B - Since seeing the infomercial over a year ago has been using the Rife 2 Bar Mallet putter and really likes it. Prior to that had been using only Scotty Camerons for a while. He came away really impressed with the looks of the Heavy Putter Mid-Weight J2 and it turned out that it was the best performance wise for him as well.

"Something about this putter in my hands just felt better than everything else."

"It stood out based on looks and draining putts for me."

"I thought the Nike OZ putter was extremely weak. Expected more. Cool name though."

"Pretty sold on this putter. Not ready to give away the Rife just yet, but this one worked well for me and I might have to give it a try."
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Al G - Currently using an Odyssey 2 Ball and loves it. Has tried tons and always comes back to this one. Performance wise nothing worked better than the SeeMore M1. He even tried it against his 2 Ball and the SeeMore performed better. He liked the looks of the Scotty Cameron the best.

"That Red Dot thing just worked for me better than my putter."

"I have always had this weird relationship with Scotty Cameron putters. I think I am supposed to like them and love the looks, but cannot putt with them at all."

"How is anybody supposed to putt with that piece of bark."

"The SeeMore Putter certainly works but I am still not switching from my 2 Ball. It is not happening anytime soon. Surprised that the M1 was softer than the Scotty though."
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Dave L - Currently playing an Odyssey 2 Ball Black Series and loves it. Not looking to change and has used an Odyssey putter for a long time. Performance wise it was not even close with the Slotline Mallet making 100% of the putts he tried. He liked the looks of it too, but not as much as the aesthetics of the Taylormade Kia Ma.

"I really liked looking down at the black Slotline. It looked very similar to my putter but may have worked even better. Like the way the ball comes off the face as well."

"That Kia Ma blade thing you guys have out did not work for me but that thing is a piece of art work. I want one of those to display".

"That blue and yellow putter just did not work. Had zero feel."

"I'm not ready to change but this thing opened my eyes to a few that I will keep my eyes on" I had no idea there were so many shapes."
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Larry B - Just got a Nickent Pipe Putter recently and likes it a lot. Definitely more of a mallet fan but loves the looks of blade putters. The Never Compromise XRAY Mallet was tops on the performance chart for him edging out the Rife and the SeeMore M2 just barely. The Machine Putter was by far his favorite in the looks department.

"I didn't want to like the XRAY, but it worked for me really well. The two lines make it easy to lineup and putt with it. I really liked the putter with the red dot too. Both of those seem to work the best for me. I also really liked the sound that the XRAY made."

"I had not heard of Machine Putters before today but that thing is so cool looking. My grandson would love that."

"That gray one (Sunset Beach) gave me fits. The putter head seems to small."

"I definitely want to switch to the XRAY. Heck, if I putt like that all the time, I will be a scratch golfer. I want to get my grandson a Machine putter too I think, they are really cool looking."
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Tim M - Used milled putters for as long as he has played golf and says he cannot put with an insert. The Mizuno Bettinardi BC3 absolutely worked better for him and looked better to him than anything else here. Nothing else stood out for him, but this putter had him sold.

"I have never been able to putt like that in my life".

"It looks as good as it works, but I really wish that Mizuno would make the grips and headcovers blue and white."

"That putter with the red dot had me all screwed up when I was trying to use it. I kept seeing the dot and was missing everything."

"I am definitely switching to the Mizuno. I figure I can straight up trade somebody on the net".
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Rob C - Has been having putting problems since taking up the game 4 years ago. The first putter he tried ended up working the best for him and that was the SeeMore M1. He actually preferred the looks of the SeeMore M2 to that of the M1, but those were his two favorites.

"Never heard of SeeMore until this morning when I read the print out of what we were trying, but I am sold. Could not believe that there were quite a few putters that felt softer to mine."

"I liked both of the SeeMores the best in looks and they had cool headcovers too."

"That Cleveland Mallet was just horrible. How could anybody putt with that."

"I am going to switch to a SeeMore. Like my Scotty and not getting rid of it, but these just worked better for me."
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Jim H - He just switched to a Yes! putter after reading rave reviews and has really struggled with it. Looking at switching again but has really had a tough time finding one he likes and has been going back and forth between mallet and blade. Nothing worked for him quite like the Rife did. He said it felt better than the other groove putters with the ball coming off the face.

"That Rife is really cool. Not really a mallet and not really a blade". But it was really making putts for me."

"I thought that Scotty Cameron was the nicest looking followed closely by the Kia Ma and the Machine. But none of them worked for me. Its a shame."

"Not sure how anybody could putt with that old wooden one."

"Bought my Yes! from Golfsmith and they have a guarantee, I am going to trade it in for the Rife."
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Chris W - Has used his Ping Anser for 20 years and had never even really looked at putters. The Cleveland Classics #1 performed best for him with the Taylormade Kia Ma right behind that one in performance. Thought the Machine Putter was the nicest looking putter he had ever seen.

"That Cleveland Classics looks right up my alley and worked better than anything I had tried."

"I have been playing this game for many many years and have never thought of a golf club as good looking until I saw this one."

"Some of these are too funky for my taste. That new Taylormade putter is just too busy."

"Nobody can get me to switch from my Ping, but when you told me the price of the Cleveland, I must admit I am tempted."
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Jason B - Loves mallets and really fell in love with his Taylormade Itsy Bitsy Spider. Has been putting really well with it, but struggles on short putts sometimes with the size. The Machine Putter and Taylormade Kia Ma both were tops for performance for Jason. He had never really tried a milled putter before and loved the soft feel of them. Thought the Kia Ma was the nicest looking putter he had ever seen.

"I never knew that putters could feel so soft. I had not heard of Machine before, but this thing is just amazing. It was like putting with a feather."

"I thought that the Kia Ma had my look down when I was setting up to it. I never knew that I was a blade guy until today (laughs)."

"That Sweet Wood thing was soft alright, but it felt weird and looked even weirder".

"I think I want to order a new putter. I like the custom options you were telling me about with Machine and may go that route. Very cool ideas."
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[JB]

Brad D - Has always been a mallet guy and just prefers the way they help with speed for him. He really liked the look of the Nike IC Mallet but found that the Slotline Mallet just worked for him way better than everything else. He also really liked the Sabertooth but struggled with the longer putts with it.

"That Slotline is something I had not heard of, but it really worked for me. Its really nice looking too."

"I have never been a fan of Nike Putters but this one looks different than the rest. Thought it would have worked the best for me."

"I did not like the looks of those Mizuno putters. I don't know, they did not look right and did not work for me either."

"I am switching to that Nike IC Mallet. I know the Slotline worked a little better, but the Nike really sets up nice to me and I think it will work well in time."
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Dave C - Likes his Odyssey 2 Ball but before that had always used milled putters. The Rife worked best for him and in fact he was one of only 2 people that made 100% putts with one putter. He liked that it was not a mallet or a blade but rather different. Said it was the only groove putter he had tried that had a soft feel to it. He loved the looks of the Bettinardi BC6 and actually putted really well with that as well.

"That Rife just worked for me. I had tried the mallet version last year but it did not work like this one did. Great feel for a putter like this and I made everything with it."

"That Bettinardi putter was just perfect for me. Loved the looks and the feel. Not sure if I have ever found something like that before."

"What is with those Goode putters. They are milled by I almost felt as though the ball just would not come off the face. I did not like those at all. The wooden thing even worked better for me."

"I want a Bettinardi really bad now. The look is just perfect. If I am going to switch, it is going to be to that one."
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Mark J - Another Odyssey 2 Ball user and he has really been looking for a new putter over the last few months. Tried the Scotty Cameron Red X on a whim and used it for a few months and found himself going back to the 2 Ball. Performance wise he was tied between the Heavy Putter and the Scotty Cameron. The Odyssey Sabertooth was right behind those two in performance and he really liked the looks of a lot of different putters.

"The Heavy Putter felt great and really helped me on the short putts that I seem to struggle with. I also really liked the look of that Scotty Cameron you had out there."

"That Slotline 385 Blade I tried is gorgeous and with the price at less than $100 it would be hard to pass up. It felt great too."

"Both the Goode Putter and GEL putters to me had very little feel to them at all."

"Not sure where this leaves me with my putter search. I have a fascination with Scotty putters but really like the Heavy Putter and the Slotline 385."
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Rick K - Really struggling with his putting this year. Been through 4 putters in 6 months and his entire bag is Ping. The XRAY Blade worked better than anything for him but was not sold on the looks. Looks wise he really preferred the Taylormade Kia Ma and the Nike IC Blade.

"That XRAY putter is the best Never Compromise has come up with in years and it really worked."

"The Kia Ma was the best looking putter I have ever seen in person. Also liked the looks of the Slotline and the Nike IC Blade."

"The GEL really lacked a lot of feel for me, but it worked okay".

"This opened up my eyes to a lot of different things. At the end of the day I think the Nike IC Blade is my next putter."
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Matt K - Another golfer that has really been struggling to find a putter that will work for him. Has been through lots of different putters and this trial could not come at a better time for him. He was determined not to like the Odyssey Sabertooth but in the end it performed better than anything else out there for him. He really has taken a liking to putters with a black finish and the Slotline Mallet fit that bill perfectly for him as well.

"That Sabertooth is really funny looking but it just works. Not sure I can play it based on looks though."

"The Slotline mallet is one fine looking putter. It fits everything I am looking for and the feel coming off the face was really nice."

"Just not sure how anybody can play these Heavy Putters. Long putts seem to really run with them."

"This was just awesome. I got to try just about everything and think I have my mind narrowed down to a couple of putters. The Slotline mallet or that Taylormade prototype putter we got to try. Both fit me perfectly I think."
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Steve F - Has been using a Scotty Cameron since becoming a teaching professional and loves it. While out there with the testing he performed best with the SeeMore M2 and also thought the looks of the SeeMore M2 were his favorite.

"I never thought I would say a putter is softer than my Scotty, but I found a couple that were. The SeeMore, the Kia Ma, and the Machine all felt as though they were softer and felt better than my current putter. They also all put the ball in the hole."

"I never thought I would see putters that are as nice looking as the Machine and the Kia Ma, those things are beautiful."

"I am just not an insert putter guy so the ones with inserts really did not work for me. The Mizunos were baffling because although they do not have inserts, they felt as though they did. It was almost an artificial feeling."

"I love my Cameron, but this SeeMore just works better for me. Feels a tad softer as well. This was a really fun trial you guys had."
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David B - Switched to a soft insert putter after years with a Ping Anser. Been putting well but feels he is struggling on longer putts. Two putters seemed to work better for him than everything else out there, however quite a few worked very well for him. The Nickent Tour Blade and the Rife 2 Bar Blade really fit him well. The GEL's also performed well for him and really made him notice that he likes the groove technology putters.

"I don't know if it is mental or not, but the grooves seem to get the ball rolling really well for me. All of them that I tried worked much better than the rest of them."

"I love the looks of that wooden putter. That thing is so cool. For actual use, nothing looked nicer to me than the Mizuno BC6."

"I really struggled with the Heavy Putter. Could not get the speed down at all."

"This was a great chance to try out some putters that could help me. I have been trying to get to a 5 and it always seems my putting is holding me back. The Nickent putter seemed to fit me the best. If I can find one cheap, I might jump on it."
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Bill F - Really happy with his putter but always willing to try one that makes him better. He was the most shocked out of everybody here that he made more putts with the Heavy Putter than any other putter out here. However said he would not really game it due to playing at courses with really fast greens. Putt well with quite a few putters today.

"The Heavy Putter worked fine but on fast greens it would bring too many 3 putts into play. I really liked the new XRAY blade as well as both SeeMores."

"The XRAY blade is a great looking putter. I also really liked the looks of the Kia Ma and the Nickent Tour putter."

"The putter that I did not like at all was the Goode. It seemed dead and was not very nice looking."

"I found quite a bit that I really liked and am going to do some thinking. That XRAY was awesome and I also really liked the Nickent and the Mizuno BC3."

 

[GolferGal]

WOW that is a lot of information, this is going to be one heck of a review!! I can't wait to read it.

 

[ActionJackson8]

I can't decide between the Odyssey i-black two ball or a Kia Ma Maranello.

 

[Harry Longshanks]

Good grief man, that must have taken you forever to review and assemble.

It just goes to show how personal putters are though.

Spoiler

"bark"

heh-heh

 

[JB]

That is nothing Harry. Still a lot more coming. More pictures as well as thoughts from each participant on every single putter line entered.

Lots of time and work, but in the end I learned something that I think will be apparent in the results. That is that not all putters are created equal and that the same few lines shined throughout the entire testing and that some of the putters did not work for ANYBODY.

 

[JB]

I can't decide between the Odyssey i-black two ball or a Kia Ma Maranello.

Neither of those are in this event at all. But regardless of that, those are VERY different putters.

 

[ActionJackson8]

Neither of those are in this event at all. But regardless of that, those are VERY different putters.

I know I play such different courses. Inland the greens are short and fast so I like a lighter blade with a harder (milled) feel, closer to the Ocean and the Muni's the greens are long and slow, so I like the heavier mallet. I'll probably get the Odyssey since I already have a Scotty.

 

[jefffann]

Great job...interesting read well done

 

[JB]

Thanks Jeff. We will have the break down of each putter line tomorrow on the main site for everybody as well as tons more pictures.

 

[thebread]

Really looking forward to seeing the results tomorrow.

 

[gadiel]

FRom Scotty to Heavy

FRom Scotty to Heavy

I just switch from Scotty Detour Newport 2.5 to a Heavy Putter J2 and I only see better numbers now. No more 3 puts.