It seems impossible to think of Ireland and not think of golf. The island’s hold on our imaginations is incredibly strong, and in many ways golf, like Guinness, is synonymous with the Emerald Isle. While the reality is that the game didn’t really take hold there until the mid 1800’s, Irish golf still feels incredibly ancient to those of us in North America. Still, with all its history and lore, Irish golf equipment is surprisingly scarce. Master Clubmaker and teaching professional Peter Doyle of Kilkenny is doing his best to change that with his precision milled Aidhm Putters.
Aidhm (pronounced I-Am) isn’t a new brand to THP’s readers. In August 2020, when we last spoke to Doyle, we discussed the newly released K Series putter with 4Core Technology. Recently, we had a chance to reconnect and discuss his two latest models that we’ve been testing, the R Series 2.0 and the S Series with 4Core Technology.
R Series 2.0
The R Series blade was Aidhm’s first foray into putter making. Neatly milled and adorned, it was a standard plumber’s neck blade that proved the company could produce a high-quality, milled putter. The 2.0 version shows some design changes and refinements, but Doyle was quick to note that the sample we received isn’t necessarily the final version. While the model we tested has the same plumber’s neck as the first-generation putter, there is a strong chance the final version consumers see will be tweaked (with something like a flow neck, for example) to further differentiate it.
Like all Aidhm putters, the R Series 2.0 is a one-piece, 5-Axis CNC-milled 1020 Carbon Steel head with a double-coated black finish. The finish is incredibly well done, and it contrasts beautifully with the green, gold, and white paintfill.
It seems that every time we look at the R Series 2.0 we discover another unique design element. Doyle shared that the Celtic Trinity Knot on the center of the sole represents his three children. Each Aidhm putter is named after one of them, with the K, R, and S matching the first letter of each of their names. Two more small knots are milled into the bumpers, just above four green dots.
When asked about the unique gear-teeth design of the flange, Doyle shared, “I’m an engineer by trade and my first job was working for a company that manufactured parts for the wire industry with a lot of bending machines, gears, and traditional tooling, so (the gear design) meant a lot to me. It doesn’t affect the performance as such. It was just that we wanted it to look, in some way, authentic.”
The R Series 2.0’s shaft has the same double-coated, black finish as the head, which is another design element Aidhm has incorporated into the entire line of putter offerings. Coupled with a company-designed oversized grip, the entire package screams premium. Doyle noted that the stag’s head displayed on the grip is his family’s crest.
S Series
The S Series is an expansion on Aidhm’s K Series putter, and similarly, features the 4Core technology Doyle believes sets his putters apart from any others on the market. This 400g double-wide blade is also 5-Axis CNC milled 1020 Carbon steel with a black, double-coated finish. This is an increasingly popular style of putter, as it nicely bridges the gap between true blades and mallets, and we suspect it will quickly become one of Aidhm’s most popular putters. With a perfectly rounded flange, the S Series manages to seem large enough to offer stability and forgiveness without feeling bulky. The 400g head is noticeably heavier than the R Series blade, which almost seems to encourage a smoother, more precise putting stroke.
While the S series shares the gear-tooth flange design seen on Aidmn putters, it’s aesthetically unique, both in head shape and in the way it’s decorated. The sole prominently features the 4Core technology, but surrounding that are three sets of intricate Celtic knots. This combination nicely bridges the gap between modern technology and the Irish lineage Doyle is so proud of.
4Core technology is the centerpiece of the S Series and the reason Doyle believes his putters perform at such a high level. Underneath the red, stainless-steel screws on the sole are small cavities filled with polymer. The original concept behind 4Core was to improve feel via the polymer absorbing vibrations. We can say, unequivocally, that it accomplishes this task very well, especially when combined with the bi-directional face milling. The S Series is exceptionally soft feeling and sounding and is a true joy to putt with.
Doyle believes 4Core provides other benefits as well. The redistribution of weight enhances the putter’s MOI and, in some ways, appears to impact the ability of the putter to mitigate the golf ball’s tendency to skip after impact.
He expands, “All the putters have been tested on the Quintic Ball Roll Ball System and the results are superb. Even against other mainstream brands, our putters were found to be more accurate, have less backspin and sidespin. Even on off center putts, our putters are still extremely consistent.”
Doyle provided two videos for comparison to illustrate this. First, we see a limited edition, high-end putter from a well known company.
Next, an Aidhm putter, which clearly displays an almost immediate forward roll.
Adding to the impressive amount of technology, The S Series incorporates a very useful alignment system, also called 4Core. While we understand some may find this to be a little busy, we found a couple benefits to the system. First, aligning the face square seemed quite simple. More impressive though was how aligning the four red dots perfectly indicates the putter is at a proper lie angle. This interesting addition to the putter seems minor but provided immediate positive benefit in terms of dispersion and quality of contact.
Like the R Series 2.0, the S Series is finished with a black, double-coated shaft and the same oversized grip that rivals the stock grip on any putter we’ve tried. It is also well worth noting how much we loved that both putters came with high-quality, magnetic closure headcovers that further display Aidhm’s Irish heritage.
Details
- Aidhm Putters are available online at www.precisefitting.com
- Each putter can be built to individual fitting specs.
- Price – $399
