TaylorMade Daddy Long Legs Putter - Forum Review

[VGSTYLE]

I'm a newbie who has been stalking this thread for some time and after a recent PGA Superstore visit decided to give the DLL a go. Love the putter but not so much the grip. Been previously using a Fatso (which I see is an option on TM website in supposedly at 130g variety???) Anyway, haven't come across much talk on the grip. I know it serves in the counterbalancing but find it hard to believe everyone loves this stock grip. So has anyone changed or altered the grip or shaft and what were the results? Thanks in advance for any help.

 

[golfinFF]

VG, glad to see you join THP and the DLL thread.

As for the stock grip, I'm not one that has a specific grip preference. I actually like the feel of the stock grip as its soft on the outside yet is firm enough that I don't over grip it.

I don't have any inclination to change the grip out in the future either. I know some people prefer certain grips or certain grip sizes.

 

[codybwallace]

VG, glad to see you join THP and the DLL thread.

As for the stock grip, I'm not one that has a specific grip preference. I actually like the feel of the stock grip as its soft on the outside yet is firm enough that I don't over grip it.

I don't have any inclination to change the grip out in the future either. I know some people prefer certain grips or certain grip sizes.

I am good with the stock grip, but I have always loved a SuperStroke. I am not sure that I would mess with this stock grip. I only used the SS to make me putt better, but this putter is doing that without a SS on it.

 

[v.man]

I'm a newbie who has been stalking this thread for some time and after a recent PGA Superstore visit decided to give the DLL a go. Love the putter but not so much the grip. Been previously using a Fatso (which I see is an option on TM website in supposedly at 130g variety???) Anyway, haven't come across much talk on the grip. I know it serves in the counterbalancing but find it hard to believe everyone loves this stock grip. So has anyone changed or altered the grip or shaft and what were the results? Thanks in advance for any help.

I'm very happy with the stock grip. But, if the Fatso is an option on their website, I suspect that they have a version that achieves their counter balancing objective. Otherwise it would be ..er...counter productive.

 

[War Eagle]

So, with having this one in the bag for a few weeks and having it in play for many rounds, I have some expanded thoughts I wanted to put up.

I have had the DLL in play on courses with lightning fast greens and courses with shaggy, slow greens. Overall, what I find to be the most consistent with the DLL is my lag putting and speed control.

When looking down at the DLL, it offers a familiar look to those who are familiar with the Spider line. Similar in design to those from years past, but with a few new flares and twists. The black/white color scheme goes far beyond providing a good look for the DLL, it provides a great alignment system and an aide that makes you nearly set up square to your target every time.

The weighting/backweighting of the DLL is such an interesting concept to me. So often we hear people talk about working on their putting stroke to make it more of a pendulum-like stroke. With gaming this putter at 38", the backweighting matched with the heavier head give me that smooth and steady stroke. It seems to make my stroke almost effortless at times, and leaves me to focus only on my line and speed. I have struggled with speed at times, mainly because I want to think that with a heavier head on the putter, that the putt will be made for me. When I concentrate on getting the head of the putter through with a good follow-through, my putts are nearly perfect with speed.

Gripping a longer putter- This is something that I worked on quite a bit. With the DLL playing at 38", my first instinct was to let my hands fall to their natural position and grip the putter at the length. Over time, I found that I have pulled my grip up a bit, and at the same time have extended my elbows out to allow myself to have a good shoulder "rock" with my putter stroke. This has allowed me to get that smooth stroke that I need to help my putts start out on my intended line. I still focus on keeping enough of the butt end of the grip extended through my hands, as it provides me with a nice feeling of stability during my stroke.

When the testing began, my struggle was with longer putts. Again, I attribute that to the heavier weight and me not putting a full stroke on the putt. Over time, I have worked on exaggerating my follow through on longer putts, and this has helped me greatly. While my putting stats have not improved dramatically with this putter, what I have found is that my misses are smaller and I am leaving longer putts inside 2-3 feet, and my misses on shorter putts are by mere inches. I think with some continued work on my speed as well as taking the time to read putts from both sides and pay more attention to break, I could definitely lower my strokes on the green.

Will have this one in the bag again this wednesday, along with the Spider Blade for some more head to head comparison.

 

[golfinFF]

War what are you using as a reference point on the grip on where to place your hands? Or are you not using anything?

I've been using the spiders body for the thumb on my left(top) hand.

 

[TheWoo]

War what are you using as a reference point on the grip on where to place your hands? Or are you not using anything?

I've been using the spiders body for the thumb on my left(top) hand.

Not War, but I'm using my ring finger of my right hand (top - I putt cross-handed) even with the body of the spider. As opposed to War, I've found my grip more comfortable further down than up.

The spider logo certainly comes in handy for grip reference.

Sent from my HTCONE using Tapatalk 4 Beta

 

[War Eagle]

War what are you using as a reference point on the grip on where to place your hands? Or are you not using anything?

I've been using the spiders body for the thumb on my left(top) hand.

Im right handed, and have my left hand just at the start of the body of the spider. My right hand grips over top of the spider.

 

[golfinFF]

Thanks woo and war! I was curious as too how everyone was gripping it and how far down.

Woo it sounds like we are gripping down about the same.

War sounds like your grip might be a little higher than mine.

 

[Brianbigoats]

Had 33 putts yesterday including a 18 ft for eagle
I think i could have done better but there was a junior tournament at the course so the front nine was running normal speed but the back had been slowed down for the kids

 

[golfinFF]

TaylorMade Daddy Long Legs Putter - Forum Review

Nice eagle putt!

I'll be hitting the practice green tomorrow and playing in a scramble on Thursday. Tomorrow will be spent on 12ft and in putts as that's my biggest struggle right now. I figured at least an hr or so putting and then some time chipping tomorrow should help me dial in my putting to at least acceptable levels.

 

[Oregon Jack]

Had 33 putts yesterday including a 18 ft for eagle
I think i could have done better but there was a junior tournament at the course so the front nine was running normal speed but the back had been slowed down for the kids

yeahh! nice!

really considering this putter.. rolled in reallllyyyy well at golf galaxy the other day.. i just don't know if it's as sick as Mr. Cameron..

 

[v.man]

Nice eagle putt!

I'll be hitting the practice green tomorrow and playing in a scramble on Thursday. Tomorrow will be spent on 12ft and in putts as that's my biggest struggle right now. I figured at least an hr or so putting and then some time chipping tomorrow should help me dial in my putting to at least acceptable levels.

It's surprising to me that you're having trouble from 12 and in because that's where the DLL shines for me. I'm getting a lot on one putts from that range and usually if I miss it's because of a bad read. I'm putting the ball where I want it to go. My weakness has been the long lags (40-50 feet), but I haven't practiced those at all yet. With a little work, perhaps we'll both eliminate our weak points.

 

[TheWoo]

It's surprising to me that you're having trouble from 12 and in because that's where the DLL shines for me. I'm getting a lot on one putts from that range and usually if I miss it's because of a bad read. I'm putting the ball where I want it to go. My weakness has been the long lags (40-50 feet), but I haven't practiced those at all yet. With a little work, perhaps we'll both eliminate our weak points.

I'm the same way you are, though I have found my comfort level is actually lower inside four feet than from four to 15. Especially with delicate, breaking 3 footers, I'm struggling some. I find I have a hard time hitting these softly while getting them online. I think it's because I likely compensated with some "handsiness" with different putters, and that's actually hard to do with the DLL.

Sent from my HTCONE using Tapatalk 4 Beta

 

[codybwallace]

Just and update, as I played yesterday.

Rolled the ball very well. I may still be in the honeymoon stage with this putter, but I love it. I did not have many one putts yesterday, but I was not mad about the two putts. I did not have a single three putt, but then again I have only had one since buying this putter.

I will say this about the putter, the ball goes where you tell it to go. You may say "Well of course it does", but what I mean is the putter is pretty automatic (strokewise). It is so easy to keep the putter on the intended swing path. This putter really amplifies how bad of a putt reader I am. I hit every single line, but one, yesterday, and most missed putts were from a bad line/read. "Most" brings me to my next finding. I found myself leaving a few putts short yesterday. This is in no way the putters fault, and I have been a huge advocate of similar speeds between the DLL and the Spider I have been playing. I was just having an off day. I will brag on myself for a second...I was playing really good with my irons and approaches yesterday, so I was closest to the flag, so I putted last, so I had to watch all of these other hacks blow their ball past the hole, so I in turn came up short.

The part of the face around the insert is getting a little worse with each outing. I still have not heard anything back from TM on my concern. I have added photos of the face of my Spider and my DLL. The Spider probably has had thousands of putts on it and the DLL is only working with a little over a hundred.



Golf is so mental. In the past I have hated the green and putting. With this new putter, I can't wait to get to the green, and I have found myself getting there quicker. I am not going to say that this putter has made my drives longer and my irons straighter, but this putter has given me a certain confidence that has transfered over to the rest of my game.

#DLLFTW

 

[War Eagle]

It's surprising to me that you're having trouble from 12 and in because that's where the DLL shines for me. I'm getting a lot on one putts from that range and usually if I miss it's because of a bad read. I'm putting the ball where I want it to go. My weakness has been the long lags (40-50 feet), but I haven't practiced those at all yet. With a little work, perhaps we'll both eliminate our weak points.

What do you think is causing the issue for the longer lag putts?

 

[Jjmorris]

Amidst the crazy amount of rain we got this weekend and being a holiday, I was able to sneak out to the range Saturday before we got dumped on. I only took the DLL and my gamer I was using before DLL testing (Nike Method Concept). This will be my only review that involves any sort of comparison since the Nike will not sniff the bag until testing is over (if it even does!).

Even though the Nike is considered a "mallet" style putter, I was surprised at how different it is from the DLL. Aside from the obvious looks, size, and shape differences, the feel is also very different. I truly believe the back weighting technology TaylorMade has integrated into the Daddy Long Legs putter (and those that have similar technology) is beneficial to MY game. It just works.

Few things I wanted to get a solid comparison for: short putts (0-5'), mid/long range putts (5'-25') and lag putts (30'+). The range is not always the best indication of how good a putter is for me since I tend to not think about it as much and usually see better results than when on the course. Still a good indication of apples-to-apples between another putter for comparative results.

Short putts: This was the one category I really didn't notice a difference. It could have been the flatter practice green or the putting multiple times from a similar location, but both putters performed well and I couldn't definitively say one was better than the other. One thing I noticed with my stroke in general on these short putts; I tend to have better results if I keep the stroke short and the putter low to the ground.

Mid/long range putts: Here is where I started to really feel the DLL step up in the performance category. I wasn't holing a ton from this distance (and wasn't expecting to) but I started to build a repeatable stroke. I can't say the same as with the Nike. What I mean is after hitting the same putt 4 or 5 times in a row, I really could feel the stroke (pendulum maybe is a better term?) from start to finish and instantly knew if my putt was long/short. If this is something I can take to the course, I may just be able to gain that confidence putting I never had.

Lag putts: I don't have a whole lot to add to this yet as I didn't see enough results to have a conclusive observation on what I saw other than I could feel the stroke (similar to what I saw in mid range putts) BETTER with the DLL than with the Nike. lag putting was the one area I wanted to focus on for this testing and I still need to put more work into it before I can really start to get an idea on improvement and consistency.

Overall, I am having a very positive testing experience with the DLL and would like to quickly thank THP and Taylormade again, because I probably wouldn't have given this putter a chance if it wasn't for being a tester.

 

[MWard]

Don't be hesitant to compare this putter to others Jesse, comparisons between competition helps gives you and us some pros and cons to it.

Solid writeup though, it seems the DLL's pretty good in that mid range putt distance for you so far!

 

[Jjmorris]

Thanks dude, it was pretty much money compared to what I usually see. The back weighting helps SO much with making a repeatable stroke. Don't tell the USGA, I don't want it banned.

 

[golfinFF]

V.man and Jesse great write ups. Jesse I agree that we need not speak of the back weighting.
:-D

I went to the course this morning and concentrated on the putts from 12' and in. The wind was blowing pretty hard 15-20 across the elevated and wide open practice greens. I did lag a few but that was just hole to hole. I used three balls all morning and never putted more than on ball from the same spot. I worked my way around each hole from varying distance each time around. For example I would have a ten, six and three foot putt each time.

The first green is fairly flat and just has minor breaks in it. I putted really well here I missed a couple of the longer putts but just barely. I left the green more confident with DLL than I have been in awhile.

Green two has way more breaks and slope in it than the first green. I putted really well here as well and my misses were generally thinking the putt would have more break in than it did. Once I got the grain figured out my putts were much better. This green has some good double breakers and down hill sliders and I managed those really well making or just burning the edges on many of those.

Overall I am very pleased with today's putting and have some much needed confidence that I need going into a scramble on Thursday.

The biggest thing I re-learned today was with DLL I have to play the ball forward in my stance, just behind my front foot.

 

[War Eagle]

V.man and Jesse great write ups. Jesse I agree that we need not speak of the back weighting.
:-D

I went to the course this morning and concentrated on the putts from 12' and in. The wind was blowing pretty hard 15-20 across the elevated and wide open practice greens. I did lag a few but that was just hole to hole. I used three balls all morning and never putted more than on ball from the same spot. I worked my way around each hole from varying distance each time around. For example I would have a ten, six and three foot putt each time.

The first green is fairly flat and just has minor breaks in it. I putted really well here I missed a couple of the longer putts but just barely. I left the green more confident with DLL than I have been in awhile.

Green two has way more breaks and slope in it than the first green. I putted really well here as well and my misses were generally thinking the putt would have more break in than it did. Once I got the grain figured out my putts were much better. This green has some good double breakers and down hill sliders and I managed those really well making or just burning the edges on many of those.

Overall I am very pleased with today's putting and have some much needed confidence that I need going into a scramble on Thursday.

The biggest thing I re-learned today was with DLL I have to play the ball forward in my stance, just behind my front foot.

Interesting setup, any forward press with that?

 

[golfinFF]

Interesting setup, any forward press with that?

It is for sure War, but it seems to be what works best for me. No forward press, I set DLL down behind the ball step up ball just inside left(front foot) take my grip, rock my shoulders to bring the club and then rock through. My wrists are completely still and locked into position with no break down through or past the ball.

I use the distance I bring the club back along with speed through the ball and follow through distance to get my pace. I am not a fan of taking the club back far on long putts so for me the speed picked up on the down swing created by my turn of the shoulders creates the pace.

I would venture to say I don't ever bring the club back more than 9-12in even on a 30ft lag. My follow through will definitely be longer on those long lag putts and at times will end up just below parallel on a really long lag and uphill.

I'll see if I can get the wife to go with me one day this weekend and video me putting or I will see if my brother will do it when we play Thursday.

 

[Brianbigoats]

yeahh! nice!

really considering this putter.. rolled in reallllyyyy well at golf galaxy the other day.. i just don't know if it's as sick as Mr. Cameron..

Not as pretty as a Cameron but the prefromace from me is better

 

[Pevans]

Great updates everyone I want to pose a question to you all. I am thinking about putting my DLL head to head with a belly White Hot XG Sabertooth, but have it cut down to the same length to compare the stability only. I won't test for feel as the inserts are completely different.I chose the Sabertooth belly because the head weights (DLL@395 Sabertooth@400) are similar so all I would have to do is after getting the shaft cut down is place 130 gram grip to act as the counter balance. I guess the reason I want to try this is because I know guys love the counter balance idea that TM has with DLL but they don't like the look and/or feel of the DLL. Do you think this would work as a good comparison?

 

[TripleBogieTim]

Some good thoughts in here on this putter....I like the counter balance idea