Cleveland Smart-Square Putter Review
golfinFF
Active member
that bag looks awesome
That golf bag is awesome
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- #154
Yep. Want, want, want.
That bag is sick! Looks like something a black ops guy would play golf with lol
That bag looks awesome. And the putter heads look bigger than I originally perceived.
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- #158
Lots of good pic's in the first post, if I do say so myself.
This one, this one is intriguing. It really really has been so far. Truth.
Interesting stuff. I was a big fan of the two ball for a while. I've since moved on and kind of prefer a single line now, but this seems like an interesting take on the alignment aid.
Agreed, those pics are great. Maybe it's just me, but seeing them in perspective next to the stand bag made them appear bigger than I originally thought. Again, just my impression, and I do need glasses.Lots of good pic's in the first post, if I do say so myself.
This one, this one is intriguing. It really really has been so far. Truth.
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- #161
Allllllllright then. After a bit of a delay and life becoming insane I finally managed to get back out and about ON the course yesterday with the Smart-Square rather than just rolling it indoors on my Tour Links as I had been relegated to for the past week thanks to some weather issues.
Of even more interest now is with THP and Cleveland doing a forum review on the putter in addition to the front-page review, you HAVE to love that.
So, lets get on with a little update, shall we?
Appearance:
As I mentioned initially, I'm not a mallet guy. Its not that I don't love the looks of many, because I do, rather its that we just traditionally don't get along on the course and for me I think a lot of that has to do with having a little too much alignment aid in them. So, entering this I had the same concerns, and I'll admit having not cared for the 2-ball all that much I was thinking iffy thoughts about the Smart-Square.
Turns out though the squares are different to my eye and in effect than I expected them to be, and I think that ALL has to do with them being hollow/non-filled in like you see in its rounder compatition. With that, the white lines of the squares act as alignment aids for me WITHOUT feeling massive or like they are dominating the putter as I feel with so many mallets. The breakup of the squares is a surprisingly nice balance and lets the putter look like a more streamlined mallet at address than even the pictures get across. Its different and familiar all at the same time, yes, but that's not a bad thing at all.
Insert:
As I eluded to prior, traditionally I'm a milled face guy so there wasn't a whole lot of inserts in my arsenal that I could draw comparisons from, well with nothing but time and some willing friends at my course I got to remedy that. Sound IS fell in a putter and traditionally an insert is a sound killer, many like that, some don't, I'm not here to decide that. But, what I can do is give some comparisons to my ears.
The insert is nice IMO, it puts off a very nice forward roll with no real hopping/skidding at all and walks the line between soft and harsh quite well. The only issue will be where individual users sit on that, if you're used to a softer insert then the Smart-Square insert may be a touch too clicky....maybe not though.
Alignment:
It works. This is what I've come back to each and every time I've rolled it. Now, for me, it works MUCH more effectively from the 10-12 and in range than from dooooooooowntown (NBA Jam anyone?). That said, I think its the same with most alignment aids on putters, there comes a point where it can only do so much from a a distance to target standpoint. From 12 and in for me though, it works quite well with getting the ball on the line I picked and providing solid visual feedback. Plus, as I mentioned before, I'm getting really nice face-angle feedback with the dual squares, I know if my face is open/closed/square to my posture alignment. I like that.
Continued Thoughts:
It took me a while to get used to a heel shafted double bend again but as I have the putts have begun to fall. Knocked down a 22 foot double break for birdie yesterday. The weight and balance of the head allows it to release cleanly through the stroke and the sole of the putter itself is not overly-beveled like some putters can be which allows for proper soling of the putter at address time and time again.
I'm eager to hear the thoughts from others when they get it in hand and start putting it through its paces on the forum testing. I also won't lie, I personally am really intrigued by the almost-belly version and this doubles with counterbalancing could become even more interesting.
AS ALWAYS, if you have a Q, please ask away!
Ah! And a pic from yesterday...
Of even more interest now is with THP and Cleveland doing a forum review on the putter in addition to the front-page review, you HAVE to love that.
So, lets get on with a little update, shall we?
Appearance:
As I mentioned initially, I'm not a mallet guy. Its not that I don't love the looks of many, because I do, rather its that we just traditionally don't get along on the course and for me I think a lot of that has to do with having a little too much alignment aid in them. So, entering this I had the same concerns, and I'll admit having not cared for the 2-ball all that much I was thinking iffy thoughts about the Smart-Square.
Turns out though the squares are different to my eye and in effect than I expected them to be, and I think that ALL has to do with them being hollow/non-filled in like you see in its rounder compatition. With that, the white lines of the squares act as alignment aids for me WITHOUT feeling massive or like they are dominating the putter as I feel with so many mallets. The breakup of the squares is a surprisingly nice balance and lets the putter look like a more streamlined mallet at address than even the pictures get across. Its different and familiar all at the same time, yes, but that's not a bad thing at all.
Insert:
As I eluded to prior, traditionally I'm a milled face guy so there wasn't a whole lot of inserts in my arsenal that I could draw comparisons from, well with nothing but time and some willing friends at my course I got to remedy that. Sound IS fell in a putter and traditionally an insert is a sound killer, many like that, some don't, I'm not here to decide that. But, what I can do is give some comparisons to my ears.
- Milled Face Stainless vs Smart-Square Insert -Stainless is much clickier off of the face, feels much more firm side by side.
- Milled Face Carbon vs Smart-Square Insert - This surprised me, sound off the insert was only a bit lower pitched than the CS, very plush feel for both.
- Uber Popular Insert vs Smart-Square Insert -The Cleveland insert gives off a much more noticeable click, not as soft of an insert, but more feedback for me.
- Metal Insert vs Smart-Square Insert -Very close again to my ears, again surprising.
The insert is nice IMO, it puts off a very nice forward roll with no real hopping/skidding at all and walks the line between soft and harsh quite well. The only issue will be where individual users sit on that, if you're used to a softer insert then the Smart-Square insert may be a touch too clicky....maybe not though.
Alignment:
It works. This is what I've come back to each and every time I've rolled it. Now, for me, it works MUCH more effectively from the 10-12 and in range than from dooooooooowntown (NBA Jam anyone?). That said, I think its the same with most alignment aids on putters, there comes a point where it can only do so much from a a distance to target standpoint. From 12 and in for me though, it works quite well with getting the ball on the line I picked and providing solid visual feedback. Plus, as I mentioned before, I'm getting really nice face-angle feedback with the dual squares, I know if my face is open/closed/square to my posture alignment. I like that.
Continued Thoughts:
It took me a while to get used to a heel shafted double bend again but as I have the putts have begun to fall. Knocked down a 22 foot double break for birdie yesterday. The weight and balance of the head allows it to release cleanly through the stroke and the sole of the putter itself is not overly-beveled like some putters can be which allows for proper soling of the putter at address time and time again.
I'm eager to hear the thoughts from others when they get it in hand and start putting it through its paces on the forum testing. I also won't lie, I personally am really intrigued by the almost-belly version and this doubles with counterbalancing could become even more interesting.
AS ALWAYS, if you have a Q, please ask away!
Ah! And a pic from yesterday...
Great writeup, James. I am liking that picture at address, a lot.
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- #163
You will have yours to use this weekend.
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- #164
Thanks buddy. Mark my words, knowing you and your putter preferences/successes like I do, you're going to enjoy this one.
DevRickus
The Dirty Jerz
Was going to say the same thing. First picture I have seen at address. Really frames the ball extremely well.
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- #168
Here's another angle from my phone, pardon the slight twist, its a pain to take address pics sometimes.
DevRickus
The Dirty Jerz
Here's another angle from my phone, pardon the slight twist, its a pain to take address pics sometimes.
LOVE IT! I can't believe how well it frames it. I am not really a mallet guy but I am incredibly intrigued
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- #171
Definitely a little bit for me Freddie, I found that I had to focus on making sure I let the putter open on the way back without any manipulation, but that's def all on just not rolling a heel-shaft double bend for a while. Its a really good flow when you just get out of the way and let the putter open and close through the stroke on its own.
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Great review as always, James!!!
Currently testing the TaylorMade SpeedBlades for THP.
Currently testing the TaylorMade SpeedBlades for THP.
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- #173
I've found/felt the same way. I was a pessimist when I read about it prior to it arriving and wasn't an early fan of the marketing. But, the more time I spend with it, the more I get it. I personally think they are pretty spot on about it in their marketing.
The squares make feel like it will FORCE a pendulum like swing to keep them square to your target on the takeaway and follow through.
Love that.
Love that.
sparksjr
Active member
Looking good Jman! I'm really excited about this putter.