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Cleveland Smart-Square Putter Review

SeeMore Golf
cpljohnst said:
You were rolling mine really well on the putting green at University Park. It's gonna be a winner for you!
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Thanks Barry, it's going straight into the bag this morning - to say I'm excited is an understatement!
 
Heading to find one today. Even if it is only in RH, I just need to roll this thing.
 
Got decent weather today. Gonna get out a little later with this bad boy
 
I toyed around with one at Golfsmith yesterday and came away impressed. I traditionally go for heel shafted putters and found one on the rack. I hit the first 3 putts from 25ft the first was 3in to the left of the cup dead on distance wise, the second was 5in right of the cup dead in distance, and I sunk the third! From 6ft I went 6/10 and lipped out 2.
Great weight to it, sharp looks, and the alignment aid seemed to really work. Sound/feel seemed similar to my Ghost Spider S, maybe a bit more muted, but I'd have to hit them side by side to really determine any major difference. I came away from my short time with it quite impressed.


On my iPhone T.. T.. Tapatalking away!
 
Wish I could go somewhere close to roll one of these.

Golfsmith is about 2hrs away.
 
I picked mine (39" almost belly) up at the PO this AM and got to roll it around for about 20 minutes before my round today. It was my first time to ever roll a properly counterbalanced putter. My initial impressions are very good. I think I'm benefitting more from the counterbalance setup a bit more than the square alignment aids, but the squares do help. I've found that the heavier weight helps to keep my backstroke on line. I have a tendency to go back outside and come back across it which causes pulls to the left. The weighting also helps to make my transition from the backstroke much smoother, so I put a much more fluid stroke on it.


I didn't exactly roll them in from all over the green today with it, but that was because the vast majority of my birdie looks were 15+ feet. My distance control with it was just a bit off; I was sending longer putts about 4 feet past and actually left a couple of my makeable birdie looks (8-10 ft) a little short. But I think that's just a matter of getting used to the extra weight. In spite of that I didn't have any 3 putts and I only missed 1 putt that was inside of 5 feet, and that was really because of a bad read. The feel/sound of the insert was no issue, but I suspect I'm not quite as particular about that as a lot of folks are.


I'll have another round with it tomorrow. I expect the results to be better as I become more accustomed to it.
 
Had a good weekend of putting with the Smart Square. Made a couple of birdie putts and several crucial 1-putts for scrambling pars. Played in a drizzling rain today so didn't hit many greens with the tougher conditions. Those scrambles make a difference. The SS continues to be very easy to align and my speed with it is starting to improve and get dialed in.
 
Rolled one yesterday at Golfsmith & while I didn't know really what to think of the shape but can't argue that it rolled pretty well.
 
local golf shop had a heel shafted one so I rolled a few today. Felt awkward to me at address, though it did feel good off the face. I'm going to have to find a center shafted one to try me thinks.
 
I had the 35” heel shafted model in play on Saturday morning (first time rolling it). The setup at address is definitely easy both using an alignment line on the ball and not using it. I do like the audible feedback which I would describe as a clickiness that I typically don’t expect from an insert.

Results wise: I hit 5 GIR’s and had 31 putts. I did not make anything out of the norm but where I felt it did shine for me is that I had quite a few long putts in the 25-40 foot range. It seemed like each time I got the ball to within 18 inches for an easy 2 putt.

Early impressions is that I’m not blown away but I’m not disappointed either. At this time I feel like I have a decent putting stroke with a good feel for speed of putts but my inability to properly read putts – regardless of putter – is what keeps me from being head over heels with a putter, they all kinda perform the same for me now.
 
#Cookie said:
I had the 35” heel shafted model in play on Saturday morning (first time rolling it). The setup at address is definitely easy both using an alignment line on the ball and not using it. I do like the audible feedback which I would describe as a clickiness that I typically don’t expect from an insert.

Results wise: I hit 5 GIR’s and had 31 putts. I did not make anything out of the norm but where I felt it did shine for me is that I had quite a few long putts in the 25-40 foot range. It seemed like each time I got the ball to within 18 inches for an easy 2 putt.

Early impressions is that I’m not blown away but I’m not disappointed either. At this time I feel like I have a decent putting stroke with a good feel for speed of putts but my inability to properly read putts – regardless of putter – is what keeps me from being head over heels with a putter, they all kinda perform the same for me now.
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Cookie- Sounds a lot like my first time out with the SS putter. I wasnt out on the course dropping putts from all over the greens, but I was putting the ball close to the hole within tap in range nearly every single time I was on the green. Then, towards the end of my round, I started dropping them. 15 ft on 16, 40 ft on 17, and then a tricky 8 footer to save par on 18. I have found through my testing with the SS, that my putting is drastically improved on the back 9. I am not sure what to attribute that to, but would guess that it has to do with my speed in its relation to the break on my putts, more so than my alignment.

Interesting fact since I have put this putter in the bag a month ago: I have yet to 3 putt with it.
 
War Eagle said:
Interesting fact since I have put this putter in the bag a month ago: I have yet to 3 putt with it.
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Knock on wood... Awesome!
Can't wait for mine to arrive from pre-order. Hopefully in play next weekend if the weather holds up.

Edit--was in today's mail. Rolled a couple on the indoor birdie ball green--man this thing lines up easy, cant wait for a real green testing.
 
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For the testers are you seeing you average putts per round are lower since the testing started?

Are you seeing that your making more longer putts or hitting your line more often?

Are your lags closer to the whole?

I'm curious on how much of an improvement you fellas are seeing, as it seems you all are rolling them well and are liking the feel of the putter.
 
golfinFF said:
For the testers are you seeing you average putts per round are lower since the testing started?

Are you seeing that your making more longer putts or hitting your line more often?

Are your lags closer to the whole?

I'm curious on how much of an improvement you fellas are seeing, as it seems you all are rolling them well and are liking the feel of the putter.
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Funny you should look ask about the longer putts as I took mine out yesterday for a little practice run. The greens were really wet as it stormed yesterday but I pretty much just tried from 25-30 feet from the cup. I pretty much was rolling them within 2 feet. I would say 8 out of 10. Others were just outside that. I wouldn't say I'm making longer putts with it, but I am definitely getting good lines and keeping it close
 
golfinFF said:
For the testers are you seeing you average putts per round are lower since the testing started?

Are you seeing that your making more longer putts or hitting your line more often?

Are your lags closer to the whole?

I'm curious on how much of an improvement you fellas are seeing, as it seems you all are rolling them well and are liking the feel of the putter.
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My average putts per round are down a little more than a stroke per round. Still fairly early in the testing and that is just 7 rounds.

I've made a few in the 12' to 15' foot range but not sure if more than my former putter. Honestly feels about the same.

Lag putts are better. In fact that's were the difference in average putts is coming from. Fewer 3 putts.

This is the time of year where our bent grass greens are running at their best and fastest. And I mean really fast which makes 3 putting more probable. I'm going have to do a year over year comparison in average putts for the same period (keep all my stats on skycaddie) to be sure but I'd guess my average is probably 2.5 strokes better over the same 4 week period last year.
 
While I think this thing is hideous. I really want to try it out.

I am a sucker for a full mallet and center shafted, so I am hoping to give this bad boy a roll today.
 
Michigan Slice said:
If it helps me make more putts,.. It's beautiful!

Next trip to a golfsmith And I think this putter will follow me home!
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Exactly my thought. I will putt with a broom if I makes putts.
 
Sanzabar said:
While I think this thing is hideous. I really want to try it out.

I am a sucker for a full mallet and center shafted, so I am hoping to give this bad boy a roll today.
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I will admit that it's not the most attractive putter on the market, however, the thing that sticks out to me most on a putter is the alignment aid. When looking at this one, now, the only thing I see are the squares.
 
War Eagle said:
I will admit that it's not the most attractive putter on the market, however, the thing that sticks out to me most on a putter is the alignment aid. When looking at this one, now, the only thing I see are the squares.
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That's what I was starting to think War. It's almost like my eyes don't even see beyond the leading edge of the putter and the squares anymore.
 
Agent Jay said:
That's what I was starting to think War. It's almost like my eyes don't even see beyond the leading edge of the putter and the squares anymore.
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Through my early testing with this one, I kept thinking in the back of my head about how I believed the squares would take on a "RST" type of alignment for me that my SeeMore putters seem to do. What I mean by this, is that through using the RST, or in this case, the Squares on the putter, eventually, I get to the point where my setup is nearly a "trained habit" and that 9 times out of 10, I dont have to recheck my setup at address. Having worked with the Smart Square putter for a while now, I find that when I take my stance over the ball that I am already in a square position to my target. It has sort of been a nice training aid, on top of an excellent putter since I put it in the bag. I still check/double check my alignment at address, but it sure is a confident feeling knowing that when I step up over the ball to putt, I am already lining myself up properly.
 
War Eagle said:
Through my early testing with this one, I kept thinking in the back of my head about how I believed the squares would take on a "RST" type of alignment for me that my SeeMore putters seem to do. What I mean by this, is that through using the RST, or in this case, the Squares on the putter, eventually, I get to the point where my setup is nearly a "trained habit" and that 9 times out of 10, I dont have to recheck my setup at address. Having worked with the Smart Square putter for a while now, I find that when I take my stance over the ball that I am already in a square position to my target. It has sort of been a nice training aid, on top of an excellent putter since I put it in the bag. I still check/double check my alignment at address, but it sure is a confident feeling knowing that when I step up over the ball to putt, I am already lining myself up properly.
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I subscribe to this opinion as well..
 
sparksjr said:
I subscribe to this opinion as well..
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As do I. I'll add that, like War mentioned, I still check/double check my alignment at address. Sometimes my eyes over the ball, tell me that I'm "off", but this usually leads to me adjusting and missing the putt. Now with my CSS, this doesn't happen much. Once I choose the line from behind the ball and step to make the putt, I don't find myself second guessing myself as much. The squares really help take my eyes down my choose line easier than other putters I've had in the past.
 
I got to try one out today and didn't like the light, plastic feel of it. I think it's good as an alignment aid/tool, but I can't see myself taking it because even though it worked well with my SBST swing, it didn't offer enough feedback due to feeling so light and soft. It would be fun to practice with now and then. Just my opinion.
 
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