- Joined
- Apr 20, 2012
- Messages
- 27,794
- Reaction score
- 25,537
- Location
- Parker, Colorado, United States
- Handicap
- 5.5
Great start and thanks for all the videos! Really neat experience!
Astral Putters Review
Red copper insert
Blade!!!
Red & white super stroke grip
My setup is 70° lie angle with the red neck in the A2 position. This result in a 1 shaft offset and 35° of toe hang.
Blade!!!
Red & white super stroke grip
My setup is 70° lie angle with the red neck in the A2 position. This result in a 1 shaft offset and 35° of toe hang.
Looks great man.
Boosted
Well-known member
So what are your initial thoughts? Are you planning on tinkering more or are you happy with the current setup?
Looks great! Love that they gave you the option of a colored insert!
stunning!
This was the setup that I was fit into. We got all 3 faces so I will be trying the brass and steel inserts. Just for fun I’ll probably tinker with settings on the practice green or home mat.
Hi all. Love to see all the input from the testers and forum members.
In general, we don't encourage the average man/woman to tinker too much after a fitting unless that is the experience they want. We'll usually give our customers a recommendation of an option we like for them and 1 or 2 alternatives to try if the fit doesn't translate to on-course performance. In @leftybob case, his alternative fitting option was Red B1, which has slightly less offset than what we fit him into.
For the forum testers, I think we can expect a little more tinkering than usual. What I think you'll find really interesting when you get your club and begin testing is just how strongly you start to feel about certain settings as you really start to see how seemingly small geometric changes have a dramatic effect on performance. Same goes with the putter face inserts. Most of us aren't really used to much meaningful optionality, but with optionality you can start to form an educated opinion pretty quick. Can't wait for you to get yours and give it a try.
Should we challenge @leftybob to try a flowneck configuration (Red A5)? He's used to an 8802 and has a smooth open/close stroke, so he can probably game it - but will he like, tolerate, or hate it compared to his current setting?
Red A5 sounds like something I need to try. I’ve long been a fan of using an 8802 style putter on courses with crazy fast greens. Still it will be an uphill battle for any setting to dethrone what I left the shop with.
For science at some point I’m going to and get weird with it and make some goofy looking setups.
Obviously don't want to take away from the process/reviews.....but there should be a side-competition to see who can create the weirdest looking putter LOL
Going with the blade I’m at a disadvantage. The shape is so clean.
Boosted
Well-known member
Since I went with the blade as well, I'll let you test all the goofy setups for us. lol
So we have 2 blades and a Mid Mallet so far, correct? I might have missed the others.
I love the spice of that color.
That's correct. Our 5th is out on vacation, but I believe he was aiming for a mid-mallet. Mallets are so popular right now, I have to say I am surprised everyone went the other way. In truth, the mid-mallet/double-wide is so versatile I can see why that continues to be most people's first choice.
If we end up with no mallet takers, I'll make @leftybob get fit into one since he is local so he can give his opinion (even though he shares my bias against them).
It is a bit surprising to me as I think your mallet looks fantastic and unique. Then again... the mid-mallet and blade look great too.
That is a bit surprising there are more blades. I fought trying to make a blade work for years, but now am in a mallet style. Last test I did I was in between a mallet and the doublewide, and I could have gone either way. I feel like both have more head weight, and for me, that gives me more stability than a blade. The stats on course have backed that up too, I'm putting much better with the mallet than I did previously.
I too was hoping for some mallet reviews in here, as I believe the shape of your Mallet is unique and wanted some more in hand testing. Hopefully it comes to be. Either way, thanks for engaging with THP, and I look forward to these reviews, and seeing what the future holds for Astral!
Oh no don’t make me do another fitting for a golf club
Having gone through the fitting I’m not that surprised by the lack of mallets so far. If you’re not a 100% committed mallet (or blade) person the mid mallet with the adjustability gives you so many options to dial it in without being on either extreme.
And to @gkeller813 point about weight, our blade is the exact same weight as the mid-mallet (349g without hosel, 379 with 2.5 hosel) and about 7 grams less than mallet (356g without hosel, 386 with 2.5 hosel). We are big fans of heavier putters (up to a point), but very specific about how that weight is distributed throughout putter, which is why we don't offer interchangeable weights.
Interested in the tester's thoughts on balance, as that is something that I think comes through as unique for most golfers, especially with the blade.
Man that red copper looks so good. Love watching the fittings take place and cant wait for more feedback.
That looks ******* awesome
Thanks that's great feedback, and something that I know has come up in discussion here. Curious to hear how testers get along with them, and experience that balance first hand.