Does your putter work for you? That was one question I constantly came across on various social media platforms this summer, which apparently, is a common outcome when one spends an exorbitant amount of time looking up different putting tips. As for the original question, it is something that L.A.B. Golf focuses on as they demonstrate that their lie angle balanced putters work in your favor, whereas other putters on the market do not.
L.A.B.’s secret sauce is lie angle balanced putters, hence their name L.A.B. Golf. With their putters, the face stays square to the arc of the putting stroke with no manipulation. When the putter is square at impact, golfers will hit their target line more frequently and get used to seeing that ball disappear into the hole. Let’s dive into our experience with L.A.B.’s newest putter, the Mezz.1 Max, to answer the question of whether it genuinely works.
Without a doubt, the most crucial part of buying a L.A.B. Mezz.1 Max is to get fit. Knowing that it is only feasible for some to head to a fitting studio, L.A.B. has set up a process for remote fittings to accommodate the masses. This is precisely where my journey started. Below is a video from L.A.B. explaining the process.
Thankfully a co-worker recorded a quick video following the guidelines described in their fitting tutorial. The turnaround time for the results was several business days. Still, the recommendations for lie angle were within half a degree of the lie angle recommendations I received during in-person putter fittings.
When it comes to ordering a Mezz.1 Max, the amount of customization is staggering. L.A.B. wants golfers to love their new putter, so every piece of this build is customizable. There are six different colors for the putter head, eleven variations of alignment aids, five grip options (more on them later), and shaft options from Accra, LA Golf, and Breakthrough (BGT) Golf. Picking out a headcover and head weight are also options, although a quick note about the weight options, there is no stated weight. Instead, customers can order these with a lighter, standard, or heavier head weight. For this particular order, the standard weight was the chosen configuration.
For our order, the following options made the cut: Mezz.1 Max in a platinum finish, with a single thick alignment line, a Press II 1.5 grip, and a white Accra putter shaft. In hand, the Mezz.1 Max looks like a distant cousin to many fanged putters on the market today, only larger and more industrial on the sole. It is 20% larger than the standard Mezz.1, offering “outrageous stability,” according to L.A.B. Golf.
There was a bit of a learning curve on the course, which was anticipated. One of the biggest challenges was feeling like the face was square to the target at setup. Factor in the combination of head shape, shaft location, and grip; a lot is going on visually for a golfer who is switching over from a more traditional styled putter. Much to my chagrin, with the Mezz.1 Max, it was not just a plug-and-play scenario, however, once we got settled in, this putter just came to life.
After all the testing had concluded, it is hard to say if this putter is better on lag putts or short putts because it excelled at both. There was an absolute comfort in drawing the putter back further on those long putts because of how stable this head is and how effortless it is to keep that face square. That feeling transitioned to the short putts, making a noticeable difference in making putts and improving confidence while on the greens.
One of the most commonly asked questions about oversized putters is how they sound and feel. By now, golfers understand that mallets help boost M.O.I. properties and beef up stability, but sometimes that comes with an inverse correlation to sound/feel. If judging solely on looks, there is some expectation that this Mezz.1 Max would be one of those cases. In actuality, that could not be further from the truth as the Mezz.1 Max produces a hushed tone off the face translating into a surprisingly soft feel. Shaft selection plays a role here with the feel, and according to L.A.B. Golf, the ACCRA X L.A.B. shaft that we tested provides the softest feel out of all the custom shafts offered.
Finally, let’s talk about the grips because they are unlike anything I have personally used. L.A.B. produces different Press Grips for their putters. These grips have the shaft go in at a slight angle, automatically producing a forward press when addressing the ball. Perhaps this unconventional setup caused some of those early alignment issues. However, once I got comfortable and dialed in my technique, things were noticeably better in getting the ball to start on the intended target line. L.A.B. sells these grips on their site for those interested, and they work on traditional putters.
Time to circle back to the beginning of this article, does your putter work for you? Mezz.1 Max delivered on the promise of a stable head design, and the proof is in the pudding on whether or not this lie angle balanced putter works for me. That answer is a resounding yes. L.A.B. does offer the Mezz.1 Max as a stock option for $469, which jumps to a starting price of $559 when choosing to go the custom route, with putter shafts causing that price to increase based on the selection.
Have you ever been curious about L.A.B. putters? If so, what would it take for you to jump in and add one to your bag?
More information on the Mezz1. Max putter is available at www.labgof.com.
The Details
Available: Order Now
Fitting: Studio or Remote
Price: Stock $469
Custom $559+
Shaft Length: Traditional
Broomstick
