What do you get when you combine a world class sculptor, a unique putter design, and a face technology that feels different than anything that has come along in quite some time? The STX Envision! The Bob Engman Signature Series have a very interesting background. Engman, is not just a designer of flatsticks, he is a world-renowned sculptor whose pieces can be found in some of the most well recognized museums around. STX is starting to roll out this new line to retail stores around the country and The Hackers Paradise was lucky enough to be able to get their hands on one to review it.
First Impressions
At first glance the Envision by STX is an odd looking putter with a soft face and dark finish. When you start to look a little more closely you realize just how much this club has going for it. When the Envision arrived in our office, I immediately started playing with it on the carpets and noticed just how nice it sets up for your stroke. The “rubber feeling” face is very soft and “grabby” and my initial thoughts were “I LIKE A LOT”. The dark gun metal finish appears to be anti glare and the overall shaping of the club are simply too nice for words. The easiest way to describe our initial thoughts were that we could not wait to take this one out for testing.
Technical
From the company:
STX, known for their insert faces, equipped the new Envision putter for a variety of responses. It is available in the black and red insert options. The black insert is the softest in the STX line. It delivers the highest friction and resilience rate plus increased dwell time. Those characteristics are chemically formulated to get the ball rolling sooner and keep your putts on line. For a medium resiliency rate, the red insert offers an intermediate amount of dwell time for true control. The angular appearance is not only aesthetic but assists with alignment and ensures a proper address. Chief Club Designer Bob Engman designed the head geometrically so it makes it easy for golfers to see the putter when it is not properly aligned throughout the stroke. Engman also distributed more weight further out toward the hell and toe for a higher moment of inertia.
The version we got to try out was the black faced variety and while some are not a fan of inserts, this is not like any we have ever tried before. Similar to the way that “Grooved Putter Faces” get the ball rolling, this “tacky” type of face did the same thing. The ball came off well and stayed end over end due to the grabbing of the face.
Putting Green Testing
The Envision was taken to the putting green for some initial testing with myself and 6 other golfers. We lined up balls at 5 feet, 10 feet, 20 feet, and 35 feet for each of us to test out. Each golfer tried their personal putter first and had the results that we have come to expect out of our own club. Then we reset all the golf balls and did the same putting with the Envision. 4 out of the 6 made more putts with the Envision and were on average closer to the hole with the Envision. However 6 out of 6 made more putts from 5 and 10 feet. In fact in that area, it was not even close as that is where the Envision really shined for us…The scoring area. All 6 of us remarked on just how different this face feels than just about anything we have tried to date. Sure its soft and spongy but you can actually feel the face grabbing the ball as you make your stroke.
Course Testing
Before handing this one off for a few others to test on the course, I took this one out for a series of rounds. I must say that if you like the looks of this one in the photos (I do), you will feel tremendous at setup. The artistic shape with the hard lines setup absolutely perfect to the ball. Match that up with the tremendous feel off the putter face and the true roll and you should have something pretty good on your hands. Proof was on the course. I did not find myself making anything 25 or 30 feet because of some miracle club, but what I did find is that those pesky 8-12 footers were falling much more consistently than what I am used to. By the 3rd round in which I was testing this one, I found myself being much more aggressive at pins, knowing that if I was slightly off, this putter was going to make up the difference. A truly great feeling.
We handed this one off to 3 other testers for play on the course and 2 out of the three felt the same way I did. They spoke about how they found themselves never really struggling with “up and downs” and that the short to medium length putts were just falling easier. The last tester on the course really struggled with it, and found themselves leaving most of the putts short, something the rest of us simply did not encounter, but is worth noting. Overall most of the people that got a chance to test out the STX Envision came away impressed.
Misc. Notes
We wanted to discuss a couple of other things in this review that we have not discussed as of yet. Like many of the putters we have been reviewing as of late, the grip on the STX Envision is awesome. Good, soft feel, and overall just feels great in your hands. One negative with this one is a very small one. With a putter that is this nice looking and described by many as simply a “Piece of Artwork”, the headcover is weak in both design and function. First we would like to see a magnet rather than dual velcro strips, but then we would really like to see something with a little more to it. After all, it is covering up a great putter in both looks and functionality. But we may be taking it a little too far.
Final Take
Overall The Hackers Paradise really thinks that STX has something pretty special on their hands with this one. Pricing on this one is around $200 and we think that is right in line with where it should be compared with others that work as well as this one. When you get form, function, price, and results all into one club, it is hard to argue with. The STX brand has put together a great start for their new putter line and we are glad we got a chance to check these out. If you are in the market for a new flat stick to help you lower your scores, definitely put the Envision on your list of putters to try. You can read more about the entire STX line of golf products at their website at www.stxgolf.com.
Till Next Time
Josh B.
