Did you test with the flag in or out??

I have played an ER 3 for about a year now and I thank mygolfspy.com for it. I have been a good putter for years because I get the pace right most of the time and rarely leave myself more than 3 feet for second putts.

The Evnroll ER 3 has been a God send! Just today I made 3 putts from over 25 feet. I expect and intend to make long putts now.

Thank You again My Golf Spy. Thank You Mr. Grund (sp)

Unless the faces of these putters were hand milled by tired, drunk millworkers, all of this data tells us didley pooh about the putters, but rather speaks to the golfers and their ABILITY to start a putt on the right line and hit it with correct speed.

I’ve always found “accuracy” such a rubbish data point with which to measure a golf club. It’s the golfer that controls where the ball goes. Looks, feel, and sound would be much better and more helpful data to obtain, even if it is subjective. For my argument I present the Carbon Ringo – winner of the 2015 MGS Most Wanted Blade – now dead last. Change my mind if I’m wrong.

I love your most wanted series of reviews but one thing I would love to see you guys add is personal comments from the testers. At least the top 4 or 5 in each category. I don’t mean from every tester. Maybe just a few. I love personal feed back.

After searching around, I realized noone even remotely close has the ER3, so….I ordered a 33″.
This will be my 1st blade in awhile, although back in the day I did fine with them.

Pity you could not test out the Quantum putter as the weight difference is pretty significant – Evnroll ER3 / 360 gams – Quantum / about 480 grams and some golfers would do better with a heavier putter.
One other thing – no matter which putter you use, if your ‘read’ is flawed or your putter face is not 90 degrees square to your putt line (a correct read), you are not going to make the putt.
*Think I need to send you guys some ‘Strike-Line’ golf balls.

Wow, the Carbon Ringo was first a few years ago, now last. Ouch.

Bottom line … it’s the Indian & not the Arrow IMO. No matter what the statistics or numbers say.
If you have good mechanics, understand how to read greens, etc. it doesn’t matter what you putt with. A shell at the end of a piece of bamboo would work just fine. (for you young folks, that’s a reference to Gilligan’s Island)

Why don’t you guys publish the make % of the blade putters like you do with the mallets? Seems a rather odd decision if you’re trying to keep things consistent between the tests. They were only published 2 days apart so not sure that is any excuse.

Regarding the Cleveland’s TFI 1.0 putter. I assume it’s the satin version and not the black/copper version?

It seems like Scotty Camerons never do well in these test!!! Why the high price tag for a club that doesn’t perform?

The ER2 was my fav last year. But this ER3 sure looks good too and performance may be even better!

I love my PXG Brandon putter, rolls beautifully. Should be in the mix!!!

The average golfer will have many 20+ foot and 10-20 foot putts each round. This is where the 3.8% (10 foot) and 6.3% (20 foot) advantages come into play. Assuming 6 to 8 20 foot putts and 6 to10 10-20 foot putts/game, this can easily translate to 1-3 strokes saved/game. From 5 feet, the EVNROL ER3, based on this data, will only cost 0.25 strokes/game, but this is easily offset by the extra putts made in the 10+ range.

Some more great testing from MGS! Given the stats provided all the putters are really close at all distances. With that in mind I’d like to see a another parameter added to the testing and that is average distance of miss on the 20 footers. Even the pros miss 5 out of 6 of those and for us amateurs what we really need is a sure two putt from that distance and a measure of dispersion might add an important layer of information to the results.

MGS thank you for all your hard work. At first, i had the same thoughts as most, 18th from 5 ft was #1???? But after seeing the data variance I can see no flaw in scoring it this way and love the fact you went out to 20 ft. For alot of weekend golfers this should help tremendously. Great stuff and made my first donation!

I’m interested to hear anybody who is opposed to this scoring system and why?

Can anyone provide reasoning why Edel is #1 from 5 feet and #5 from 20 feet, but not even in the top 10 from 10 ft? is it just an anomaly?

The take home message here is that the #1 ranked putter vs #18 will save at least 1 stoke/game on average. The fact that the Evnroll 3 is ranked #18 is insignificant . Based on the data the Evnroll 3 is: only 0.5% worse from 5 feet vs the #1 putter from 5 feet – about 1 extra missed putt every ten games. However, from 10 feet it is 3.75% (about 1 putt every four games) better compared to #18 and from 20 feet it is 6.3% better (about 1-2 extra putts/game). Based on these stats, the Evnroll 3 has the potential to save 1-4 strokes/game vs #18. However, the question here is if this putter is so good, why don’t more tour pros use it? Each stroke is worth 10s of thousands to a touring pro. I’m a pro data scientist and a scratch golfer. I’ve had pretty good success with my BB01. Inside 10 feet it has been great but between 10 feet and 20 feet is my dead zone. I’ll do a detailed statistical comparison of the BB01 vs the EVNROLL 3 or 2 and publish the results. The results of this study imply that there are no statistical differences between the performance of the top 18 putters within 5 feet. Instead of rankings, the putters should be placed in distinct performance classes for each distance.

Regarding the stats: maybe you could include that there is no statistically significant difference between the top 5 or 10 ranked putters in the 5 foot test. i am pretty sure know what this term means and your software probably calculates it. If you include it in the chart it cuts down on a lot comments that question the method or conclusion. It would certainly help me to apply your test results on many of your tests. Keep up the good work.

So what about carrying 2 putters in the bag? An Evnroll for mid and lon range and a different type, probably heavier head, for purer straight hits on the short putts. Anybody do this? I think I will. I don’t need 4 long clubs between driver and 4 iron. Two is enough, and 3 wedges.

Tony- ok I get it, there is negligible difference between some or most of these putters as your remarks seem to imply. The numbers are what they are. Can you clarify the testing methodology a bit more for me and others? Specifically, would a tester playing 18 simulated holes play those same 18 holes for each putter? Were the putters randomized to prevent the tester from being semi-automatic after “knowing” the distance and break by the 26th putter? I mean if I got to practice putt 25 times on a hole I’d certainly know how hard to hit my putt and how many balls outside the left edge to aim it. Now if you tested by playing all 18 holes with the same putter then starting over on hole 1 and so on? Even after a while you know the putts. Just curious.

I have 3 Er 2 & via physics it undoubtedly improves distance ‘feel ‘& accuracy because off center misses seem more solid-even when intentional,the difference being I have to play fast putts off toe/heel to deaden speed on quicker puts,I’ve put a bit of lead tape 2 offset this – great putter w the traditional ping
anser rocker look,

So is a more expensive putter better?

The correlation between price and rank is 0.25 which is only a weak likelihood. Interesting the only distance that more expensive putters in test are better than the cheaper ones is at 20 feet. (at 5ft correlation is -0.17 . Negative means cheaper is better)

But average price of putters is a bit crazy. 273 USD. Seem excessive when compared this to an iron or hybrid in terms of technology and manufacturing. Such is the cost of fashion.

I totally agree with findings. I am a 5 handicap and putting was my wall. 3 putts killed me. 2 months ago I bought a ER6B mallet and transformed my game. Technology or pretty putter still wins. Willy Wilcox, PGA /Web.com player just bagged one

Good lord,
How many times did you cut and paste that Tony?

Years ago I got the #1 putter, the Nike Method, and my putting instantly was better. Go figure.

So many disgruntled comments…

Anyways- I have one suggestion for all future testing, and this will be the “most wanted” addition to all testing. Ready?

Please, please include last years winning item in the new years test-
driver, irons, putter, bag, ball, whatever. Just the winner from the last year- I think that will speak volumes…

#MyGolfSpy you guys are the best…

When will we see the mallets tested? Hopefully soon!

Putting is such a screwball black art that I barely ever pay much attention to tests. We all have a friend who can barely scrape a good round together yet is consistently several putting strokes less every time you play. And most of us amateurs have good days followed by bad days. The stat that gets overlooked is distance from the hole and putting position, ie straight uphill vs downhill with a break. Add in Bent grass vs Bermuda and the variations therein. Most golfers know a properly positioned approach shot that leaves a putt less than 20’ on the better side of the hole makes for a good putting round. We all see what the Pro’s use and even Spieth has bad days. Now as I read and re-read your article I too was shaking my head at “18th” from 5’ is ranked #1?? I cannot think of a more important putt than 5’. I would trade making the 20 footer for making the 5 footer every day of the week. I am an 8 handicap and while I don’t track my putts I know the difference between a 74 and an 82 is how many 3-putts I make plus up and downs on missed greens. The 5-footer to save par is everything in scoring for me at least. The 2nd most important element in putting (to me) is the “come back” putt or “leave”. Three-putts generally result from having “to make” from outside your comfort zone. Tiger can go for birdie and run by 8’ but he is a robot on the come-back where most everyone else will struggle. So if MGS is truly saying what I perceive here perhaps the solution is carrying “2” PUTTER’s! One for 20 footers and one from 5’. I mean throw out a club you don’t use much and carry two putters if this test is to be believed.

Tony did each of the testers putt with a version of each putter that was the correct length and lie angle for them? Or did all testers putt with putters that were all the same length and lie angle? Please provide some details thanks.

How can you pick a putter 1st place that finished 18th inside 5 feet? That’s where you’ve got to shine! I find this very confusing. Yes it is important to lay it close and make some longer putts, but odds are you are not going to

I have been waiting for this test! I was really hoping to see the ER1.2 do well as it suits my eye, oh well.

I bought the ER2 last year based on the most wanted last year and I have been putting the lights out all year, may have to give the new ER3 a whirl as it looks like a higher moi version of the ER2.

One suggestion, maybe put the percentage of putts made next to the rank so that we don’t have to scroll through 60 comments about 18th place for short putts..

Dear MGS Team,

After reading all the comments this morning, I’ve got to say you guys have the “patience of Job”! Apparently, despite your best efforts to educate the masses, they would rather spew verbal diarrhea in the comment section rather than research (smart move with cut&paste…). Once again, well done test.

I am curious about why no ER2 this year. I’m guessing that it’s because the 2018 ER2 has not changed from the 2017 ER2. I thought the ER3 was included in last years test as well. What changes have they made to it?? At first glance, it looks like they turned it into an ER2 with a notch.

Not sure how feasible it’d be (maybe even expensive) but can the GCQuad be used for putting? I’d be curious how the testers strokes deviate from their “normal” stroke when testing various putters. So if you’re a straight back-straight through the putters that produce the most similar stroke for you get more weight in the test.

Essentially this could say to the readers “hey if nothing else changed about your stroke, these putters are better or worse”. Because testers are human they’d be unconsciously or even consciously changing their stroke for each putter they try. And I’m not sure there’s a way to account for that built-in bias.

That being said, I work in analytics/data science for a living and sometimes more information just muddies the water further for the end consumer, even though it’s a more thorough approach

The statistical method used is not going to determine an absolute “best” putter for everyone. The statistics reveal that the ER3 will be among the best putters tested for the most people, but not necessarily the best putter for any one person. Each person must test that for themselves (potentially up to 25% would find the Ringo the best for them based upon the statistics). It’s just numbers, no emotion…which makes it actually usable and valuable information (unlike the HotList).

I remember when a “blade’ putter meant a Titleist Bullseye. Since those days I’ve played with golfers with expensive putters who can’t putt and golfers with unorthodox strokes and garage sale putters that are more than willing to take my lunch money. DJ was in Carlsbad last week. TMAG had 10-15 putters made up, all Spiders, identical in all respects, except for the paint job and sight lines. Some had variances of as much as 4feet from a distance of 15 feet. One was center cut on every stroke

You need better testers. Many Scotty on the tours.

I remember when a “blade” putter meant the Titleist Bullseye. Everything else (Anser, mallet) was a potato masher.

I’d like to see the raw data to know which putter was best of the best for the person who was the most accurate overall putter out of the 20.

Some suggestions
– the 5footer group are likely to be a very high make percentage therefore the different “ranks” may not be relevant.
– it would be interesting to see lovelies or 95% C.I. For each ranking at each distance.
– most important of all – MGS are NOT saying buy the evnroll. They are saying it tested the best but you should all go get fit. It’s not practical to try everything on the market so they are giving you a head start. (Having said that I bought the original ping ketsch after hitting it for ten minutes on an indoor green after it won most wanted. Still have it even though I believe the true roll was broken on the initial batches I.e. Grooves the wrong depth).
– Tony I understand that the 075534£ and testers differ year on year and there are serious time constraints (there is a reason a lot of clinical scientific articles , my background, come out years after research is initiated) but it would be interesting to see inter and intra operator reliability stats for each putter with a 2-3 month time gap. My feeling is that this could have a huge implication and also show up manufacturers claims further.

I am a believer in Golf Digest’s ranking system of Gold and Silver even recognizing that there must be bias in the magazine toward big advertisers. In that you accept no advertising I think MGS would be more relevant if you had a system more like Golf Digest’s. Don’t make a subjective judgment on who is #1, just give us your idea of who is in each category. I don’t use a Scotty Cameron, for instance, but many wealthy touring pros do so Cameron putters can’t be as bad as your testers say. I use a driver (XXIO) that your tests think stinks and I think it’s the best thing I’ve ever hit. This all seems to prove that there are different opinions from your tests so “Categories like Gold and Silver” might be a better way to rank clubs.

Tony, you guys are in my wavelength on the top selections on this one! I’ve been going back and forth looking at the ER-3, the BB-1 (and a couple other Bettinardis) and the E-3 for some time. These have the same deadweighting as other larger mallets, like the Scotty Futura heads, but with less face profile.

Now if only these guys were just a little (half) less expensive!

I feel like we need more than just the raw data here. There needs to be some interpretation as to how we get to the best from these numbers.

I’m actually finding these tests to be a credibility issue at this point – it’s like the Snell vs Titleist analysis. MGS basically decided what makes one ball better than the other. I have no dog in that race (currently playing the Cut Blue, but I like both the Pro V and the Snell products), but according to the “executive summary” for these balls, the Snell is essentially better because it’s half a yard longer off the tee, with negligible differences in ball speed, spin etc. However, the Titleist has slightly better accuracy off the tee, and has considerably more spin off the wedge. In my world, that makes the Titleist better, though I would happily concede that these are close enough to be considered a wash for the average golfer. Again, no dog in the race, just seems like a bizarre metric for success for me – I’ll take better accuracy and better greenside spin over half a yard longer any day. I feel like it was just decided that one metric (distance off the tee) should be used to say Snell balls are better because that’s really the story that’s going to move the needle and draw more readers – if it had been “these balls are equal” or “Titleist edges out the Snell”, it simply wouldn’t be as attractive.

In 2016, the Carbon Ringo was the third best putter, this year it’s literally dead last. What’s changed?

I feel like these tests need to go in either one direction or another. Either explain to me why the 18th best putter from 5 feet is the best putter so that that I have a qualified position, or give me just the raw data – but if you’re giving me the raw data, don’t then give me an arbitrary “this one’s the best” – allow me to make that decision myself. Or, if you want the best of both worlds, break it down to “most accurate driver”, “longest driver”, “best putter from 10 feet”, so that people can prioritize what’s most important to them.

I get that the “most wanted” moniker is great click bait, but this is such a subjective game that I just don’t think we live in a world where one driver/ball/putter is going to be best for everyone, and to imply that is to creep toward just making another Hot List.

The Cleveland Huntington Beach #1 which finished 4th last year was NOT in this years test.

We advise reading the actual results first.

Would it be possible to include current gamers in these tests? Would be nice to know if these newer putter are “better” than what each of the testers is currently using.

So from the 2017 most wanted blade putters the Ping Sigma G Anser ranked 2nd, so I bought one. Now the 2018 most wanted blade putter ranks it 22nd. Does this mean it was up against better putters this year? Yet the TM TP Juno which was also ranked 2nd in 2017 and is still ranked 2nd in 2018. How can two putters be ranked the same one year and be so far apart in the rankings the next year?

After looking at the numbers it seems to me the odyssey perform the best in the makeable range of 5 to 10 feet and did pretty good at the 20 footer.

Most of us are not going to make many 20 footers….But if I make a larger percentage of the 5 to 10 footers then my scores should drop

Weird that the Edel ranked 1st on 5 footers, 5th on 20 footers…..but tanked on 10 footers…..very strange….I could easily see having a problem with either the short parts or the really long ones….. but to be good at both of those but struggle with the in between seems odd

#18 from 5 feet is #1 overall? Nonsense.

Not sure how you can get to the top 5. Looks more like the top 4. In any event how can you leave out probably the best putter on the market today. The Boccieri Heavy Putter. Been gaming one for 15 years.

The first year after replacing my Ping Anser with the Heavy Putter I went from averaging 34.31 putts a round down to 32.23 putts a round, in a period of less than a season. Over the past 15 years since I have been below that number every season, currently I am at 31.69 putts a round.

I had a terrible case of the yips. The Heavy putter cured that. It seems even better on fast greens. The Heavy is an acquired taste undoubtedly. But with every other putter I have tried the heads literally vibrate at address, not a real confidence builder on a tricky 5 footer.

Now I just get the club moving and it stays right on line, due to the weight of the club.My biggest problem now is simply reading the green.

Would be nice to know offset numbers.

you putting the 18th ranked from 5 feet shows a blatant flaw in your testing… so you get it close from 15 feet and leave yourself a short putt for par….what happens? that is like purposely choosing Shaq to shoot free throws for the win, it just doesn’t add up. Also like pinch hitting your 18th best batter in a game on the line situation. also putters are very personal, if i dont like the look/feel of a putter, i will not putt well. Just my 2 cents. Would love to hear feedback on my thoughts? thanks again MGS and toney for the awesome content this year

Now I am not one to doubt the validity of these tests but I do see some very strange patterns. Like others have stated about the ER3 finishing 18/1/1, are the grooves hurting the roll from 5 feet in? What about the Edel E-3 finishing 1/23/5, how can the best putter from 5 ft be so bad at 10 and then finish well again from 20 feet? Or is it just that the differences are so small between these putters that the margin from first to last is almost indistinguishable? I wonder then if it becomes a matter of visual alignment becoming optimized at certain distances more so than roll, but because I cant believe face weighting would get worse then better from three different distances.

Do you still measure this by a strokes gained number like you used to? If so will that data be made available?

Awesome to see my favorite company, Edel Golf, getting some love in this round up.

Shoulda put the Ketsch B in there.

I liked last year’s ranking using Strokes Gained. Do you have that data this year and can you add it to the result chart?

It’s not the putter, it’s the puttee. Wilson or Cleveland. Why pay more. Conceit?

I want a putter that is 1st in putts from 5 feet, not 18th. That appears to be the Edel. However, I am not sure why the Edel is next to last from 10 feet, but 5th from 20 feet. Are explanations coming?

Drive for show putt for dough. Putters are so personal.

Must be a flaw in your data or algorithm, a putter that ranks 18 out of 26 from 5 ft, would not be my 1st choice.

I have been playing the ER3 for a full season now and I really love the heavier head counterbalance, especially with my new grip change to left hand-low. It really helps me clear the putter easier with no restriction as I hit the ball and into the upswing. I took some Testors red model paint and painted in the two dots on top to provide easier visibility. My putting handicap is 8.1 according to Arccos and improving. 24.9% 1-putt, 60.4% 2-putt, and 14.8% 3+ putts over 169 putts on the green.

Should there be 5 putters like usual?

I figured the ER3 would be the new winner based on the redesign! Looks great.

I’m so glad the ER3 is getting love. When I tested Evnroll, the ER3 seemed to fit my eye much better than any other. Get fitted, you won’t regret it. Thanks for the reco, MyGolfSpy!

It is strange to me that the ER3 was 1st in 10ft, 1st in 20ft, but 18th in 5 feet? Is this putter not very good at short putts? Those are the putts a golfer will typically need to make for par.

That Evnroll ER3 is a good looking putter! It has that well made look to it and I need to try one.