Evnroll ZERO and ER11 VX Putters

The Evnroll ER11 VX and ZERO are new models for 2022. That’s the lede.

With Evnroll, however, a new design is, at best, half the story. The foundation of every Evnroll putter is its proprietary parabolic grooves. In Evnroll parlance, its Sweet Face technology is what continues to separate it from every other putter brand. And if performance is the most important attribute of any piece of equipment, there’s plenty of evidence to suggest Evnroll is still something of a unicorn in the putter world.

Some critics can’t seem to get past the concept that putter grooves can help moderate distance AND direction. However, data from Quintic and comprehensive player testing suggests this is exactly the case.

But that’s a debate for another day.

Evnroll ER11 VX

Evnroll announced the ER11v in early 2021. As you might have surmised, the ER11 VX is the continuation of that design. Visually, the ER VX footprint remains reminiscent of the PING Ketsch. However, the weighting and geometry are more in line with popular winged-mallet models like the TaylorMade Spider or Odyssey TEN.

Instead of attached protrusions, the ER11 VX leverages the two interchangeable perimeter weights. To be clear, the weights are beefed up slightly, which alters the shaping just a bit.

Here’s where the “X” comes in. If the first ER11 had robust MOI, then the ER11 VX ventures into the realm of Xtreme MOI. I’m not wild about hyperbolic marketing terms. Like clichés, I’d prefer to avoid them like the plague.

That said, there’s still the matter of accurately representing a particular feature or benefit. In this case, the rear heel/toe adjustable 303 stainless steel weights are heavier than in the ER11. Moreover, they contribute to greater MOI and increased heel-toe stability. So call it whatever you’d like—extreme, ultimate, outrageous, radical, perhaps even ludicrous. But suffice it to say, it’s plenty.

Regarding mass properties, the basic intent of the ER11 and ER11 VX is the same: create a low/rear center of gravity to boost MOI (forgiveness). To that end, the body material is light, aircraft-grade 6061 aluminum. In this context, forgiveness often translates to golfers experiencing better stability throughout the putting stroke. And, theoretically, the net result of a more stable putter is less face-path deviation.

Going a step further, most amateur golfers struggle to consistently start putts on the intended line. Primarily, this is because they fight to return the face to square at impact. Evnroll asserts that the new V-series hosel (inline short-slant) coupled the boosted MOI and full-length alignment aid that is roughly the width of Wite-Out pen correction tape work to “virtually eliminate the pull; the most common miss in putting.”

As per usual, we’ll wait until Most Wanted testing for a complete assessment.

Evnroll ZERO

You probably formed an opinion about whether you like the Evnroll ZERO’s looks in a millisecond. That’s roughly the time it takes to make a first impression. Somewhere in that brief analysis, you likely also danced around the probability that the ZERO has something to do with torque or balance.

Various putter brands use terms like low-torque, torque-balanced, perfect balance, torque-free, and … yadda, yadda, yadda. What all those adjectives are getting at is the concept that some golfers can benefit from a putter that’s engineered not to rotate—so to speak. Specifically, the properties of the putter work to eliminate any unnecessary face rotation during the stroke.

Let’s assume you have a 10-foot putt to win whatever sum of money makes you uncomfortable. Furthermore, let’s also assume you’ve read the putt correctly and selected the optimal start line. Now the hope is to return the face to that same orientation at impact with enough force to get the darned thing to the hole.

The concept of Evnroll ZERO is to remove any factors that often prevent golfers from doing precisely that.

Evnroll ZERO Details

The first facet of ZERO is what Evnroll terms “FaceForward Technology.” What this entails is a shaft that intersects the head at (or very near) the geometric center of gravity. As a result, the face sits in front of the shaft, almost “looking” down the target line. If you want to force the term “zero” in there, it might be that, at address, you can see the ball with zero obscurities. Does that work?

The most obvious visual zero is the white one in the middle of the putter. The black anodized body is milled from 6061 aluminum and offset by the clean white circle that attaches to either end of the white alignment aid running perpendicular to the face. The purpose of the ZERO cavity is two-fold. First, it eliminates weight from the center of the putter. With that, Evnroll positioned four 30-gram weights in each of the four corners. Secondly, like the ER11 VX, it’s the precise size required to pick up a golf ball. I guess if you’re going to have a hole in the middle of your putter, it might as well be functional. Right?

Lastly, the Evnroll ZERO comes stock with the patented Gravity Grip which utilizes a 70-gram steel rod inserted in the grip, a half-inch below the shaft. Evnroll says the Gravity Grip ties the golfer’s hands and putter head together for precise face control.

Something For the Ladies

How do you cater to a specific demographic without overdoing it? It’s easy enough when it comes to equipment for junior golfers or various skill levels but the tenor of the discussion shifts slightly when “women’s specific” models enter the chat. I don’t pretend to know the right answer, assuming there is one. But it’s clear a market exists for golf equipment that strikes a balance with just the right amount of feminine flair without over-reaching into “shrink it and pink it” territory.

So for 2022, Evnroll is releasing the ER2 blade and ER5 mallet head designs with custom aqua-blue paint-fill, TourTac grip and headcover. Both models will be available in 32- and 33-inch lengths.

Something For the Lefties

We know … and we’ve heard the incessant complaining before. Left-handed golfers tend to get the short end of the stick—which is to say no stick at all—when it comes to equipment releases. There are several reasons why. Regardless, Evnroll is making the ER2B blade and ER5B mallet designs available in left-handed. They will feature a “murdered-out” black design, complete with a black shaft and headcover.

My $.05

The Evnroll ZERO will be divisive. And, ultimately, that’s part of the purpose of bringing such a putter to market. We bemoan putter companies that stick close to tried-and-true designs and never venture much beyond that. It’s the safer play but “safe” is rarely innovative. If consumers really want better equipment, they also must accept that it might be the result of unconventional thinking or designs. With that, ZERO is first and foremost a production putter. But it also serves as an indicator that Guerin Rife (Evnroll’s founder) will continue to take some design risks if it unlocks a performance benefit.

As a new model in 2021, ER11v didn’t fare as well in Most Wanted testing as its slightly smaller, half-cavity sibling, the ER8. So stay tuned to see if the additional stability and Crest-white sight line translates into better performance this year.

PRICING and AVAILABILITY

All models will be available beginning mid-March. The ZERO will retail for $449. The ER11 VX with the TourTac Grip will retail for $429. Women’s models—the ER2 and ER5—will retail for $359 and $379, respectively. Left-handed models will retail for $399 (ER2) and $379 (ER5).

For more information, visit Evnroll.com.