L.A.B. GOLF DIRECTED FORCE 2.1 VS. EVNROLL ER ZERO

OUR JOB IS YOUR GAME

Are you a putter fanatic? If a new putter comes to market, do you instantly jump on it? Or is your putting so atrocious that you’ll try anything to hole more putts?

In either case, perhaps I can pique your interest with two unique putters: L.A.B. Golf’s Directed Force 2.1 and Evnroll’s ER Zero.

Let’s take a look to see how they stacked up in 2022 Most Wanted Mallet testing.

VERDICT

Here is the skinny: Being able to return the putter face back to square is a game changer. It allows your putts to roll more consistently, be on target more consistently and, as a by-product, potentially make more putts. Same concept, two different OEMs (did I say that out loud?). What’s not to like?

Aesthetics. Neither of these putters is going to gain compliments from your playing partners. During testing, I heard ‘branding iron”, a few ‘WTFs”… You get the picture. If you can overcome aesthetics, one of these putters might work for you.

Now, neither of these putters finished near the top of Most Wanted Mallet testing. Directed Force 2.1 prioritizes being fitted for it. A strong case can be made for Evnroll ER Zero as well. At the end of the day, enhancing your game should be your top goal.

For me, Directed Force 2.1 is the choice. Utilizing their fitting techniques is a great way to ensure you have the right putter. I know it’s going to return to square extremely consistently which eliminates one of a few variables in my putting technique. There is stability through the putting stroke and it helps take my hands out of the stroke. With the combination of fitting precision, consistency of returning the face to square and stability, Directed Force 2.1 makes the cut.

HOW WE TEST

If you’ve been keeping tabs on 2022 Most Wanted, you know results are based on a 100-point scoring system. This new system will allow you to better identify golf clubs to potentially help you shoot lower scores.

With Most Wanted Putter testing, for both mallet and blades, we put an emphasis on one-putts. When you one-putt, you are saving strokes on your overall score. On the flip side, there is a penalty for a three-putt.

The 2022 Most Wanted Mallet Test included 28 products and took 80 hours to complete. During that time frame, 20 testers hit 12,960 putts.

DISTANCE PERFORMANCES

• With a score of 84.75, ER Zero beats out Directed Force 2.1 by .75 from 5 feet. A narrow margin of victory.
• From 10 feet, Directed Force 2.1 comes in at 79.2. This is 2.4 points better than the ER Zero.
• At 20 feet, Directed Force 2.1 scores 92.25, which is 3.07 points better than ER Zero. Also, this score helps Directed Force 2.1 place 2nd overall from 20 feet in the 2022 Most Wanted Mallet Test.

BEHIND THE SCENES

During Most Wanted testing, Evnroll ER Zero wasn’t on the market. But we were able to get our hands on it. Guess what? It got thrown into the fold with the other putters in 2022 Most Wanted Mallet Test. Collecting data is one of our top priorities, especially with a newer product. Let’s take a look at each putter’s features.

L.A.B GOLF DIRECTED FORCE 2.1

• Lie Angle Balance Technology (L.A.B.) is what drives Directed Force 2.1. With L.A.B Golf, returning the face to square with consistency is their top priority. Through Lie Angle Technology, they are able to achieve that.
• Being fitted to the proper length and lie angle is an integral part of L.A.B. Golf’s process. If you are going this route, we highly recommend you get dialed in for your putter.
• L.A.B. Golf implements forward-pressing automatically through their Press Grips. They pair well with a L.A.B. Golf Directed Force 2.1 or any of their putters. This feature enables a proper shaft lean at address which promotes a more upward strike on the golf ball.

EVNROLL ER ZERO

• FaceForward Technology is at the forefront of ER Zero. In short, it connects the shaft to the head as nearly as possible to the geometric center of gravity. This leads to the face being forward throughout address and through the putting stroke.
• ER Zero comes stock with Evnroll’s patented Gravity Grip. The Gravity Grip unites the golfer’s hands and the putter face. This produces a sense of connection throughout the putting stroke.
• There are other patent-pending technologies that tie into the ER Zero.

BOTTOM LINE

How a product performs for you should be your utmost priority. Aesthetics, feel, sound, etc., are subjective. For me, the data shows some minute differences in testing between Directed Force 2.1 and ER Zero. Overall, the Directed Force 2.1 beats the ER Zero with better performances from 10 and 20 feet. If you can enhance your putting from 10 and 20 feet, do you think you’d have fewer putts per round? These data points, along with the benefits Directed Force 2.1 has to offer, make it my choice of the two. And, yes, it is currently in my bag.