Some of you are bad putters.
Don’t get mad. You might as well face the fact that some of you are just not good on the greens. Facing that ugly reality may be the first step to becoming a better putter.
Don’t feel bad about the flatstick faltering frequently. Even the pros struggle with putting. Look at Justin Thomas for example.He was impressive tee to green at the Masters but putted himself out of the weekend.
Ben Hogan famously described full-swing golf and putting as two separate games. He hated putting. Yes, the person with the most emulated full swing on the planet struggled on the greens.
If those guys struggled with putting, how can we mere mortals stand a chance?
Buy a New Putter, Obviously
Naturally, the best solution to a bad round of putting is to buy a new putter. Anyone who has played the game knows that each putter only holds a certain number of made putts. Once you pass that threshold, you’ll need a new one. It’s basic math.
But which putter to buy? Not all putters are the same. Surprisingly, even after a decade of Most Wanted testing, some people continue to believe all putters are the same.
“It’s the wizard, not the wand, Harry.”
Even Harry Potter fans recognize that statement as false. If it were true, why even go to Ollivanders? Centuries of wizards got fitted wands there because they knew that it’s the wizard and the wand.
So what should you do if you’ve tried all the putters in your local Diagon Alley and you still can’t cast Expecto Puttrollin?
Perhaps should you try a wand that is truly different?
Maybe it’s time to try a putter from L.A.B. Golf
Understating the obvious, the putters that L.A.B. Golf builds are not your typical putters.
L.A.B. Golf putters look different and are different. I mean that in a good way. Let’s face it, typical ain’t getting the ball in the hole.
So what makes L.A.B Golf putters different?
L.A.B. Golf Putters are Different
So what is the big deal about L.A.B. putters? What makes these roll the ball so well that even a shallow, looks-matter putter guy like me can ignore his superficial nature and bag the Mezz.1 Max?
Ultimately, it is the Lie Angle Balanced nature of L.A.B. Golf putters that makes them so easy to putt with. Take a look at this video about the zero-torque design and The Revealer.
Simply stated, L.A.B. Golf putters do not twist during the stroke. Because of this, your chance to bring the face back square to the target at impact improves dramatically. Those other putter models twist like trout on a line when you move them in The Revealer.
When you watch the video, you’ll see a few low-torque models from other manufacturers. Their designs are also geared toward minimizing torque but, ultimately, some torque is still present.
That’s what makes the L.A.B. Golf putter design unique. It is not low-torque. The L.A.B. Golf putters are zero-torque. They don’t twist at all.
Less broken glass in your shoe is not as good as no broken glass in your shoe.
But does torque matter?
Why is removing torque so beneficial? If your putter does not rotate through the stroke, then you need not compensate for that rotation.
Other putters that open and close during the stroke will need some kind of swing manipulation to come back square. This manipulation happens either consciously or subconsciously. Obviously, good putters have mastered this manipulation. But why would someone who struggles with putting add the need to compensate for torque if they don’t need to?
You may not think that you fight torque when you putt with your current putter. Odds are that you do. Check out this video of the L.A.B. Golf Mezz.1 compared to a Cameron Newport.
The L.A.B. putter will feel different when you swing it so there may be some break-in period. The cool thing is that your practice sessions with the putter involve doing less. Specifically, fewer manipulations for torque since that now is gone.
All you need to do is stop manipulating the putter and let it swing. Do less, putt better.
Professionals are using L.A.B. Golf Putters
If L.A.B. Golf’s putters are so good, why aren’t the pros using them? As it turns out, the pros are indeed using them.
I always check out the putters when I’m watching professional golf. Rahm’s Odyssey and Koepka’s Scotty were the most televised putters on Masters weekend.
Man, John Rahm can putt!
Though not grabbing as much air time, L.A.B. Golf had multiple putters in play at Augusta. Adam Scott had his elongated Mezz.1 and Sergio Garcia had a Mezz.1 as well.
Quite a few LIV players are using L.A.B. putters. A couple of weeks back, Charles Howell III had a L.A.B. Link.1 putter when he won the LIV event at Mayakoba. By the way, that was a Sunday round of 63 with 22 putts for CH3.
These guys play for more money than I will make in my entire career and they are using L.A.B. Golf putters.
Your Peers are Using L.A.B. Golf Putters
Last May, a few of our forum members tested the L.A.B. Golf Mezz.1 putter. You can read their final assessments in detail here, but here are some quotes.
“Overall, my misses are closer, the circle of dispersion is smaller and my putting scores are better. Golf is a bit more fun.”
-Bulldog
“And though, personally, I’m not in love with the look, the putter head is fully CNC machined from aircraft aluminum and stainless steel for a familiar, almost traditional, sound and feel.”
-Dragon3
“The feel is solid, you strike a putt on your intended line and it seems as if it must go in.”
-RevKev
“I am remarkably better with this putter and that’s the entire point.”
-bens197
See, it’s not just the pros who are impressed by L.A.B. Golf putters. We amateurs can also benefit from the L.A.B. Golf design.
The L.A.B. Mezz.1 Max was the runner-up for Most Wanted Mallet of 2023. Honestly, that was a little surprising as getting properly fitted for lie angle is part of the L.A.B process. This means the second-place ranking could be underselling the putt-making potential of a properly fitted Mezz.1 Max.
What about you Dave?
For the uninitiated, the looks of a L.A.B. putter can be off-putting. I’ll readily admit I initially fell into this camp. Back in 2016 or so, I first saw the original Directed Force putter. It was nothing I wanted to look at, let alone put in my bag.
Normally, I try every putter I see and I didn’t try that one because of its looks.
However, after finally trying the L.A.B. Mezz.1, the Mezz.1 MAX, and the Link.1 putters last year, I realized my hasty dismissal of the brand based on appearances was wrong. My baseless negative opinion prevented me from finding out how good these putters are.
If only there was an idiom out there about books and covers …
The real eye-opening experience happened last summer while gaming a L.A.B. Mezz.1 MAX. The number of putts I made with that putter was shocking. Not just to me, but to my playing partner as well. Balls fell in cups all day. It was amazing.
The L.A.B. Golf Mezz.1 MAX was one of the most surprising and outstanding putters I rolled last year. Come to think of it, seeing it place second in the mallets this year was not that surprising.
It may be time to try a L.A.B. Golf Putter
Remember when I called you a bad putter? While that may be true now, it need not be forever.
I want you to consider L.A.B. Golf putters as an option, especially if you have never tried one. Don’t dismiss them based on their unconventional looks like I did initially. Take some time to feel how the lie angle-balanced factor helps you to keep the putter on target. Once you roll one, your opinion on the looks will change.
Full disclosure: I have a Directed Force 2.1 being built right now and I’m excited to get it. I’ve done a full 180 on L.A.B.
The L.A.B putters cost more than a new putter you would find in your local shop but not by much. The price is very competitive when you consider that L.A.B. will help you find the right specs for your new putter through a free remote video fitting.
For sure, a new L.A.B. Golf putter will set you back less than the combined costs of your second and third new off-the-rack “empty” putters this season.
Find out more about L.A.B. Golf and their fitting process at labgolf.com
Cliff
3 months ago
Dave, what was your review of the LAB DF 2.1? Very interested in hearing your opinion.
Dave Wolfe
3 months ago
I really like putting with it. Very stable and easy to target with. Only real thing that keeps it out of my bag is its size. Fortunately, there may a solution for that very soon…