A few months back, L.A.B. Golf released the VZN.1i putter and I thought it was their most “normal-looking” putter to date. Naturally, I was looking at the VZN.1i through the lens of the usually unusual L.A.B. Golf putter designs. From that perspective, it was the least out there shape to date.
The Directed Force 2.1 it was not.
Now that I’ve seen the new Mezz.2i, I need to revise my VZN.1i assessment. I am crowning the new L.A.B. Golf Mezz.2i as L.A.B. Golf’s new Champion of Normalcy.
From the bottom, you’ll immediately see a bunch of weights and know that it is a L.A.B. Golf putter. From the other angles, though, the L.A.B. Golf-ness of the Mezz.2i is far less apparent.
What makes the Mezz.2i even more amazing is that L.A.B. Golf was still able to pack their assistive Lie Angle Balanced technology into this nearly not unusual shape.
With the Mezz.2i, we could finally be looking at L.A.B Golf’s gateway putter. The Mezz.2i has the potential to bring traditional mallet players into the L.A.B. Golf fold. The tech is contained in a more typical putter shape.
The Mezz.2i’s shape is fang-tastic
As you can see from the photos, the L.A.B. Golf Mezz.2i is a fang-shaped putter. As with other similar fang-shaped putters, the perimeter fangs extend toward the rear and the front corners are beveled inward to draw the eyes toward the center of the putter.
The overall diamond shape is very similar to what you would see in an Odyssey #7 or a Cameron Phantom 7. I don’t think I’ve ever been able to make such a comparison about a L.A.B. putter in the past.
Naturally, the shaft position is a little more rearward than a traditional center-shafted fang putter. Those who are familiar with Lie Angle Balanced putters know that this shaft position, and the sole weights, are critical elements of their balancing process.
The L.A.B. Golf core design elements are still there; they just don’t dominate the design.
Comparing the new Mezz.2i to the original Mezz models
These photos will help you to see why I am so impressed with the new shape.
Side-by-side, it is easy to see the shape differences between the original Mezz.1, Mezz.1 MAX and the new Mezz.2i. The bones are roughly the same but the tweaks are significant.
The Mezz.1 and Mezz.1 MAX are not traditional-looking putters. They are amazing at rolling the rock, especially the Mezz.1, but they look like giant blocky staples. Sleek, they are not.
Don’t forget the original Mezz.1 was a solid Most Wanted Putter performer, placing 12th overall and deadly from 5 feet. The design works but it was very odd to look at.
The original Mezz.1 was so unusual looking that a person grabbing one in a shop to roll a few balls could be put off by the looks before they discover the performance.
With the new Mezz.2i, I don’t see that being the case. If the Mezz.2i can capture the original Mezz.1 performance in a more attractive package, we are talking about stuff of legend.
Looks matter to customers
This new Mezz has more of a welcoming look. The milled steel insert looks and feels more like a familiar putter than the milled aluminum face of the Mezz.1.
I can see more than one shopper saying, “I didn’t realize this was a L.A.B. putter.”
Such was not the case with the previous Mezz models.
By the way, the Mezz.2i can also scoop up the ball from the turf. For some, that feature may be the one that pulls the card from the wallet.
Fitting is still paramount
The shape of the Mezz.2i may be new but getting correctly fitted is still critical for an L.A.B. Golf putter purchase.
Thankfully, more local shops are familiar with the L.A.B. Golf fitting process than when the original Mezz released a few years back. Hopefully, there is a knowledgeable fitter near you.
If not, you can trust L.A.B. Golf’s free remote fitting system. My putter specs that L.A.B. determined through the video were exactly the same as those that in-person fitters have recommended.
If you are wondering about or overwhelmed by the shaft options, check their FAQ page.
My Mezz.2i was built with the Accra shaft and I really like the feel. For the last few putter releases, I have gone with stiffer shafts. The idea behind the stiff shaft is that it removes the flex variable from the putting stroke.
For the Mezz.2i, the softer-feeling Accra was a great fit for performance and feel. I think the shaft is a great fit for this head.
Getting your L.A.B. Golf putter built to your specifications is critical but not very difficult.
The Mezz.2i masterfully merges technology and appearance
The Mezz.2i has the potential to be a big hit for L.A.B. Golf. I felt the same way about the VZN.1i but this putter is even more normal and more welcoming to new-to-L.A.B. golfers than that putter.
Lots of golfers have had a fang-shaped putter in their bag at one time or another. The shape of the Mezz.2i will appeal to those golfers. I can also see golfers who tried the Odyssey Square2Square 7 but didn’t like the feel of the insert being drawn to the Mezz.2i.
The important thing for L.A.B. Golf is that this new shape opens up L.A.B. Golf’s potential customer pool.
Where the original Mezz looked atypical and perhaps off-putting, the Mezz.2i looks familiar. Once the new customer realizes how the Lie Angle Balance design helps them to make putts, they will quickly add their name to the expanding list of loyal L.A.B. Rats.
By the way, the new Black Cherry finish is a delight. I also like the way that they integrated the color into the head cover. Hopefully, that coloration plan is something that will become standard in the future.
Find out more about the new Mezz.2i and the other putter models at labgolf.com.
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