Putters

{REAL} Scotty Cameron (vs) Scotty Cameron {FAKE}

BY MyGolfSpy
May 31st 2017
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WHAT IS IN A NAME?

Are you Brandwashed?

Just for a moment in a very authentic way think about this and be honest with yourself. Do you find yourself liking particular brands more than others for reasons not based on how that product or brand actually performs?

If you answered no, you’re lying. It’s ok, it’s normal. Walker-Smith says the average American views 5,000 ads in one day. Yet remarkably, most believe they are not influenced by advertising. If that were true, why do you think companies spent almost $600 billion on advertising last year?

Face it; advertisers do far more than influence our favorite putter designs; they manipulate us into believing they’re our best friends. And ending this onslaught of influence has become nearly impossible to stop. Just try turning off your iPhone, computer, and the ten televisions playing Trump news while you’re running on the treadmill at the local gym.

So, what is in a name? Well, that’s what we decided to find out today. We wanted to see what would happen if we tested a {REAL} Scotty Cameron (vs.) Scotty Cameron {FAKE} with real golfers. We wanted to see not only how it might affect their subjective feedback but also objective data-based feedback as well. Would they rate the fake as highly in categories like look and feel? How would the fake putter perform against the real one?

Let’s find out.

HOW WE TEST

*We do not condone counterfeit golf products. DON’T BUY THEM {SERIOUSLY}.

Testers were told we were testing the build consistency of Scotty Cameron putters
Testing of putters was randomized for each tester
Testers were not given the opportunity to examine the putters prior to the start of testing
Testers were asked to putt 18 total balls with each putter, 6 balls at each of 3 distances (5,10,20)
Testers were asked to fully hole out every putt that finished outside of 1 foot from the hole
Testers finished all 18 balls before switching to the other putter
Subjective feedback was recorded after each of the putters was hit
Looks, Feel and Alignment ratings (1-10) were given for both putters
Testers were given the opportunity to provide subjective feedback comments

THE DATA

This test was performed inside the MyGolfSpy Test Facility located in Yorktown, VA. Testing started Feb 15 and concluded on April 15. All testing was done using Bridgestone golf balls. All equipment was measured with equipment from GolfMechanix.

Subjective Ratings

We asked our testers to rate the looks, feel, and alignment of the two putters tested on a ten point scale. While scores were identical for Looks, our testers rated the Feel and Alignment of the real Scotty Cameron, ever so slightly higher for both Feel and Alignment.

Performance Ratings

At distances of 5 and 10 feet, both putters performed identically; requiring exactly the same number of putts to complete the test. Interestingly, at 20′, the counterfeit putter outperformed the real Scotty Cameron; requiring 6 fewer putts to complete the test. There are two noteworthy differences that could account for the difference.

The fake Scotty Cameron is significantly lighter, and that may be of benefit on longer putts.
The alignment aid on the fake was more pronounced with more visible (both in terms of volume and sheen) paint. This may also have contributed to the performance difference on longer putts.

THE DATA

{REAL} Scotty Cameron vs. {FAKE} Scotty Cameron

	REAL	FAKE
Looks	7.8 / 10	7.8 / 10
Feel	8.0 / 10	7.9 / 10
Alignment	7.9 / 10	7.8 / 10
Length	35"	35"
Total Weight	461.4 g	423.6 g
No. of Putts at 5 ft.	68	68
No. of Putts at 10 ft.	91	91
No. of Putts at 20 ft.	101	95
Total Putts	272	265
SG 18	-0.350	0.350

VERDICT

In today’s time, the stories you hear are no longer being told by teachers, parents, and mentors they are being told by people that have something to sell. The stories that most influence us these days are the stories told by advertisers. Do we expect this test to change that? Absolutely not. But, we do hope it might knock down that first mental domino the next time you make a purchase.

So, what’s really in a name? That’s for you to decide. We just test clubs.

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comments

Join The Discussion

~j~

5 years ago

Good use of testing. The allure of these high end putters is beyond me, the new ones look like recycled old ones. You could probably hold putter test like this all day with any brand vs its knock-off and receive the same results.

Bob

6 years ago

I suspect that that the counterfeit is 3d copied AND the Camerson tested is blade version, which means that the MOI in the two won’t be much different. Therefore, I don’t find the test results surprising. If blade putters of differing designs were compared with the Cameron, the test results would be different.

I suspect that the difference in MOI with authentic and fake mallets, especially with some of the taylormade and Callaway models would be significant and OEM will generally perform better than counterfeits. Personally, I prefer heavier putters and sight lines are especially important. With non-blade putters (and most blades), I can tell the difference in forgiveness on off center strikes very easily. The longer and slower the putt, the easier it is to tell the difference.

joro

Gee Willikers, I was under the impression that all Scotties were overpriced copies of successful Putters and that as he said he makes em better than the originals. Of course he did make a couple of his own design,, but rare.

Lynn

I love the results of this article. Something I recently learned after golfing 7 years is about finding the right putter for you. I had been playing mallet putters for the first 6 years. Except for when I used an Odyssey 1W versa and I actually won a tournament that year. I have had almost every putter out there. If I liked the look, I would purchase it try it and if doesn’t work for me I sell it.

Now, currently, I am playing a TP Mills designed Mizuno (blade style with shoulders/ bumpers and two alignment lines on flange with a cavity. I found this tarnished dirty putter on eBay and polished it up myself. I love it.

Now, I’m obsessed with blade putters and collecting them now. My point is if I liked a Walmart putter – I will play it.

I have had Scotty 5 MB and Fastback, Spider Tour, Ping Sigma Doon, etc ,etc ,etc.

I even thought about slight arc, or straight back but really its all about trusting your natural stroke and feel and finding a putter that fits it.

HDTVMAN

So I go to a retailer and see traded in clubs. How do I know they are real? I work for the largest golf retailer in the country and we have no idea when we take a trade. How do you know, Mr. Spy?

Brian Dunleavy

7 years ago

I am currently playing with a fake ‘custom’ Scotty Cameron that my father gave me for Christmas. He got it off eBay for $250. It has a blue superman stamp and blue weight holes instead of red. He doesn’t golf so he didn’t know that it was a fake. The thing works alright but it rusts a little. I’ve only noticed three real differences between my fake and my friends real; The real one is slightly heavier (I now have 25g weights in mine), his doesn’t rust at all, and the feel off the face is much less consistent on mine for very slight miss hits.

May be real. Cameron will put any color you want on your putter when ordered. I was at the Encinitas store and saw many different combinations. Also, weight is based on length.

Justin Ball

I love ❤️ this article!

Brendan Ahern

My Scotty Cameron works best when I allow it to swing itself

John Davis

Great article. Very insightful. I changed just my grip on my Ping Nome putter and got the new Pistol grip and made a huge difference in my putting. That being said, I am guessing both had same grips?

rjh

I am interested to know if another test be done between a real Scotty (with total weight 461.46 g) and a real Scotty (with total weight 423.6g by adjusting down its moveable weight). If the lighter (423.6 g) real Scotty performs better than the heavier real at 20 ft distance, then it may be concluded that the optimum weight is the decisive factor for a better putt result in the test, leaving the real or fake not an important issue to focus on.

Nole84ever

This was my thought exactly. I often need a lighter putter or else I leave distance putts… short.

John Jack Jones

Great read. Thanks MGS

Mike V Davis

Looks like the fake did better!!!!!

Jackie DuPriest

Truth is most golfers can putt just as well or better with a Walmart putter over spending an obscene amount for hyped brand. As long as you have a well aligned flat top grip the physics of a $5 putter from a Putt Putt course will perform just fine in the hands of a decent puttee. I hear of cheap putters putting lights out all the time. It’s simply a piece of flat square aligned metal with no flex involved. It’s all hype, as much is with golf equipment.

Chris C.

Love the test. I have no desire to provide aid and comfort to thieves. That said, if someone is so inclined to search out fakes to purchase, they are doing so for the bling factor on the cheap and have no interest in performance. This test will do nothing to encourage people to rush out and purchase fakes. I would also like to note that these counterfeiters did not steal R&D. They stole PR. In that regard, this test suggests that Scotty should consider hiring the counterfeiters to design their next line of putters.

ole gray

It seems to me those who were offended by this unbiased test were either employees of the manufacture or another golf forum . The latter being jealous of the unique and informative information most consumers appreciate. Everyone has a right to agree to disagree and if you can’t handle the truth, take your ball home and play with your self. MGS does an excellent job of providing real facts and that is exactly why the forum is growing at an exceptional rate!

Tim Sampson

I happen to own a Scotty cameron and have for years one of the best putters in the market today. If they weren’t that good why would you try to copy them?

James

Same reason anything is copied, fake purses, rolexes, etc…. Scotty Cameron sells for 500$. Obviously they are trying to sell cheap knock offs to take your money. DUHHHH

Anonymous

How topical for me, in the past month – I received a fake Scotty Newport 2.0. I knew it was fake when I received it and I didn’t care. A couple of giveaways when you look at it. One, as mentioned, the headcover is clearly cheaply made. It’s not even close. But, since you can buy an authentic cover on eBay – no biggie. Secondly, the Scotty banding is showing when you look down the shaft. The ‘milling’ is noticeably different when compared to an authentic one.
Having said all that – I validate what you wrote. I putt magnificently with this putter. In fact, better than I do with my authentic Scott S5 GoLo or TaylorMade Spider series. It’s the regular putter in the bag right now. Maybe it’s the honeymoon phase, but for now – I’m very happy and putting pretty well.
For what it’s worth – I didn’t buy it off eBay, I got from a local guy who bought a bunch of clubs ‘for a steal’ only to realize they’re all fake and he couldn’t sell them. So, they sat around until last month when I asked if he had one I could try. Over the past 15 years on eBay, I’ve purchased dozens of clubs and putters – to date, I unknowingly bought a fake TaylorMade hybrid YEARS ago. Of course, by the time I realized it – the buyer had disappeared. Only way I knew was by holding it side-by-side with a ‘real’ one and felt the weight difference.
I kept it for a couple of years, didn’t notice any performance issues with it, in fact – I bombed it.
No summary, or recommendation – just telling you what my experience was with ‘fakes’. I will say, I knew of several ‘fake’ sites where you could buy them – mostly out of China, but they’re closed down now. In fact, I reported them myself to Ping, Titleist, Taylormade and Mizuno. I’m not an advocate of fakes, but the market pricing is WAY out of control, making it profitable for fakes to exist…

Dave

I bought a Newport 2.0 from a fellow golfer that I didn’t know personally, but since he is a member of our close knit community (deaf), I trusted him off the bat. As soon as I received it, I saw spots of rust on the shaft, and it did not have the stamp I’ve seen on authentic SC putters. I brought it to a family golf pro and also to the local Edwin Watts (the Manager is a great guy) and he confirmed it was a Knock off. It actually putts well (I’m a 20 HC), but I do notice the feel is missing on long putts, but other than that, the blade, grip feel/look great; it’s the shaft that gives it away. Right now, I’m not sure if I want the SOB that passed it off as a new SC (I paid $200 plus shipping), or keep it, admit I was duped and keep on using it. Was initially pissed, but I will accept some blame for trusting freely. He’s aware and I told him I’d give him the opportunity to make it right, so we’ll see.

Pug

This is a valid test subject for MGS to pursue, just as the test of clubs from WalMart and similar low end suppliers is. In this case the test seeks to answer performance questions that I have regarding knock-offs. The morale high ground is occupied by those who will tackle questionable subjects with as much objectivity as possible. It is that striving for integrity that first got me reading MGS several years ago and kept me coming back. For myself,I’ll have more of the same, please.

Mick Lefty

I personally think Scotty’s are overpriced. So are PXG clubs. With that being said, there is obviously a market so spend.your money how you choose. As far as counterfeit clubs. I wouldn’t publish any article showing favorable results to the fake. Just a matter or princpile to me. There is a huge difference in fake vs real swinging clubs. I wouldn’t expect much difference.in putters.

Trey Croom

“was more pronounced with move visible” – **more visible**

Large chris

I’m not a particular fan boy of Scotties, the more recent ones I’ve tried I was fairly unimpressed by feel wise.
But don’t over reach with conclusions here. Someone has made a fairly decent performing fake. So what. I work in manufacturing and we get copied all the time. Some of the copies are very good.
But it is my company that has invested in the R and D, marketing and Western manufacturing expertise. Other people just freeload off it by stealing the IP.
Morally customers know what they should do.

Karun Malik

This is so interesting and relevant to today’s cluttered and marketing led golf equipment market! Thanks for always putting the consumer first – after all as amateur golfers it really helps to get the most bang for our buck….saves money that can be spent on green fees etc. I’d be very interested in seeing a similar comparison with original Vokeys vs counterfeits. I’m pretty sure the wedge set I’m playing with (60-04 SM4, 56-11 degree SM5 and 52-08 SM4) are counterfeits – there are no serial numbers, the oil can finish is nowhere close to what Titleist advertises on their site and the guy I bought them from frequently travels to China for work and mentioned he bought them there (they were also dirt cheap – sub $100 for the lot!!). However, I’ve never been more consistent with my approaches – both full as well as partial shots are remarkably controlled and distances well dialled in, with enough spin and hold on the greens to keep me smiling on the course. I’ve holed out from 40-50 yards with my lob wedge at least thrice in the last year!!! I don’t really know what to make of it. I believed they were originals until someone who knows much more than I do about the equipment market pointed out that without serial numbers, there’s no way these are original Vokeys. Post this revelation, I realised other things were not quite right, colour (as previously mentioned), differences in stamping & paint-fill, the fact that my 60-04 lob wedge seems to have more bounce than my 52-08 approach wedge all pointed to them being counterfeit. However, when they perform so well I’m not about to give them up until they are unusable. I’d love to see what results your testing could throw up here. Are these factory overruns or is it just that counterfeiters have become very very good at their game?

Rad Rixo

Well done my golf spy. Definitely worth a donation for carrying out a test like this that does push boundaries.

Kelly Anne Kuziw Lautrup

Well, I just know that my putting is better with my Scotty than it was with a no-name. If it’s mental, I’ll take it.

GMFlash

I enjoy MGS and have purchased many items based upon reviews of products. And I have found that after purchase the products perform just as described, so I’ve learned through experience that the site has merit. I also like the data driven approach etc.
But in this case I feel MGS missed the mark as the article seemed to take aim at the easiest target in golf for a consumer blog, namely Titleist and the Cameron brand. My thoughts are:
1. The test should have been done without any tester knowledge of brand, and the testers should have been told the truth about what the testing was for – comparing performance of real vs fake product.
2. MGS could have used any other brand or used less costly “real brand clones (like a snake eyes, malty etc.) rather than a fake.
3. Judging by the follow-up consumer comments, the article missed testing brainwashing – rather everyone focused on real vs fake, not brand vs brand (with cost as a separating factor).
4. The underlying premise of the test, i.e. Scotty real vs Scotty fake seems to have it purpose in undermining the Scotty brand. Again this test could have been done “double blind” and with any other brand.
5. The test also could have been done with the real and fake product in your regular round of putter testing, without telling anyone anything. This would have been a true blind test of performance.
6.And finally, MGS regular putter testing showed this year that inexpensive putters like the Cleveland Huntington Beach series outperform many more expensive putters. What is the difference between this and a “Fake” of around the same price new?
My observation is that MGS uses tests like these as clickbait that drives readers to the site – sorry its true. I think more highly of the site than that and would visit without the sensational headlines that don’t mean much.

Fos

Careful… your fanboy is showing.

Blind tests are carried out for the purpose of eliminating biases (such as the one you clearly hold) from corrupting the experiment. And no…. This wasn’t a double blind test.

You have some issue with using the Scotty Cameron brand… but have no issue throwing any other brand under the bus.

This test can be conducted with a larger population and different models of Cameron’s to validate the evidence. I’m curious to see what the data shows.

Bobtrumpet

“2. MGS could have used any other brand or used less costly “real brand clones (like a snake eyes, malty etc.) rather than a fake.”

The two you mentioned, Snake Eyes and (I assume) Maltby are in no ways clones of anything. They are (were in the case of Snake Eyes as I haven’t seen one for years, and now GS is gone) straight up designs (Tom Wishon designed the Snake Eyes clubs for years, not sure who else did before and after his time at GS), not clones. You can pull a clone club from many places, but not the two you mentioned.

“5. The test also could have been done with the real and fake product in your regular round of putter testing, without telling anyone anything. This would have been a true blind test of performance.”

Only if you had multiple putters of some of the others being tested. Two Scotties and one of everything else might have been a flag to the testers.

Why pick Scotty? When you go to one of the larger golf sites, you don’t see many inquiries of a real-or-fake See-More or Odyssey putters, or any other brands or clubs – it’s Scotty Cameron by a wide margin. They are a popular target for counterfeiters because they are popular and carry a high value.

Alex D Bryan

I wonder if there’s a thread on TCC about this…

Fred

I’m fine with a fake Scotty as long as someone doesn’t come out with a phone EVNROLL ER3.

mike D

The test should have been done as a double blind in that the brand of the putters being compared should not have been known to the testers. In addition the testers could then have been told the truth about what the test was really for, to determine how fake and real putters performed under the conditions of this test.
MGS use of Scotty putters for this test was unnecessary to demonstrate the point of “brandwashing” and that is why the article can be seen as a purposeful shakedown of the SC brand. Any brand putter could have been used and “cloned real brands” vs OEM tested too.
MGS often uses these sensationalist types of tests to get attention for the blog, rather than getting to any truth that matters. The collection of the real data during MGS putter testing clearly shows a similar result with the Cleveland Huntington Beach putters performing so well at $99.
In fact now that I think about it, the fake scotty could have been included in the MGS putter testing series without telling anyone anything, then seeing how it performs. Finally, the comments following this article also demonstrate that the test missed its mark, as people were concerned with real vs fake rather than brand vs brand.
MGS can and has done better – and I get tired of the constant conscious put down of Titleist just because they charge a lot for their brand. So be honest MGS, Titleist makes a perfect target for you as you go about collecting unbiased data on various products, and then defending your “unbiased” facts. But the real fact is that the beginning premise of your testing is often biased, and it shows through easily in this case.
You have, and can, do better than this.

Andrew Han

The bias does seem to be there, but that is why I propose for other similar brands to be tested in the same manner. No response yet. It almost seems like someone got hurt from Titleist and has taken a vendetta. I don’t see any marketing from Scotty and see more marketing hype from Callaway and TM than I do from Titleist. They aren’t even making crazy claims like the other two. I wonder if the testers have a bias against Titleist, but I’m going to trust that it isn’t.

With that said, I don’t see golfwrx or any other mainstream providing data backed test. Their articles are good reads. Long winded but MGS needs to be around and the perceived bias needs to disappear. Tour players won’t be fooled by any hype. Millions at stake.

Rano

Is the simple answer to “why Scotty Cameron?” not just that they are by far the most sought after, and consequently most faked putters available?

dang3rtown

How would you blind test a putter? Use tape to cover the head or tell the testers to just not look at it? I don’t see that being a feasible option. It’s actually a perfect test.

MikeyB

Jeez. Bad week for Scotty. They finished last in the putter testing, adding almost a stroke a round to your score, and NOW, the ‘fake’ Scotty putts better that the real deal.

Brett Boswell

I wouldn’t think a putter would matter much. I had a couple of machinest machine one up out of a block of steel to F around with.took a while to get a hang of it.ha ha
The comparison between irons and woods would be a bit different i would imagine

Connor T. Lewis

I am surprised anyone would doubt these results. A putter is perhaps the most simple club in the bag.

KP

The one thing you didn’t tell us is how to spot a fake from a real one. Gaming a California Del Mar and getting it from a established shop I know mine is real. But what about if you don’t get from a reliable source? Great to drop a wad of loot and buy a lemon. Come on MGS take it all the way please if your truly here to help all golfers.

Vincent Forest

Great article ! I think you should do the same with some shaft ! For exemple there is a lot of fake Aldila Tour AD, would like to see if a driver shaft vs a fake one really makes a bg difference !

Jarryd Young

Very interesting read

Bill Lewis

I read years ago that Raymond Floyd used wrapped leather grips (as did Jack )and had someone regrip his clubs and the guy put one too many wraps of masking tape on the clubs (by accident). When Raymond came to pick them up, as soon as he picked up the first club, he said “the grips are too big” I don’t have that good of feel that Ray did

KM

Raymond has unbelievable feel he canmtell you if an iron is within 2 cmps!

RC

Because confidence is such a huge factor in putting, I’ve always felt better thinking that my Scottie is a club that presumably has been “expertly” balanced, taking the “blaming” of the club out of the equation!
As for the test, It would have been nice to know which putter was used first, in order to determine possible “warming up” as a benefactor of performance. Good job as always MGS…

MyGolfSpy

As mentioned in the article, all putters were randomized.

Nice test. I will forever be a Scotty guy.

I like this concept, will you be doing something similar with golf balls? Not a fake versus real, that would be interesting too, but unmarking or erasing the brand names of the golf balls and test. I would love to see data behind that.

Also, can you do something similar with other brands like Callaway and TM. I see way more marketing from those two than Titleist.

Thanks.

BirdieSpy

I’d like to see a test like this as well. I’ve gotten incredible results from a $27 Vice Pro ball– soft off the face, great distance, incredible around the green, and almost 20 dollars cheaper than the 3 mentioned above.

K

*More visible (not move)

Bubba Watson- “You’re welcome.”

Matt Craze

Incredible, but I can believe it. I do suspect though that there is one club in the bag that could be outperformed by a counterfeit, then it’s the putter. I remember DA Points won the Houston Open in 2013 with his mum’s old putter (a Ping Anser dating back to the early 1980s).

What would be really interesting, Mygolfspy, is to see if counterfeit irons and woods stack up to the OEM-produced models.

Raymond CHASTEL

There’s nothing unusual in this demonstration .Counterfeiters have
always existed ,in art (famous paintings are sometimes counterfeits ,and it takes “experts ” to find them out)
Fake LOUIS VUITTON handbags CARTIER watches exist ,you can’t do much about it !
Yes ,we are all submitted to delusion ,so no reason to be scandalized by this test ,that’s how life is .
There was even a fake WINSTON CHURCHILL during Word War to to deceive the Germans !
Maybe there’s also a fake DONALD TRUMP ,better than real !
Just laugh it out !

David W

Here is what I take from this. There are some really talented crooks out there who can copy a club for a short term experience (no idea how long the counterfeit will last).

BR

News Flash, Scotty Cameron made his fortune off others R&D. Scotty Cameron also STEALS others work and then creates a J Peterman add to cover to take credit, fair enough, but If anyone gets angry because they spent a ridiculous amount on a Ping or mills knockoff by Cameron they only have themselves to blame as they could have gotten a better performing knockoff for much less. Free market capitalism, maybe Scotty should lower his price to be more competitive as he can’t compete on performance it seems. You don’t need to worry there will always remain those who prefer exclusivity to performance and those people will know they paid more for the putter as they miss 20ftrs that the Chinese Omage to Ping will make, no one is stopping anyone from overpaying for a Scotty if they want to you can vote with your $$$ advice I see so many Scotty owners give when people complain about his stealing from Ping or mills etc.
I just don’t understand why all the fuss, the Chinese copies of Pings and Mills designs outperform the Cameron copies of pings and it’s not the same putter as you read, the “inspiration” was a Ping “inspired” Scotty but they improved on the design by making it a better weight and improving sight line, and even using a more brightly colored paint to aid in lining up. Additionally the Chinese Ping Maker has reduced costs in manufacturing to offer a better ping “inspired” design at a better price point than the ping “inspired” Scotty. I think a lot of this is just envy and Scotty would be the first to say this wouldn’t he? The Chinese Artist was inspired by the greats, and as Scotty used to say it’s actually a huge compliment to the original designers genious although sometimes it’s not so clear in Scottys tales who that designer is. Simple case of Someone in China “walking through the doors others have opened”. Btw I also heard that the designer gained inspiration for his creation while walking through the rainforest one day and noticing a Panda eying a bamboo shoot that due to the glint from the rain dampened canopy she saw a shape and thought that looks like an interesting concept. So she walked over to the limb, grabbed the branch and made a few putting strokes which she felt would work as a putter. Light, good sight line and crucially it was more “Portable” due to lighter. When she made a few people seem to like the features and easier “portability” this “new” masterpiece of hers had. And right then and their the thought it’s new, it’s portable why don’t I call it a “new port” or Newport!!

I didn’t know where you were going at the end….. but good ending.

Scott

Where can I buy the fake???? Now I want one….

Jarmo

I am going to start reading your stuff just because Peter got triggered and left. BTW I have a Scotty Cameron newport studio select 2.5 and I hate it but I love my Odyssey White Hot Pro.

FTWPhil

Is the White hot pro a slant neck?

No it is a No-Hosel or S bent if you prefer

https://scontent-arn2-1.cdninstagram.com/t51.2885-15/e35/18645222_808616139303883_7470842779552186368_n.jpg

ross oliver

Based on this test I may take the lead tape off my real Ping Ketsch that I bought after reading test data from one of your previous tests. …thanks for what you do!

Jack

I would question the ability of the test group if they couldn’t immediately notice a difference of almost 40 grams in overall weight, particularly since the test was supposedly to measure consistency.

Amen

Sharkhark

So what if they did or didn’t?
The amount of putts to get the ball into the hole was most critical and the fake took less.

Who cares about “perceived weight”? I care about my score card.
I always wondered why I liked my Scotty mid slant but could equally putt well with El cheapos from the local golf superstore.

It’s because it’s a hunk of metal. If it goes in the hole who cares.
I’m a bit surprised but it’s a good and valuable test.
Scotty = marketing $

Brad

You’re really reaching here. Nowhere does it say they are rating the “consistency” of the build of the putter and that the testers couldn’t notice a difference in weight.

“We asked our testers to rate the looks, feel, and alignment of the two putters tested on a ten point scale.”

One putter is heavier and one is lighter. You can easily do this with a real Scotty by changing the weights in the sole. Weight of a putter is nothing more than subjective.

Find a putter shape that works best for you. Make sure you like the weight, and have the correct length. It doesn’t matter if that putter is made by Arby’s, it’s going to perform the same as your Scotty or Betti, etc.

“Testers were told we were testing the build consistency of Scotty Cameron putters”

Rod

Really? you think you can notice 38 grams difference?

You mean like the difference in the weight of a 1960s Ping anser and a modern putter with a 355 gram head? A monkey could detect that big of a difference.

brock

“Testers were told we were testing the build consistency of Scotty Cameron putters.”
They weren’t told to see if they could figure out which one was a fake. This is an attempt to make it as unbiased as possible.
The weight difference is only 8%.

Andrew

What says the heavier putter had to be the real one? Not to mention- the testers could have easily felt the difference, but as they were testing for consistency, they wouldn’t have even known one was fake.

Robin

It’s time to take out the titelist it’s getting full.

Geo Golfx

Club wise. Not a shock. Clubs aren’t magical. No different than when you see someone hit a Wal-Mart driver better than their $500.00 flavor of the week. Sometimes the best tools for the job aren’t always the prettiest. But ethically, as stated, counterfeits are just that. Always best to stay away in the long run.

The bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten.

Joseph Dreitler

You are correct. Counterfeiters are thieves. Pure and simple. They diminish the value of a real brand that someone spent a lot of time and money to build. They often are rip offs and poor quality and in many cases in my 40 years as a trademark lawyer, they were harmful to the user’s health If you want to look at it from an economic standpoint, they steal jobs because the owner of the legitimate product sells less, hires fewer people in the US to design, make and/or sell them and the overseas crooks do nothing but pump out cheap goods. All of that said, I am not surprised that some Americans still knowingly buy counterfeit products because they are cheaper than the real product while at the same time they talk about bringing back jobs to Americans.

JD

Unfortunately with these type of inserts, it all feels mushy. So i’m not surprised seeing the results. You’re not paying for a milled putter with these, you’re paying for a 3 inch piece of milled steel, taped to the rest of a putter. Not hard to duplicate. Would have rather seen them test older Scotty all-milled models vs their fakes.

I have an old Studio Stainless NP2 that feels wayyyy better than any of these new ones. The new futura models are really nice feeling however… but this whole taping an insert to a putter HAS TO GO.

Ryan morris

100 percent agree…i have pretty much given up on scotty…i liked the look of the 2014 standard newport select, but the feel was less telling than previous models…
Mil-spec and AOP were fantastic…
I game byron morgans now, though in all honesty, there is no difference in feel between my dh89 and 007….also, my 8802 wilson redux might feel the best of all of them…paid 75.00 for that, literally 7x cheaper than my more expensive option.
I prefer byron becsuse i feel putters should be unique to each individual and no two byrons are the same..

I had all but sworn off Scotty until I tried a new Futura 6M… that thing feels like a carbon putter with unreal MOI. Put a flatso on it and its the easiest putter in the world. Actually traded in a Bettinardi SS2 for it…

Even the 2014 selects with the deep milling felt too soft. There is a reason the pro’s have all Scotty’s with almost no face milling. Softness is overrated, you have no distance control.

MAKE MILLED PUTTERS GREAT AGAIN

2 putt bird

I bought a black newport 2 online about 3 years ago for only 99$ I knew it was fake immediately for a few reasons. First by the fact that it came in a stock cardboard box instead of a cameron box and the headcover was the most awful reproduction effort ever, as it looked like it was made with a sock in a sweatshop. The putter came in a callaway branded plastic bag as well, LOL! The actual putter was softer than the real ones and putted decently. The paint mark alignment was crooked as well. When I called the guy/online shop to ask for a refund he said I will credit you back but you can keep the putter as it is a fake. I laugh at the experience and have an extra putter to practice with in the basement. Support your local golf shop and pro shop when you can to avoid these experiences.

Sean O'Malley

The one thing that was not tested is leaving the putters in the elements for a week or more (preferably wet) and see what they look like after time. My guess is the fake rusts

Count Tyrone Rugen

You’re assuming that the fake uses carbon steel. Could be cast out of stainless.

Stainless D

Stainless steel does not rust. I went to public school in Kentucky and know that.

Tom Wishon

I’m sorry but many types of stainless steel can and will rust unless they are specifically treated to prevent oxidation. In my industry of clubhead design, we joke around about this by saying the word stainless means only that the alloy will “stain less than other alloys”. Of the several different stainless steel alloys used to manufacture clubheads, only 304 will not rust. All of the other commonly used stainless alloys in clubhead production can and will rust if not chemically treated or electroplated.

I believe what Tom is referring to is passivation treatment. and it’s mostly to prevent oxidation, unless you are using really crappy stainless steel.

Steve S

Most 400 series stainless will oxidize when exposed to water and oxygen for 24 hours. 300 series will not, although I’ve never tried long term(weeks) tests. 17-7 stainless, which a lot of clubs used to be made of, ranks somewhere between the 300 and 400 series for corrosion resistance.

Almost forgot…so much for going to public school in Kentucky…

My experience with 17-4 is that we had to passivate if the casting cooled to quickly leaving alpha casing on the surface, specifically in corners or chamfered areas.

My experience with 304 stainless is the same. no issues with corrosion. CNC houses prefer the 304 over 303 because it’s a bit easier to machine. In their words, 304 is not as “gummy”.

cgasucks

Although the fake putter performs slightly better, I wonder how its fit and finish will last over time? I wouldn’t be surprised if the head fell off from its shaft in the middle of a putting stroke.

Tigerwho

I’d love to see a side by side comparison of the two putters showing the differences because it doesn’t seem as though there really is.

If you visit the SC site and look at the NP2 picture and compare to pic #1 in this article you’ll observe that the putter at the bottom of the pic #1 is the fake – here are some differences I noticed
1. Paintfill entirely different, overfilled and wavy in fake
2. Length of neck is shorter in fake
3. Bend of the neck where shaft enters hosel is different – there is less bend in fake
4. Script used for “Scotty Cameron” is different in fake – “N” in Cameron is most telling.
5. Other differences not observable by pics but important to note are – the measured significant difference in weight 38g or 8% of total weight is significant), AND One could take a magnet to the putters to determine if one was carbon steel (magnetic) vs stainless (non-magnetic). This last test is often used to tell fake from real in Scotty’s.

xjohnx

Haha this made my day. I’m certainly not a Scotty hater, I really believe confidence is king. Putt with what you like. I would never condone buying counterfeit but in a backwards way, this also proves how overpriced the “tour only” putters are.

By the way, MGS, that should be the next test. Tour Scotty vs. Retail Scotty. Also, were there any notable comments about feel between the real vs. fake putter?

The only thing they would have to test is the price. Literally no difference except for a circle t stamp and maybe a few other aesthetic mods.

Peter Polimino

I think this is disgusting that you would provide cover to the counterfeiters. As a civil society we must all participate in a lawful way and not just take the chicken way out you just did with this stupid test. The fake would not exist if it were not for Scotty Cameron in the first place. They are STEALING and you are playing the willing stooge.

Do this again and I’ll drop my subscription.

Disappointed, Peter

1. We do not have a subscription. MyGolfSpy is not only free to read it is free to not read.
2. We expected this reaction from a small percentage of readers, but we still feel this is a sound test for many reasons.
3. This has nothing to do with promoting fake products and all to do with brandwashing.
4. We mentioned we do not condone counterfeits. No one is forcing anyone to buy a fake product, it was simply used for a test concept.

You are still skirting the issue. Which is to say, do the right thing. You are not doing the right thing with this test. Please drop me from your email list. I prefer not to be associated with people like you.

Done, Peter

Sorry you feel we are skirting some issue. We disagree.

I’m not as angry as Peter, but you have to admit that you just marketed for counterfeit clubs. Your “not condoning” statement means nothing.

Robert Dwyer

Bye-bye Peter, Read the full report Golf Spy didn’t condone fake equipment, they tested it. Any putter real or fake is a chunk of metal on the end of a stick. Clearly in this day in age not everyone has your wealth to purchase a $450 putter!
While I don’t condone fake anything, I don’t approve of taking advantage of the public by branding and over pricing mediocre merchandise.

I think this was a very valid test with a fantastic premise…i did not read it as countetfeit vs legitmate, but does a high end priduct make any difference and this was probably the only way to provide the user with the absolute mentality and confidence provided by a scotty (cant experience the feeling of driving a ferrari if u are sitting in a prius…ur eyes and ears will subjectively and uncontrollably influence ur experience b4 u even turn the key)

Jake

You must be really fun at parties. They clearly said they do not condone counterfeits. The whole purpose of this website is to not tell you what you should and should not buy, but instead, provide insight into the consumerism of golf products. I am sure that if they said, “Do the right thing, do not buy counterfeits” you would still be outraged by the fact they are pressing their opinion on you, which is what this site masterfully avoids. I’m sure you do a great deal of complaining on issues and accusing others of taking “the chicken way out” (which no one has) while you do nothing meaningful to stop these issues you so passionately argue for.

Dude look at this putter. What if I used the authentic insert and put it into a fake putter. The milled steel the ball is coming in contact with is still authentic… the fact is that now that Scotty is on his “insert phase” these things are incredibly easy to produce similar results using fake materials because it literally is a piece of steel taped to another piece of steel.

Feel and distance control, arguably the two most important pieces of picking a putter, are rendered negligible because of this taped insert design. I’m glad this only further validated it.

Jason

Dear Dissappointed:
MGS only gave the data associated with their test. Had the test revealed large discrepancies then you likely would be a proud subscriber. Putters are more artwork fused with technology anyway. Thus, people who can pay for the $380 authentic version will always pay it because they feel good about looking at it, which gives you confidence.

Thanks MGS for pulling the curtain back on the wizard here. Keep up the fun data projects. They are my favorites!

Raj LP

To avoid performing a test like this would be a slap in the face of journalism and really what MGS stands for which above all is unbiased honesty. Perhaps you will be best served getting your equipment news from the Golf Digest Hot List.

Ah… Objective vs subjective…

Perry

Must be a pretty good fake!

Cao Đức

It just like a game of Real and Fake Louis Vuitton, Rolex…etc, your choice, proud of it or hiding it forever.

Teera Kamthornkul

Putter Mania

Leigh Bresnahan

identical and we have been getting ripped off all this time!

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