PUTTER REVIEW – SeeMore Private Reserve Smoke Diamond m2c

“You make me want to be a better man.”

-Melvin Udall (Jack Nicholson), As Good As It Gets

(Written by Golfspy Dave) That’s definitely one of those lingering lines of rom-com dialog.  It’s right up there with “You had me at hello.” While both films are not necessarily cinematic gems, there are certain aspects that stick with you well after you are finished watching them.  I know that I sometimes draw connections between things that are seemingly unrelated (blame my tangential data processing), but this time there really is a method to the madness.  You see, as soon as I started rolling today’s putter, SeeMore’s Private Reserve Smoke Diamond m2c, my first thought was “you make me want to be a better putter.”

OK, so maybe that is a sappy, rom-com worthy sentiment, but it is the 100% honest truth.  I was immediately attracted to the looks of the m2c and intrigued by the RifleScope Technology (RST) alignment system.  The only problem was that I couldn’t hit the hole with it.  I could not make putts with a fox.  I could not make putts from a box.  I could not make them here or there.  I could not make them anywhere.  Not all putters are el draino for me, but the scatter plot for this one was way outside the norm.  However, rather than blaming the putter (easier, btw), I broke out the SeeMore putting DVD to see what these putters and the RST are really all about.

You can’t make putts now you say?  Try this, try this, and you may…

SeeMore Private Reserve Smoke Diamond m2c Features:

• Material: 100% Milled 303 Stainless Steel
• Weight: 335g
• Loft: 2.5°
• Lie Angle: 70° (available customized to 68°-74°0
• Toe Hang: Face Balanced
• Length Tested: 34″
• Finish: Multi-layered Diamond Smoke finish

BALL USED: Wilson FG Tour

FEEL

The SeeMore Private Reserve Smoke Diamond m2c feels exactly like you would expect a 303 stainless putter to feel like.  Impact is firm, with a nice “click” as the ball hits the face.  The face is very lively, likely due to the deep milled face grooves and the even deeper cavity milled behind the very thick face.  Take a look at that top line thickness to see what I am talking about.  I would typically expect a top line that thick to deliver more of a thudding impact, but the m2c pops instead.  Many of the other putters out there are closer to 4° of loft.  At 2.5° of loft, it’s no wonder that the ball gets hustling along.  Off center hits, should that ever happen to you, are “rewarded” with a very muted impact sensation.  Overall, the m2c provides excellent feedback to the player.

 

LOOKS

There was a time where black finish on stainless steel was like a toilet at Hometown Buffet.  It looked nice initially, but excessive use could quickly remove the attractiveness.  Thankfully that finish fading seems to be a thing of the past.  SeeMore’s Smoke Diamond finish is not a midnight-dark black finish; to my eye it is more of a rich satin, dark chrome.  The finish looks amazing in multiple light conditions, creating great contrast rather than glare.  The cavity on the m2c is milled in a diamond pattern, sporting a brighter finish.  Overall, I would describe the looks as classic, center-shaft blade.  The obvious exception to the “classic” description being the RST alignment system on the heel end of the m2c’s top.

 

SET-UP & ALIGNMENT

SeeMore’s RifleScope Technology alignment system.  What is that you say?

“Hide the Red Dot” allows the golfer to set up the putter consistently every time in relation to the intended target, leading to a better set up, better alignment, and a better stroke. Simply line up the black bottom portion of the shaft between two white lines and cover the signature red dot on the heel of the top line.

The idea behind the RST is that if you can’t see the red dot, then you know that you are aligned correctly.  It is a very simple concept, but it is not idiot (me) proof.  To really grasp the SeeMore RST system, I turned to the Pat O’Brien on Putting DVD for help. The RST system allows you to line up the putter to path, but only if you first are sure that your body is aligned correctly as well.  What I figured out after watching the DVD was that I was cheating with the RST system.  My hands were pressed forward, and I was then leaning forward to hide the red dot.  Not surprisingly, that was not the recipe for accuracy…  After following the instructions on the DVD, my use of the RST, and my overall alignment improved dramatically.  I know my alignment was better, because SeeMore also sent me The SeeMore Triangulator.  What a great, simple tool to know if you are actually aimed where you think you are aimed.  Once my body position was more in line with the SeeMore system, my alignment proficiency with the m2c improved dramatically.

Think of it like how much better your driving would be if you moved from the passenger seat to the driver seat.

PERFORMANCE

Man did I suck with this putter when I first bagged it.  On those pre-DVD rounds, I probably should have just putted with my 7i.  I had more alignment issues than Kris Kross did with wearing clothes correctly.  Believe that.  After the DVD, putting improved.  Funny how a little instruction goes a long way…  My interpretation of the SeeMore putting system and RST mechanics is that they help you to bring the putter back square to your target line at impact.  By covering the red dot at address, and then keeping it covered during the stroke, you should pass through that squared-at-address point again when you strike the ball.  If you aimed correctly, then it is just a matter of speed.

Just a matter of speed.  Why that sounds super easy Dave.  You bet it does.  Just like swinging a club at a non-moving ball should not be that difficult.  Stoopid golf.  Putting with the m2c did make me think about the full swing process more than I do with other putters, perhaps because I was really learning a new system for putting.  Normally I consider myself more of a “feel” putter.  Love that term.  A feel putter.  Does that mean that I am naturally gifted?  Of course it does!  OK so maybe it is more like the comparison between a barbarian and a Shaolin monk.  The barbarian battle success comes from raw energy and enthusiasm, while the monk’s success is based upon discipline and training.  With the putter, I am a barbarian, but the SeeMore m2c has me curiously knocking on the monastery door.

Now don’t take what I am saying as a testament that putting with a SeeMore is too complicated for you.  It’s not; you just may need a bit of a reset with your putting mechanics.  SeeMore has quite a few different head shapes and enough customization options that you can find a great putter for you to succeed with on the course.  I am just saying that you will be better with it on the course if you pay attention to the SeeMore instructions.  Let me summarize performance in a little story.

A few weeks back I took the SeeMore out for a round with my father-in-law and a colleague from work.  My father-in-law is a good player, and that day my swing was off for a bit as my nerves canceled out my recent lack of practice.  All of that being the case, my putting with the SeeMore m2c was great.  Getting to the green was a circus, but once there I felt confident putting.  I played a nice back nine, likely too tired to be nervous and thus the body relaxed.  Putting was great on the back.  Not because I was draining everything, I missed my share.  You see though, on that back nine, I missed putts due to poor reads.  I picked lines and hit putts where I was aiming and at the correct speed.  I just aimed at the wrong spot.  If you can find a putter that can read the green for you, buy it now.  Know this though, after watching the DVD and practicing with the m2c for about a month, my putting was light years better than the first few barbarian rounds with the putter.  Focus grasshopper…

• Distance Control = 9.5
• Accuracy = 9.0
• Sound & Feel = 9.4
• Appearance = 9.2
• Alignment = 9.0

OVERALL = 92.2

FIT FOR STROKE™

Don’t change your stroke. Change your putter.

The (FIT FOR STROKE™) concept was developed by PING, yet another genius fitting system they have developed for golfers. It works hand-in-hand with the iPING Putter App which is highly suggest everyone getting (IT’S FREE!). You might be surprised to find out that the stroke you think you have isn’t the stroke you actually have.

This addition to the MGS reviews will allow you to become a more consistent putter by matching you with models that better fit your stroke type. They will be broken down into three categories: (1) Straight – for face balance putters (2) Slight Arc – for mid toe hang putters (3) Strong Arc – for toe down putters

“Results from hundreds of player and robot tests at PING offer overwhelming scientific support for the effectiveness of fitting for stroke. In recent years more diagnostic tools and testing equipment have become available, and the results prove that a golfer’s consistency improves when their putter balance matches their stroke type. It was interesting to observe that golfers putt more consistently with stroke-appropriate models, but they also show a personal preference for these models, too. Prior to putting with them, golfers are drawn to models that fit their eye, even before they fit their stroke.” says PING.

The SeeMore m2c fits a: Slight Arc

OVERALL

Overall, my experiences with the visually stunning SeeMore Private Reserve Smoke Diamond m2c were positive, but also promising.  Going through the drills and learning more about SeeMore’s putting philosophy was eye opening.  We have all watched Zach Johnson earn millions of dollars with his SeeMore putter, but I don’t think that most of us really understood what makes using a SeeMore putter different.  Head over to the SeeMore site and you can watch a bunch of videos showing what I am talking about.

For me, my new fledgling understanding of what SeeMore is all about has opened up my putting eyes to new realms.  I would say that it is similar to my feelings on green reading after taking my first AimPoint class.  The m2c has made me curious about what kind of putter I could become if I followed their instructions and exclusively bagged one of their putters.  It made me want to be a better putter. Alas, such a discovery must likely be postponed, for the putter residing in my bag is about as consistent as the numbers of the lottery.  But you, my likely one-puttered friend, should definitely see more of what SeeMore is all about.