{VIDEO} Putter Tech: The Evolution of the Groove
Putters

{VIDEO} Putter Tech: The Evolution of the Groove

{VIDEO} Putter Tech: The Evolution of the Groove

If you want to understand how the putter groove came to be what it is today, there’s no better way than to go back to the beginning. MyGolfSpy owner, Adam Beach, sits down with Evnroll owner, Guerin Rife, to tell the story of how he transitioned from the advertising world into putter design, and how he ultimately came to invent the modern performance putter groove.

If you’ve ever wondered where the groove came from, what it looked like, and how it evolved into what it is today, we think you’ll find this conversation particularly interesting.

Coming Soon: In part 2, Guerin and Adam discuss the Evnroll brand and what you can expect in 2019.

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      Graham

      5 years ago

      Great putters, I own the ER3 Wing blade and definitely improved my putting. Just wondering if the new gravity grip be fitted to the 2018 models?

      Reply

      BenSeattle

      5 years ago

      Speaking of grooves, they’re not all the same. Take my recent purchase of a TaylorMade “Berwick” putter. The grooves are tight and sharp, enabling them to pick up tiny rocks or grains of sand during practice putting sessions conducted in the morning on a slightly damp putting green. After each of two practice sessions on a moist putting green, I found two or three tiny stones wedges between the grooves. (And while these new Srixons started out spotless, who cleans golf balls after EVERY practice putt?) I had to take the putter inside and carefully pick out the stones with a safety pin. Yes, the putterface was left slight scratched from the rocks. Putter went back for a trade-in. (The new Ping Kushin doesn’t have this problem.)

      Reply

      AndyW

      5 years ago

      Ditto outstanding interview Adam,

      Please make room on Mount Rushmore for a putter guy that will qualify thru putter performance. Not by beauty, not art, not tech, but by actually making more putts than ALL other putters on real golf courses.
      It’s on ebay, search “P&SI-EGOS putter.”

      Reply

      benseattle

      5 years ago

      “AndyW” — you have committed what’s commonly known as a “threadjack,” the tactic of inserting yourself into discussion that has NOTHING TO DO WITH YOU. When you get your little putter in the hands of professionals, when you start winning tournaments on ALL the major professional golf tours and when MyGolfSpy ranks you as Number One (in ANY category) only then can you even BEGIN to insist that you belong on the Mount Rushmore of putter makers.

      Reply

      ANDYW

      5 years ago

      All that you say will happen as finite Math can be ignored, but will eventually prevail. Just saying, save room on the mountain.

      Fozcycle

      5 years ago

      Great interview Adam. I had a 15 minute “fitting” phone conversation with Guerin when I was chosen to review the Evnroll putters. He is most definitely a class act. I reviewed the ER-6 and still game it.

      Reply

      Plumbob

      6 years ago

      Great interview. These cost more than $450 in Australia so plenty expensive. What I would like to see MYGOLFSPY do in their annual putter test is to include the previous number one with the new range of puttters. In fact why not do this for all new annual tests (include the previous No 1.) For instance how would the Ping Ketsch Cadence compare to EVNROLL?

      Reply

      Pete S

      6 years ago

      Love this idea. a best of the best test would be really interesting.

      Reply

      Tom Stripling

      6 years ago

      That’s a great idea. I’d like to see that for comparison.

      Reply

      KM

      6 years ago

      Uspto.gov is where all the patents are listed.

      Reply

      Todd Stuart

      6 years ago

      Enjoyed the interview! I purchased one of the first putters from Mr Rife and was fitted over the phone in a phone conversation with “The Man”. I really enjoyed the putter and purchased the “Mr Beasley” putter a couple of years later, after someone stole my first Rife putter out of my golf bag. This year I purchased the Evnroll #8. I’ve gone back to the well 3 times – enough said!
      I look forward to the second part of your interview – thank you.

      Reply

      Brad

      6 years ago

      I love how some replies are simply never posted on this site.

      Reply

      Sean

      6 years ago

      Would love to be pointed in the right direction of more interviews with Rife like this. I’m in the market for a new putter, I want to go Evnroll but there aren’t any places that fit them near me (Philly) so I’m trying to piece together the info I need to make the best decision.

      I use a center-shafted, mostly face balanced (not totally, but only like 10* or so of tilt when I test it) mallet right now and I’m not positive that it’s the best style for me. I feel like I’m mostly straight-back/straight-forward but is there like a finite definition of what that would be? It’s something I know I can measure relatively easily and I cant imagine that there isn’t a bit of ‘give’ with respect to what is technically straight back and what is ‘arc-style’…

      So if I want to go CS then I go the ER7CS. Simple. What if I don’t want to go with a center shafted option? The 5-9 are all viable options—aside from putting a few hundred with each model—what’s the ideal way to go about picking one without testing it?

      Reply

      Stephen

      6 years ago

      I had a very similar experience in CT. Eventually I was able to get someone to fit me for a generic putter and confirm that I had a straight back/straight through stroke (more or less) and a little flat. They also confirmed putter length for me. I used that information to order an ER-7 CS and I’ve been very happy with it. The build quality is very high.

      It would have been nice to be properly fitted for Evenroll, but their network is small. As a 12-13 handicap I think my fitting was good enough, but I was amazed how hard it was to find someone who could fit me properly.

      Reply

      Sean

      6 years ago

      Appreciate the feedback!

      Donn Rutkoff

      6 years ago

      I putt like u. I bot and liked an Odyssey Black 2m cs but it was STOLEN!. Dang. But even better, I got a used Cameron Futura X, I think a 2016 version. Not center shaft but plays like one. Faced balance. It has the big rounded mallet plus the large round counterweights on a curved bar that ends outside of the mallet, weights on the corners. I was skeptical of so many Cameron models and the hi prices. But this works. Luv it more than the Ody. I putt cross handed. I look at the hole not the club or ball. Took a whole to convert from trditional. And recently chnged to a very open stance, that is, my front foot is about 45 degrees or less to straight forward. Like a baseball batter in a bunt stance.

      Reply

      Rob C

      6 years ago

      That was very entertaining and informative. I love the format of the casual sit down discussion, would love to see more of this with other industry leaders. Thanks to both Guerin and Adam for doing this.

      Reply

      John

      6 years ago

      The heck with putters, this was a very interesting discussion about just business in general.

      Thanks for doing this.

      Reply

      Rob C

      6 years ago

      I agree completely, very interesting discussion.

      Reply

      Scotty

      6 years ago

      I use armlock putting as my transition from back to forward swing twists (Without the lock), but then had problems with distance control. Have created an armlock with a bendable hosel and the ER-1. Huge improvement for me over other brands of armlocks, distance control is mint now, but I know the line alignment isn’t 100% as I was a bit sloppy building it.
      Would love Guerin to design a centreshafted armlock with his Evnroll grooves (And get Evnroll Australia to stock it).

      Reply

      John Muir

      6 years ago

      I love these interviews with the pioneers of modern golf equipment. I’ve had friendships and business experience with a few: Steve Solo of Advanced Golf, Al Jackson of AJ Tech, Tohru Yamada of Yamada Putters…like Mr. Rife, all with a singular focus on designing something unique and all willing to keep going after failure or being told “no way this will work”. Mr. Rife seems like a great guy and I was excited to finally learn how to pronounce his first name, lol. Interview was also very professionally done. Not easy. Nice job and I look forward to part two.

      Reply

      Terry Hayes

      6 years ago

      Really enjoyed the interview, I was one that bought the 2-bar putter and had good success with it.

      What are the improvements of the Envnroll over the Guerin Design putters?

      Reply

      Berniez40

      6 years ago

      Smartest thiung he ever did was buy back the rights to “The Micro-Groove Technology” which he designed for Spalding’s Top Flite Line of Putters that used them and went by the “Top Flite Micro Grooves ” name. Spalding’s bankruptcy auction left a lot of good technology out there for those wise enough to buy it. It gave Callaway an in into the ball market which had recently slammed the door on them just before the Spalding bankruptcy.

      Reply

      Jim

      6 years ago

      Went and was fitted at the Carlsbad lab, my index has dropped 2 strokes in the last 6 months, I am making outs from all over, love the distance control and feel. Shot my first round, in weekly USGA group, in the 70’s. I love my putter and F2 wedges

      Reply

      Tom Duckworth

      6 years ago

      I have a Rife 450 Silencer and I can’t seem to find a putter that performs better for me I have great distance control with it but I would
      love to try out his new line. They are pretty hard to find.

      Reply

      Will Skeat

      6 years ago

      I don’t care how you met Rife. That putter you showed him at the PGA Show is a joke, and the rationale behind grooves is not based in physical reality.

      Reply

      chemclub

      6 years ago

      Too funny.

      Reply

      chemclub

      6 years ago

      Really great interview and discussion. I am hoping you guys address the difference in TR grooves by PING and EVNROLL grooves. How did the IP shake out?

      Reply

      KM

      6 years ago

      Tad Moore was doing grooves waaay before Rife.

      Reply

      AW

      6 years ago

      Before the Rife brand in the mid to late 2000s or before Evnroll?

      Reply

      Tony Covey

      6 years ago

      I think you’re talking about cosmetic grooves vs. those designed to improve performance. Can you direct us to Tad Moore’s patents?

      Reply

      JasonA

      6 years ago

      One does not need a patent to be “first”. Often patents are granted that actually can be voided based on prior art. So argument is not conclusive.

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