The Testing Opportunity
There is little doubt Zebra has made some iconic and distinctive putters. In 2020, Golf Brands Inc. acquired Zebra Golf with a mission to restore the iconic brand, bringing in legendary putter designer Austie Rollinson.
This Forum testing opportunity aimed to highlight this comeback and allow our testers to see how these putters perform.
Zebra produces four different putter models: AIT 1, AIT 2, AIT 3 and AIT 4. These, in Zebra’s words, are “leveraging our iconic design heritage, including the major-winning striped alignment system, our new range features four modern head shapes to suit every putting stroke and every type of golfer.”
We selected four Forum members to each choose one of the new models. These testers were to give their honest opinions throughout their review and inform our community on how they perform.
What The Tester Said – AIT 1
The Zebra AIT 1 was tested by LinksgolfFever. “It was a bit larger than expected/than I am used to playing, but it does grow on you (In a good way). I like the contrast between the bold lines on the club head and the subtle designs like the ghost zebra print on the sole.”
Sound and Feel
“Great sound feedback from center and off-center hits. The center strike has a great click and you feel it in your hands. Off-center hits have a more hollow tin-like click sound that you can also feel in your hands; enough difference between the two to know it.”
Performance
How did it perform on the course and where were its strengths and potential weaknesses?
“I really enjoyed the putter, on the right greens (specifically the right green speeds for me) I would play this putter (with a few necessary modifications- e.g., grip, sole weights, shaft length). The challenge I had with this outside of use on courses with faster greens is the weighting/counter weighting that isn’t present. I found at times I got a much hotter/faster putt than planned or anticipated. Probably my stroke and more use of my hands but was an issue.“
"I think this has the potential to be a GREAT putter" – Linksgolfever
Bottom Line
Linksgolfever graded the Zebra AIT 1 83/100 and had mostly all good things to say with a couple caveats. “Overall this was a good putter for me. I am excited to see where the new Zebra will go. I think this has the potential to be a GREAT putter for someone that fits in the range of options offered. For me the testing had a bit of a curve to it, where mid testing is where I saw the best returns from the putter, the end fell a little short of my expectations. If you have a stroke with near zero to minimal toe flow, this is THE PUTTER for YOU!!! The downside is options that aren’t available, hopefully in the future more selection in shaft/weight/grip will be available.“
What The Tester Said – AIT 2
Tester cciciora13 was our selected member for the Zebra AIT 2. Right away, he highlighted the head cover, saying, “The zebra stripes on the back look slick!“
Looks
“This putter looks sharp! I really like the black color of the mallet with the white alignment lines- that is one reason I typically use this style of putter. It helps get things lined up. The Zebra lines around the center white alignment are subtle with the muted grey but present if you are looking for them.”
Next up was the sole for cciciora13. “The sole of the putter is simple but one thing worth noting is the weights. Again I enjoy how they added the zebra stripes into the design of the weights as well. It just continues to tie in the theme in subtle ways which is cool.”
Feel
“I also enjoy the feel of the face- slightly firm but soft enough to give you a good feel in the hands when striking the ball. It looks nice in grey and I like the “Z” mark on the inside to emphasize the Zebra brand but not over the top.”
His main critique with the AIT 2 was the standard Winn AVS Pistol grip as it was thinner than he was used to.
Performance
So, after playing several rounds with it, is this putter going in his bag?
“This putter is going to stay in my bag for now. I think the zebra lines have helped line my putts up, and assisted in my ability to start putts on line. I was happy with the 2.0 putts per hole average and think I can improve upon that the more I work with the putter and get more practice with it. The price at $250 seems a little steep…It seems suited to golfers who were fans of the original or for nostalgia.”
Bottom Line
"The zebra lines have helped line my putts up" – cciciora13
He gave the Zebra AIT 2 a 83 out of 100 possible points. Taking points away due to the lack of grip and custom options. “The Zebra AIT 2 putter is easy to line up with the zebra lines and has an overall firm but receptive feel when rolling putts on the green. I liked the premium feel of the headcover, as well as its performance”
What The Tester Said – AIT 3
Tester aguybadatgolf was our selected tester for the Zebra AIT 3, a larger mallet putter.
“The head cover immediately caught my attention. It is high quality with an eye-catching design that is not overly flashy.“
“The overall design reminds me of a TaylorMade Spider. One of the most popular putters ever made is not a bad putter to look like. The one key difference is the hole in the middle of the Zebra AIT3 that reminds me of a friend’s Evnroll Zero.”
"It feels fantastic" – aguybadatgolf
Sound and Feel
In terms of sound and feel, there once again continued to be a consistent theme with our testers.
“I love the way this putter sounds. It makes a very satisfying “low click”, It sounds almost like gently tapping a heavy oak cutting board with the handle of a kitchen knife, a dull “tock” if you will. On mishits out of the toe or heel the sound was slightly louder which provided useful feedback so I could correct my next stroke.“
“As for the feel, this is where I think the putter really shines. It feels fantastic.”
Performance
Aguybadatgolf did several head-to-head tests and provided real data that highlighted strengths and weaknesses of the Zebra AIT 3.
Bottom Line
He graded it at 87/100 with the main deductions coming again from lack of customization options.
“Overall I was impressed with the putter. I had actually never heard of Zebra until I saw the testing opportunity. The AIT3 is exactly as they market it. Very forgiving and stable. I think the average golfer who buys off the rack would get along well with this putter. I personally saw a pretty big improvement in my putts per hole that resulted in 3-4 fewer strokes per round by the end of the testing period.“
What The Tester Said – AIT 4
Long-time Forum member and lefty tony@cic was our Zebra AIT 4 tester. This is the only blade putter in the Zebra stable and one tony@cic was very excited to be testing.
Looks
Compared to his Odyssey blade, he noted the AIT 4 head was slightly wider but slightly shorter. The alignment marker was also wider and “there are other subdued ball marks to the left and right of the primary – not sure of their value other than promoting zebra stripes.”
He noted some other finer details, but in the end for the looks he had a simple statement. “It’s a Zebra and proud of it.“ He picked up roughly five strokes after his first five rounds and three-putts all but disappeared. Working with the various weights, he was able to fine-tune his setup to find the optimal range and options for his stroke.
Performance
Is the Zebra going in his bag?
“You can’t dispute data. I can now walk up to a long putt and think I can make it vs. the old me looking at the putt saying looks like I’ll have to settle for a 2 or maybe even 3 putt. That precisely summarizes how I feel about the AIT 4 in my hands – I can make this putt.”
Bottom Line
The AIT 4 was a standout putter in this test and he really enjoyed using it and continues to do so. He gave it a 94 out of 100, the highest grade of all the putters in this test.
The Final Verdict
Zebra putters have a distinct design and, for our testers, excellent feel, sound and looks. None of the four putters were poorly rated. Ending with all of the testers intend to make these their gamers moving forward.
To see and read their full reviews and results go to this link: Zebra Putter Full Reviews
What is Forum Member Testing?
MyGolfSpy offers all its community members a unique opportunity to test, review and keep a variety of different golf equipment, apps, apparel and more. Successful candidates are selected by Forum staff.
Members who are selected interact, engage and write a review on the specific product. All while enjoying the fun of trying new gear!
Member testing is vital because it gets gear in the hands of you, the golfer. Our members give honest feedback on how any product or service works. This applies for a variety of handicaps and abilities to ensure our readers are more informed when making purchasing decisions.
To learn more about how testers are selected, head here: Want to be a forum tester?
Keith Souza
4 months ago
I bought a Zebra in 1998 and paid $75 for it. Ridiculous price at the time, but I gamed it until I bought a Scotty in 2015. Scotty is gone and the Zebra AIT1 went back in the bag. For me, it was like going home again. Bringing the old look with the new tech is a match made in heaven. Just got back from a golf trip and while the jokes flowed about the Zebra, the results were no joke.