© Copyright 2007 Fairway to Green Ltd. All rights reserved.
|
Equipment Someone who wants to be good, someone who thinks he is good and someone who actually is good head to Gilroy’s Golf Putting Studio to try out some of the game’s best putters. It may sound like the set-up to a bad joke, but FTG’s Charlie Boss and Nick O’Dell teamed up with putting maestro and coach Jason Gilroy at his West Sussex base to test our reactions to eight different putters on the most advanced studio technology in the world, the SAM Puttlab. The SAM Puttlab system accurately records countless statistics that define how successful your putting should be, ranging from how square the face of the putter is at address and impact, the path direction of the putt and the impact spot as you hit the ball. Armed with a collection of top putters including the YES! Valerie, Scotty Cameron X3, Zen RDE ZA3, PING Redwood and a pair apiece from Whitlam and SeeMore, we tested each club to see how well it was suited to the games of a true beginner, a top club golfer and a professional.
Golfer Profiles Charlie Boss, FTG Deputy Editor Took up golf just six months ago. Finally relented to max handicap of 28 after campaign for gender equality.
Handicap: Terrible golfer Nick O’Dell, FTG Sales Manager Self proclaimed golfing god of the FTG office. Years of experience enjoying 19th holes all over Britain and America.
Handicap: 3
Jason Gilroy, Putting Coach Has cultivated a reputation as one of the world’s top putting experts after a career on Tour in Europe and South Africa.
Handicap: 0 Question And Answer With The Pro Question: What exactly can the SAM Puttlab tell us?
Jason’s Answer: Using ultrasound technology, the SAM Puttlab is able to measure the putter movement every 15 milliseconds, therefore accurately identifying even the smallest movement of the putter. Then based on this information it is possible to detect biomechanical problems that affect how the putter performs. Q: Which of the eight putters we reviewed was your favourite? A: I found the X3 allowed me to aim squarely to the target and return it to the same position. It also gave me good, consistent path direction. The Ping Redwood showed the best rotation, this in part being down to the late release of the head that unfortunately doesn’t suit my style of putting as I found the blade to be very closed on the follow-through.
The M3 showed the most centred and consistent strike pattern, which is why I suppose it felt the best. The end result is simple, putting all of this information together shows me that I need a little bit of off-set to help align the putter, a more toe down set-up to help release the putter combined with heel and toe weighting to keep the putter stable through impact.
“I thought I was good”
FTG’s Nick O’Dell on his SAM Puttlab results I would normally consider myself a reasonable golfer with a decent putting stroke. That was until I met Jason Gilroy and his friend SAM (Science and Motion). Before starting the test, if I had gone on looks alone and I had the money in my pocket the Whitlam Code M would have been the putter for me, closely followed by the Scotty Cameron X3. Having always used more traditional putters and with my own preconceived ideas about what is best; I was amazed by what I discovered.The test made it clear to me that I have the club slightly open at address and as a result I push most of my putts to the right. The putters that helped me correct the mistake and hit the ball square were the SeeMores, which come armed with Rifle Scope Technology (RST) to provide visible pointers that keep the clubface square at address. The SeeMores had great feel off the face and the RST did definitely help me address the ball better. I found the mFGP putter performed best with a more consistent strike and feel, only narrowly better than the m3. If like me, you struggle to address the ball correctly, SeeMore is the way forward. The two things I learned from the experience was first that I don't know best. Second, Jason does.
“Now I could be good”
FTG’s Charlie Boss on his SAM Puttlab results As a relatively inexperienced golfer, I went in to the test with few expectations about which putter would suit me best – although I did like the stylised and sophisticated look of the PING Redwood. However as soon as I got the Redwood in my hands I realised that I wasn’t a good enough player to carry it off, and that showed in my SAM Puttlab analysis.
I’ve always thought of myself as a blade man, but there was no mistaking that my top three putters on the day were all mallets. I instantly liked the Scotty Cameron X3, though again perhaps I was a little seduced by its sleek design. The SeeMore m3, on the other hand, really got me to think about what I was doing. The stats showed I had no problem with keeping the club square at address, but the m3’s Rifle Scope Technology still helped me focus on my swing and the process rather than on the cup. I would have parted with my cash then and there for a SeeMore, but the results from the overall analysis sprung something of a surprise. The Whitlam Code M was hands down my best putter, if for no other reason than because it helped me keep the impact spot where I connected with the ball more than twice as consistent then its nearest rival – and between six and eight times more consistent than most of the rest. The Code M was there or there abouts in every category and stood out on the stats from a mile away. If I were to go for a blade, it would have to be the Zen, but from this test onwards I have been well and truly reformed as a mallet man. © Copyright 2007 Fairway to Green Ltd. All rights reserved. |