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2014 Hot List: Blade Putters

By The Editors
Photos by Eddie Berman

Find one you like, and practice with it

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NIKE METHOD MOD
STREET PRICE: $300. Three models (MOD 90, shown) TECH TALK: These putters feature a soft polymer behind the face and in the grooves to reduce initial skid so the ball starts rolling quicker. The milled-steel face, combined with the polymetal grooves, helps dampen vibration and improve distance control. Weights in the heel and toe are designed to raise the moment of inertia (MOI), and the three blade shapes accommodate three toe-hang angles.PLAYER COMMENTS:(L) "Good combo of sound and feel on putts of all lengths."... "The face technology clearly makes the ball roll pure right away." (M) "The blade putter that blade-putter lovers didn't know they were looking for."HOT: More than a pretty paint job or shiny steel, these are classic shapes with a modern twist and meaningful technology.NOT: No counterbalanced options.INFO: nikegolf.com
ODYSSEY METAL-X MILLED
STREET PRICE: $300. Three models (#1, shown)TECH TALK: The oval dimples are chemically etched into the face, which increases friction to produce forward roll. The head is milled from a solid block of 1020 carbon steel, and the Metal-X face pattern reduces surface contact with the ball, resulting in a quieter sound. Its head weight can be adjusted between 340 and 360 grams through the use of two adjustable weights.PLAYER COMMENTS:(L)"Lots of forward momentum without it feeling like it's exploding in your hands." (M)"It feels professional—a players putterl—but also very forgiving. It sounds dark and subtle. This is what confidence feels like."HOT: The face technology demonstrates creativity in updating a classic design.NOT: On high-end putters, a stepless shaft seems a better fit.INFO: odysseygolf.com
ODYSSEY VERSA/TANK
STREET PRICE: $170 to $200. Nine models (#2, shown)TECH TALK: Alignment is still the most obvious attribute of the Versa line, with the contrasting white-black-white vertical stripes—or black-white-black, if you prefer—designed to accentuate the player's view of face angle at address. The White Hot insert is laser-cut for consistent feel and sound.PLAYER COMMENTS:(L) "This putter rolls out better than any putter I've used. If you think you left it four feet short, it still keeps rolling and rolling." (M) "The zebra stripes let you know if you're open or closed, and I like that the alignment aid is built into the putter instead of added on."HOT: The contrast technology makes aiming clear, and we like the counterbalanced Tank model.NOT: Vertical stripes might have you focusing on the putter and not the putt.INFO: odysseygolf.com
ODYSSEY WHITE HOT PRO/TANK
STREET PRICE: $130 to $200. Five models (Tank #1, shown)TECH TALK: The laser-cut polymer insert is designed to enhance a consistent sound and feel by way of tighter face-flatness tolerances. Total club MOI increases between 34 and 109 percent in the counterbalanced Tank models, depending on shaft length.PLAYER COMMENTS:(L) "The insert produces a tremendous feel that many other putters lack."(M) "It might be labeled Tank, but then it puts on the ballet slippers and gives you that silky soft feel at impact. It's all macho outside, but with plenty of finesse inside, and the ball just tracks down the line."HOT: The insert is a mix of softness and responsiveness, and we like the simplicity of the eyeFIT fitting guidelines.NOT: We'd like to see more counterbalanced options.INFO: odysseygolf.com
PING KARSTEN TR
STREET PRICE: $150. Five models (Anser 2, shown)TECH TALK: The CNC-milled face features a variable-depth groove pattern designed to improve off-center hits. An elastomer back-cavity insert redistributes mass behind the impact area to improve MOI, as well as sound and feel.PLAYER COMMENTS:(L) "This is an exciting return to their roots. It feels soft like a comforter. I'm getting one consistent roll after a__NOT:__her, and there are no surprises." (M)"This is the answer. It's the best-feeling putter I've hit so far. I couldn't miss a putt, and I love the classic color."... "This B60 makes me wonder why I ever took it out of my bag."HOT: The face technology brings modern accoutrements to iconic Ping shapes, and the fitting (including an adjustable-length option) continues to set Ping apart.NOT: White, copper and sunshine might be too bright for some.INFO: ping.com
PING SCOTTSDALE TR
STREET PRICE: $150 to $180. Eight models (Anser T, shown)TECH TALK: With grooves that are deeper in the center of the face and shallower toward the heel and toe, this putter is designed to produce similar results on strikes all over the face. Made to replicate the sound and feel of a traditional steel face, the body is 17-4 stainless steel and the insert is aerospace-grade 6061 T6 aluminum.PLAYER COMMENTS:(L) "The arched alignment aid puts a nice 3-D picture in your mind and makes it easy to line up." (M) "It's like a buttery croissant; even on the long putts you've got soft feel but plenty of end-over-end roll."HOT: This is a comfortable look that offers extra face technology at a reasonable price.NOT: The adjustable shaft is a nice idea, but we'd welcome a longer, weighted grip for a true counterbalanced option.INFO: ping.com
TAYLORMADE GHOST TOUR
STREET PRICE: $150. Four models (Daytona 12, shown) TECH TALK: To achieve the ideal mix of feel and resiliency, designers combined aluminum with Surlyn to construct the grooved face. The body is cast from 304 stainless steel, and the putter's alignment aids feature contrast: parallel lines in the back cavity and a white topline against a black hitting area.PLAYER COMMENTS:(L)"This was easy to get the ball rolling smoothly, and it had a nice balance of feedback and feel." (M) "The white head with the black-and-white lines makes it easy to get the ball started on the intended line."HOT: Simple and stylish, with a face that is a compelling mix of feel and performance.NOT: The central alignment line tends to get lost among the thinner parallel lines.INFO: taylormadegolf.com/
TAYLORMADE SPIDER BLADE
STREET PRICE: $200. Two models (Blade, shown) TECH TALK: The putterhead consists of 11 parts made up of eight materials: aluminum, tungsten, 3M foam, Surlyn, polycarbonate, thermoplastic urethane and two forms of stainless steel. The face, with its Surlyn insert, is counterbalanced by a 130-gram grip, which is twice the weight of a traditional grip.PLAYER COMMENTS:(L) "This putter is as close to perfect as I've seen. The roll is pure, and it keeps you from thinking about the putter or the stroke." (M) "The combination of the alignment and the weighting results in a putter that almost aims and swings itself."HOT: Tungsten weights totaling 82 grams in the heel and toe produce the most stable blade TaylorMade has ever made.NOT: Only two lengths might not satisfy all players or strokes.INFO: taylormadegolf.com
TITLEIST SCOTTY CAMERON SELECT NEWPORT
STREET PRICE: $350. Four models (Newport 2, shown)TECH TALK: The standard loft has been reduced from previous models to 3½ degrees, based on Scotty Cameron's study of tour players, their strokes and green conditions. The face is milled from 303 stainless steel.PLAYER COMMENTS:(L) "It gives off a simple elegance in a familiar design that is taken to the next step. I think the deep milling pattern produces a soft, controllable roll." (M) "The ball rolls pure with every stroke. Even mis-hits end up where you want them to. It's shocking that a blade can feel this forgiving."HOT: It's like an old friend: reliable, consistent, trusted.NOT: Scotty Cameron has explored counterbalanced options in some of his other putter lines. It seems the same could be done here.INFO: titleist.com
BETTINARDI STUDIO STOCK
STREET PRICE: $400. Two models (Studio Stock 14, shown)TECH TALK: The F.I.T. face is milled so that more than half of the material is moved away from the impact area—producing reduced contact points and a softer feel. The head is milled from mild carbon steel with a "corona black" finish for improved durability. The shallower head on the Studio Stock 14 was designed to give the impression that the ball is floating above the topline to encourage an ascending strike.PLAYER COMMENTS:L) "You don't need to do much with this putter, just turn back and through and the ball is on cruise control to the cup." (M) "Very accurate; it seemed auto-directional."HOT: The consistency of Bettinardi's craftsmanship is impressive, and the slightly heavier head weight enhances feel.NOT: The thick topline distrupts the alignment aid.INFO: bettinardi.com
YES! TRUE-ALIGNMENT CALLIE
STREET PRICE: $170. Two models (Callie, shown)TECH TALK: The C-Groove face insert, made from 304 stainless-steel, is positioned to increase the ball's contact time on the face for a smoother roll. The sole features a rail that helps the face angle from changing, regardless of how the player manipulates the loft or lie angle at address.PLAYER COMMENTS:(L) "The roll is smooth; no extra effort is necessary." (M) "The geometry of this sole makes it sit nicely at address. There's no skid in this roll, and it has great distance control."HOT: The sole bump is like a good referee: It makes the right call every time, and you don't even know it's there.NOT: That fluorescent yellow almost shouts at you, and we think shouting is better after you putt—not while you're making a stroke.INFO: yesgolf.com/putters
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