Equipment
Edel Array putters: What you need to know
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: The Edel Array family of putters on the surface includes one blade and three mallets, but literally encompasses thousands through an array (get it?) of custom fitting options. Those choices include different aim and alignment guides, hosel configurations, head weights, counterbalance weights and grip sizes. The belief is that dialing in the proper specs, in particular focusing on aiming tendencies, puts golfers in a better position to produce more consistent distance and direction control on the greens.
PRICE: $400. Four models: B-1 (heel-toe weighted blade), F-1 (winged mallet), F-2 (parallel fang-type mallet), F-3 (modern deep mallet). Available Feb. 16.
One of the great mysteries of modern times is why driver fittings (the most random of strokes) are so much more popular than putter fittings (the most repeatable of strokes). Edel takes a modular approach to finding your perfect putting match. With these designs you can choose one of three shapes, and each shape accommodates four hosel choices, six alignment options and four grips. Those combine to include 300 intuitive combinations that make finding the ideal putter for your stroke not so mysterious at all.
3 COOL THINGS
1. Aim Game. Beginning with founder David Edel and continuing under the direction of new owner Doug Coors, Edel Golf has made fitting a priority. That’s been particularly true in putters, which built the company’s early foundation. Its network of regional authorized fitting locations offered extensive fitting sessions that often stretched for an hour or more with its EAS line of putters. With its new Array line of putters, fitting again is at the forefront, but it’s also coming with a renewed emphasis on efficiency.
The Array putters offer multiple choices from head style to grip style, but one of the most important first steps beyond the head choice lies in helping golfers understand which set of alignment features will help them see a better alignment. Using a system that lets a golfer choose from six interchangeable alignment plates, including lines, dots, a T-shape or even no mark at all, the options are meant to help a golfer better understand his or her natural aim bias.
“They can take the alignment plate, whether they play a golf ball with one line or three lines on it, and they can choose the alignment plate that matches with what they like to look at,” said Edel’s Juston Minisci. He noted that in the fitting environment players can switch between alignment plates that are magnetically affixed to the putter of their choice, but once finalized is attached by screws. “They can at least customize that putter based on aesthetics, which is kind of half the battle, when you're looking down at something that brings them confidence.
“So the system was really constructed based on feedback from our fitters on how do we make this more efficient while still giving you more options; how do we keep the core of who Edel is but speed up the process a little bit.”
The company’s historical fitting research shows that mis-alignment can create path mistakes, face rotation problems, speed control and even green reading.
2. Stroke saver. Again, the Array system remains true to Edel’s historical focus on fitting, and a key part of that is understanding that the way the shaft connects to the putter is connected to the stroke. Using the same kind of Torx wrench that attaches the alignment plate to the head, the Array fitting system also lets players choose from four shaft/hosel connections. Those include a single bend shaft, a slant neck hosel, a short plumber neck and a long plumber neck. Each of those presents different degrees of toe hang from zero degrees (single bend, face-balanced) to 60 degrees (slant neck on the B-1 blade model). The options are again designed to best match up with a particular player’s amount of face rotation in the stroke. This information is usually available through a traditional putter fitting launch monitor like a SAM PuttLab, a Quintic, Foresight or Trackman.
Further helping dial in the right connection between golfer, stroke and putter, Edel offers different customizable head weights through heel and toe sole weights that range from five to 25 grams in five-gram increments. There also are counterbalanced weights in the butt end of the grip to improve feel (Tour Lock Opti-Vibe in 30-, 50- and 75-gram increments). The lineup also offers four stock grip options unique to Edel. Those include two sizes of the Edel round putter grip and two flat-sided options (slim and standard).
3. The choice is yours. While the six alignment plates are a fundamental part of the mallet lineup in the Array family, there also is a blade option. The B-1 blade features two alignment choices (single line or single dot). While the B-1 blade is milled from a single block of 1025 carbon steel, the three mallets incorporate multiple materials. Each starts with the same 1025 carbon steel front piece, but the rest of the mallet and flange is T6 anodized aluminum.
The company will offer additional hosels, alignment plates, and sole weights for separate purchase.