By Dave Wolfe
A few weeks ago, I wrote a piece questioning the future of the 100% milled putter in the golf marketplace. Some of you agreed that it makes fiscal sense for the large OEM’s to move toward a less expensive production plan for putters in order to maximize profits. Some of you thought that the large companies would likely decrease milled offerings, but the milled putter will remain alive and well in the hands of the smaller shops.
Another group commenters think that I am an idiot for even suggesting that milled putters are going away. I was reading through a UK golf forum that was discussing the article and one of the members even went so far as to call me “daft” for making the suggestion. I’ve been called many things, but never before daft. Thanks for that!
Milled is Alive and Kicking At Bettinardi
At MyGolfSpy, we like to base the statements we make upon data, rather than feelings or biased opinions. As such, we try to look at topics from all sides. There may be fiscal evidence supporting milled decline, but there is also evidence out there supporting the mill’s persistence.
The two Bettinardi Signature Series putters that I have for you today speak volumes for the health of the milled putter marketplace. As a company, Bettinardi makes a strong 100% milled statement throughout their lines.
Today though, we have the 2014 Bettinardi Signature Series. This is the top end, limited edition Bettinardi line. The putters, and the headcovers both show Mr. Bettinardi’s signature. He signs his name on them much like an artist would a painting or sculpture. I don’t know if putters can be art, maybe they can. However, I do know that by signing something, you are absolutely putting your name behind what you have made.
A “signature” product had better be something special.
What’s special about the Bettinardi Signature Series?
Each year, Bettinardi releases one or two additions to the Signature Series. While the models will definitely vary from year to year, there are a couple of consistent Signature Series features:
DASS
DASS is short for Double-Aged Stainless Steel. I believe that the “A” in DASS is actually for annealing, the process of heating and cooling the steel to make it change its physical properties. I’m still a couple of credits away from my degree in metallurgy, but I do know that stainless steel requires a whole lot more heat (1900 °F) to anneal than regular steel, and that the process is longer and with less margin for error. If done right, the annealing process should give you a piece of stainless steel that is softer than it was pre-anneal. If you do it wrong, you get a brittle carbon and chromium mess.
Translation: The Double Aged (annealed) Stainless Steel is softer than traditional stainless steel.
Leather Grip
OK so crowing about the grip and not the putter may be a bit strange, but the fact that the Signature Series comes gripped with leather grips is significant. The grip is always part of the package. Can you tell me another production line that comes with leather grips? Sure, there are some great vendors out there to add a leather grip after purchase, but having one stock is special. You can order standard or midsized versions of the Gripmaster grip. The midsized grip is definitely midsized, if not a bit larger than expected. Not SuperStroke large, but significantly larger than the standard.
Limited Run of 1000
We all know that a limited production run can create consumer demand. It’s Marketing 101. Consumers know that quantities are limited, and so they rush to get one before all of whatever is gone. I know that some the limited nature of the Signature Series is marketing, but I also get the feeling that DASS ain’t easy. A complicated, time-consuming production process takes mill time away from the other lines. You can’t spend too much time on these without the other lines suffering, so you make fewer.
Many of us don’t really care about why it’s limited though, we just like that it is limited. Golfers are funny about limited edition gear. Limited edition means that we have gear in the bag not shared by many. Some don’t care about that; some do. Regardless, only 1000 of each head are produced each year, period.
Unique Heads
As a lover of the putter, I really look forward to new designs. Across the BB, Studio Stock, Queen B, and Signature Series lines, Bettinardi is pretty good about giving us something fresh each season. Plus, if a particular model persists in the line up, like the BB1, each year’s model gets tweaks, separating it from predecessors. We usually get some new finishes as well, but they are always on new heads.
The Signature line though is where you can look for models that differ from Bettinardi’s other offerings. By”differ” I really mean more unique. My first Signature putter was the Model 2, a wide flange BB1 style blade. It was (is) unlike any other putter out there at the time. Then Bettinardi went 8802 style with the Signature 3. The Sig 5 had a short flow neck, and the Sig 6 was, of course, the 2013 Most Wanted Mallet. The Bettinardi Signature 7 and Bettinardi Signature 8 carry on this tradition of something different. Let’s take a look.
Specifications: 2014 Bettinardi Signature Series Seven
- Weight: 348 grams
- Material: Double Aged Stainless Steel
- Finish: Tour Blast
- Face: Classic Honeycomb
- Grip: Black Leather Gripmaster (Standard or Midsize)
- Headcover: Signature Black
- Dexterity: Right Handed
- Loft: 3°
- Lie: 71°
- Toe Hang: Face Balanced
Let me get one thing out of the way first… WOOHOO FACE BALANCED BLADE!!!!!
Sorry about that, but there are certain things that make me lose my putter-cool. Just be glad it’s not a face-balanced longneck, things would get weird.
Anyway, now that I have wrecked the mood, let’s get to the back-story on this one. The Signature 7 was actually designed by Robert Bettinardi as a tribute to his father Donald. I think it’s very cool to be able to do something like that, call me sentimental, but it gets me.
The Sig 7 is going to be best suited to someone with a straighter putting path. It definitely has a little “plays like a mallet” feel to it. I am sure that is due to a combination of the thicker top line, shorter heel to toe length, and face balanced. This is the Sig I Dig.
Specifications: 2014 Bettinardi Signature Series Eight
- Weight: 348 grams
- Material: Double Aged Stainless Steel
- Finish: Tour Blast
- Face: Classic Honeycomb
- Grip: Black Leather Gripmaster (Standard or Midsize)
- Headcover: Signature Black
- Dexterity: Right Handed
- Loft: 3°
- Lie: 71°
- Toe Hang: 1/4 (4:00-4:30-ish)
The Sig 8 doesn’t have the same sentimental story as the Sig 7, but it definitely tells a story. When I first looked at and rolled the Sig 8, I thought it was basically a BB1. The more I rolled it though, the more I realized that it set up, and played differently than the BB1. Confusion lead to exploration, then to revelation. The Signature 8 does have the same heel-toe DNA found in other putters, like the BB!, but the slant neck makes it truly its own entity. The little bit of slant makes the Sig 8 play much differently than a straight plumbers neck.
Those of you who play slant necks can chime in, but I found that I wanted to manipulate my hand position to affect the loft. I know this is because I play non-slanted necks. The neck on the Sig 8 may not match my stroke, but it will match someone’s stroke. That’s why I love the Signature Series. Little tweaks here and there.
That is the cool thing about the Bettinardi Signature Series. Each year, Bettinardi releases putters that will match some golfers’ games. For those golfers, the limited edition Signature Series putter represents the ultimate putting machine. For certain lucky golfers, the specific Signature putter could be the end game of putter searching. For the rest of us, we can keep looking to next year’s Sig 9 or Sig 10 for that longneck with the 1/8 hang.
Maybe Dave actually is Daft
Looking at the Bettinardi Signature Series, I am willing label myself daft regarding my previous gloomy milling portents. These 100% milled putters are amazing, and I will be very surprised if the 1000 999 of each are not long gone by the end of the 2014 season. They may not even last that long. If Bettinardi keeps milling like this though, milled putters are not going away any time soon. These are premium milled putters.
Are they $495 a pop? You bet they are. Is that expensive? You bet it is. You get what you pay for though. The DASS is more costly to work with, but as stainless steel, it is also not prone to environmental alterations (i.e. rust) like carbon steel. That means your investment will last as long as you actually use that headcover. If you are putter obsessed like me, and you find your perfect Signature Series model, spending $495 now may actually save you lots of money in the future. Maybe you will even earn some coin from your buddies on the greens.
Lance
10 years ago
Bettinardi sent me one of the #7 Signature series, and I must say I am very impressed. The look at address is great with the single sight line, and the double bend neck allows the face to stay more square through out the stroke. Also, the Milling style on the face gives this putter an un-matched feel. I have putted with just about everything and this is in the bag. These are worth every penny.