PUTTER REVIEW! – Byron Morgan Epic Day

Putter Tested: Byron Morgan Epic Day

“Why wouldn’t you fit the most important club in your bag?”

(Written by Golfspy Matt) I little while back, I met with Bruce Rearick for a putter fitting.  I even wrote about it for MyGolfSpy.  When I left that fitting, I had the specifications for a putter that would fit me perfectly, from the way I aim the putter to the way I swing it.  Thanks to master craftsman Byron Morgan, that putter is now a reality.

For those unfamiliar with Byron Morgan, he is a lifelong metal craftsman who has been making putters since his twenties.  He operates his own shop in Huntington Beach, California, where he does nothing but create some of the world’s best putters for golfers all across the globe.  When you get a Byron Morgan putter, you know that everything on the putter, from the milling to the paintfill, was done by the name whose name is on it.  Byron offers a wide variety of head styles, necks, and materials, as well as the ability to personalize the look through custom stamping, milling, and finishing.

Check out www.byronputters.com to start designing your own…after you finish reading this review, of course.

Putter Features:

• German Stainless Steel
• 345 grams
• 4:00 toe hang
• 3/4 Shaft Offset
• Welded Long Pipe Neck
• Rounded Top Line
• Brushed Blue Oil Finish

BALL USED: TaylorMade Penta TP5

FEEL

Have you ever eaten something that tasted so good that you wished you’d never referred to any other food as “delicious”?   Ever seen a girl (or guy) so beautiful that you wish you’d never called another girl “pretty”?  That’s how I feel about the Epic Day’s feedback: I wish I’d saved all my best words just for it.

Sadly, since I write about a lot of putters, I’ve used up all the words I know that are associated with a putter that feels great.  I suppose I could make up new ones…Byron-tastic?  Byron-rific?

Limited vocabulary aside, this is the best feeling putter I’ve ever used.  The feel is completely crisp and clean with just a hint of softness.  You get superb feedback about where and how you hit the ball.

I’d hate to make a claim like “best feeling putter” without backup, so I called in some extra recruits for the test gallery…people with putter collections as big or bigger than mine.  A couple of them, knowing that the putter was German Stainless Steel, even came in expecting to laugh at me for admiring the emperor’s new clothes.  No one laughed, but a couple testers did ask what it would cost to get their own.

Is it the German Stainless Steel that makes this putter feel great?  I don’t know.  All I know is that the particular combination of material, headshape, face milling, and neck has made me start acting like this guy.

LOOKS

While I wasn’t surprised when everyone in the test group liked the feel of the putter, I was a bit stunned when the “Looks” score came back as high as it did.  The Zing/My Day/Laguna head shape has always struck me as a love-it-or-hate-it type, with lots of people coming down on the hate it side.  While our testers confirmed that the Epic Day isn’t necessarily the head shape that they would have picked for themselves, they said that the level of fit and finish more than made up for it.

The first thing that stands out about this putter is the finish.  I’ve seen lots of putters, but I’ve never seen another maker do anything like Byron’s blue oil finish. While I hate to trot out this cliche, it’s true: the pictures do not do this finish justice.  Depending on the light, the putter can be anything from purple to blue to an oily brown.

The other things that the test group appreciated were the hand stamping, the hand welded neck, and the amount of beautiful milling marks all over the putter.  From the “deep tuna milling” on the face to grid pattern that covers the bumpers, this is a putter that proudly displays the fact that it was milled, not cast.

And not for nothing, but Byron has the coolest head covers in the game.

SET-UP  & ALIGNMENT

This is one area where part of our test group struggled with the Epic Day.  Despite a really good Performance score for accuracy, some did not feel that they could align this putter.  Whether it was the head shape that they weren’t familiar with, the lack of the sight line, or the relatively slight dimensions of the putter, nothing could keep a couple of testers from running back to their mallets and extensive alignment aids.

As I will repeat later: I don’t care what anyone else thinks of this putter when it comes to alignment or anything else.  This putter was built for me, and I’ve seen the SAM Puttlab data that says that I aim the Epic Day better than any other head shape. That’s probably not something many people consider when they buy a new putter, but Puttlab doesn’t lie: putter design will affect your aim…for better or worse.  And it’s not always the putter that you like the looks of the best.  I’ve always played Anser-style putters, but my aim with them was not as good as it was with the Epic Day.

PERFORMANCE

In spite of the testers’ aforementioned concerns about their ability to aim the putter, the results don’t lie: our testers made a ton of putts with the Epic Day.  I chalk this up largely to the long pipe neck.  Bruce has told me that his SAM Puttlab testing has shown that the long pipe neck seems to offer more stability than other necks, which, in turn, can lead to more made putts.  Also the specs of this particular putter, 3/4 shaft offset and 4 o’clock toe hang, fit nicely in the middle which helped it to work for a variety of different players and putting strokes.

As for me, the guy who this putter was fit for…I’ve never putted better.  I’ve made so many short putts lately that I’m starting to expect that my friends are going to be tossing five footers back to me.  What’s even more exciting is that my lag putting has improved substantially.  This used to be a major source of frustration, but now I have no concerns about whether or not I’ll get my 30 footers close…I just try to make them.

Performance testing was done by 7 golfers.  The testers were given the putter and asked to hit putts of all lengths (3 to 20 feet).  They were then asked to rate the putter from 1-10 in each of the following categories:

• Distance Control = 9.4
• Accuracy = 9.6
• Sound & Feel = 10
• Appearance = 9.6
• Alignment = 8.4
• OVERALL = 94.0

FIT FOR STROKE™

Don’t change your stroke. Change your putter.

The (FIT FOR STROKE™) concept was developed by PING, yet another genius fitting system they have developed for golfers.  It works hand-in-hand with the iPING Putter App which is highly suggest everyone getting (IT’S FREE!).  You might be surprised to find out that the stroke you think you have isn’t the stroke you actually have.

This addition to the MGS reviews will allow you to become a more consistent putter by matching you with models that better fit your stroke type.  They will be broken down into three categories: (1) Straight – for face balance putters  (2) Slight Arc – for mid toe hang putters  (3) Strong Arc – for toe down putters

“Results from hundreds of player and robot tests at PING offer overwhelming scientific support for the effectiveness of fitting for stroke. In recent years more diagnostic tools and testing equipment have become available, and the results prove that a golfer’s consistency improves when their putter balance matches their stroke type. It was interesting to observe that golfers putt more consistently with stroke-appropriate models, but they also show a personal preference for these models, too. Prior to putting with them, golfers are drawn to models that fit their eye, even before they fit their stroke.” says PING.

The Epic Day is a: SLIGHT ARC

OVERALL

Honestly, as good as the overall score may be, it’s totally irrelevant.  From Bruce’s fitting to Byron’s expert craftsmanship, this is a putter that was designed and built for me and me alone.  There is not a putter on the face of the Earth that I would putt better with.  I know that I aim this head shape better than any other, I know the length, lie, loft, weight, offset, and toe hang are perfect for me, and it’s beautiful and feels great to boot.  When I’m on the green, I have total confidence that all I need to do is put a good stroke on the ball, because this putter is right for me, and, ultimately, that’s what custom fitting is all about.  When your equipment is custom fit, you can play your best golf, and when it comes to the most important club in your bag, there is no tandem that I’d rather work with than Bruce Rearick for fitting and Byron Morgan for custom putters.  It’s an awesome feeling to know that you have the best putter for you, and the best part is this: that feeling is available to everyone!