First Look! Luke Donald’s New Putter*

(Written by Dave Wolfe)

Did that title say that Luke Donald has a new putter?  What?!?  Has Luke dropped the Odyssey #7 that currently has him 20^th on tour in putting?

What’s with these top tier pro’s changing gear so that they can compete for spots in the middle of the pack?

Seriously Dave, did Luke Donald change putters?

Well…  No, Luke did not change putters.  I’ll admit it that I used a sensational headline to grab your interest.  In my defense, I did put an asterisk there, which gives me license to write anything I want and disclaim it later.  It’s like when you tell someone that their newborn baby is ugly, but say “just kidding” right after.  “Just Kidding” shows that you are a joker, not a jerk.

So what is this article really all about if not Luke Donald’s new putter?   Actually, a potential new putter for Luke is exactly what this is all about.

A little ways back, I introduced you to the Mizuno MP A-Series line of putters, speaking volumes about their greatness, only to crush your dreams of ownership by revealing their non-USA distribution at the end of the piece.  I’ll be right up front today.  These Mizuno Line 90 putters are also only available from Mizuno outside of the USA.

This may make you experience feelings of frustration and an inclination to lash out in anger.  Go ahead, it’s justified.  Yell into your monitor, curse my name, Mizuno’s name, shake your fist at the sky, or go outside and tell the damn kids to get off of your lawn.  Do whatever allows you to vent your rage.  Not having access to these putters should anger the putter-phile, because once again, Mizuno has brought a fantastic putter to market.  Regrettably though, not to your market.

Let’s ignore that distribution shortfall and get back to your concerns about Luke Donald changing putters.  Again, Luke Donald is not changing putters, but after spending some time with the Line 90 K-02, I could definitely see it happening at some point.

How great would that be for Mizuno Golf?

Luke Donald, arguably the face of Mizuno Golf, decides to bag a Mizuno putter.  Would that start a putter migration with other staff members?  Would Stacy Lewis, Charles Howell III, and all of the Team JPX Members (did I ever mention that I was a finalist for that contest?) follow Luke’s lead to the land of Line 90?  I could see it happening.  Let’s take a look at a couple of the putters in the Line 90 series and I’ll try to convince you why this could happen.

General Specs:  Mizuno Line 90 Series Putters

• 1025 Carbon Steel
• CNC Milled Face
• Satin Finish
• Top line alignment bevel
• Face “Score Lines” to reduce skid and promote true roll
• Oversize Winn grip
• Five Head shapes (M-02, S-02, K-02, T-02, & V-02)

V-02

The Line 90 V-02 is perhaps the best representation of the atypical head shapes found in the Line 90 series.  Is it a blade or a mallet?  Yes, it’s one of those.  Toe hang, facilitated by the plumbers neck, comes in at a blade-like 4:00.  It definitely plays like a wide-body blade more than a traditional mallet, although the geometry and head-weight lean more toward mallet.  Mid-mallet may be the best description as it really represents a transition between the M-02 blade and the true mallet K-02.

K-02

And here we have my proposed successor to the Donald putter well, the Line 90 K-02.  This beauty is all high-MOI mallet.  Most of the weight is pushed to the perimeter in the K-02’s tapering wings.  There was a time when I would have argued that the Odyssey Sabertooth was the most easily weaponizable putter.  Not any more.  The Line 90 K-02 has the sleek and dangerous lines of an ice axe.  If nothing else, the intimidation factor gained by bagging this putter should reduce the smack taking in your usual playgroup.  Digression aside, the perimeter weighting and face-balance of the Line 90 K-02 should be a welcome fit for anyone who games an Odyssey #7, including you and Luke Donald.

General Impressions

Looks

The Line 90 putters do not conform to traditional norms for head shapes.  I wish that I had the whole line to photograph, because the shots on the Mizuno Europe site really do not show everything that is going on.  From the bottom, the M-02 looks like any Ping Anser clone, but when you see it at address, that clone thought goes away.  What I really like about these putters is that the strange geometries prove quite functional.  At address, the curves and colors in both the K-02 and the V-02 generate visual flow toward the center of the putter and the putter’s face.  I found this especially true in the K-02.  It’s a relatively large head, but my eye always seemed to rest on a golf ball sized area, centered in the middle of the face.  Note to Mizuno, we need to see more photos on your website.

Feel

Like their MP A-Series brethren, the Line 90 putters feel soft and responsive.  The “Score Lines” on the face really put a crisp roll on the ball, while retaining the soft feel that many golfers look for at impact.  Both of the models tested are fairly hefty and mallet-like, but they are not sluggish in the swing.  Balance is excellent; the swing is smooth.  Impact is also characterized by a nice ringing tone.

Alignment

Again aping the MP A-Series, the Line 90 putters also feature The Top Line Alignment Bevel.  If you look at the address and the face photos for the putters you can’t help but notice the blue line on the top of the face.  Don’t be alarmed; you are supposed to notice it.  That’s part of the alignment scheme.  Once again, I’ll swipe a quote from the Mizuno product page:

I don’t know if I agree that good feelings will result in more putts made, but I do think that better alignment systems will lead to more putts made.  Lines parallel to the putting face are definitely one of this year’s design themes.  If you can square these lines to the target line, then you are square to target.  This perpendicular line scheme has been definitively demonstrated by the tour success of Odyssey’s Versa line.  The Line 90 alignment system, although less overt than the Versa, works the same way.  Square the blue lines and fire.

In Conclusion

Truth be told, I am feeling guilty for hooking you with the sensationalized, and perhaps misleading headline about Luke Donald switching to a Mizuno Line 90 putter.  In my defense, “Why is Luke Donald not gaming this?” was one of the first thoughts that I had after rolling the K-02.  I know that pros select their equipment for a variety of reasons, with sponsor cash being one of them. I also know that Luke is not getting any money from Odyssey to play their putter, and you know this too because Luke does not show up in any Odyssey advertising.

I guess my limited-pro-golf-understanding brain just thinks, “If you are not getting paid by Odyssey, and your major sponsor has a putter that meets your specs, why not give it a go?”  My experience with the Mizuno Line 90 putters makes me think that Luke should take a look at them.  He has 19 reasons to improve his putting.  Maybe Luke gaming the Line 90 would also compel Mizuno to bring their excellent putter lines back to the United States, thus turning the putter lover’s anger to elation.