Contestants, Sharpen Your Blades!
(written by: Dave Wolfe)
You have seen the Ultimate Fairway Wood.
You have rolled the Most Wanted Mallet Putter.
You have pounded Golf’s Most Wanted Driver
Today, I present to you 28 putters, from 15 of the top putter making companies, who are all vying for the coveted title of MyGolfSpy’s 2013 Golf’s Most Wanted Blade Putter.
Each putter enters the competition on even footing. Tour pedigree, research budget, or size of company grant no favors in this competition. We are not scoring looks. We are not scoring design. Here at MyGolfSpy, we only score what counts, and with putters, what counts is accuracy. To be the best, a putter must hit the hole more than its competitors. Period.
:: The Head-to-Head Test
The Bettinardi Signature 6 was awarded the Most Wanted Mallet Putter of 2013 honor because it was the most accurate of the tested mallets. That accuracy was demonstrated, regardless of who wielded the putter. The Bettinardi Signature 6 gave a competitive edge to low and high handicap testers alike, scoring significantly better than the other mallets in the competition.
One of the blades that you see today will add its name to the 2013 Most Wanted roster. One of these blades will be more accurate than its peers, separating itself from the pack based upon data, not opinion. There is no eye of the beholder here. To win the title, the putter must perform, and perform in the hands of all the testers.
The “Most Wanted – Blade Putter” earns its accolades!
:: How We Tested
What do we really need a putter to do for us? Since the beginning of the game, golfers, fitters, experts etc. have equated an affinity for the looks of a putter with better putting. But is this really true? Is it actually supported by any data? Well, after years of testing putters we poured through the actual numbers and discovered a shocking piece of information. Not to give anything away, but some of you out there who “know” that looks influence performance will be very surprised by our findings.
:: Accuracy Scoring
For the sake of consistency, all of our testers used the same ball, the Wilson Staff FG Tour 2014 prototype. Blade accuracy was measured by having the testers roll five putts from three distances; five, ten, and twenty feet. The distance from the closest edge of the cup was then recorded for each miss. Because we know that missing a five-footer by two feet is not the same as missing a twenty-footer by two feet, the values were adjusted for distance as follows:
:: 5-Foot Score = Miss Distance (inches) x 2.0
:: 10-Foot Score = Miss Distance (inches) x 1.5
:: 20-Foot Score = No Adjustment
Once the values were adjusted for distance, the numbers were added together to generate a putter’s Total Accuracy Score.
:: Example: Accuracy Scoring Protocol
:: 5-foot putts: (11″ miss distance x adjustment of 2.0) = 22″ total miss distance
:: 10-foot putts: (16″ miss distance x adjustment of 1.5) = 24″ total miss distance
:: 20-foot putts: (120″ miss distance with no adjustment) = 120″ total miss distanceTotal Accuracy Score for Tester #1 with PUTTER X would be = 166″ inches (total miss distance)
:: The Contestants
We sent emails to putter companies inviting them to submit their best blade putter for our testing. From those inquiries, I bring you the following twenty-eight competitors. Some of you will ask Where is ___________? or What about _________? Let’s just say that many were contacted, and not all chose to participate. If you are not seeing your favorite brand represented, let them know, via email or twitter, that you would like to see them in our next competition. Here are the entrants in alphabetical order by company:
Bettinardi BB1
Bettinardi Signature 5
Bettinardi Studio Stock 14
Boccieri Golf Heavy Putter EL Q2-M
Scotty Cameron Select Newport
Scotty Cameron Newport 2
Gauge Design Classic 2013
Gauge Design G2 Devon Cu
Gauge Design iL Tatto
Machine M1A Adjuster
Byron Morgan 006
Nike Method Core MC01w
Nike Method Core MC02w
Nike Method Midnight 006
Odyssey ProType iX 1
Odyssey Tank #1
Odyssey Versa #2 Black
Ping Scottsdale TR Anser 2
Ping Scottsdale TR Tatum
Ping Scottsdale TR ZB
Radius Roll High Five
Rife Hero
Rife Iconic Z
Seemore PTM1 Platinum
STX Pitch Black 1
STX xForm 1
TaylorMade Spider Blade Slant
Tour Edge Exotics DG-v1.2
Ready, Set, Roll!
There are the twenty-eight contestants, fighting for the title of MyGolfSpy’s Most Wanted Blade Putter. Head-to-head. Accuracy is king. Tune in tomorrow to see what putter crushes the competition and takes home the title!
You have had a chance to make a prediction about the winner based solely upon the company name. Now that you have seen all of the contenders, are you sticking to that prediction? Do you have a new favorite that you believe will rise above the competition? Leave a comment below and let everyone know which putter you are backing!
Fred
9 years ago
Dave,
Up until recently, I’ve been the Scotty Cameron Select Newport 2.5. I felt that I needed a little more weight to smooth out my stroke, so I switched to the Select Newport 2 Dual Balance. As a result, my putting has improve quite a bit. Question: are you going to review any dual or counterbalance putters in the future? Would really like to know your thoughts on them.