Blade Putters
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Odyssey OWorks Red 1WS – £189
➤ www.odysseygolf.com
➤ Review: Odyssey OWorks Red 1WS
TECH: The 1WS head is a modern wide-body blade, with a short slant neck to reduce toe hang. Odyssey says the microhinge face insert lifts putts into a better roll. The 1WS is well suited to slightly arcing strokes and is available with either a red or black paintjob.
WHY IT’S WON: For golfers who think they’ve seen everything blade putters have to offer (like we did), the 1WS will make you think again. Michelle Wie used the model to win her first event in years in March and we can see why she and other tour pros are fans. The short and stubby but wide head is a look you really don’t expect in the blade category. And its performance similarly surprised us, too.
We can’t explain exactly why the 1WS worked for us, but it certainly did. Two of our testers were so impressed they squabbled over who got first dibs on taking it to the course for some “long-term” testing! It’s a brilliant reinvention of the blade for modern golfers. The fresh, red paintjob would be our choice of finish. It goes without saying the cracking OWorks insert feels great and rolls putt end over end like the very best. After a few years of using oversized grips, the excellent Winn AVS gives a fresh new feel.
Bettinardi Studio Stock #8 £319
➤ www.bettinardi.com
➤ Review: Bettinardi Studio Stock #8
TECH: Bettinardi reckons the #8 is one of his most classic putters. The high toe and plumber’s neck (cranked hosel) create a distinct toe and heel weighted blade. A F.I.T grooved face design means less face in contact with the ball at impact, delivering the softest feel of all Bettinardi putters.
WHY IT’S WON: An absolute beauty of a blade; the CNC milled head just couldn’t look this sharp if it was created using a cheaper casting process. It’s the straight lines and defined edges of the #8 that give the clean, premium look golfers are willing to pay for. We couldn’t quite agree whether we loved the mercury grey finish or not, but there’s no doubt the matt finish it creates absolutely cuts out glare.
The #8’s curved sole (from toe to heel) is very forgiving when putting from severe side slopes, and we applaud Bettinardi for working out how to deliver a cracking soft feel without using an insert. The traditional sized grip not only fits beautifully in the hands, but comes as a welcome change after several years of using oversized models. If you do buy into a Bettinardi any time soon we recommend making the commitment to look after it, and wipe it down after every round and never leave it in a wet headcover.
Evnroll ER2 £275
➤ www.evnroll.com
➤ Review: Evnroll ER2
TECH: Evnroll putters have a face milling pattern which Evnroll owner Guerin Rife says gives a progressive energy transfer. To you that means putts hit o centre roll virtually the same distance as on centre hits, so you get new levels of accuracy and consistency. The ER2 is milled from a solid block of 303 stainless steel and hand nished in California.
WHY IT’S WON: Evnroll only started up a couple of years ago, yet its owner and chief designer Guerin Rife has designed putters for 25 years. So it’s fair to say there’s a lot of experience and knowledge rolled into his new concept. The ER2’s modern, wide head was the biggest in the category so MOI and forgiveness should be slightly enhanced over most models, which played out with the amount of putts our testers holed.
A slight toe hang opens the design up to slightly arcing and straighter strokes and we thought it was very stable, easy to swing and keep online. We’re not going to go quite as far as saying the ER2’s cleverly-shaped face grooves “gear” off-centre putts back online, as Evnroll claims. But we will say we were very impressed by the new tech. The ER2’s been in and out of our gear editor’s bag since the test, which speaks volumes about the concept’s potential.
Readers’ Choice
The TG Shortlist
| Putter | RRP | Club |
| Ping Sigma G Kinloch C | £175 |  |
| Seemore Nashville Z1C Platinum | £349.99 |  |
| Cleveland TFI2135 Satin 8.0 CB | £139 |  |
| TaylorMade TP Collection Juno | £199 (Lamkin grip) £219 (Superstroke grip) |
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| Ping Sigma G D66 | from £175 |  |
| Evnroll ER2 | £275 |  |
| Bettinardi Studio Stock #8 | £319 |  |
