Equipment
Soft, Medium or Firm? Sentio’s floating-face putters give golfers a choice in feel
Sentio Golf, which made its debut at the 2016 PGA Merchandise Show, announced today that its Sierra 101 line of putters are available for purchase on the company’s website, as well as in select retail shops.
The Acton, Massachusetts-based company’s patented floating face technology offers golfers a stainless steel putter face, which is separate from the rest of the head with a vibration-dampening thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) core, constructed through a process called insert molding.
Jim Varney, President of Sentio Golf, says the insert-molding process demands extremely tight manufacturing tolerances. Thus, Sentio’s putters are constructed at some of the highest dimensional standards in the industry. Varney also says that the TPE formulation process bonds the metal components while keeping them separate (thanks to the insert), softening the feel at impact.
The Sierra line includes three models, each with a color-coded translucent core. The cores each have a different durometer—or relative hardness—to the elastomer, affecting energy transfer, and thus feel.
- 101-Soft (green core): For players who usually prefer inserts or who regularly play on fast greens.
- 101-Medium (red core): For all-around conditions.
- 101-Firm (blue core): For fans of all-milled putters or those who play on slower greens.
Specs
- Price: $299
- Length: 33, 34 and 35 inches
- Loft: 2 degrees
- Lie: 72 degrees
- Head Weight: 350 grams
- Toe Hang: 4 o’clock
- Offset: Full plumber hosel
- Construction: 304 stainless steel face and body, TPE core
- Finish: Satin Silver PVD
- Stock grip: PURE midsize
Also of interest for WRXers: Sentio will be releasing a limited run of 100 Tour prototype putters on September 27. Called the Century Edition, these flatsticks will feature a unique black bronze PVD finish.
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- Kevin Tway what’s in the bag accurate as of the Wells Fargo Championship. More photos from the event here.
Driver: Ping G430 LST (10.5 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 6 X
3-wood: TaylorMade Stealth 2 (15 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana D+ 80 TX
5-wood: TaylorMade Stealth 2 (18 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana D+ 90 TX
Irons: Wilson Staff Utility (2), Titleist T100 (4-9)
Shafts: Mitsubishi MMT 100 TX (2), True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 (4-9)
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (48-10F @47, 52-12F @51, 56-14F), SM7 (60-10S)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 (48-56), True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400 (60)
Putter: Scotty Cameron T-5 Proto
Grip: Scotty Cameron Black Baby T
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Plus4
More photos of Kevin Tway’s WITB in the forums.
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Editor’s note: This is an excerpt from a piece our Andrew Tursky originally wrote for PGATour.com’s Equipment Report. Head over there for the full article.
The timing of Lowry’s putter changeup was curious: Was he just using a Spider putter because he was paired with McIlroy, who’s been using a Spider Tour X head throughout 2024? Was Lowry just being festive because it’s the Zurich Classic, and he wanted to match his teammate? Did McIlroy let Lowry try his putter, and he liked it so much he actually switched into it?
Well, as it turns out, McIlroy’s only influence was inspiring Lowry to make more putts.
When asked if McIlroy had an influence on the putter switch, Lowry had this to say: “No, it’s actually a different putter than what he uses. Maybe there was more pressure there because I needed to hole some more putts if we wanted to win,” he said with a laugh.
To Lowry’s point, McIlroy plays the Tour X model, whereas Lowry switched into the Tour Z model, which has a sleeker shape in comparison, and the two sole weights of the club are more towards the face.
Lowry’s Spider Tour Z has a white True Path Alignment channel on the crown of his putter, which is reminiscent of Lowry’s former 2-ball designs, thus helping to provide a comfort factor despite the departure from his norm. Instead of a double-bend hosel, which Lowry used in his 2-ball putters, his new Spider Tour Z is designed with a short slant neck.
“I’ve been struggling on the greens, and I just needed something with a fresh look,” Lowry told GolfWRX.com on Wednesday at the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship. “It has a different neck on it, as well, so it moves a bit differently, but it’s similar. It has a white line on the back of it [like my 2-ball], and it’s a mallet style. So it’s not too drastic of a change.
“I just picked it up on the putting green and I liked the look of it, so I was like, ‘Let’s give it a go.’”
Read the rest of the piece over at PGATour.com.
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Equipment
Webb Simpson equipment Q&A: Titleist’s new 2-wood, 680 blade irons, and switching to a broomstick Jailbird
With seven career wins on the PGA Tour, including a U.S. Open victory, Webb Simpson is a certified veteran on the course. But he’s also a certified veteran in the equipment world, too. He’s a gearhead who truly knows his stuff, and he’s even worked closely with Titleist on making his own custom 682.WS irons.
On Wednesday at the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship, I caught up with Simpson to hear about his experience with Titleist’s new prototype 2-wood, how Titleist’s 680 Forged irons from 2003 ended up back in his bag, and why he’s switching into an Odyssey Ai-One Jailbird Cruiser broomstick putter this week for the first time.
Click here to read our full story about Simpson’s putter switch on PGATOUR.com’s Equipment Report, or continue reading below for my full Q&A with Simpson at Quail Hollow Club on Wednesday.
See Webb Simpson’s full WITB from the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship here
GolfWRX: It seems like you’ve been a little all over the place with your irons in the past six months or so, and now going back to the 680’s. Is that just a comfort thing? What’s been going on with the irons?
Webb Simpson: Titleist has been so great at working with me, and R&D, on trying to get an iron that kind of modernizes the 680. And so the 682.WS took the T100 grooves, but kinda took the look and the bulk and the build of the 680’s into one club. They’re beautiful, and awesome looking. I just never hit them that well for a consistent period of time. It was probably me, but then I went to T100’s and loved them. I loved the spin, the trajectory, the yardage, but again, I never went on good runs. Going through the ground, I couldn’t feel the club as well as with the blade. So last week, I’m like, ‘Alright. I’m gonna go back more for…comfort, and see if I can get on a nice little run of ball striking.’
So that’s why I went back.
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OK, that makes sense. I know you had done some 2-wood testing recently. Is that in the bag right now?
It’s like day-by-day. I used it at Hilton Head every day. Valero, I used it one round. And this week, me and my caddie will do the book every morning, and if it’s a day where we think we need it, we’ll just put it in and take the 3-wood out. I love it because it’s a super simple swap. Like, it doesn’t really change much.
Yeah, can you tell me about that club? I mean, we don’t really know anything about it yet. You know? I haven’t hit it or anything, obviously.
It has grooves like a 3-wood. Spin is perfect. And it’s honestly, like, everything is in the middle of a 3-wood and driver number. Trajectory, spin, carry, all of it. So, a Hilton Head golf course is almost too easy to talk about because, you know, there, so many holes are driver 3-wood.
Valero, our thinking was we had two par-5’s into the wind, and we knew that it would take two great shots to get there in two. So instead of hitting driver-driver, we just put it in. And I used it on those holes.
Hilton was a little easier because it was off-the-tee kind of questions. But Colonial will be a golf course where, you know, there’s a lot of driver or 3-woods. It’s kind of like a backup putter or driver for me now. I’ll bring it to every tournament.
So it’s, like, in your locker right now, probably?
Well, it would be. It’s in my house [because Webb lives near by Quail Hollow Club, and is a member at the course.] It’s in the garage.
Oh, yeah, that’s right. Do you know what holes you might use it out here if it goes in play?
Potentially 15, depending on the wind. Second shot on 10. Could be 14 off the tee. The chances here are pretty low (that he’ll use the 2-wood). But, like, Greensboro would be an awesome club all day. I’m trying to think of any other golf courses.
There’s plenty that it’ll be a nice weapon to have.
It’s interesting, the wave of 2-woods and mini drivers. Like, it’s just really taken off on Tour, and all the companies have seemed to embrace it.
Yeah. The thing I had to learn, it took me, like, at least a week to learn about it is you gotta tee it up lower than you think. I kept teeing it up too high. You need it low, like barely higher than a 3-wood. And that was where I got optimal spin and carry. If you tee it up too high, you just don’t get as much spin and lose distance, I don’t know if that’s just a mini driver thing.
And you obviously have a Jailbird putter this week. What spurred that on?
Inconsistent putting. I’m stubborn in a lot of ways when it comes to my equipment, but I have to be open minded – I just hadn’t putted consistently well in a while. And I’m like, ‘Man, I feel my ball-striking coming along. Like I feel better; for real, better.’
If I can just get something in my hands that I’m consistent with. Being on Tour, you see it every year, guys get on little runs. I can put together four to five tournaments where I’m all the sudden back in the majors, or in the FedExCup Playoffs. You can turn things around quick out here. I’m like, ‘Man, whatever’s going to get me there, great.’
My caddie, David Cook, caddied for Akshay at the Houston Open and he putted beautifully. Then, I watched Akshay on TV at Valero, and he putted beautifully. And, I’m like, ‘I’m just going to try it.’
I’ve never tried it for more than a putt or two, and I just ordered what Akshay uses. It was pretty awkward at first, but the more I used it, the more I’m like, ‘Man, it’s pretty easy.’ And a buddy of mine who’s a rep out here, John Tyler Griffin, he helped me with some setup stuff. And he said at Hilton Head, he wasn’t putting well, then tried it, and now he makes everything. He was very confident. So I’m like, ‘Alright, I’ll try it.’”
And you’re going with it this week?
Hundred percent.
Alright, I love it. Thank you, I always love talking gear with you. Play well this week.
Thanks, man.
See Webb Simpson’s full WITB from the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship here
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tlmck
Sep 26, 2016 at 4:52 am
It would have been more interesting to offer one putter with interchangeable faces/inserts. That way you could adjust the putter for changing weather/temps, faster/slower greens, or just for a change of feel if desired.
richard patten
Oct 1, 2016 at 1:36 am
There are putters with interchangeable inserts, e.g., Fisher, and less costly putters with soft to hard inserts. Straightaim insert putters have putters with several degrees of impact reduction for fast or slower greens. Callaway has one Odyssey model with a ‘floating’ face that will reduce impact. There is an added property of impact-reducing inserts that these companies are not aware of. It is better for putt control than softer feel. Softer feel, itself, does not increase accuracy.
rymail00
Sep 22, 2016 at 5:19 pm
Personally I think the idea is pretty cool. Everybody has a different perception of what they like to feel at impact and this is a way to give people those options.
And man, the unbelievable negative comments in all these articles is ridiculous (all articles). If you don’t like something fine, but why sh!t on the authors or whatever equipment, training aids etc.? Constructive criticism is one thing, but why the rest? It sucks to see this site heading down this road. Hell the guy was even nice enough to respond to people’s questions. Doubt most people would say this stuff some in a store, shop, merchandise show etc.
RP Jacobs II
Sep 21, 2016 at 7:15 pm
Seems a bit gimicky though I am sure that they are very nice putters. For the price point, they’d better be, lol. “Independently Verified to provide positive strokes gained???” Bro, last I looked it was the Player’s name next to a stroke gained number, not a putter model or brand, lmao.
Be that as it may, they look sharp and I wish you the very Best!! Nice article Ben. Nicely Played Bro 🙂
Fairways & Greens 4ever My Friends,
RP
Sentio Golf
Sep 25, 2016 at 9:20 am
RP Jacobs II, thanks for the thoughtful comment! I’m sure people probably thought insert-faced putters were gimmicky when they came out. From a technical standpoint, molding the polymer in the middle as we have done allows us to do things with COR, basically how much energy is transferred to the ball, that you can’t do with an insert face or a solid body putter. Inserts have been trying to add more “pop” and better sound response (look at the proliferation of metal sheets over polymer inserts), and companies that make solid milled putters use “softer” metals like carbon steel, GSS, and copper to take the edge off the feel at impact. What golfers want is that middle ground between the two extremes, and that is exactly what our technology does. AND we provide multiple options within this range to give people a choice.
Our putters were part of a test that used Strokes Gained as a measure of relative accuracy. Yes, it is the SG of each tester using each putter that is measured. Read about it here: http://bit.ly/2cTrGUD
richard patten
Oct 1, 2016 at 2:09 am
I found that damping inserts can increase accuracy, but I used a putting machine, rather than human putters. It is not the feel (a putting machine has no feel) that does it. It is a surprising principle of physics tyhat does it. I have used ‘floating’ inserts , for slow to fast greens, in my straightaim putters for over 10 yrs. You have a good looking product. Put it in a mallet, too. With good technically sound advertising you will succeed in this tight market.
Mark
Sep 21, 2016 at 8:13 am
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BSGolf
Sep 20, 2016 at 12:05 pm
More junk…stop with the junk
Sentio Golf
Sep 20, 2016 at 8:57 pm
I understand that it seems unusual, but I assure you that it is not junk. Our tech produces a great feel and has been independently verified to provide positive strokes gained. I suggest you try it and see for yourself.
foo
Sep 21, 2016 at 12:36 pm
Where do you suggest we try this?
Sentio Golf
Sep 25, 2016 at 9:27 am
Foo – We have a list of current retail partner locations on our website: http://www.sentiogolf.com/retailers/ I realize this is very limited now, but we are a start-up company so things are just getting started. Ask the pro-shop at your home course to contact us about becoming part of our Fit By Feel program – we will get them set up and in a week you will have all three to try for yourself.
JOEL GOODMAN
Sep 21, 2016 at 7:57 pm
If I want great feel I’ll take a woman . In golf I want to score low.
richard patten
Oct 7, 2016 at 3:38 pm
Sentio, I suggest you confirm the accuracy-improving function of your floating inserts objectively by using a putting machine. This will work; I have done this. Good luck.
JOEL GOODMAN
Sep 21, 2016 at 7:56 pm
barnum was right then and still is.. more suckers now than ever. any putter more than $125 is a joke and a rip off.
Charlie
Sep 20, 2016 at 9:13 am
Very Nike-esque. The insert, the lines, the font, everything. Not too shabby.
Rob
Sep 20, 2016 at 12:36 pm
Not too shabby? Nike-esque? Oh you mean that company that just stopped making clubs? I’m sure club makers are modeling their product of the nike swoosh!