Equipment

In-hand look: Justin Rose’s Axis1 prototype putter

Published

5 years ago

Jan 16, 2019

Fresh from becoming a member of Team Honma, Justin Rose is set to kick off his 2019, as it was reported in our WITB piece yesterday, with a custom Axis1 prototype putter in the bag.

Our guys have been on hand at this week’s Desert Classic to check out the Englishman’s new flat-stick, which Rose will hope will be a crucial weapon in defense of his World Number 1 ranking, and secured plenty of photos of the new addition.

The Englishman, who ranked 21st for strokes gained putting last season, used the TaylorMade TP Ardmore 2 putter during his ascent to the summit of the game in 2018. After the FedEx Cup champ’s equipment change, Rose will now look to continue his excellent form on the greens with the Axis 1 prototype.

While the putter move will surprise many, Rose is no stranger to Axis1 putters and has been spotted on our forums in the past both testing a flat-stick from the company back at the 2016 Players Championship, and gaming one at the Dell Technologies Championship in 2017.

For more photos and discussion of Justin Rose’s new Axis 1 Prototype putter, make sure to check out the forum thread here.

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Gianni Magliocco

Gianni is the Managing Editor at GolfWRX. He can be contacted at [email protected].

16 Comments

anthony kelham

Jan 25, 2020 at 9:41 am

you cannot keep blaming the eqpt but to buy something this expensive is just marketing not going to put any more putts away

Reply Report comment
Dan

Apr 27, 2019 at 11:12 pm

I just tried one of these as the founder is local here near Boston and a golfer too. I’ve never felt a putter that delivers it’s strike in such a solid, confident way. This is a game changer folks. I’m a convert and I’ve got one on order.

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Ron

Jan 26, 2019 at 3:56 pm

It’s designed to be a zero MOI, square-to-square stroke motion putter. I’m sure it works or it wouldn’t be in JR’s hands. Some of you are too young to remember the MacGregor Response putter Nicklaus won his last Masters (’86) with. When Jack first saw it at the MacGregor HQ, he thought it was the ugliest thing he had ever seen. Then he hit a few putts and the rest is history.

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BIG T

Jan 16, 2019 at 5:56 pm

If you check out axis1golf.com this thing is actually a very mild version of some of the contraptions they make. Some of those things are just TERRIBLE.

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BIG T

Jan 16, 2019 at 5:53 pm

That has got to be on of the ugliest putters ever made. And there have been some real doozies in the past. Just looks awkward and i cant imagine trying to use it with a tournament on the line.

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mr obvious

Jan 16, 2019 at 3:38 pm

JR will be come ….richer….not better #callcurtisstrange

Reply Report comment
Tom

Jan 16, 2019 at 1:11 pm

Shankapotomus would be an appropriate name for it, catch it a little too far inside….and Shankaroo!!!

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STEVE

Jan 16, 2019 at 12:23 pm

Oooh. That neck and hosel alignment looks eerily similar to what I see when I look down at my putter — when I’ve had too many beers!

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Sp

Jan 16, 2019 at 11:11 am

It’s over for JR. He’s become the next Adam Scott, desperate to get rid of the yips.
With great coaches you should be able to fix the problem. Otherwise, why do we need coaches? Just buy a contraption like this to fix it. Yeah.

Reply Report comment
- Scott
  
  Jan 16, 2019 at 3:39 pm
  
  2, 2, T4, 8, 3, 1, 3, T17. Ranked #1 in the world. If that dude has the “yips” then every golfer in the world should want them. SMH.
  
  Reply Report comment
  - Benny
    
    Jan 16, 2019 at 7:42 pm
    
    Well said. Rose is a stud. Did you know he lead the PGA last year in only allowing 7x… 7x doubles of worse? Thats nuts man.
    He may have a stumble out of the gates with new gear but he will never leave top 10.
    
    Reply Report comment
  - Dosh
    
    Jan 16, 2019 at 8:49 pm
    
    He should’ve won the Tour Championship but his putting let him down and he gave it away to the most hated dude in golf in Eldrick
    
    Reply Report comment
  - drbopperthp
    
    Jan 17, 2019 at 7:00 am
    
    Don’t SYH Scott – you’re doing a great job of proving that there are a lot of empty-headed ignoramuses out there who call themselves golfers.
    
    Reply Report comment
    - WhatOgoMeantToSay
      
      Jan 17, 2019 at 2:18 pm
      
      I’m more impressed that you spelt ignoramus right ????????
      
      Reply Report comment
Wes

Jan 16, 2019 at 11:10 am

That putter has a very odd look to it. I dont like the neck and hosel at all.

Reply Report comment
bj

Jan 16, 2019 at 9:51 am

nope

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Equipment

A shocking Backstryke putter appearance + 7 interesting gear photos from the Zurich Classic

Published

1 hour ago

Apr 25, 2024

Andrew Tursky

Welcome to New Orleans, where TPC Louisiana plays host to the 2024 Zurich Classic. In between breakfast beignets and nightly Creole feasts, PGA Tour players are also competing in the unique two-man format at the Zurich this week.

Although the vibes in Nawlins are a bit lighter-fare than the recent back-to-back competitions the Masters and the RBC Heritage signature event), the gear news was no less serious this week.

We spotted some recent changes from Rory McIlroy, a very rare Odyssey Backstryke putter, dove into the bag of legendary New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees, and spotted Patrick Cantlay continuing to test new equipment.

Get your beads out and crack your crawfish, because it’s time for an equipment rundown from The Big Easy (meaning New Orleans, of course, not Ernie Els).

See all of our photos from the Zurich Classic here

Rory’s on-and-off lob wedge

Since the end of 2023, Rory McIlroy has had an on-again, off-again relationship with a Titleist Vokey K-Grind lob wedge. In his last start, it was on, and the wedge is back in the bag again this week. We got a great look at the complicated grind that McIlroy uses.

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A full look into McIlroy’s bag above also shows that he switched out of the TaylorMade BRNR Mini Copper that he used at the RBC Heritage, and he’s back into the Qi10 core 3-wood. As we discussed last week, McIlroy will likely keep the BRNR around as a course-specific club, trading it in and out for the 3-wood.

See Rory McIlroy’s full 2024 WITB from the Zurich here

Turning Back the clock

Unless Tommy Gainey is in the field, it’s unlikely you’ll ever see Odyssey’s Backstryke technology make an appearance on the PGA Tour.

But then, when you least expect it, Russ Cochran shows up.

For more than a decade – since the 2013 Sony Open in Hawai’i – Cochran has been stuck on 599 PGA Tour starts. This week will be his 600th.

Cochran is in the field at the Zurich this week playing alongside Eric Cole, whose regular caddie is Reed Cochran, Russ’s son.

The Backstryke putter was first released back in 2010, and its unique design helps shift the axis point of the putter closer to the CG of the head. And, the putter is getting a nod this week at the Zurich Classic, thanks to Cochran’s 600th career PGA Tour start.

The putter is certainly awesome, but don’t forget to check out Cochran’s full WITB from this week.

Drew Brees with a Super Bowl winning Scotty Cameron putter

Drew Brees, a legendary retired quarterback for the hometown New Orleans Saints, made an appearance at the Zurich’s Wednesday Pro-Am, playing alongside Zach Johnson, Ryan Palmer, and current Saints QB Derek Carr.

Brees’ bag included a TaylorMade Stealth2 Plus driver, a BRNR Mini 13.5-degree, a Stealth 5-wood, a mixed set of P-790 and P-760 irons, Milled Grind Hi-Toe wedges, and a custom Scotty Cameron “New Orleans Saints” putter, which Scotty made for Brees following his Super Bowl MVP-winning performance in 2010.

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It should also be noted that Brees has his Venmo QR code as a bag tag.

If you’re gambling with Brees on the course, just know that not having cash won’t work as an excuse.

Brilliant.

See Drew Brees’ full WITB from the Zurich here

Stricker’s unrecognizable putter

Steve Stricker has made numerous upgrades to his bag recently, including a new TSR3 driver and T100 irons, but his longtime Odyssey White Hot No. 2 putter is still going strong. It’s the most recognizable unrecognizable putter ever.

Here’s a better look at Stricker’s flatstick, which he started using back in 2007.

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Patrick Cantlay has opened the equipment-switching floodgates

Over on the PGA Tour’s Equipment Report this week, we covered Cantlay’s recent switch into Ping Blueprint S irons, and a Titleist TSR2 driver.

Cantlay hadn’t switched irons for about seven years, so the iron switch he made at The 2024 Masters came as a shock to the norm. He simply isn’t one to change gear very often, so anytime Cantlay makes a switch, it’s news.

It seems the floodgates of equipment testing have opened up a bit for Cantlay, who was also spotted testing a custom Scotty Cameron blade putter on Tuesday this week. By Wednesday, Cantlay was back practicing with his familiar Scotty Cameron T5 Proto mallet, but it’s certainly something to keep an eye on going forward.

Daniel Berger’s custom Jailbird site lines

Berger, who’s currently using Odyssey’s Ai-One Mini Jailbird mallet putter, has a unique 3-dot, 2-line alignment on the crown of his navy-white-navy-white mallet putter. Looking down at the putter, it’s easy to see why this alignment system would help; it just seems impossible to set up to the ball off-center, or misaligned to the target.

Also, for anyone worried, you can rest easy. Yes, he’s still playing the 2013 TaylorMade TP MC irons, which we highlighted in our recent “Modern Classics: Old vs. New” video testing series.

FitzMagic teams back up

Brothers Matthew and Alex Fitzpatrick are teaming up once again at the Zurich this year, and Bettinardi Golf hooked them up with some festive “FitzMagic” headcovers to match this week.

See what else is in Alex Fitzpatrick’s WITB here

And, with that, we say goodbye to the Zurich Classic in New Orleans. Don’t forget to check out all of our photos from this week, including 30 unique photo galleries full of equipment photos.

We’ll see you next week in Texas for the 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson!

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