Equipment
Bettinardi to release 10 new putters for 2015
Don’t think of it as a new putter line. Think of these putters as distinct models that just happen to be released at the same time. That was my takeaway from a conversation about Bettinardi’s new putter line with Sam Bettinardi, vice president of sales and marketing for Bettinardi Golf, and it’s not a hard conclusion to reach.
Last year, Bettinardi took a more conventional strategy with its 2014 line of BB Series putters. It included several different models, and every putter (sans the BB55) had the same finish, face milling, paint fill and headcover.
Demand for Bettinardi’s putters was greater than ever in 2014, which led to the company’s expansion of its Chicago-area production facility from 20,000 to 40,000 square feet. But for 2015, the company wanted to do something different.
“We don’t just want to change the paint fill every year,” Bettinardi says. “We want to be innovative and creative.”
This year, the company will release 10 new putter models, each of which is unique in some way or shape. Putters such as the iNOVAi (pronounced in-o-vey) and Kuchar Model 2 are completely new models, while the others are classic Bettinardi shapes that have been refined for 2015.
The putters will be available through Bettinardi.com and at select retailers on Jan., 15, 2015.
The iNOVAi is a high-MOI mallet with a 6061 aluminum body and a stainless weight located on the back of the putter that pushes its center of gravity rearward to improve its forgiveness. It’s available in both a standard-length and a counter-balanced model that has a heavier putter head and a longer-length, back-weighted grip to improve overall MOI.
The Kuchar Model 2 (above) was designed specifically for Matt Kuchar, who asked Bettinardi to make him a halfmoon-styled Arm Lock putter that had no offset. The putter is available in a standard-length model, as well as the Arm Lock model used by Kuchar.
The Queen B Model 6 and Model 7 putters have the company’s new Savannah Blue PVD finish, which emits hues of purple, orange, yellow, turquoise and aqua, depending on how the light hits it.
The Studio Stock 2 and 16 putters have an Olympic Bronze PVD finish that fits somewhere between chocolate, bronze and oil can.
Several of the putters also have have Bettinardi’s new Super Fly-Mill Face, which offers a slightly different feel than the company’s Honeycomb and F.I.T. Face milling patterns.
[quote_box_center]”All our tour players are using our F.I.T. Face, which has our softest feel,” Bettinardi says. “But people were asking, ‘Can you make something a little firmer?’ The Super Fly-Mill is a nice middle ground between our F.I.T. Face and our firmer Honeycomb Face.”[/quote_box_center]
Bettinardi’s Signature Series 9 and 10 putters are the most exclusive in the line, limited to 1000 pieces. They’re stamped with the initials of company founder Robert J. Bettinardi, and milled from what the company calls D.A.S.S., or double-aged stainless steel.
To create D.A.S.S., 303 stainless steel is cooked to a temperature of 600 degrees fahrenheit, cooled, and then re-heated to a temperature of 375 degrees. The “double-aging” process creates a softer-feeling putter, Bettinardi says.
The putters will be available through Bettinardi.com for pre-order starting Dec. 17 and in stores on Jan., 15, 2015.
Learn more about each of Bettinardi’s new putters below, and click here to see what GolfWRX Members are saying about the putters in our forum.
iNOVAi ($299)
Face Balanced, Super Fly-Mill and F.I.T. Face Milling. Also available in a counter-balanced model ($350).
- Weight: 358 grams
- Material: 6061 Aluminum (body), Stainless Steel
- Finish: Black Anodized
- Grip: Black Pure (standard or midsize)
- Headcover: iNOVAi Black
- Dexterity: RH and LH
Kuchar Model 2 Halfmoon ($375)
1/4 Toe Hang, F.I.T. Face Milling. Also available in an Arm Lock ($375).
- Weight: 350 grams
- Material: Mild Carbon Steel
- Finish: Meridian Blue
- Grip: Gray Pure (standard or midsize)
- Headcover: Kuchar Signature White/Blue
- Dexterity: RH and LH
Queen B Model 6 ($375)
Face Balanced, Micro Honeycomb Face Milling
- Weight: 360 grams
- Material: Mild Carbon Steel
- Finish: Savannah Blue
- Grip: White Pure (standard or midsize)
- Headcover: Queen B Royal Purple
- Dexterity: RH Only
Queen B Model 7 ($375)
1/4 Toe Hang, Micro Honeycomb Face Milling
- Weight: 360 grams
- Material: Mild Carbon Steel
- Finish: Savannah Blue
- Grip: White Pure (standard or midsize)
- Headcover: Queen B Royal Purple
- Dexterity: RH Only
Click here to see what GolfWRX Members are saying about the putters in our forum.
Studio Stock 2 ($399)
1/4 Toe Hang, Super Fly-Mill Face
- Weight: 358 grams
- Material: Mild Carbon Steel
- Finish: Olympic Bronze
- Grip: Blue Pure (standard or midsize)
- Headcover: Studio Stock Legend Blue
- Dexterity: RH Only
Studio Stock 16 ($399)
Face Balanced, Super Fly-Mill Face
- Weight: 358 grams
- Material: Mild Carbon Steel
- Finish: Olympic Bronze
- Grip: Blue Pure (standard or midsize)
- Headcover: Studio Stock Legend Blue
- Dexterity: RH Only
Signature Series 9 ($495)
Face Balanced, Super Fly-Mill Face
- Weight: 348 grams
- Material: Double-Aged Stainless Steel (D.A.S.S.)
- Finish: Tour Blast
- Grip: Red Leather Gripmaster (standard or midsize)
- Headcover: Signature Red
- Dexterity: RH Only
Signature Series 10 ($495)
1/4 Toe Hang, Honeycomb Face Milling
- Weight: 348 grams
- Material: Double-Aged Stainless Steel (D.A.S.S.)
- Finish: Tour Blast
- Grip: Red Leather Gripmaster (standard or midsize)
- Headcover: Signature Red
- Dexterity: RH Only
Click here to see what GolfWRX Members are saying about the putters in our forum.
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Whats in the Bag
Kevin Tway WITB 2024 (May)
- 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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Equipment
Did Rory McIlroy inspire Shane Lowry’s putter switch?
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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FTWPhil
Dec 18, 2014 at 12:34 pm
Haters gonna hat.
Andy
Dec 17, 2014 at 4:31 pm
Putters look amazing, those that are upset are scared Bettinardi is on the up and up. Those new finishes, I mean, how do they get those colors!
T-MAC
Dec 17, 2014 at 2:09 pm
Need a Newport and/or Newport 2 style head with a flow neck Betti!
Love the 3 different milling patterns though.
Preston
Dec 17, 2014 at 2:03 pm
Are these carbon steel or SS? The craftsmanship looks good, but not paying those prices for SS. I don’t even buy new Scottys (thank you ebay)…
John
Dec 17, 2014 at 1:30 pm
Same old crap being relabeled “New”. Overpriced and poorly marketed.
dot dot
Dec 17, 2014 at 12:19 pm
releasing 10 pieces of crap just makes a bigger pile of crap
Bryan
Dec 17, 2014 at 11:44 am
Worst looking putters ever lol
Matt
Dec 17, 2014 at 10:33 am
Ouch! My wallet!
Bubba Watson
Dec 17, 2014 at 10:14 am
Sexy putters. Wish they would help me get the ball home.
Jonny B
Dec 17, 2014 at 10:09 am
LOVE. I like how they explain the different feels of the various milling patterns on the face. Reminds me of what Ping has done with their stroke arc fitting based on hosel length/offset – they are aiming at the variety of golfers out there by creating products for individuals, not mass producing one-for-all like many equipment companies do.
Henry
Dec 17, 2014 at 12:53 am
Why no flow neck or #9 style!!! You’re killing me Betti
Josh
Dec 17, 2014 at 11:54 am
Looks like a funky little flow neck on the Queen Bee #7, but I would bet you’re looking for a blade with a flow neck and more toe hang than 1/4?
TheBrokenTee
Dec 17, 2014 at 12:47 am
Each one of these putters are starting to really grow on m . They looked funky at first but I’m starting to really like how the iNOVAi looks. Might have to grab tha .
other paul
Dec 16, 2014 at 9:14 pm
Is the arm lock in LH?
chad ryan
Dec 16, 2014 at 9:06 pm
Mother of god…..the studio stock will be mine