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Review: Scotty Cameron Futura X5 putters

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Pros: The Futura X5 and X5R are compact mallet putters that offer clean aesthetics, premium craftsmanship and fantastic feedback at impact.  

Cons: They may be a bit undersized.

Who they’re for: Golfers who don’t want to stray far from the size and feel of a blade-style putter, but are interested in the increased forgiveness and stability that a face-balanced mallet can provide.

The Review

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  • Construction: 303 stainless steel with 6061 aluminum sole plate
  • Lengths Available: 33, 34 and 35 inches
  • Stock Loft: 3.5 degrees
  • Stock Lie: 70 degrees
  • Stock Grip: 10-inch Matador (77 grams)

For more than a decade, Scotty Cameron’s Futura line has occupied the creative slot in the putter maker’s lineup. It’s the brand within the Cameron brand that showcases new designs, materials and technologies.

The Futura X5 and the Futura X5R certainly fit that description, and use a winged-back design that has been popularized by other putter makers. Certainly more than one Scotty Cameron fan found himself hoping that one day he would see Scotty’s take on Odyssey’s #7. The X5 and X5R are those putters.

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At Address: The Futura X5R (left) and Futura X5.

Most mallet putters offer some type of alignment aid, and the X5 and X5R are chock full of them. Parallel lines denote the steps from the top lines of the putters to their midsections, and then from their midsections to their wing-back fins. Most golfers will probably use the putter’s black midsection, which is part of the aluminum sole plate, as the primary alignment aid, however. It houses a a silver T-shape that blends beautifully with the putter’s Silver Mist finish, creating a distinct two-tone look.

In practicing mid-range putts with the X5 and X5R, I couldn’t help but feel that I was starting more putts on my intended line. I have a tendency to position my putter face opened to the target at address, and the combination of alignment features gave me immediate feedback if I was doing so. Some might call the abundance of alignment features overkill, and these putters weren’t designed with them in mind.

From a materials standpoint, the most notable feature of the X5 and X5R putters are their aluminum sole plates. Aluminum is lighter than steel, so its inclusion gave Cameron the ability to reposition discretionary weight to make the putter slightly more forgiving. For that reason, the X5 and X5R felt more stable to me than the all-steel mallet putters that I’ve used in the past. 

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Scotty Cameron’s Futura X (left) is a larger, higher-MOI putter than the Futura X5.

As far as modern mallet putters go, however, the Futura X5 and Futura X5R are on the small side. This was reinforced when I took a moment to place them side by side with Cameron’s Futura X, which is made from aluminum. That gives the Futura X a more hollow sound at impact. The X5 and X5R putters use a 303 stainless steel face that mimics the denser feel of Cameron’s blade putters.

Related: Our review of Scotty Cameron’s Futura X putter

Visually, the X5 and X5R have more similarities than differences. But for the detail-oriented crowd the Cameron brand tends to attract, the two shaping options could be the difference between buying and not buying. 

The X5 uses a more linear shape that will appeal to players who prefer a boxier, industrial look. The X5R essentially takes all the corners on the X5 and rounds them off. I tend to prefer putters with softer lines, so it was no surprise to me that I liked the X5R. Maybe it was just placebo, but I actually felt that the X5R promoted a more relaxed feeling at address than the X5. Your response might be different.

Both the X5 and X5R have a full-shaft offset and single-bend shaft. Not only does this create a face-balanced putter, but it offers an unobstructed view of the top line, which has the three-step flow of Cameron’s most popular blade putters. The clean look almost makes you forget you’re playing a mallet, and perhaps the X5 is best described as a blade disguised in a mallet’s clothing.

The Takeaway

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Sometimes the mold is broken and sometimes it is refined. With the Futura X5 and X5R, Scotty Cameron did a little bit of both. His take on the popular wing-backed mallet is uniquely Cameron, and with this offering he gives golfers a line of putters that bridge the gap between traditional blade putters and mid-sized mallets.

If you’re looking for a putter that delivers the alignment aids and forgiveness of a mallet while mimicking the feel of a blade, the X5 and X5R could be your total package.

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I didn't grow up playing golf. I wasn't that lucky. But somehow the game found me and I've been smitten ever since. Like many of you, I'm a bit enthusiastic for all things golf and have a spouse which finds this "enthusiasm" borderline ridiculous. I've been told golf requires someone who strives for perfection, but realizes the futility of this approach. You have to love the journey more than the result and relish in frustration and imperfection. As a teacher and coach, I spend my days working with amazing middle school and high school student athletes teaching them to think, dream and hope. And just when they start to feel really good about themselves, I hand them a golf club!

21 Comments

21 Comments

  1. John

    Jun 26, 2017 at 6:18 pm

    This post is very late; for a reason. I want it known the next model -Futura 5W- is an excellent putter.
    I have just bought this putter, as a trade-in club, in top-notch condition. It was a 35″ with 10gram sole weights. I spent considerable time looking for this club. I intend to make the following adjustments:
    -shorten club to 34″
    -change grip to Super Stroke 2.0 grip. I use left-hand low method, so a tapered grip is not ideal.
    -purchase 15 & 20gram weights; to experiment with on slower greens. ie. after coring.

    I stand closer to the ball at address, so need a face-balanced type putter. I am a good putter, who has struggled, with distance control, on the medium speed greens of the courses I normally play. Somewhere in the order of 8-9 on the stimpmeter. A guess on my part, as the clubs in New Zealand don’t normally rate the green speeds. I have also struggled, technically, for about a year. My recent trip to Thailand/Cambodia, putting on Burmuda-variant grass types was the catalyst for this change, after 13 years with my Voodoo. I putted abysmally.
    I previously used a 34″ Cleveland Voodoo mallet putter, with lead tape on the top, to add more weight through impact.
    My first use of the club on-course resulted in the following statistics:
    1 -8 foot texas wedge from green fringe: =0 putts
    2 -2 putts from 38 feet
    3 -9 foot 1 putt
    4 -7 foot 1 putt
    5 -2 putts from 9 feet
    6 -1 foot tap in
    7 -5 foot 1 putt
    8 -10 inch tap in
    Walked off course as consistent rain, over many days, had made the course nearly unplayable. Other players in group getting over illness, so joined them in the 19th.

    I thinks it’s fair to say I am happy with my purchase.

  2. Robert

    Jan 15, 2017 at 1:22 am

    I’ve been playing one now for a year or so and love it. Just ask Justin Thomas what he thinks…lol.

  3. Byron Keith Fite

    Sep 21, 2015 at 7:12 pm

    I have 4 Scotties, and have used a Rife mallet for the last 10 yeard, but 2 weeks ago, I purchased an x5, and was really impressed. I love the mallet style putter better than the Ping, and Newport style blades, so I give Scotty Cameron 5 stars for constantly staying on the cutting edge of technology when it comes to putters.

  4. Chewy

    Sep 12, 2015 at 6:22 am

    I’d have to say although I agree about the hollowish feel of the X5, I think this putter is great. I play on really fast, links greens in Scotland, you get a consistent roll, the putter isn’t too heavy to get in the way of judging distance and it’s forgiving on off-centre hits. Having used the Odyssey Tank 7, Scotty Newport 2 Dual balance and an old school ping… this is my favourite from an all round perspective. My only negative is that for me the grip, although looks good something about it’s width doesn’t work for me

  5. Sodapoppin

    Sep 9, 2015 at 2:19 am

    I wonder why this review is coming out now this late?

  6. Matt Sump

    Sep 7, 2015 at 4:47 pm

    I’ve had one since the start of this season. My first go around with a Scotty. Had a Bettinardi BB1F blade style for years (similar to a Newport 2.5 for those that are unfamiliar). As someone who played a blade for a long time this was as big as I wanted to go. I feel like from 15feet and in this thing is rock solid. I don’t track stats but really like the feel through the stroke. I have mine setup at 33.5″ and 25G weights in the bottom.

    My only gripe is probably the 2 tone look and sometimes find myself watching the putter in the backswing compared to by blade. I might send it in to be customized all black, but not a huge deal.

  7. Steve

    Sep 6, 2015 at 9:38 am

    Its obvious the writer of this article is naive. These are not compact mallets. You can take a suburban and put it next to a bus and say it is compact. Doesnt make sense, but that is what he is trying to prove. Most will go by what is a normal and compare and this falls into the normal range, not taking a huge mallet to compare. The feel and sound of these putters are hollow. If you like that hollow little league bat feel then this is for you. The look is neither bad nor good, kinda blane, nothing exciting. There are better choices, especially in this price range. Cameron has struggle with this type of putter and think it continues with this

    • Chris Nickel

      Sep 6, 2015 at 10:44 pm

      Steve – I am many things, but I don’t believe “naive” is one of them. When you compare the X5 with other full-sized mallets, it’s certainly smaller – In fact, Cameron actually did some things aesthetically to the X5 to make it actually look larger at address – as a preemptive move for those who might feel it was actually a bit too small.

      Feel is an entirely different story and one which is entirely subjective. Some like a softer feel off the putter and some like it a bit firmer – Some want a blade putter milled from a single billet of GSS – Some prefer 303 stainless with a sound slot – Different strokes –

      • Steve

        Sep 7, 2015 at 7:23 pm

        Some like this, some like this, i like this. Some like it firmer some like it softer, really?
        Most that buy a premium name putter at a premium price want a nice premium feel, not a empty soda can feel. If you like a little league bat feel, then have at it. But most in the market for a $350 putter will not like the feel of this hollow can. Cameron jumped the shark with the detour line. What OTR putter in the the last 7 years has been classic Scotty? Dont include his wallhanger circle t and 009 putters. If your a Scotty fan and collector it has neen disappointing. He is milking the cow, living on on his rep.

        • Chris Nickel

          Sep 7, 2015 at 10:42 pm

          Steve – I appreciate your perspective, but I guess we’ll have to agree to disagree on this one. Seems like you have something against Scotty and anything he’s made in the last several years. Fortunately, there’s a lot of quality putters out there from which to select.

      • Steve

        Sep 7, 2015 at 7:50 pm

        Some like this, some like this, i like this. Some like it firmer some like it softer, really?
        Most that buy premium name putter at a premium price want a nice premium feel, not a empty soda can If you like a little league bat feel, then have at it. But most in the market for a $350 putter will not like the feel of this hollow can. Cameron jumped the shark with the detour line. What OTR putter in the the last 7 years has been classic Scotty? Dont include his wallhanger circle t and 009 putters. If your a Scotty fan and collector it has neen disappointing. He is milking the cow, living on on his rep.

        • John

          Sep 16, 2015 at 9:20 pm

          Steve, you sound a little bitter about this topic as if this was your first experience with a Scotty Cameron putter and you picked the wrong one for you. As some one who owns close to one dozen Scotty’s over the past 10 plus years including one of the older terrylium putters, I am of the opinion that he still builds one of the best putters on the market. The reason I own so many is that they are just so friggin nice to look at standing over a putt. I will admit owning one of the X5’s that while it may feel hollow to you, it still puts a pretty good roll on the ball. But nothing beats my California DelMar that has been in the bag for over 3 years. So, I guess my message is that while you may feel the X5 is not a good putter for you, it does not make the opinions of the author “naive” but rather makes it sound like you invested money in the wrong putter for you. My advice: take more time trying before buying.

  8. TimJHU

    Sep 4, 2015 at 9:46 pm

    I too didnt like the feel of this putter. Felt light and dead. I use an odyssey white damascus 1 and love it.

  9. Vincent

    Sep 4, 2015 at 1:27 pm

    Hcp 19, i have bought the X5R in August and after 4 courses, I have established my best perfomances ever: 28 putts and +15. Perfect putter for me: not too many and too visible lines, that fits with my intuitive putting. And weight and swingweight give me spontaneously accurate distance. Moreover, it is a beautiful putter!

  10. slider

    Sep 4, 2015 at 12:51 pm

    titleist usually makes a really solid club I will have to hit them first

  11. slider

    Sep 4, 2015 at 12:42 pm

    this is a really nice looking putter

  12. jakeanderson

    Sep 4, 2015 at 11:33 am

    they look like a poor copy of an old oddyssey

    • Chris Nickel

      Sep 4, 2015 at 11:54 am

      Have you taken the time to demo one? If so, I’d love to hear your thoughts. Thanks!

  13. Dj

    Sep 4, 2015 at 10:43 am

    My experience is the complete opposite of this. I felt the mallet was huge, not even close to compact. And the feel is nothing like a nice blade. It has a terrible hollow feel with a tinky sound. It doesn’t feel anywhere near as solid as the 2013 or 2014 golo/Newport models. I really had high hopes for this putter but sold it after a couple rounds.

    • Chris Nickel

      Sep 4, 2015 at 11:11 am

      Thanks for your thoughts. Feel is always going to be subjective, but when I looked at the X5 next to some of the larger mallets (Futura X), I’m not sure how someone could describe it as “huge” – Certainly not as compact as the Golo, but the actual footprint is quite in the middle, as far as I could tell comparatively.

      • DJ

        Sep 5, 2015 at 11:37 am

        I guess the huge comment should have been compared to what I was trying to replace, which is the versa 7. The versa has a much smaller head shape than this. And agreed feel is subjective, I just expected it to feel more solid like the newports or golo

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Equipment

Blade vs. mallet: What style putters do the top-50 players in the world use? (2022 update)

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Four years ago, I wrote an article where I analyzed the putters that the top-50 players in the world were using, and the top-50 players in strokes gained: putting. I wanted to find out whether more mallet-style putters, or blade-style putters, were being used by the world’s best.

In 2018, I found that 44 percent of the top-50 players in the Official World Golf Rankings were using mallet style putters, and 56 percent of the top-50 in strokes gained: putting were using mallet putters.

Flash forward to 2022, and it would seem that more and more top golfers are switching into mallet putters – Scottie Scheffler, for example, just switched into a mallet putter after using a blade-style putter throughout his career.

What are the actual numbers, though? Are more top PGA Tour players really using mallet putters these days, or is the shift overblown?

I wanted to find out.

For my research, I simply went through the most recent GolfWRX WITB photos, and the most recent photos on Getty Images, to figure out what style putter each player in the Top-50 in the OWGR is using, as well as each Top-50 player in strokes gained: putting on the PGA Tour for the 2021-22 season.

Below are the results:

Top-50 in OWGR: Blade or Mallet?

Mallet putter users, 62 percent (31 out of 50)

Rory McIlroy’s TaylorMade Spider Tour mallet putter

Rory McIlroy (No. 1: TaylorMade Spider Tour Hydroblast)

Scottie Scheffler (No. 2: Scotty Cameron T-5.5 Proto)

Patrick Cantlay (No. 4: Scotty Cameron T5 Proto)

Jon Rahm (N0. 5: Odyssey Rossie S White Hot OG)

Xander Schauffele (No. 6: Odyssey O-Works #7 CH Red)

Will Zalatoris (No. 7: Scotty Cameron Circle T Phantom X T-11 Proto)

Justin Thomas (No. 8: Scotty Cameron T5 Proto Tour-Only custom)

Viktor Hovland (No. 11: Ping PLD DS 72)

Sam Burns (No. 12: Odyssey O-Works 7S)

Billy Horschel (No. 16: Ping PLD Sigma 2 Tyne 4)

Cameron Young (No. 17: Scotty Cameron T5 prototype)

Max Homa (No. 18: Scotty Cameron Phantom X T5.5 Prototype)

Sungjae Im (No. 20: Scotty Cameron Flowback 5 Prototype)

Shane Lowry: (No. 21: Odyssey DFX 2-ball)

Abraham Ancer (No. 23: Odyssey White Hot No. 5 Stroke Lab)

Keegan Bradley (No. 25: Odyssey Versa Jailbird)

Sepp Straka (No. 27: Odyssey Tuttle Stroke Lab)

Tyrrell Hatton (No. 28: Ping Vault Oslo)

Kevin Kisner (No. 29: Odyssey 2-Ball 11)

Dustin Johnson (No. 30: TaylorMade Spider GT Black)

Corey Conners (No. 31: Ping PLD Prototype)

Tom Hoge (No. 32: TaylorMade Spider X Hydroblast)

K.H. Lee (No. 33: Odyssey Works Versa 2-ball)

Adam Scott (No. 34: L.A.B. Golf Mezz.1 prototype)

Aaron Wise (No. 36: TaylorMade Ghost)

Brian Harman (No. 37: TaylorMade OS CB)

Daniel Berger (No. 43: TaylorMade Spider X Hydroblast)

Jason Kokrak (No. 44: Bettinardi Studio Stock 38)

Harold Varner III (No. 46: Odyssey White Hot OG 7S)

Seamus Power (No. 48: Ping PLD3 Mallet)

Harris English (No. 49: Ping Scottsdale Hohum)

Blade putter users, 38 percent (19 out of 50)

Tom Kim’s new custom Scotty Cameron blade-style putter

Cameron Smith (No. 3: Scotty Cameron 009M Prototype)

Collin Morikawa (No. 9: TaylorMade TP Soto)

Matt Fitzpatrick (No. 10: Bettinardi DASS Prototype)

Jordan Spieth (No. 13: Scotty Cameron 009 tour prototype)

Tony Finau (No. 14: Ping PLD Prototype)

Joohyung “Tom” Kim (No. 15: Scotty Cameron TourType GSS Prototype)

Hideki Matsuyama (No. 19: Scotty Cameron Newport 2 GSS)

Joaquin Niemann (No. 22: Prototype Ping PLD Anser)

Tommy Fleetwood (No. 24: TaylorMade TP Juno)

Ryan Fox (No. 26: Ping Anser 2D)

Thomas Pieters (No. 35: Scotty Cameron Squareback Select 2 Tour Only)

Talor Gooch (No. 38: Odyssey Tri-Hot Two)

Brooks Koepka (No. 39: Scotty Cameron Teryllium TNP2)

Kevin Na (No. 40: Odyssey Toulon Madison)

Kurt Kitayama (No. 41: Scotty Cameron Newport prototype)

Louis Oosthuizen (No. 42: Ping Vault 2.0 Voss)

Mito Pereira (No. 45: Ping Vault 2.0 Dale Anser Stealth)

Paul Casey (No. 47: Scotty Cameron 009M Prototype)

Alex Noren (No. 50: Odyssey O-Works 1W)

Top-50 in Strokes Gained: Putting

Mallet users: 70 percent (35 of 50 players)

Kelly Kraft’s custom Odyssey Versa 1-Ball Red prototype mallet

Lucas Herbert (No. 1: TaylorMade Spider X Hydroblast)

Denny McCarthy (No. 2: Scotty Cameron GoLo N7)

Tyrrell Hatton (No. 4: Ping Vault Oslo)

Beau Hossler (No. 5: Odyssey 2-Ball Ten)

Christiaan Bezuidenhout (No. 6: Odyssey White Hot OG #7)

Kelly Kraft (No. 7: Odyssey Versa 1-ball Red Prototype)

Kevin Kisner (No. 9: Odyssey 2-ball 11)

Sam Burns (No. 10: Odyssey O-Works 7S)

Martin Trainer (No. 12: Scotty Cameron Circle T Prototype Phantom T12)

Chesson Hadley (No. 13: Odyssey White Hot OG 2-Ball)

Mackenzie Hughes (No. 14: Ping Scottsdale TR Piper C)

Rory McIlroy (No. 16: TaylorMade Spider Tour Hydroblast)

Ian Poulter (No. 17: Scotty Cameron T-11 Proto)

Justin Rose (No. 20: Axis1 Rose Prototype)

Billy Horschel (No. 21: Ping PLD Sigma 2 Tyne 4)

Matthew Wolff (No. 23: TaylorMade GT Notchback)

Adam Long (No. 24: Scotty Cameron T5 Proto)

Viktor Hovland (No. 25: Ping PLD DS 72)

Max Homa (No. 27: Scotty Cameron Phantom X T5.5 Prototype)

Patrick Cantlay (T28: Scotty Cameron T5 Proto)

Jon Rahm (T28: Odyssey Rossie S White Hot OG)

Wyndham Clark (No. 31: Scotty Cameron T5 Proto)

Xander Schauffele (No. 32: Odyssey O-Works #7 CH Red)

Vince Whaley (No. 33: Odyssey White Hot OG #7)

Rory Sabbatini (No. 34: Scotty Cameron Flowback Prototype)

Austin Cook (T35: Ping Sigma G Tyne)

Sungjae Im (No. 37: Scotty Cameron Flowback 5 Prototype)

Andrew Putnam (No. 38: Odyssey Stroke Lab Black Rossie)

Sepp Straka (No. 39: Odyssey Tuttle Stroke Lab)

Seamus Power (No. 40: Ping PLD3 Mallet)

J.T. Poston (T41: Scotty Cameron GoLo 5 Black Tour Prototype)

Adam Scott (T41: L.A.B. Golf Mezz.1 prototype)

Troy Merritt (No. 43: Yes! C-Groove Mollie Tour)

Jason Kokrak (T46: Bettinardi Studio Stock 38)

Mark Hubbard (No. 50: Odyssey Metal X Milled #9HT)

Blade users: 30 percent (15 of 50)

Matthew Fitzpatrick’s custom Bettinardi blade-style putter

Brendon Todd (No. 3: Sik Pro C-Series)

Cameron Smith (No. 8: Scotty Cameron 009M Prototype)

Matt Kuchar (No. 11: Bettinardi Tour Department SS28 DASS)

Marc Leishman (No. 15: Odyssey Versa #6)

Alex Noren (No. 18: Odyssey O-Works 1W)

Maverick McNealy (No. 19: Toulon Stanford MM Custom)

Matt Fitzpatrick (No. 22: Bettinardi DASS Prototype)

Tommy Fleetwood (No. 26: TaylorMade TP Juno)

Patrick Rodgers (No. 30: Odyssey Toulon San Diego)

Seung-Yul Noh (T35: Scotty Cameron Select Prototype)

Scott Stallings (No. 44: Scotty Cameron Newport 2.6 Prototype)

Brooks Koepka (No. 45: Scotty Cameron Teryllium TNP2)

Justin Lower (T46: PXG Prototype)

Richy Werenski (No. 48: Scotty Cameron Circle T Prototype)

Patrick Reed (No. 49: Odyssey White Hot Pro #3)

Conclusion

In 2018, 44 percent of the top-50 players in the Official World Golf Rankings were using mallet style putters, and 56 percent of the top-50 in strokes gained: putting were using mallet putters.

In 2022, 62 percent of the top-50 players in the OWGR use mallet style putters, and 70 percent of the top-50 in strokes gained: putting were using mallet style putters.

What do you think this means?

To me, it means that each golfer should try as many putters as possible – under the supervision of a professional fitter or local club professional – and find the best possible putter to fit their stroke style and preferences.

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Putter Reviews

REVIEW: Ping’s new PLD (Putting Lab Design) putters for 2022

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Not every golfer has access to custom-built golf putters like PGA Tour players do, but with Ping’s new PLD (Putting Lab Design) program, they can get pretty darn close.

Through the newly launched website, pingpld.com, golfers will have access to precision milled putters like the ones seen on Tour, and they can even customize their own putter with a Tour-level fitting experience either online or in person.

There’s three essential levels to the new PLD program: PLD Custom, PLD Limited and PLD Milled. Each of the levels comes with different putter options at differing price points.

“The PLD program allows us to bring golfers more of what we do best – design and build the highest-performing custom putters in the game,” said Ping President John K. Solheim, in a press release. “It offers nearly endless possibilities. Golfers can craft their own custom design through PLD Custom, choose the proven performance of a PLD Milled model or add to their putter collection by acquiring a PLD Limited. It gives golfers a chance to play what the pros play and own a piece of Ping history.”

“We established the PLD name several years ago as an extension of the PING Putting Lab,
where we’ve been fitting some of the top players in the world for more than 20 years,” said
Solheim. “Until now, access to the master fitters who deliver these custom putter experiences has been limited to the best players in the game. We can now bring golfers what they’ve been asking for either through a virtual or in-person experience.”

Below, we go further in-depth on each of the three options within the PLD program.

Ping PLD Milled

PGA Tour players such as Viktor Hovland, Tony Finau and Bubba Watson use Ping PLD precision milled putters, and now consumers will have access to those Tour-proven putters.

Each of the heads (Anser, Anser 2, DS72 and Prime Tyne 4) are machine milled from forged 303 stainless steel. Ping offers a breakdown of the specs for each available model, which will sell for $485 each:

Anser

Slight Arc
350g
Matte Black finish
Ping black graphite shaft
Lie Angle: 20° +/- 4°
Loft: 3° +3°/- 2°

Anser 2

Slight Arc
350g
Satin finish
Chrome stepless steel shaft
Lie Angle: 20° +/- 4°
Loft: 3° +3°/- 2°

DS72

Straight Stroke
365g
Satin finish
Chrome stepless steel shaft
Lie Angle: 20° +/- 2°
Loft: 3° +3°/- 2°

Prime Tyne 4

Aerospace grade, machined aluminum hosel
Strong Arc
360g
Matte Black finish
Matte-black stepless steel shaft
Lie Angle: 20° +/- 4°
Loft: 3° +3°/- 2°

“The PLD Milled is an exciting addition to our putter line,” said John K. Solheim. “We’ve
identified a couple of our most popular models from the past and some newer designs that have attracted a lot of attention in the last couple of years. We’ve given the new putters a very clean, premium look to emphasize the precision process they undergo before they are ready for play. As we collaborate on new designs with our engineers and tour staff through the PLD program, we’ll add new models to bring golfers the latest in tour-proven performance on the putting green.”

Ping PLD Limited

Ping’s PLD Limited will feature periodic limited-edition releases consisting of either putters that are played on Tour, or iconic designs from history. According to Ping, these putters are mostly targeted toward collectors, so they will have serialized numbers and will not be available for custom modifications.

For its first release ($790), Ping developed a 2022 version of the original Ping Anser, celebrating the 55th Anniversary of receiving the original Anser Patent on March 21, 1967.

“A lot of time has passed since the invention of the Anser putter,” said John A. Solheim, Ping’s Chairman & CEO and the youngest son of Karsten Solheim, who designed the original putter. “We think it’s important to remind the golf industry and some of the younger golfers that the iconic design they see with other brands’ name on it was created by Karsten in his garage in the mid-1960s. I was fortunate to be at his side building the first Ansers, and continued to do so for many years. It’s time Karsten gets the credit he deserves for inventing the Anser putter.”

Ping PLD Custom

The highest level in the Ping PLD program feature the PLD Custom putters, where golfers can customize their own designs with either the help of a Ping Master fitter in person, or virtually through the PLD program online. To help golfers find their perfect putter, they will use the PLD iPing putting app, and a Ping Master fitter will analyze the player’s data to recommend a putter.

Then, golfers can fully customize the putter to their liking, with ability to change head model, Tungsten weighting, face milling, finish, alignment aids, stampings and paint fill. Ping’s Master Fitters will also help golfers get the correct length, lie angle and loft for their stroke and biometrics.

The putters themselves will sell for $1,290, and a $200 non-refundable payment is required to schedule and participate in a PLD Custom Fitting, whether it’s virtually or in person.

Personally, I received a Ping PLD Custom Fitting in-person at the company’s indoor facility in Phoenix, Arizona. After identifying my stroke flaws (of which there many) using Ping’s iPing putting app, I tried out a slew of different head options and we made head adjustments along the way to figure out what truly works. Here were my final specs:

Head model: Ping Anser
Finish: Patina
Weight: 350 grams
Alignment line/dot: None
Stamping: “T” on the hosel
Length: 35.5 inches
Shaft: Chrome Stepless Steel
Grip: PP58 Black Midsize

What blew me away most was how impactful length and lie angle can be on comfort at address and stroke pattern. Even minor changes felt drastic. Also, the depth of face milling can truly change both feel and sound; I never realized how much.

Another point of note: Switching up alignment lines obviously can affect aim, but for me, they also influenced my stroke itself due to the visual changes. I highly suggest going through a full putter fitting to determine what specifications you prefer for yourself.

Check out the photos below of the putter that was designed for me through my work with a Ping Master Fitter:

Ping PLD putters are available for pre-order today, and head over to Ping’s PLD website to book your own fitting here.

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Putter Reviews

WRX Spotlight Review: T Squared TS-713i Standard Series putter

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Product:  T Squared TS-713i Standard Series Putter

About T Squared: T Squared Putters is a small putter manufacturer just south of Buffalo, New York. The company was founded by Tony Tuber who created his first prototype putters, after hours, in his father’s machine shop. Since then Tony and his father have been creating high-quality putters in the same facility that creates high precision instruments for the medical field. They pride themselves on creating the highest quality, most precise putter they can offer. They offer a few different head shapes from small traditional blades to high MOI mallets and even a custom program to get exactly what you want.

The Ts-713i Standard Series is based on the Ts-713, the first prototype that Tony created. It is a blade-style putter with a slightly longer flange and a unique face insert milled from 6061 aluminum. The body of the Ts713i is milled from a solid block of 303 stainless steel that is produced in the USA and has a Teflon backing between the body and face insert.

This Teflon backing helps give the putter a softer feel at impact and reduce any unwanted vibration. Details are what T Squared is all about and the neck of the putter shows off their milling expertise. The neck is similar to a plumbers neck, built with multiple pieces and offering some cool texture on the section bonded to the head. Another great detail is that all the silver markings on the putter are not filled with paint, they are milled into the head. T Squared finished the head in a sharp matte black and then milled all the markings on the putter for a unique, shiny silver look that really stands out. Ts-713i putters are built for customizing and have a ton of options that you can select if you would like to build something totally unique

On the green, the T Squared TS-713i really performs fantastic. I found the feel at impact very solid without any unwanted vibration. The impact produces a muted click and soft feel that I wasn’t expecting from this aluminum insert and thin face. The deep milling and Teflon coated back to the insert really work together to produce a great, responsive feel that I enjoyed. Deep milling usually makes me a little worried because it can soften the putter too much and lose that feel we all demand.

The TS-713i has no issues and transmits impact feel back to your hands with ease. Mishits are a little louder and harsh, but nothing even close to unpleasant. I have used putters that don’t feel as good on perfectly struck shots as the TS-713i feels on mishit putts. Distance and accuracy on those mishit putts are not as drastic as you would expect with a blade putter. I often just missed the cup by small margins when I struck a putt on the toe or heel of the TS-713i. There aren’t too many blade putters that have shown this level of forgiveness on the green for me.

The “T” alignment aid on the flange of the putter is large and easy to use. Not only do you get a straight line from the face to the back edge for alignment, but the back of the “T” also helps you square the putter up to your target. The Pure grip is not my thing, and it would be great for T Squared to offer a few more options, but that is an easy fix and a very minor criticism.

Overall, the T Squared TS-713i is a great putter from young Tony Tuber that exceeded my expectations. His attention to detail, precision milling, and take on a classic head shape offer golfers something different without sacrificing any performance. If you are looking for a great feeling putter that is made in the USA, you should take a look at T Squared and see what they can make for you.

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