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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Driver: Titleist TSR3 (9 degrees, D1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Blue 6 X
3-wood: TaylorMade Stealth Plus (15 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Blue 8 X
Hybrid: Titleist TSR3 (19 degrees, D1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Blue HB 9 x
Irons: Titleist T200 (4, 5), Titleist 620 CB (6-9)
Shafts: Project X 6.0
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (46-10F, 50-12F, 54-12D, 60)
Shafts: Project X 6.0
Putter: Scotty Cameron P5 prototype
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet
Ball: Titleist Pro V1
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- Kris Kim what’s in the bag accurate as of the CJ Cup Byron Nelson. More photos from the event here.
Driver: TaylorMade Qi10 (9 degrees @7)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei 1K White 60 TX
3-wood: TaylorMade Qi10 Tour (15 degrees @13.5)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana WB 73 TX
Irons: TaylorMade P770 (2, 4), TaylorMade P7MB (5-PW)
Shafts: Mitsubishi Tensei 1K White 80 TX (2), Nippon N.S. Pro Modus3 Tour 120 X
Wedges: TaylorMade MG4 (50-09SB, 56-12SB, 60-11TW)
Shafts: Nippon N.S. Pro Modus3 WV 125
Putter: TaylorMade Spider Tour
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Cord
Check out more in-hand photos of Kris Kim’s equipment here.
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TaylorMade is continuing its UDI/DHY series with the successor to the Stealth UDI and DHY utility irons: PUDI and PDHY (which the company styles as P·UDI and P·DHY). TaylorMade is folding the designs in with its P Series of irons.
TaylorMade outlined the process of developing its new utilities this way. The company started with the data on utility iron usage. Not surprisingly, better players — i.e. those who generate more clubhead speed and strike the ball more precisely — were found to gravitate toward the UDI model. DHY usage, however, covered a wider swath than the company might have expected with six-to-18 handicappers found to be bagging the club.
TaylorMade also found that the majority of golfers playing UDI or DHY utilities were playing P Series irons at the top of their iron configurations.
Can you see where this is going?
Matt Bovee, Director of Product Creation, Iron and Wedge at TaylorMade: “As we look to the future, beyond the tech and the design language, we are excited about repositioning our utility irons into the P·Series family. P·UDI is an easy pair for players that currently play P·Series product and P·DHY is an extremely forgiving option for players of all skill levels. It is a natural fit to give these players the performance in this category that they are looking for.”
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TaylorMade PUDI
TaylorMade PUDI technology cutaway (via TaylorMade)
Crafted with tour player input, TaylorMade sought to develop a confidence-inspiring utility iron that blends with the rest of the P Series irons. Also of note: Interestingly, the PUDI has a more compact head than the P790.
In comparison to past UDI products, the PUDI has a more traditional iron shape, slimmer toplines, and less offset with a little of the backbar visible at address.
TaylorMade PDHY
TaylorMade PDHY tech cutaway (via TaylorMade).
Larger in profile than the PUDI, the PDHY seeks to position center of gravity (CG) lower in the club for ease of launch. The toe height is larger and the profile is larger at address — roughly five millimeters longer than PUDI — the sole of the club is wider for improved forgiveness.
Club Junkie’s take
Golfers who feel like they are missing something at the top of the bag could find the PUDI or PDHY a great option. The look of the PUDI should fit the most discerning eye with a more compact look, less offset, and a thinner topline. If you want a little more confidence looking down the P-DHY will be slightly larger while still being a good-looking utility iron.
For being small packages both models pack a pretty good punch with fast ball speeds, even off-center. The feel is soft and you get a solid feel of the ball compressing off the face when you strike it well. Your ears are greeted with a nice heavy thud as the ball and club come together. The PDHY will launch a little higher for players who need it while the PUDI offers a more penetrating ball flight. Both utility irons could be the cure for an open spot in the top end of the bag.
PUDI, PDHY, or Rescue?
TaylorMade offers the following notes to assist golfers in filling out their bags:
- PUDI has mid-CG right behind the center face to create a more penetrating mid-to-low ball flight
- PDHY has a lower center of gravity to produce an easier-to-launch mid-to-high ball flight.
- Both PUDI and PDHY are lower-flying than the company’s hybrid/Rescue clubs.
- PUDI is more forgiving than P790.
- PDHY is the most forgiving iron in the entire TaylorMade iron family
Pricing, specs, and availability
Price: $249.99
At retail: Now
Stock shafts: UST Mamiya’s Recoil DART (105 X, 90 S and 75 R – only in PDHY)
Stock grip: Golf Pride’s ZGrip (black/grey)
PUDI lofts: 2-17°, 3-20°, 4-22° in both left and right-handed
PDHY lofts: 2-18°, 3-20° and 4-22° in both left and right-handed
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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
2
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!