Equipment
Meet KOTI: The Korean Scotty Cameron
Among the many famous names in putter manufacturing, any golfer worth his flat stick would nod in agreement at the mention of Scotty Cameron and Robert Bettinardi being the top two putter brands in modern golf.
To be sure, there are many great putters out there, and Odyssey lineups are probably the best-selling putters by far. But when it comes to brand power, it usually comes down to these two names. We also know that brand power doesn’t necessarily mean better performance on the greens.
Putting is very subjective, and a glance into some tour pros’ bags will often reveal an old putter with its fair share of dings and scratches. Despite being able to own any putter they want, pros stick with their tried and true, while Joes like me tend to drool over the latest and greatest.
Looks vs Performance vs Ego
So what’s the most important factor in choosing YOUR putter? Some of you may be thinking “if it works for me, that’s the one.” But are you sure? For example, if you were given a chance to choose a free putter from a big box store, would you be courageous enough to choose a cheap $100 putter that seemed to work best for you? Or would you choose the latest milled GSS (enter your favorite brand here) putter costing 10 times as much?
And this is precisely my problem. I want to be an effective putter on the greens, but I also want to look good doing it. To this end, I have tried many flat sticks from Bettinardi, Titleist, and almost all big OEMs. A few years ago, I also discovered the milled delights of boutique brands like Lamb, Olson, Artisan, and other small but stylish putter brands on social media. Their offerings seemed more like works of art than golf clubs, and while I enjoyed the envy it generated from my friends, the sad truth was that I still did better with the bigger, uglier mallets (aka DF2.1 from L.A.B).
Just as I was about to give up my search for that unicorn with both beauty AND brains (read performance) I discovered the Korean Tiger here in my own backyard.
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Unicorn
Yoon Chang-sun, CEO of KOTI Putter, is no newcomer to industrial design. With an impressive career background in mechanical engineering and mobile phone design at one of Korea’s largest conglomerates, his love of golf turned him towards club design in 2007.
He was fascinated by the art of putting and says he was initially inspired by the works of Scotty Cameron. Drawing on his work background, he obsessed with putter designs to help roll the ball forward as straight as possible. His first creation, the “wire putter”, incorporated metal wires in the face, an idea he got from watching tennis balls bouncing off the mesh face of a racquet. He was intrigued by how the mesh wrapped around the ball at impact but still imparted accurate direction and power.
His first foray into manufacturing was called Tang putters, named for the sound that it made when the ball bounced off the wire face.
Yoon’s out-of-the-box ideas continued with his early version of the “Transformer putter”, in which he shifted the location of the CG by transforming the putter head with movable parts. He would soon learn that the shape-changing aspect of his putter is non-conforming, but the experience helped him to realize the importance of weight distribution. After forming YCS Golf Studio in 2014 and launching several more designs, he finally found success in 2020 with the KOTI putter line featuring the “Center of Gravity Technology” that promised both performance and style.
“I wanted to create a new line of putters that not only looked pleasing to the eye but to also really perform for golfers of all skill levels. My experience in engineering taught me that a perfectly balanced putter would offer the most stability, not only at impact but also in the stroke itself, especially on the backstroke.
I have seen so many wonderful looking putters, only to feel awkward when pulling the putter back to start the stroke. Inevitably, this uncertainty would be reflected in my stroke, leading me to miss the putt in so many ways. By placing the CG exactly at the center of the putter head in all my designs, I wanted to help golfers find that right feel to be able to pull the trigger with confidence at address” – Chang-suh Yoon, CEO and creator of KOTI putters
The name Korean Tiger (KO-TI) was chosen to represent the tiger which is commonly associated with the Korean peninsula and the symbolic fighting spirit of its people. The trademark raised toe section of the KOTI putter head also reflects the timeless architecture of Korean houses and castles called ‘Han-Ok.
“I wanted my designs to not only perform but to also mean something special to the golfer who plays them. To this end, all of my putter models are named after historical places such as ‘Jeju’ and ‘Dokdo’ Islands and iconic Korean achievements such as the’Hun Min JeongEum’, the modern Korean Hangul alphabet developed by King Sejong in 1446.” – Chang-suh Yoon, CEO & creator of KOTI putters
More Than Just Good Looks
I’ve always longed to have that cool aura of a player: MB irons, a blade putter, and a single sleeve of Maxfli balata in the bag, a la Fred Couples circa 1992. But as I got older, I headed in the opposite direction as the mallet putters and their technological advantages were too good to pass up. On the other hand, the handsome milled putter heads usually offered me little in the performance department. Other than jaw-dropping designs that lightened my wallet, these beauties were most about good steel, clean milled faces for “feel” and aesthetically pleasing looks that fooled others into thinking I was a good putter.
KOTI putters also check the same boxes, but Yoon’s designs also provide a unique technology I haven’t seen in other milled putters. Featuring what he calls the “Center of Gravity Technology” Yoon’s line-up all have their CG placed EXACTLY in the center of the putter — not only on the center of the face but on the center of the sole as well. Although I don’t know much about putter designs, it was impressive to see KOTI putters balance perfectly atop a single nail point.
Could this be the unicorn/tiger I was searching for? Since the balancing act was the first time I’ve seen it done in a traditional one-piece milled putter head, I was intrigued to see what it could do.
After rolling several KOTI putters at Yoon’s new studio, I was quite pleased by the feel and results I was seeing. The first thing I noticed with all the KOTI putters was how easy it was to pull the putter back from address. With any new putter, I would normally need to fidget with the grip and the unfamiliar weight before I can feel any semblance of a smooth takeaway.
With KOTI, however, the putter head seemed to glide effortlessly back and straight through from the start. Regardless of the type of putter, I was still able to pull the putter back in one smooth and fluid motion without any discernable wobbling or shaking. According to Yoon, this was the center of gravity tech in action, which ensured a stable and consistent putting stroke from start to finish. Each of his putters felt as if it was tailored to my specific stroke, and I felt comfortable over the ball right away.
It was love at first stroke, but I also know how puppy love works. I fell in love with enough beautiful putters over the years to know that no matter how awesome it rolls at the golf shop, the magic mysteriously disappears as soon as it’s bought and paid for, leaving a broken wallet in its wake. Fortunately(?) I was able to overcome my rational side and order myself a custom center-shafted KOTI ‘TaeBaek’ (named after a famous Korean mountain range) putter, complete with customized stamping and a personalized putter cover. The hopeless romantic in me really, really hopes that this love affair lasts.
It seems I’m not the only one sitting up and taking notice of KOTI. Yoon’s studio is currently backlogged with tour pros and elite amateurs all clamoring for his creations. When asked what his future plans are, Yoon says he wants to focus on maintaining quality in all of his products, which means you may not find his putters on the golf store shelves anytime soon.
As each putter is machine milled for CG balance and handcrafted to perfection, the price is a bit steeper than your off-the-shelf variety. For those having the patience to wait (3~6 months) for quality and performance, a one-off custom KOTI putter with Yoon’s unique signature stamp can cost $1500 and up, while a small batch limited-run models can be between $800~$1200. These cost a pretty penny to be sure, but beauty and brains never did come cheap. Just ask Mr Cameron.
At the end of the day, KOTI is still a newbie in the world of high-end putters. But Yoon is not in a hurry. He’s confident that his CG tech and quality craftsmanship will win over more golfers of all skill levels soon. And with an unprecedented boom in golf around the world of late, I wouldn’t be surprised to see his KOTI putters in the hands of golfers sooner than expected. So if you’re like me and on the lookout for a sweet-looking classic putter with actual technology behind it, then you may want to get in line early.
For more pictures of KOTI putters and Yoon’s craft, visit his Instagram page @koti_putter
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Whats in the Bag
Club Junkie WITB, league night week 5: Another L.A.B. putter arises
We will be one quarter of the way through Thursday night men’s league season after this week. BK played much better last week, so he is hoping to continue that success and post another good score.
Here are the 14 clubs that will hopefully win him some skins!
Driver: PXG 0311 Black Ops (9 degrees, neutral setting)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Blue 6 X (2024)
3-wood: Cobra Dark Speed LS Titanium (14.5 degrees, set +1)
Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD IZ-7x
Fairway: Callaway Apex UW (19 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura ATMOS Tour Spec Blue 8 X
Hybrid: PXG 0311 Black Ops 4h (22 degrees, Flat Setting)
Shaft: KBS Tour Graphite Hybrid Prototype 85 S
Irons: TaylorMade P770 Phantom Black (5-PW)
Shaft: KBS Tour 120 Stiff
Wedge: PXG Sugar Daddy II (50-13 BP)
Shaft: Nippon Modus3 Tour 120 Stiff
Wedge: PXG Sugar Daddy II (56-13 BP)
Shaft: Nippon Modus3 Tour 120 Stiff
Wedge: PXG Sugar Daddy II (60-13 BP)
Shaft: Nippon Modus3 Tour 120 Stiff
Putter: L.A.B. Mezz.1 Max
Shaft: Accra x L.A.B. White
Ball: Titleist ProV1 Enhanced Alignment
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Whats in the Bag
Jon Rahm WITB 2024 (May)
- Jon Rahm what’s in the bag accurate as of the PGA Championship. 15 clubs pictured. More photos from the event here.
Driver: Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Triple Diamond (10.5 degrees) Buy here.
Shaft: Aldila Tour Green ATX 75 2.8 TX
3-wood: Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Triple Diamond T (High Launch, 16 degrees) Buy here.
Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD DI 8 X
5-wood: Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Triple Diamond T (18 degrees) Buy here.
Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD DI 8 X
Irons: Callaway Apex UT (21 degrees) Buy here, Callaway Apex Pro (4) Buy here, Callaway Apex TCB (5-10) Buy here.
Shafts: KBS Tour Hybrid Prototype 105 X (21), Project X 6.5 (4-PW)
Wedges: Callaway Jaws Forged (52-10, 56-12) Buy here, Callaway Jaws Raw (60-04C) Buy here.
Shafts: Project X 125 6.5
Putter: Odyssey Ai-One Rossie S Buy here.
Grips: Golf Pride MCC midsize
More photos of Jon Rahm’s WITB in the forums.
More Jon Rahm WITBs
- Jon Rahm’s winning WITB: 2023 Genesis Invitational
- Jon Rahm WITB 2022 (July)
- Jon Rahm WITB 2022 (May)
- Jon Rahm WITB 2022 (January, new photos)
- Jon Rahm WITB 2022 (January)
- Jon Rahm WITB 2021 (September)
- Jon Rahm WITB 2021 (Masters)
- Jon Rahm WITB 2021 (March)
- Jon Rahm WITB 2021 (Callaway)
- Jon Rahm WITB (October 2020)
- Jon Rahm WITB 2020
- Jon Rahm WITB 2020
- Jon Rahm WITB
- Jon Rahm WITB 2018
- Jon Rahm WITB 2017
- Jon Rahm WITB 2016
- Jon Rahm winning WITB: 2022 Mexico Open at Vidanta
- Jon Rahm winning WITB: 2021 US Open
- Jon Rahm winning WITB: 2020 BMW Championship
- Jon Rahm winning WITB: 2020 Memorial
- Jon Rahm winning WITB: 2019 DP World Championship
- Jon Rahm winning WITB: 2019 Open de Espana
- Jon Rahm winning WITB: 2018 Hero World Challenge
- Jon Rahm winning WITB: 2018 Open de Espana
- Jon Rahm winning WITB: 2018 CareerBuilder Challenge
- Jon Rahm winning WITB: 2017 DP World Championship
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Equipment
Limited-edition gear spotted at the PGA Championship
The second major of the season is here, and with it, custom gear aplenty! Taking inspiration from both Louisville, Kentucky, and host course Valhalla, the OEMs have been having some fun with the designs.
Check out PGA Championship staff bags, some custom kicks, and a very cool putter grip from SuperStroke.
2024 PGA Championship staff bags
Callaway
PGA Championship Staff Bag Giveaway ? See below how you can win the bag and headcovers being used this week by #TeamCallaway at the second major of the year:
-Follow @callawaygolf
-Tag 2 friends in the comments pic.twitter.com/8HbGdPHiFK— Callaway Golf (@CallawayGolf) May 13, 2024
Cobra
TaylorMade
From the stables to the fairway. ?
This year’s PGA Championship staff bag and accessories pay homage to the Derby City with callouts to the run for the roses, the fastest lap in track history and more.
Dive into all the details of this beauty: https://t.co/afhEVKHWLj pic.twitter.com/8eoP6tDZq1
— TaylorMade Golf (@TaylorMadeGolf) May 13, 2024
Scotty Cameron’s putter cover features the Scotty Dog in Viking helmet
Bettinardi’s KFC-inspired putter covers
Ping’s bourbon-inspired putter cover
Rory McIlroy’s Kentucky Bourbon Trail-inspired Nike Air Zoom Victory Tour 3 shoes
FootJoy x Todd Snyder Mint Julep Premier Series
Brooks Koepka’s Kentucky Bourbon Trail-inspired Nike Air Zoom Infinity Tour shoes
SuperStroke’s PGA Championship grip
Check out all of our photos from Valhalla here.
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Will
Aug 2, 2022 at 4:50 pm
How does one go about buying one of these?
Colin K
Jun 30, 2022 at 4:14 pm
Yet more shiny, fancy Ping Anser copies. Zzzz.
Jack
Jun 29, 2022 at 8:32 am
James.
Get over it.
Unless your sinking every putt you’re confronted with during a round, nobody will ever care what putter you use nor will they even bother to notice what it looks like; so let me suggest that you simply start using the putter that you sink the most putts with. You will definitely have a lot more fun while playing golf and perhaps someone in your group will take note of the putter you are using.
Moe Greene
Jul 2, 2022 at 3:38 pm
That’s odd, my Gauge Design gets fawned over every round. It also makes putts. Remarkable.
Stanley
Jun 29, 2022 at 7:30 am
This is very cool. I like the Korean inspired designs
H
Jun 29, 2022 at 1:22 am
What the heck is this advertorial. Sheesh. We don’t need another copy cat putter company. Especially one like this that’s totally shameless