Equipment
L.A.B. Golf DF3 putter review – Club Junkie Reviews
I know a lot of golfers haven’t heard of L.A.B. Golf, but they are a putter company making some serious waves in the golf space. Their Lie Angle Balanced putters have been a hit with amateur golfers for years, and we are now seeing more and more showing up in the bags of professional players. Lie Angle Balanced putters are built so that when you rest the putter horizontally, the face points at the target.
L.A.B. Describes Lie Angle Balance: “Lie Angle Balance (L.A.B.) Technology makes it effortless for golfers to deliver a square putter face at impact because, unlike other putters, it keeps the putter face square to the arc throughout the stroke. It makes putting as easy as picking the right line, the right speed, and making your natural stroke.”
I will admit that the DF3 is not the first L.A.B. Golf putter that I have owned or reviewed. I have had the pleasure of rolling the original Mezz.1 and the larger Mezz.1 Max putters as well. But the new DF3 looks very good when you take it out of the box. The Platinum finish has enough texture to ensure you won’t have to worry about glare from the sun but also has a depth to it that looks luxurious. I think L.A.B. nailed the size of the DF3 as it is compact but has some thickness to it that is very proportionate. Picking up a ball is also so easy and simple, just set the hole in the rear of the putter down on the ball. With almost zero pressure the ball sticks to the putter and you effortlessly bring it up.
I rolled the DF3 initially indoors for about 4-5 days and the first thing I noticed was the softer feel and very muted sound. Across the entire face you get a slightly softer feel than the Mezz.1 Max but it isn’t mushy or unresponsive. You can still tell when you mishit the ball or strike it dead center on the face.
When you get the DF3 on a real green, you can see how the horizontal grooves on the face produce a smooth roll with plenty of topspin and very little skid or hop. L.A.B.’s lie angle balance does just work and it has proven in every putter head they make. The face stays pointed at the target through the whole stroke without any need for you to manipulate it. I found that for me very light grip pressure allows the putter to move straight back and straight through the ball, getting it started on line easily and consistently.
Confidence on short putts is through the roof as you know you just have to aim the putter correctly in order to make a short and straight putt. Greens here in Michigan are far from smooth in February, but I never once felt like I didn’t start my putt on the intended line. Longer putts for me took a little more practice to get used to as you don’t have to try and guide the face back to square on a bigger backswing. Trusting that the DF3 will be square to your target is all you have to do, then just pull the putter back and let it go. Lag putts are very accurate and after a little while you start to imagine that you should make a few more than you statistically should. Once you get comfortable with a L.A.B. putter, it all comes down to your read and the speed you hit the putt.
The DF3 does have a little different feel than my Mezz.1 Max, and I have to think that’s due to the added stability of the DF3. The new putter also has a new grip that feels a little more familiar in your hands, a pistol version of the Press grip. Press grips are designed where the shaft installs on an angle, vertically through it, to work with the forward press in the shaft angle. This new pistol option is immediately comfortable and sits in the pads of your fingers really well. The pistol shape feels more traditional compared to the more oval shape of the Press II that I have on my Mezz.1 Max. L.A.B. also added some texture to the grip and that should provide some added tackiness when the hot and humid summer days roll in.
Overall, I think L.A.B. Golf did a wonderful job with the new DF3 putter. They were able to enhance the shape of the head, increase stability, and keep the same Lie Angle Balance technology working in harmony together. Add these up, and I think golfers who were turned off by the looks of the DF2.1 will be excited to try the DF3.
- LIKE28
- LEGIT8
- WOW4
- LOL2
- IDHT0
- FLOP1
- OB0
- SHANK2
Whats in the Bag
Taylor Montgomery WITB 2024 (March)
- Taylor Montgomery what’s in the bag accurate as of the Cognizant Classic. Check out more photos from the event here.
Driver: TaylorMade Qi10 (9 degrees)
Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD VF 7 TX
3-wood: TaylorMade Qi10 Tour (15 degrees)
Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD VF 8 TX
Hybrid: TaylorMade Qi10 Tour (19.5 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi MMT HY 100 TX
Irons: TaylorMade P7TW (4-PW)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100
Wedges: TaylorMade MG4 (52-09SB, 56-12SB), Vokey Design WedgeWorks Proto (60-T)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100
Putter: TaylorMade Spider Ghost S
Grip: Elite
Grips: Golf Pride MCC
- LIKE0
- LEGIT0
- WOW0
- LOL0
- IDHT0
- FLOP0
- OB0
- SHANK0
Whats in the Bag
WITB Time Machine: Paul Casey’s winning WITB, 2019 Valspar Championship
At the 2019 Valspar Championship, Englishman Paul Casey took the trophy at the Copperhead Course for the second year in a row. On a difficult Sunday, Casey’s 1-over 72 was good enough for a one-stroke victory over Louis Oosthuizen and Jason Kokrak as Dustin Johnson faltered.
Check out Casey’s clubs from five years ago below.
Driver: TaylorMade M4 (10.5 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana D+ Limited 70 TX (tipped 1 inch)
3-wood: TaylorMade M1 (15 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana D+ 80 TX Limited (tipped 1.75 inches)
Irons: Mizuno MP-25 (3), Mizuno JPX 919 Hot Metal Pro (4), Mizuno MP-5 (5-PW)
Shafts: Nippon N.S. Pro Modus3 Tour 120 TX
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM7 (52-08F, 56-10S), Vokey Proto (60)
Shaft: Nippon N.S. Pro Modus3 Tour 120 X
Putter: Scotty Cameron Circle T 350-SSS
Grip: Scotty Cameron Matador
Grips: Golf Pride ZGrip Cord Midsize
Golf Ball: Titleist Pro V1
Mizuno’s Senior Club Engineer, Chris Voshall told us Casey’s somewhat surprising setup in his long irons is simply the product of Casey hitting the windows he wants to with the particular clubs in question.
“It’s all based on the height of the ball flight,” Voshall said. The MP-25 3-iron was more penetrating and better for him off the tee, so he kept it in there.”
- LIKE0
- LEGIT0
- WOW0
- LOL0
- IDHT0
- FLOP0
- OB0
- SHANK0
Equipment
Coolest thing for sale in the GolfWRX Classifieds (3/22/24): Nike Vapor Pro Combo 4-A iron heads
At GolfWRX, we are a community of like-minded individuals that all experience and express our enjoyment of the game in many ways.
It’s that sense of community that drives day-to-day interactions in the forums on topics that range from best driver to what marker you use to mark your ball. It even allows us to share another thing we all love – buying and selling equipment.
Currently, in our GolfWRX buy/sell/trade (BST) forum, there is a listing for a set of Nike Vapor Pro Combo 4-A iron heads.
From the seller: (@DrCoFo): “Nike Vapor Pro Combo 4-A heads in really nice shape. Just bought these recently- thought I would be the cool kid on the block with the Nikes. Was going to do a custom look, but I was way too ambitious and would rather just have a new set of irons. So here we are. Heads are already pulled from the shafts. Ready for your project needs. $550 shipped.”
To check out the full listing in our BST forum, head through the link: Nike Vapor Pro Combo 4-A iron heads
This is the most impressive current listing from the GolfWRX BST, and if you are curious about the rules to participate in the BST Forum you can check them out here: GolfWRX BST Rules
- LIKE1
- LEGIT0
- WOW0
- LOL0
- IDHT0
- FLOP0
- OB0
- SHANK0
-
Whats in the Bag2 weeks ago
Scottie Scheffler WITB 2024 (March)
-
Tour Photo Galleries3 weeks ago
Photos from the 2024 Arnold Palmer Invitational
-
19th Hole3 weeks ago
Joaquin Niemann names 3 PGA Tour events he’d love to play each year ‘in a perfect world’
-
19th Hole3 weeks ago
‘Seems suspect’ – PGA Tour pro hits out at decision to hand Adam Scott and Webb Simpson Bay Hill sponsor exemptions
-
Equipment3 weeks ago
Spotted: Bettinardi irons at the Arnold Palmer Invitational
-
19th Hole2 weeks ago
Paulina Gretzky opens up on receiving death threats following DJ’s move to LIV Golf
-
19th Hole3 weeks ago
Vincenzi’s 2024 Arnold Palmer Invitational betting preview: Big names ready to pounce at Bay Hill
-
19th Hole2 weeks ago
Vincenzi’s LIV Golf Hong Kong betting preview: Trio of major champs primed for big week