Guerin Rife is best known for the line of putters that carry his last name. But he’s releasing a new line of putters called “Guerin” that he hopes will familiarize golfers with his first name.

Rife’s original putter company, Rife, was sold to Innovex, a company known for its multi-piece golf balls, in late 2011. But despite the fact that the putters still carry his last name, Rife has no association with Innovex’s Rife putter line.

Rife is back in the putter game with Guerin Design Putter Co., a line of premium forged-milled putters that will be available this summer in two different models, an Anser-style blade called the GR1 and a mallet called the GR3.

Both models will come in lengths of 33, 34 and 35 inches, but the different lengths will maintain the same swing weight of D-7.

“I chose D-7 because it is a standard preference of PGA Tour players,” Rife said. “This swing weight is slightly heavier than 10 years ago, because greens are faster in general. D-7 provides for a stable weight in the hands but not so heavy that it would diminish distance control.”

In order to achieve the same swing weight with different lengths, Rife varied the head weight of his putters, making them heavier in the shorter lengths and lighter in the longer lengths. But he was careful to add and subtract weight in areas that are not visable at address, which means the differently weighted heads will look the same to golfers over a putt.

The putters also feature “wavy grooves” in the putter face, which the company calls variable surface engineering. According to the Rife, this provides two advantages over straight grooves — the wavy grooves not only touch more surface of a golf ball at impact, but they also are better able to conform to the uneven surface of a golf ball.

The third, and most intriguing feature of Guerin putters is their “Rocker Sole,” which is shaped in a way that the company says removes alignment problems caused by eye dominance. According to Rife, the Rocker Sole also accommodates different hand positions, squaring up the putter face regardless of how the putter is soled.

Each putter will be available in two different finishes:

• Silver, which is made from 303 stainless steel and has a natural finish.
• Black, which is made 11L17 carbon steel that gets a three-coating finish to prevent rusting — nickel (first), chrome (second) and black PVD (third).

Rife also plans to release his gold-finished “Master Milled” putters, which he said are “so completely milled that no grinding or polishing is required in the finishing process.”

Guerin putters will hit retail outlets this summer, but prices are yet to be set. Expect them to cost about the same amount as other premium putters on the market.

Click here to see more more photos and read the discussion the the “Tour/Pre-release equipment” forum.

 

Click here to see more photos and read the discussion the the “Tour/Pre-release equipment” forum.