[Who's YouTube Channel Would You Want To Be A Guest On?]

9 minutes ago, cnosil said:

Dan Grieves or ShortGameChef.   That means I am getting a short game lesson and potentially improving my game. 

I am with you on Dan Grieves, that would be a great to get a lesson from him.

[Who's YouTube Channel Would You Want To Be A Guest On?]

I have to say that I would love to do a Break 75 with Rick Shiels.

[L.A.B. DF3 Putters - 2024 Forum Review]

On 4/15/2024 at 4:05 AM, CFreddie said:

The Introduction

First off, massive thanks to MGS and L.A.B. Golf for this incredible opportunity - if you’ve been following me since the introduction of the DF3, I’ve had my eye on the DF3 for sometime!

My name is Chris, and I currently reside in Atlanta, Georgia, with my wife (of 9 years) and 2 children (5 and 1.5 years).  And while we do get (mostly) year-round golf, the busyness of my personal & professional life afford me those precious few rounds of golf during a typical month.   However, I hope that's changing in the coming years, as both my wife and oldest are picking up the sport I’ve known & loved for many years.  Crossing fingers it sticks!

Living in Atlanta, we have a number of “ok” options - mostly munis or semi-private tracks that aren’t maintained that well and / or way too busy.  If you get outside, you have better options, but you are looking at a full day of golf / travel, which isn’t the most conducive to having a young family.  Regardless, I make it work, and usually focus on planning my next golf trip (these are Tobacco Road & Bandon Dunes, respectively).

The Game

If you have followed a previous testing thread of mine (Cobra 50th Challenge & Member Test), I’ve been playing golf “most” of my life (most meaning once / year), but didn’t really take it seriously until the world shutdown in 2020 and it was basically the only thing you could do outside.  Since then, I’ve gotten the bug, and thrown myself headfirst into the game - first playing with hand me downs from my dad, then getting to build a fully fitted bag from Cobra (thanks again MGS - forever grateful).  

Currently, I carry a 13.1 handicap, thanks in large part to my recent performance at the end-of-season VCT Tournament (shoutout to my awesome partner @Javs).  I’ve been going through some distinct swing changes through an online swing coach / program, and have seen massive gains in my driver down to short irons (shoutout my most excellent collaborator @Preeway).  And for the most part, my putter has held its ground (although that’s pretty shaky ground at most times).  

My current gamer is a Scotty Cameron Phantom X 5.5 (similar head shape to JT / Homa / Cantlay’s putters), which I selected off the rack a couple years ago.   

The Setup

As an engineer (Go Jackets), I’ve been drawn to the L.A.B. concept for some time, and have been a huge fan of Sam / the business he’s built to this point.  Prior to being selected, I obsessed over the idea of gaming the DF3 - a putter which I believe combines some of the best aspects of their other models, particularly the stated forgiveness of the DF2.1.  And with the ability to create your own “virtual” putter on LAB’s website, I took many liberties in creating a multitude of designs - different color / shaft combinations, grips, and 33 (yes, 33) different alignment options.  Is this the one?  Stay tuned and see...  

As I think about this test, I’m planning to breakdown this process in a couple distinctive sections:

1) The Fitting - LAB offers a unique fitting experience that seems to have its  fans (and detractors).  Lets see what works well, what doesn’t, and how it could be a good option for others considering a LAB in their future.  

2) The Numbers - In order to capture the requisite data points, I’m planning to utilize Arccos as my on-course data capture tool, augmenting it with some old-school data capture techniques on my Perfect Practice mat at home and some LM time at a local Club Champion.  In addition, I’ll plan to sprinkle in some additional “mini-competitions” on a local putting green, and heck, maybe even another surprise or two (hint - anyone remember a certain Cobra test with flat-sticks last year? ).  

3) The Course - Most importantly, the DF3 will be put through its paces on the course - comparing to previously captured results from my Scotty and doing a couple head to head matches with friends of various putting prowess (maybe even a fellow MGS member perhaps?).

And with that…

The Fitting

A unique part of LAB’s model is a remote fitting process, which asks the player to create a short (3-5 second) video, using a door jamb as a reference point, and submit through their website.

Yes, its that simple - in a couple days, you get a response from your fitter who can then walk you through your measurements and answer any questions you may have.  And boy, did I have questions…

(insert cliffhanger)

Congratulations on being selected and I am very excited to see how you like the LAB putter and how it compares to your Scotty.  

[What's Your Dream Putter?]

My dream putter to game is not much different from what I have. 

LAB DF3 with BGT Stability ONE shaft 36" in black with the DF2.1 logo for the alignment mark and the Press II 3 degree Smooth. I have never tried a counter balance putter and so that would be the only thing that could change that if it works for me.

 

If I had the option to own any putter I think I would want an original Ping 1A or one of the original Anser's.  

Karsten Solheim and Ping revolutionized putting and I think LAB is taking the next step though not on the same level as what Ping did.

[LAB Putters? Yea or Nay]

1 hour ago, brandonoien said:

The current gamer is an odyssey white hot-versa putter. Been contemplating switching to a LAB putter. I don't make a ton of money, so I am wondering if they are worth the price point and which one to get. I like the look of the mezz.

I understand that completely. I bought mine used for the same reason and I was lucky that I found one locally that fit my set up.  Before I made the investment I tried them out at PGATSS and then I was able to meet the seller at a course and tried it out on the practice green.  Later I hope to upgrade to a Mezz or DF3 but cost is the largest barrier to upgrading.

[LAB Putters? Yea or Nay]

49 minutes ago, TJ Hall said:

Nay for me, just not my style.  But if all other options fail and the LAB rolls ‘em in, might change my mind.

You may just need to try one but finding someone that is also a lefty to borrow theirs may be a bit of a challenge.

[LAB Putters? Yea or Nay]

53 minutes ago, Owengeorge13 said:

I belong to a golf club, not one member owns a L.A.B. Golf putter from what I’ve seen.  I bet it explodes this year.  Once one person at the club gets something that works, ten other people have it within a week.

Maybe it could be you that is the trendsetter. 

[LAB Putters? Yea or Nay]

24 minutes ago, Mike10487 said:

I looked at them. they felt good, but I couldn't get over the look. If it doesn't look good to me, I can't do it no matter how good it feels. *****pause***** Yes we are talking about Putters. The black one did look smaller, but by that time it was too late for me. My OCD would never let me do it. 

I sort of liked the unique look to it at first but now it has just gotten sort of annoying to look at and it is ugly but the putts just go in. I try to switch with trying different putters but the results of the LAB keep it in my bag.  Last week on 9 holes I made two over 15 feet and a 10 footer.

[LAB Putters? Yea or Nay]

I have been gaming my DF2.1 for about a year and a half and I love it.  It is ugly and I have sort of gotten tired of looking at this massive thing but it just works and I have never putt better.  It did take time to get used to.  I agree with some of the comments made in that you sort of fought with the putter but never realized it and now with this you just putt and it feels different.  I also had to get used to the shaft lean/press in the grip but now that didn't take too much time to get used to. I will pull out other putters every once in a while and try them; face balanced, slight arc, blade, mid mallet, mallet, etc. and compare them with the DF2.1. While I like the looks of the other putters better, I just don't get the consistent feel and results and thus the LAB stays in the bag.

Eventually I will upgrade to the DF3 or Mezz but as of now I just make putts even though the putter is ugly.

[2024 Masters Pool Sponsored by Titleist and Vokey Wedges]

Love these contests, thank you MGS, Titleist and Vokey.

Cut: +2

Low Am: Christo Lamprecht

Vokey Wedge Fitting: 50.08F, 54.10S and 60.08M

[What's Your Go To Putter?]

I have been using my LAB DF2.1 for over a year and it just goes in.  I want to change putters because I don't like the look of the DF2.1 but every time I try something else I don't putt as well.  I have some other putters that I enjoy putting with but they just aren't as good or consistent as the LAB. Now that the DF3 is out I may look into upgrading to that or maybe the MEZZ.

[What is the most under appreciated brand in golf?]

Irons I have to go with Sub70 and Srixon, they are in different classes but they both are great brands, great clubs and very good values. I haven't tried any of the new Wilson clubs but I only hear good things about them and enough good things they will be on my radar when I look for something new.

Sub70 also makes really good wedges and then Ping and Cleveland wedges don't get the respect they deserve.

For putters it is LAB all day long. They just put the ball in the hole.  

For balls I have been very impressed with the Wilson Staff Model, Srixon Z-Star, Maxfli Tour, Vice Pro and Bridgestone Tour B XS balls. All underrated as it seems Titleist, Callaway and Taylor Made get all the attention but if you handed me any of the other balls listed I would be just as happy and play just as well as getting the balls from the big guys and it almost certainly cost less money.

[MyGolfSpy X Bridgestone Mindset Sampling Opportunity - Closed]

This is super cool, since these were first introduced I have been curious to try it to see if it works. There are certainly times when not thinking about my swing has led to some really great shots and I would like to see if this helps.

[What's Your Go To Putter?]

2 hours ago, Don Wagner said:

I’ve never used a Scotty Cameron putter largely because of the price. What does everyone think about their Scotty Cameron putter? What do you think as compared to other putters you have used?

I am the same. I have tried them but can't get myself to pay for one.  When testing them they feel great but no better than a Ping or even my current LAB. I think there is a lot of marketing and a sense that they are better than the rest but I don't believe they are really superior.  Just look at the MGS putting test results, they are good but putters that are less expensive continually win.

[What's Your Go To Putter?]

3 hours ago, cnosil said:

I was putting with the DF3 today and it seems really great.   My mind says I should get one,  but past on course performance says I shouldn't. 

I have a DF2.1 and it took me some time to get used to it.  You have to alter your stroke and mind frame a little and once I was able to do that, I have never putted better and I am hooked on it.  I don't like the looks of the DF2.1 and I want to look at something else but it keeps making putts.  I really want to get a Mezz Max and try the DF3 since they are a little better looking.

[Forum Pick'em 2024 With Lamkin Grips!]

Thank you for the reminder, my picks are in.

["The Ultimate Ping Putter Collector's Guide!"]

On 7/8/2023 at 5:06 PM, cnosil said:

The post you are quoting is 13 years old and the link is broken.  I did a quick google search and found it here:  https://www.pdf-archive.com/2016/05/31/ping-collectibles-manual/ping-collectibles-manual.pdf

 

This link doesn't seem to work, it takes me to a site where I can read a couple of pages and then if I want to download it I get messages that the site isn't safe.  Do you are anyone else on this feed have a copy of the file that I can get?

[2023 Titleist White Box Testing Thread]

On 11/30/2023 at 4:42 PM, GolfSub70 said:

Hello everyone. Jay from Sub 70 here. First off, sincere apologies to the moderators and Titleist for my delay on my testing. I dealt with a herniated disc in my back two years ago and ended up going through PT and then getting an injection for it. I felt a shooting pain in the same area of my back when I was lifting something about 10 days ago and really haven't been able to swing a club without pain since then. I rested it for the last week and finally go to the point where I could reliably swing a club for more than 10 swings. 

I'll skip the box and ball photos since they are posted often earlier in this thread. I've switched ball models pretty often over the last year or two...Pro v1, AVX, Snell MTB-X, Tour BX, Clear Green and Black, etc. The biggest issue is that two years ago I was a very low driver spin and high iron spin player.  I'm talking like 1800 driver spin and 7000+ with a 7 iron. That has almost completely flipped due to some swing changes and now I tend to have pretty moderate driver spin (2400-2600) and lower iron spin. 

For these first testing sessions I hit shots with the Titleist test ball ("proto"), the AVX, and the Clear Tour Green ball. I started playing the AVX because I hit the ball extremely high and wanted to see if I could get something in a more penetrating window. I used Dynamic Gold S400 shafts for the 50 yard and 120 yard shots and then Project X 6.0 steel shaft for the 170 yards. I wasn't really surprised by much with these three yardages...except that the Tour Green spins like crazy. The AVX and the prototype weren't far off from each other in terms of launch and spin. Biggest difference probably being the 50 yard backspin numbers but the std dev for the proto was pretty big. I may have had a 6500 spinner in there or something.

 

 

 

After that session I had no chance putting together enough good driver swings due to my back issues. I got to that today though and was really impressed by the results. If you go with the same efficiency then the AVX was about 0.5mph faster but that's splitting hairs with about 10 drives hit with each. But the proto launched slightly higher and spun slightly less so it ended up being four yards longer. Unfortunately I didn't hit the Tour Green because I ran out of time but I'll circle back to that at some point.

 

I'll put it through some more testing in the coming weeks and try to report back with a bigger sample size. But all things considered it seemed fairly comparable to the AVX. I may need a ball that spins more off the irons but that's on me.

Sorry about the back problems, glad you are doing better.  

Very nice review and the data behind it is great and very helpful.

[SQAIRZ SPEED BOLD Shoes - 2023 Forum Review]

I thought I would give an update. After using the Sqairz all summer and through the fall so far the shoes are great.  I am still very happy with them and they look great.  I have played approx. 12 rounds in them, all using a cart (AZ heat too much to walk right now), and then many trips to the range.  They are dirty since these were taken in the course parking lot on Saturday.

   

   

[SQAIRZ SPEED BOLD Shoes - 2023 Forum Review]

3 hours ago, Ben Joest said:

@Ben_Howell34, @scubahoops, @Blaine Dye, @ScramblinMan, & @JeremyD

 

As the end of the 2023 golf season approaches, a couple of questions for the testers:

1. Are you still wearing the Sqairz?
2. Do you plan to wear them next season?
3. Now that you are a couple months past the final review, any issues with durability?
4. Lastly, will your next pair of golf shoes, be a pair of Sqairz?

Thanks in advance for the feedback. And good job on the reviews, I enjoyed reading them.

Thanks for reaching out and asking the questions.

1 - The Sqairz are my main, go to shoe and with little exception, they are all I wear.  
2 - I live in AZ so I am planning on wearing them through the winter season and into next year.
3 - I have not seen or noticed anything of note related to wear that is outside of the normal expectations.  Everything is holding up fine and they still look and feel great.
4 - This question for me relates to number 2, since I am in AZ and the Bold shoes are not very breathable I intend to get a pair that is better suited for the heat and so for my next pair of shoes I plan to purchase a pair of the standard Speed or the Speed Mesh shoes.  I am a believer and I am tempted to purchase them now while they are running a $50 off promotion.

I hope this helps and I am happy to answer any additional questions or go into more detail if you would like.

[2023 My Golf Spy Ryder Cup Contest Sponsored by Vokey Wedges and Titleist]

So fun, thank you Titleist.

Most points will be Rory

Winning with be Victor Hovland

[SQAIRZ SPEED BOLD Shoes - 2023 Forum Review]

17 hours ago, Ben_Howell34 said:

Does anyone know how to change the cleats out of these? My pair did not fine with a cheat tool or extra cleats. So I was not sure what to do. 

The tool that @ScramblinMan references is the exact tool listed on the Sqairz site but for less.

[Sub 70 Putters - 2023 Forum Review]

Congratulations to all those selected. I am very excited to see how the testing goes. As a Sub70 fan I am excited for the results. I have purchased or demoed everything all types of clubs except their putters. I am really curious to see how those that use Odyssey putters like the milled putters vs the inserts in the Odyssey's.  I am most interested in the testing for @BallsLeonbecause I am very intrigued with that putter.  That is one from Sub70 that I would really like to demo and would consider buying.

[How many spare clubs would you have in your garage?]

3 hours ago, PJVicary said:

It’s amazing how theses clubs seem to multiply just like rabbits according to my wife.  I just completed an inventory.
Divers 5;

Fairway woods 7;

Hybrids 4;  

6 full sets of irons 3-PW,

9 wedges; 38 putters;

46 additional putter heads

 

Maybe my wife is right. 

If you are interested in selling any of your putters or putter heads I would be happy to check them out and hopefully take some off your hands.  We can DM if you are interested.

[How many spare clubs would you have in your garage?]

Right now as I type this I have about 30 clubs behind me, most of them wedges. I have my 3 main wedges and then I will swap them out and play with different ones for fun depending on my mood and the course and conditions for the day.  I also like to play around with my long irons/hybrids and play different ones.  As a result I am now starting to sell some of them. I wish I could collect putters but most of them are too expensive and even used they are still more than I can usually afford.