JohnSmalls

It definitely does take some dedication especially when they start blocking you from tagging people (jail).    I’ve gotten so I only enter for things I am really interested in.  

One of the first updates and changes we are going to make is a slight update to one of the themes. We have noticed a few bugs in a previous version and want to rectify that. This will be implemented over the weekend. 

The next change and update we will be rolling out slowly is condensing the categories to make navigation easier. Over the years when we have polled our users it was pretty clear that most use the search function or recent content. Some scroll through the forum pages to look for specific categories, however the greater feedback we received from those new is the site can be a bit of a bear to navigate. We have done our best to cross place important threads and content as well as feature or highlight threads and content we feel important. However this has not been enough and we still feel it is a lot. 
Look for sub forums like drivers, irons, wedges, putters and hybrids etc all be condensed into one called Golf Clubs. There will be other adjustments similar to this merging areas which are a little redundant or making it a bit confusing on where to post what. 
We hope that these changes won't rock the forum too much, but help make use of other features like the search function which works really well especially when "quoting" for specific words and phrases. 
In the end we want to make the forum easier to navigate not just for the long time users, but also the thousands of new members we have visiting and coming to the site every day. 

Thanks fellas!  Can't state it enough, you guys work tirelessly to continually improve our little corner of the internet.  It surely doesn't go unnoticed nor unappreciated.

Heading into 2024 Invision (the platform the Forum runs one) has some very large and exciting updates. The staff are preparing for several of these changes and while they won't change anything in terms of usability we do expect there to be many updates which will tweak your user experience. 
If you are interested in reading about some of these changes you can find most if not all of them here: https://invisioncommunity.com/news/invision-community/introducing-a-fresh-new-vision-for-invision-community-5-r1287/
While we go through these changes we are also going to take the time to edit/update the forum to organize it in a more user friendly manner. Throughout all these changes if you have questions please reach out to myself or any of the other staff members if you have questions. 
Prior to us making any of these bigger scale changes we will make an announcement so one day you don't just come to the forum and it is all different. We do our best to keep the community in the loop and be as transparent as possible. 
We are extremely excited for 2024 from a Member Testing standpoint to these updates to the forum and a lot more which the staff are working on. 
Thank you all!

Initial Impressions
Putter(s) arrived today and I posted the unboxing video above.  I took a more in depth look at each putter this evening and this post is to provide my initial thoughts.   As of now I have only carpet putted a little so there won't be any performance information. 
I guess; at least initially, I have two putters to review as part of this review.   I was fit for the MC 3 strip mallet but was also told that a center shafted DRAC mallet would soon be available and would also be sent one for evaluation.   Don't look for info on the Drac, it isn't on their website.   I'll get into size further down in the review but the below photo gives you a rough idea of how big they are compared to a Cameron Futura 5W.

Let’s start with some of the common items:
Grip – Both putters have the flat grip which is slightly larger than a Superstroke 1.0 grip.  From a feel perspective, it has a slightly spongier feel than a Superstroke grip.   Non tapered.   
Shaft – Obviously one of the big technological aspects of the putter.   Extremely lightweight and after holding and trying the shaft I would say if falls on the more flexible/softer side than the very firm “stability” type shafts that are on the market.   Assembly – Both putters are well made and have a high end look and feel.   The only negative was that the Drac had some epoxy residue along the length of the shaft from the assembler’s fingers.  The shaft has a matte finish and in the photo below you can see some of the shiny areas; which is the epoxy.
Ball Marker/Certificate of Authenticity - The putter comes with a certificate of authenticity and a dated ball marker.  Honestly,  been looking at the ball marker and haven't figured out how to get it out of the case;  wondering if it is supposed to remain in the case 🙂
Ultra Low Balance Point (ULBP) - You've seen the pictures so I won't post more.   The ultra light grip and shaft move the balance point of the club to within 5 inches from the sole.  This design is intended to help improve the players stroke.   I typically have set my putters up to be heavier in the grip end so this is a different feel for me.  Just moving the putter back and forth and hitting some putts I think I like the setup.  Initial impression is that it might result in a more consistent path and that the higher swingweight doesn't feel odd.  This aspect of the putter and how it actually impacts the stroke will be the determining factor on whether it stays in the bag or not.   MC 3 stripe mallet 
This mallet is their mid-size mallet and, in my opinion, it is pretty big and I’m not sure I would want to try the large mallet.  What I like is that on both putters the face is narrower than the widest part of the putter which gives the illusion that the putter is shorter from heel to toe.  The face on the MC3 has milled grooves.  No discussion on the performance aspect of these grooves was provided.   Aki did mention that on some of the other putters there was an insert with grooves that was designed to help move the weight to the perimeter. I like the alignment stripes and initially the MC3 may be a little easier to setup.  From a sound perspective, the MC is slightly muted compared to the Drac but still clicky.   The below clip should give you an idea of impact sound.
Mc.m4v  
As I look at the website and @billpierce putter; It is interesting that the bottom of these putters is different.   Looking at the other images that were  posted and the Sacks Parente website it appears the lettering is painted on and mine has what  I will say is firmly affixed thick decals in the voids.   Headcover - I feel like the headcover is a little small for the putter and isn't necessarily designed for a center shafted putter.   Hoping it stretches a little.   Magnets seem strong.
 
The Drac
the putter same width but slightly longer than the MC. I am guessing that because of the cutout in the rear it visually appears to be slightly smaller than it actually is.   The sound of the Drac is slightly more clicky/higher pitched than the MC.   The below clip should give you an idea of impact sound.
Drac.m4v  
The face on the Drac is a simple milled face similar to what you would see on a Cameron putter. The milling marks on this putter are very noticeable and are essentially covering the entire putter.   There are no alignment aids on this version of the Drac.   From a feel perspective, there doesn’t seem to be a lot of differentiation between center and off center hits from a feel or sound perspective.  It also appears to resist twisting a little more that the MC 3 stripe on offcenter strikes. Headcover - I feel like the headcover is a little small for the putter and isn't necessarily designed for a center shafted putter.   Hoping it stretches a little.   Magnets seem strong.
 
 
Putter weights:  As would be expected the ULBP build of these putters results in a very high swingweight.  But with putters swingweight isn't that big of a consideration.   I believe looking at things like weight distribution and total weight are more important.  I personally am a fan of lighter putters, but I was surprised by the total weights for the Sacks Parente putters; they don't feel this light.
Taylor Made TM-180 - 520gr Seemore mfgp2 - 543gr Cameron Futura 5W -  542gr Sacks Parente MC3 - 451gr Sacks Parente Drac - 461gr  
Up next will be some initial testing with my gamer and the Sacks Parente putter so stay tuned.   And if you have questions or input on what you would like to see in this review make sure you post them!
 
 

Great work so far fellas!  Interested to see how these compare to your prior gamers towards the end of the test.  Initial thoughts look like it will be a tight competition for bag space.

Exactly. It’s not like the average tour pro is going to be like “I drive it 280 instead of 300, guess I better work on my long irons more”. Most are likely to continue the recent speed trend that (likely even more so to make up for the loss) because there is a stronger correlation between scoring average and proximity to the hole compared to scoring average and fairway percentage (the forthcoming rollback proposal is not going to change this, it is really just moving the starting line back slightly which is what course lengthening has largely done).

I agree that the rollback won't have the effect that people believe it will have.  Kind of like the groove rule for wedges.   Players will use technology to figure out how to optimize the ball flights and continue to increase their swing speeds. 
IMO,  the current strategies that define how to play golf won't change.  I see posts from people thinking that golf will return to the "golden era" where players worked the balls into holes and had some thought of risk/reward;  I don't see it happening.   It will still be a hit the ball as far as possible to locate your ball as close to the hole as possible type game.  Knowledgeable players did this before Mark Brodie stats were released and because this strategy is more widely publicized more and more players do it today.  Professional players that don't perform well will be replace by players that do perform well and that performance will be driven by who hits the ball the farthest. 

Over-exaggerations like this are a problem. There is no evidence to suggest that distances will increase to the point where 10k yardages will be the championship norm (the Tour average is nearly 3k short of that and tour averages have been growing at the same rate that they were in the 1980’s for the past two decades). Basically there was a significant bump at the turn of the century and then increases returned to their previous trend.
Additionally, courses actually saw substantially bigger increases in average playing length from 1930-1990 than they have post 1990 (and no one seemed to care). The reality is that very few courses actually have a chance of hosting an elite competition and most of those are not accessible venues for the masses. The vast majority of courses have absolutely no need to be lengthened. 

Got some practice work in yesterday. No putter, new eyes! 
 
Great combination. 

Second eye surgery in the books. Got to the practice green today. Rolled in 3 consecutive 10 footers right off the bat and then hit two beautiful 40 footers up the hill one to tap in the other to about 4 feet that I subsequently jarred. I’ve been practicing on the carpet almost daily the past few weeks. It was good to get on a real green to confirm what I’m seeing at home - it’s very easy to get the ball rolling on line at the intended speed with this putter. 

My putter finally arrived. Working through my first impressions and excited to get this thing going.

Update!
 
Playing around with this putter so far has been a great experience for me. I have been able to use it for a few rounds on course, including 18 holes the day after it arrived. At first, the loss of a sight line took some adjustment, but that is also because my main focus was on speed. Something that was discussed during my fitting was how to use the technology in their putters to help me with longer putts and lagging to more makeable distances. Specifically, this is of course their Ultra Low Balance Point, as well as the forward weighted tungsten in the putter head. 
The ULBP is something that you can feel right away, from the very first stroke. I have felt some pretty heavy putter heads before, but this is a bit different thanks to the carbon fiber shaft and the extra-light grip. What it creates is an easy pendulum swing feel that allows you to deliver the club head square to your line each time. 
The Tungsten in the head is all towards the front, on either side of the face. What Aki told me during the fitting is that these pieces of dense metal on either side of the aluminum club head, which is much lighter, increases the size of the sweet spot. To test this I held the putter in my hand, face up and took a golf ball and would bounce it off the face, and from end to end it would give me that same, soft feel on the face, and would bounce off it to the same height.
 
These reasons in particular are what is helping me with speed control the most, knowing that delivering the truest, most centered strike is not the most important thing allows me to focus more on speed and tempo, and the stability of the club allows me to keep the club on the right line. 
 
These photos are from that first day, had a few balls at 20 paces from the pin, the other two were just for distance reference. The second image is where they all ended up. It is a small sample size, but I think a good indication of how it helped me.

 
More recently I have just been at my putting mat every day rolling beauties like these:
 

Checked the status and the putter shipped yesterday; expected delivery 12/5.   Excited to get this going, been doing some behind the scenes work that will get shared once I start testing the Sacks Parente putter.   And to learn more about that work:
 

Checked my UPS home deliveries page and found a new entry;  looks like my testing/review might get started next week.  

Quick update, I had my cataract surgery last week. It went great, 20-20 in that eye from 20/400. My eye sight is already better than I can ever remember. I just got cleared to resume all normal activities except swimming so it will be off to the putting green for me later - once the dilation wears off. 
 
I have been rolling some putts inside on the carpet. I was not supposed to bend down so I had some balls out in my study pre surgery. 🙂
second eye is next week and I will be back on the course again two weeks from today. 
 

Virtual Fitting Review
The fitting was different than I expected it to be. I thought it would be a quick look, from different angles, of my stroke, some questions, and a putter recommendation based on arc type, height, etc. This was more like a coaching session and fitting all wrapped into one. Aki immediately noticed that I run my right finger down the side of the grip. We talked about how I have always done this and never really noticed it, and that it makes me feel like my hand is staying square to the target. We did discuss being mindful about that finger not becoming a gas pedal that causes me to accelerate too much through the stroke. I have been struggling with pace, so this is something I am now aware of during my practice sessions of late. Jury is still out on if I need to change my grip at all. Second, he noticed that my arms sometimes get too separated from my body and that my putter is a little more upright than standard. He said the lie angle isn’t a problem and may be helpful in keeping my putter face square, but when my arms get disconnected it causes me to sort of come over the top and loop my stroke now and then. 
The good things I am doing are my eyes are slightly inside the line and I have a good tempo. He also noticed that both the extra heavy Piretti and the heavier grip (it’s a Winn midsize pistol) than stock on my Scotty both will cause me to putt more with my hands than my body. As we talked about the benefits of the Ultra-Low Balance point of the Sacks Parente putters, he detailed how this technology will help this tendency which should help with speed control [crossed fingers]. We also looked at the balance point of both my putters (Scotty ~ 7” from the putter sole, Piretti an inch higher surprisingly. That shaft is HEAVY), and he demonstrated the difference of the Sacks Parente, which was right where the shaft and hosel meet (~5” above the sole). 
[balance pics coming soon]
After this he gave me some drills to do in prep for the new putter, and just to help my tendencies in general. I have been doing both in my practice and am already seeing more consistency in my stroke again with my old putters. I am feeling more athletic and confident with my stroke, but I am noticing how I am fighting certain aspects of my current putters now. I can’t wait to get the SP in hand and see if I improve more.
Finally, we come to the putter recommendation. I was quite surprised with what he came up with. From my long history with the Scotty and the results of the online questionnaire, I expected an Anser style head, either the 66 or the 99. The 99 was really pretty looking and fit my eye, but I was really liking the grooves of the 66 because I had been pondering on an EvnRoll as of late. However, Aki thought I would be better off with something a little different. The two he pulled up were the 39 and the 91, aka the Duke. I have never played either style, but was intrigued by the 39, again due to the grooves. 

That one also scared me a little, but he talked about how high the MOI of that model is, due to the weighting. However, we settled on the 91 because I tend to line up using the sight line in the back of my putters, and its hosel is farther towards the middle of the head than my current putters, favoring a slight arc. He liked the length and lie of my Scotty for me, so we decided on 34” with a 71* lie angle and the pistol grip, since I have a traditional grip and have always used a pistol.

All in all, the whole process took an hour and 15 minutes. We had 45 minutes scheduled, but Aki was very thorough and never seemed in a rush, which was really cool. I had his full focus and attention and he was very helpful. Now, all I can do is wait. He said he thought it should be shipped the next Monday, I was fitted on a Friday, and since I am in Utah and fairly close to California, I would see it early in the week. However, that was two and a half weeks ago and I still haven’t seen the putter. I am getting antsy as we have had some warm days here in Utah, but now the forecast is leaning colder. I don’t want to test this solely inside, as I want to get some strokes gained data. Hopefully I will still be able to get a few rounds in before the snow comes.

The unveiling
It arrived in the middle of the night!  Santa does exist he just wears a brown suit not a red suit - and eats a lot healthier nowadays:
 
 

 
From my last update, I left everyone in suspense as to WHAT putter I was fit for.... today we shall all experience the unveiling together! 

The packaging is quite good and looks to really show off the Sacks Parente modern brand and focus on design. My box had a small dent in it at the end, and my friendly UPS driver waited until I gave the all clear signal regarding any potential damage.   The packaging is well done and compartmentalized so it did not have any product damage.   Upon opening we can see:
-Putter
-Headcover
-Ball Marker
Each individually wrapped and all carrying the design from the box right into the product.  Since this feels like an early present I tore - yes tore the individual bags open and inspected each one individually.


So if it is not obvious, I was fitted into the SP 54 3 strip, center shafted!
 
First Reactions:
1. The putter is very sleek and feels light in your hands. The carbon fiber shaft continues that modern feel and may not be for all but I kind of like it!  Quality stands out.
2. The Grip is half round and flat. This was what I was fit into by Aki and it feels fantastic. Compared to my square oversized ping putter grip I think this is a big change but feels positive!
3. The head feels very stable and balanced with perimeter weights and a very face forward design.
4. The balance point difference is obvious. From when you lift the putter from the box or actually have it in your hands with simulated strokes. I did about 20 practice strokes just feeling the grip the shaft the putter head and I can say the Ultra Low Balance Point is obvious and we shall see how that impacts my game.
5. I loved the magnets on the cover versus the Velcro on my ping putter cover. The quality really feels obvious, but I had to carefully apply the headcover as it fits much tighter than my old velcro cover. Not sure if it stretches as age and use, but this will be different for me for sure.
6. Quality seems across the board; the ball marker is very pretty and made of high-quality materials. Again, from packaging to putter to headcover to ball marker quality stands constant. Maybe not that of a 3000 dollar putter but this putter is around 400 dollars.  The value really seems there.
7. If I was to nitpick on design the one area that stands out is how the grip transitions to the shaft. It is very abrupt and not as sleek and form fitting as the rest of the design. Some of the other grips do taper a bit more, so imagine this was part of the 'technology' and design coming together:
From SP - NANO CELLULAR TECHNOLOGY
Our signature nano cellular technology grips are specifically designed and engineered as an essential component of ULBP technology
Ultra Low Balance Point
Weight Forward CG
Ultra High Physics Based MOI
Unsurpassed Ball Roll
Naturally Improves Your Stroke
 
The First test - at home on the old trusty putting matt:
As stated, I did a bunch of 'swings' simulating a real stroke without the ball.  Looking down on the putter is confidence buidling though for me the head is much larger and will take a bit of getting used to... that said. I was amazed that as i moved around the putter seemed to 'square itself' during the stroke!  It felt more of an arc but the visual is to see it square:

The results of the fist 10 putts were 8 dead in and 2 missed but for me they we left and not right. Seems, day 1 the normal twist and slight right is not occuring.  Let's hope this holds true!  I was pleasantly surprised!! 
The Grip, ULBP and Center Shaft do appear to be helping me, the key will be on the actual greens under real conditions. Unfortunately, we have RAIN all weekend so that is not a reality for next couple of days.  
Thanks for attending (reading) my unboxing and unveiling - I hope you learned a bit as I did on this journey to evaluate this brand and putter.  And for those of us that are technology nuts here is a funny video:
https://www.instagram.com/reel/CzFYiJIxCLF/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
 
 
 

So I have gotten two practice sessions and a round in on Sunday with my putter - no real testing as I'm getting a feel for it.  I did not hit the ball well at all on Sunday - but my speed was outstanding including the one putt that I had from well off of a green - what I didn't get a good feel for was mid range putts - I only had one the entire round - 
Cataract surgery tomorrow - I'm hoping to get out on Sunday to practice - at least.  

That is fantastic! To be clear to all, this amp cell was in my bag for the better part of a decade. Granted when the kids were younger I wasn’t playing as much, but I loved this driver dearly. It will be nice to swing it again, for old time’s sake 😁

Your probably try more drivers than I do putters 😂

We noticed, we are just waiting with great anticipation 😁
 
Ahem, a little respect for the most family friendly of our cadre.  

We noticed, we are just waiting with great anticipation 😁
 
Ahem, a little respect for the most family friendly of our cadre.  

We noticed, we are just waiting with great anticipation 😁
 
Ahem, a little respect for the most family friendly of our cadre.  

Hmmmmmmm MGS Outing sounds interesting!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk