Greetings Spies. My name is Bill and I reside in southwest Montana. I'm ecstatic and honored to have been selected among the thousands of who applied to test the latest Evnroll series putters. AHUGE THANK YOUto the folks atEvnroll and MyGolfSpyfor providing this the numerous other product tests!! I find these product reviews to be very informative and meaningful. Marketing claims are "put to the test" by fellow amateur players with no strings attached. I have used these reviews as part of my recent equipment changes and will do my best to provide you all with a meaningful review of theEvnroll ER5vputter.
A little about me. I was introduced to the game by my Dad at 5 years old growing up in Ft. Lauderdale, FL and played on the JGA for a few years before the family relocated to Sacramento, CA. I have always played the game but, like so many, went through periods where I played quite a bit and then not as often. For a brief time, I had a 9 handicap which is my personal best. After 30 years working in aerospace, I retired early and my wife and I moved away from soggy and very busy Puget Sound to the rural life in MT. We live here until the snow fly's (I use porch snow shoveling events as my indicator ), and then we head south to AZ for winter. This affords me lots more golf and fly fishing time when I'm not working around the mini ranch with River, our yellow lab.
I really love the game and work at getting better at it. That said, having gone through a period in my early 20's where I went through a swing change, got completely frustrated, and was no longer enjoying just playing, I now try not to take things too seriously. I'm currently at a 12 handicap and while I really want to once again break 10 simply refuse to allow the journey to become a millstone.
Overall, my putting has been a pretty average part of my game - neither a major impediment or advantage. I have been wielding a PING B61 since 1987 when I used the $100 gift certificate from a company tournament to purchase it from the pro shop. That "fitting" was all of about 15 minutes of me picking through and rolling stuff of the rack and, though I occasionally tested other putters over the years, none ever proved to be worth the investment. For those who have come to know me through the forum, I tend to be a bit data driven, fuss the details, and labor over equipment decisions .
As part of my bag fitting this past winter at TrueSpec Scottsdale, I had a "proper" putter fitting. On the short list of performers was the Evnroll ER5. I held off on procuring one as I was also fitted for and purchased a set of Srixon ZX5's with composite shafts. So imagine my excitement when I saw the "Evnroll Putter Testers Wanted" announcement .... and then the "Testers Selected" announcement.
First Impressions
To be quite honest, I've always had a rather not so enamored reaction to the large MOI, mallet and semi mallet design putters. Like the move from my McGregor persimmon driver to my first Great Big Bertha to my current G410, the traditionalist in me has me feeling dubious and the suspicious part of me thinking I'm just falling for slick, without substance, marketing. But, I watch a lot of tour golf and it's quite clear that these newer design/technology flat sticks are heavily favored.
The ER5v is a mallet design but of a smaller overall size envelope. It is subtle as compared to a number of the more wild looking design profiles on the market. To my eye, that is a positive. I chose their "midsize pistol grip" as it is similar to the stock PING grip I've been using for so long. It looks and feels very nice and, although a bit larger, should be an easy adjustment.
The quality of machining is top shelf and I really like the way it looks at set-up position. The two alignment dots on the ridge and alignment line are also similar to my B61 and that too should help make the change pretty seamless.
As for the head cover, WOW, a thing of beauty and something brand new for me. I have never had a head cover for a putter. These are very well made, fit like a glove, and the magnetic latch is solid. I requested a black cover simply because I was afraid of a white one getting soiled. But now having it in hand, I'm happy they sent the white one.
I spent about 2 hours this morning on the practice green just getting the feel of the putter before delving into comparative testing. My initial impression is that it feels quite different than my PING, slightly heavier, and definitely more solid on contact. The B61 is 351g and the ER5V 380g. One would not think 29g difference would be that perceptible but is most definitely is.
Some of you may know that I just recently changed to a left hand low grip and it has been proving very beneficial - particularly on putts 5 feet and closer. I felt like I was not losing any gains from those distances. Lags from 30 feet took a little more time to dial in but, by the end of the session, felt comparable to my PING.
So now onto the "meat and potatoes" that is the biggest aspect of Evnroll putters..."Sweet Face Technology". Guerin Rife's patented, novel design of variable spaced face grooves aimed at zero dispersion. The key being that the entire putter face is the "sweet spot" as opposed to the competition having a small, centered sweet spot. Like the other testers, I'm very intrigued by the design and claims, and want to put this to the test.
I'm planning to use the current MGS Putter Testing protocol as part of my review https://mygolfspy.com/how-we-test-putters/, but with some slight modifications. I'll share the details of that in upcoming posts. If you have any ideas about testing or questions about the putter, please let me know.
This is going to be a fun test and I sure hope many of you will follow along as the four of us put these latest Evnroll putters to the test.
Evnroll ER5v / Stage Two Review / by FIXYURDIVOT
This has been a really fun review to do and I once again want to sayThank Youto the folks atEvnrollandMy Golf Spyfor the opportunity! Hopefully I have sufficiently done my part in providing a thorough review and in adding meaningful content to the ever growing library of product tests/reviews. I can say first hand that these reviews have become my "go to" source when wanting to get the scoop on new and old gear. Having candid feedback and scoring from peers is way more valuable to me than most all other sources. So here goes... lets add yet another one to the MGS vault.
Putters are truly, as so many state, such a personal and unique club within our bags. They come in a seemingly endless mix of designs - from the completely esoteric to the mundane. They are the single most used arrow in the quiver and responsible for roughly 35% of most average amateur scores.
Personally, it is a club I payed very little attention too over my 55 years of play and, although I occasionally grabbed one in a pro shop to test out, never felt any would offer an advantage to my 30+ years in the bag PING B61. Hey, I'm used to it, and if I want to get better at putting, it will be 90% technique and 10% putter... or so I thought.
As it happened, I recently committed to a Left Hand Low grip while playing with some fellow spies at this years PNW Spy Meet-up. I had briefly tried using this a couple years earlier but it felt weird and I gave up on it. This time I was able to get past the awkward stage and get to where it feels "normal", and I'm seeing some improvement. Most importantly being my starting line and secondary make percentage on short putts. So, the timing of this test opportunity, combined with the fact that the ER5v ended up the putter of choice from my True Spec fitting was simply awesome!
If you've been following myStage One and the test thread discussions, you'll know that I had two key tests I wanted to complete as part of the performance aspect of the ER5v putter:
Strokes Gained Test
Validate "Sweet Face/Zero Dispersion" Claim
The Strokes Gained Test was a slightly modified version of MGS's Putter Testing Method. Where they test SG between various testers, I simply compared my B61 to the ER5v. I also revised how putts were made from the 5, 10, and 20 foot distances. Instead of repeating a series of putts from one location, I arranged a wagon-wheel spoke pattern around the hole.
The test consisted of (5) putts around hole, from all three distances, (5) times - for a total of 75 putts. Each putt not holed was putted out and total strokes counted for each ball rolled. This data was entered into a spreadsheet and, using the provided calculations, yielded the following results.
The Validate "Sweet Face/Zero Dispersion" claim consisted of trying to replicate robot putter test results with heel, center, and toe strikes. The basis of Evnroll's "zero dispersion" is that the milled groove pattern is of such design that, regardless of whether you contact the putter face, balls struck in the same manner (face path and force) will rollout to the same distance. Hey, that is some heady stuff right there - a very bold claim. I don't know about you, but a putter that keeps my off center hits from diverging away from the target is definitely of interest.
To test this, I putted balls from a single spot at a distance of 20 feet. My gut told me the effect (if there indeed was one) would be easier to see on long putts. I recorded how putts ended up; short, long, left and right of the hole. I added line marks on the top rail for the heel and toe hits. These were the results of that testing.
Testing Summary
Clearly the Strokes Gained test indicates improved performance over the B61. In particular is the gain on the 5 foot putts. A potential of nearly 1.7 stroke per round would be very welcomed. With all other aspects of my game kept in current form, this alone might finally get me to my 10 handicap goal! To really validate this, one or two more repetitions of the 75 putt test should be done... but I like what I see thus far. If you really want to compare some putters against your "Billy Baroo", I highly recommend using this SG analysis.
As for the "Sweet Face/No Dispersion test, it was much less revealing. I think it is simply too difficult to repeatedly control face path and impact force to the degree necessary to validate rollout distance and dispersion. I used the B61 as a comparison point since it has no grooves at all. I tested both in the house on short/dense pile carpet and on the practice green. Overall, I could make a weak case for the ER5v offering better dispersion and more consistent rollout. I will say that toe hits on the ER5v did seem to move back from right to left - the reasons for this are discussed in an independent lab, robot putt test using the ER1. Regrettably, I'm going to have to rely on this labs and Guerin Rife's robot putting tests for this claim... but I do believe there is benefit.
Scoring
Looks (8/10)
The ER5v is, IMO, an eye grabber. It strikes a very good balance of bling and subtlety. The mallet style head has the tell-tale wings which are inherent of high MOI putters but it has a streamline look and far from the Marvel comics, exotic winged designs some have within its design group. The quality of machining is top shelf and the distinctive red Evnroll logo on the face looks perfect. The black color/red end cap midsize pistol grip I chose is of very good quality and has a slightly soft feel. Having tried several of the SuperStroke type grips, I find this a nice compromise to those and the stock PING pistol grip - definitely larger but no overly so.
The headcover is very nice looking, well made, and fits perfect. It's hidden magnet closure makes opening and closing easy. Not ever having had a putter headcover, I feel like "I've arrived" .
My only reduction in score comes from the back portion alignment mark. First that the paint fill is a wee bit inconsistent, and second, that it is black color. The top rail has no line but rather two unfilled/painted dots. I think these would be much more helpful if filled with white paint and perhaps allowing the customer to choose the alignment mark paint fill color (black, white or ??). To be fair, Evnroll's on-line order form does allow upcharge addition of a top rail align mark, no marks top or back, and color fill options. But they should, IMO, offer choice of fill or no fill and color, on the stock dots and hatch section line, as the no upcharge options.
Sound & Feel (10/10)
I would describe the sound of the ER5v as a moderate tick - definitely not ringy or loud. Unfortunately I have very little experience with other putters to compare it too and to be fair, club sound is not an overly important factor to me. I don't notice any difference when hitting across various places on the face - center strikes, toe and heel strikes sound the same. My apologies but this is one characteristic I'm not able to offer much help with. Here is a recording of what it sounds like.
As for feel, that is much more important to me and I would describe this putter as solid and authoritative. The 380g head weight is quite a change from the B61 (351g) but I do like that added heft. Strikes feel very solid and center strikes feel different than extreme toe and heel strikes. This is a nice attribute, especially when practicing as you get (or at least I do) a different feel in my hands.
Basic Characteristics (17/20)
I have been able to play 5 rounds and spend somewhere on the order of 6 hours on practice greens using/testing the putter. I am finding it a bit more accurate than my current gamer and the aforementioned SG analysis confirms this. Distance control is good and it seemed I was able to very quickly adjust to it. I feel much more confident rolling short range putts with the ER5v. Perhaps it's the overall size envelope that evokes sense of confidence - ala the 460cc driver? The longer backend and alignment stripe seems to fit my sightline well and it's similar to my current putter.
This being a high MOI design putter, it is intended to help with face path stability and reduced twisting on off center strikes. My True Spec fitting found this mallet and a semi-mallet style as my best fit and, based on the limited time I've used the ER5v, I feel it performs as intended.
I find the putter to be very playable from all green slope conditions. I recall my True Spec fitter saying my B61's loft was 5 degrees and this putter is 2 degrees (which he said is the new normal) and that I might find rolls through taller grass requiring a bit more force. A recent round had"greenskeeper woke up on the wrong side of the bed pin placements" and I'm not sure there was a flat lie within 10' of the hole on most greens but I putted just fine. As for apron and fringe rolls, the putter is adept at those as well. I holed one from the apron and banged another off the pin from the fringe.
On-Course Performance (26/30)
Pretty much straight away, I found a good groove with the ER5v. I thought it would take longer to adjust to such a big shift in size envelope and weight, but it did not. Now I will say a good portion of my putting confidence has come from the LHL grip change, but rolling this putter seems to have added even more confidence. Total putts in the 5 rounds I've played the putter have been 34, 32, 30, 34, 31. This is pretty consistent with my numbers playing my gamer but one key difference is that I'm getting closer to and past the hole a bit more often. This is resulting in fewer knee-knockers which the SG numbers show is my largest gain.
Miscellaneous (10/10)
For many this may be of little importance but I love putter designs that allow you to scoop up the ball. The B61 is among the best I've ever seen/tried doing this and, having become so used to using this for over 3 decades, it's a feature I want. At True Spec, I attempted this several times and had balls rolling every which way across the studio. The rear "hatched out" potion of the putter certainly looks capable of this feat but I walked away from that fitting not thinking it was likely.
Much to my surprise however is that, with a little practice, the ER5v does do a pretty good job of scooping up balls. Still not as efficient as the PING but I'm getting the hang of it and, with a little practice, should have it mastered.
One thing we have not talked about, that is a particularly cool feature of the"v"models, is the ability to swap out shafts. While the vast majority of us probably won't do so, this affords a nice modular aspect to the design. With putter fittings becoming more common, it could prove beneficial whereby the head is optimal but a different shaft might be needed. Much like drivers and woods, we are finding the ability to swap shafts very useful... kudos to Evnroll for adding this capability to their putters!
Play It or Trade It? (20/20)
What, not already obvious? Umm, yea, this putter is definitely staying in the bag. Simply based on the strokes gained test alone, my gut tells me it's conservatively worth a stroke/round. For whatever reason, I feel more confident with it - particularly at close range where I tend to give away too many strokes. Any club change takes a little time to adjust to its nuisances and I'm quite certain my performance with this putter will only improve with time.
Conclusion
The ER5v and I just flat out "hit it off". Definitely a drastic change in design and weight from my gamer but it feels very natural in my hands - making the LHL feel more normal if that makes any sense. These putters are of top shelf quality and packed with GI technology. While I couldn't definitively validate the "Sweet Face/No Dispersion" claims, we have seen independent tests that show it's definitely not all marketing hype. One can argue "low vs. no dispersion" is more appropriate but regardless it does what it is designed to do - help us putt better.
Bottom line is that, if you struggle with dispersion from off center strikes and resultant inconsistent rollout distances, Guerin Rife's novel groove design will help with that.
I would not hesitate to recommend anyone looking to make a putter change/upgrade to include Evnroll among your list of candidates!
Thank You again to Evnroll and MGS for this amazing opportunity!
Final Reviews: Evnroll V-Series Putters
Posted
Greetings Spies. My name is Bill and I reside in southwest Montana. I'm ecstatic and honored to have been selected among the thousands of who applied to test the latest Evnroll series putters. A HUGE THANK YOU to the folks at Evnroll and MyGolfSpy for providing this the numerous other product tests!! I find these product reviews to be very informative and meaningful. Marketing claims are "put to the test" by fellow amateur players with no strings attached. I have used these reviews as part of my recent equipment changes and will do my best to provide you all with a meaningful review of the Evnroll ER5v putter.
A little about me. I was introduced to the game by my Dad at 5 years old growing up in Ft. Lauderdale, FL and played on the JGA for a few years before the family relocated to Sacramento, CA. I have always played the game but, like so many, went through periods where I played quite a bit and then not as often. For a brief time, I had a 9 handicap which is my personal best. After 30 years working in aerospace, I retired early and my wife and I moved away from soggy and very busy Puget Sound to the rural life in MT. We live here until the snow fly's (I use porch snow shoveling events as my indicator
), and then we head south to AZ for winter. This affords me lots more golf and fly fishing time when I'm not working around the mini ranch with River, our yellow lab.
I really love the game and work at getting better at it. That said, having gone through a period in my early 20's where I went through a swing change, got completely frustrated, and was no longer enjoying just playing, I now try not to take things too seriously. I'm currently at a 12 handicap and while I really want to once again break 10 simply refuse to allow the journey to become a millstone.
Overall, my putting has been a pretty average part of my game - neither a major impediment or advantage. I have been wielding a PING B61 since 1987 when I used the $100 gift certificate from a company tournament to purchase it from the pro shop. That "fitting" was all of about 15 minutes of me picking through and rolling stuff of the rack and, though I occasionally tested other putters over the years, none ever proved to be worth the investment. For those who have come to know me through the forum, I tend to be a bit data driven, fuss the details, and labor over equipment decisions
.
As part of my bag fitting this past winter at TrueSpec Scottsdale, I had a "proper" putter fitting. On the short list of performers was the Evnroll ER5. I held off on procuring one as I was also fitted for and purchased a set of Srixon ZX5's with composite shafts. So imagine my excitement when I saw the "Evnroll Putter Testers Wanted" announcement
.... and then the "Testers Selected" announcement.
First Impressions
To be quite honest, I've always had a rather not so enamored reaction to the large MOI, mallet and semi mallet design putters. Like the move from my McGregor persimmon driver to my first Great Big Bertha to my current G410, the traditionalist in me has me feeling dubious and the suspicious part of me thinking I'm just falling for slick, without substance, marketing. But, I watch a lot of tour golf and it's quite clear that these newer design/technology flat sticks are heavily favored.
The ER5v is a mallet design but of a smaller overall size envelope. It is subtle as compared to a number of the more wild looking design profiles on the market. To my eye, that is a positive. I chose their "midsize pistol grip" as it is similar to the stock PING grip I've been using for so long. It looks and feels very nice and, although a bit larger, should be an easy adjustment.
The quality of machining is top shelf and I really like the way it looks at set-up position. The two alignment dots on the ridge and alignment line are also similar to my B61 and that too should help make the change pretty seamless.
As for the head cover, WOW, a thing of beauty and something brand new for me. I have never had a head cover for a putter. These are very well made, fit like a glove, and the magnetic latch is solid. I requested a black cover simply because I was afraid of a white one getting soiled. But now having it in hand, I'm happy they sent the white one.
I spent about 2 hours this morning on the practice green just getting the feel of the putter before delving into comparative testing. My initial impression is that it feels quite different than my PING, slightly heavier, and definitely more solid on contact. The B61 is 351g and the ER5V 380g. One would not think 29g difference would be that perceptible but is most definitely is.
Some of you may know that I just recently changed to a left hand low grip and it has been proving very beneficial - particularly on putts 5 feet and closer. I felt like I was not losing any gains from those distances. Lags from 30 feet took a little more time to dial in but, by the end of the session, felt comparable to my PING.
So now onto the "meat and potatoes" that is the biggest aspect of Evnroll putters... "Sweet Face Technology". Guerin Rife's patented, novel design of variable spaced face grooves aimed at zero dispersion. The key being that the entire putter face is the "sweet spot" as opposed to the competition having a small, centered sweet spot. Like the other testers, I'm very intrigued by the design and claims, and want to put this to the test.
I'm planning to use the current MGS Putter Testing protocol as part of my review https://mygolfspy.com/how-we-test-putters/, but with some slight modifications. I'll share the details of that in upcoming posts. If you have any ideas about testing or questions about the putter, please let me know.
This is going to be a fun test and I sure hope many of you will follow along as the four of us put these latest Evnroll putters to the test.
Evnroll ER5v / Stage Two Review / by FIXYURDIVOT
This has been a really fun review to do and I once again want to say Thank You to the folks at Evnroll and My Golf Spy for the opportunity! Hopefully I have sufficiently done my part in providing a thorough review and in adding meaningful content to the ever growing library of product tests/reviews. I can say first hand that these reviews have become my "go to" source when wanting to get the scoop on new and old gear. Having candid feedback and scoring from peers is way more valuable to me than most all other sources. So here goes... lets add yet another one to the MGS vault
.
Putters are truly, as so many state, such a personal and unique club within our bags. They come in a seemingly endless mix of designs - from the completely esoteric to the mundane. They are the single most used arrow in the quiver and responsible for roughly 35% of most average amateur scores.
Personally, it is a club I payed very little attention too over my 55 years of play and, although I occasionally grabbed one in a pro shop to test out, never felt any would offer an advantage to my 30+ years in the bag PING B61. Hey, I'm used to it, and if I want to get better at putting, it will be 90% technique and 10% putter... or so I thought.
As it happened, I recently committed to a Left Hand Low grip while playing with some fellow spies at this years PNW Spy Meet-up. I had briefly tried using this a couple years earlier but it felt weird and I gave up on it. This time I was able to get past the awkward stage and get to where it feels "normal", and I'm seeing some improvement. Most importantly being my starting line and secondary make percentage on short putts. So, the timing of this test opportunity, combined with the fact that the ER5v ended up the putter of choice from my True Spec fitting was simply awesome!
If you've been following my Stage One and the test thread discussions, you'll know that I had two key tests I wanted to complete as part of the performance aspect of the ER5v putter:
The Strokes Gained Test was a slightly modified version of MGS's Putter Testing Method. Where they test SG between various testers, I simply compared my B61 to the ER5v. I also revised how putts were made from the 5, 10, and 20 foot distances. Instead of repeating a series of putts from one location, I arranged a wagon-wheel spoke pattern around the hole.
The test consisted of (5) putts around hole, from all three distances, (5) times - for a total of 75 putts. Each putt not holed was putted out and total strokes counted for each ball rolled. This data was entered into a spreadsheet and, using the provided calculations, yielded the following results.
The Validate "Sweet Face/Zero Dispersion" claim consisted of trying to replicate robot putter test results with heel, center, and toe strikes. The basis of Evnroll's "zero dispersion" is that the milled groove pattern is of such design that, regardless of whether you contact the putter face, balls struck in the same manner (face path and force) will rollout to the same distance. Hey, that is some heady stuff right there - a very bold claim. I don't know about you, but a putter that keeps my off center hits from diverging away from the target is definitely of interest.
To test this, I putted balls from a single spot at a distance of 20 feet. My gut told me the effect (if there indeed was one) would be easier to see on long putts. I recorded how putts ended up; short, long, left and right of the hole. I added line marks on the top rail for the heel and toe hits. These were the results of that testing.
Testing Summary
Clearly the Strokes Gained test indicates improved performance over the B61. In particular is the gain on the 5 foot putts. A potential of nearly 1.7 stroke per round would be very welcomed. With all other aspects of my game kept in current form, this alone might finally get me to my 10 handicap goal! To really validate this, one or two more repetitions of the 75 putt test should be done... but I like what I see thus far. If you really want to compare some putters against your "Billy Baroo", I highly recommend using this SG analysis.
As for the "Sweet Face/No Dispersion test, it was much less revealing. I think it is simply too difficult to repeatedly control face path and impact force to the degree necessary to validate rollout distance and dispersion. I used the B61 as a comparison point since it has no grooves at all. I tested both in the house on short/dense pile carpet and on the practice green. Overall, I could make a weak case for the ER5v offering better dispersion and more consistent rollout. I will say that toe hits on the ER5v did seem to move back from right to left - the reasons for this are discussed in an independent lab, robot putt test using the ER1. Regrettably, I'm going to have to rely on this labs and Guerin Rife's robot putting tests for this claim... but I do believe there is benefit.
Scoring
Looks (8/10)
The ER5v is, IMO, an eye grabber. It strikes a very good balance of bling and subtlety. The mallet style head has the tell-tale wings which are inherent of high MOI putters but it has a streamline look and far from the Marvel comics, exotic winged designs some have within its design group. The quality of machining is top shelf and the distinctive red Evnroll logo on the face looks perfect. The black color/red end cap midsize pistol grip I chose is of very good quality and has a slightly soft feel. Having tried several of the SuperStroke type grips, I find this a nice compromise to those and the stock PING pistol grip - definitely larger but no overly so.
The headcover is very nice looking, well made, and fits perfect. It's hidden magnet closure makes opening and closing easy. Not ever having had a putter headcover, I feel like "I've arrived"
.
My only reduction in score comes from the back portion alignment mark. First that the paint fill is a wee bit inconsistent, and second, that it is black color. The top rail has no line but rather two unfilled/painted dots. I think these would be much more helpful if filled with white paint and perhaps allowing the customer to choose the alignment mark paint fill color (black, white or ??). To be fair, Evnroll's on-line order form does allow upcharge addition of a top rail align mark, no marks top or back, and color fill options. But they should, IMO, offer choice of fill or no fill and color, on the stock dots and hatch section line, as the no upcharge options.
Sound & Feel (10/10)
I would describe the sound of the ER5v as a moderate tick - definitely not ringy or loud. Unfortunately I have very little experience with other putters to compare it too and to be fair, club sound is not an overly important factor to me. I don't notice any difference when hitting across various places on the face - center strikes, toe and heel strikes sound the same. My apologies but this is one characteristic I'm not able to offer much help with. Here is a recording of what it sounds like.
As for feel, that is much more important to me and I would describe this putter as solid and authoritative. The 380g head weight is quite a change from the B61 (351g) but I do like that added heft. Strikes feel very solid and center strikes feel different than extreme toe and heel strikes. This is a nice attribute, especially when practicing as you get (or at least I do) a different feel in my hands.
Basic Characteristics (17/20)
I have been able to play 5 rounds and spend somewhere on the order of 6 hours on practice greens using/testing the putter. I am finding it a bit more accurate than my current gamer and the aforementioned SG analysis confirms this. Distance control is good and it seemed I was able to very quickly adjust to it. I feel much more confident rolling short range putts with the ER5v. Perhaps it's the overall size envelope that evokes sense of confidence - ala the 460cc driver? The longer backend and alignment stripe seems to fit my sightline well and it's similar to my current putter.
This being a high MOI design putter, it is intended to help with face path stability and reduced twisting on off center strikes. My True Spec fitting found this mallet and a semi-mallet style as my best fit and, based on the limited time I've used the ER5v, I feel it performs as intended.
I find the putter to be very playable from all green slope conditions. I recall my True Spec fitter saying my B61's loft was 5 degrees and this putter is 2 degrees (which he said is the new normal) and that I might find rolls through taller grass requiring a bit more force. A recent round had "greenskeeper woke up on the wrong side of the bed pin placements" and I'm not sure there was a flat lie within 10' of the hole on most greens but I putted just fine. As for apron and fringe rolls, the putter is adept at those as well. I holed one from the apron and banged another off the pin from the fringe.
On-Course Performance (26/30)
Pretty much straight away, I found a good groove with the ER5v. I thought it would take longer to adjust to such a big shift in size envelope and weight, but it did not. Now I will say a good portion of my putting confidence has come from the LHL grip change, but rolling this putter seems to have added even more confidence. Total putts in the 5 rounds I've played the putter have been 34, 32, 30, 34, 31. This is pretty consistent with my numbers playing my gamer but one key difference is that I'm getting closer to and past the hole a bit more often. This is resulting in fewer knee-knockers which the SG numbers show is my largest gain.
Miscellaneous (10/10)
For many this may be of little importance but I love putter designs that allow you to scoop up the ball. The B61 is among the best I've ever seen/tried doing this and, having become so used to using this for over 3 decades, it's a feature I want. At True Spec, I attempted this several times and had balls rolling every which way across the studio. The rear "hatched out" potion of the putter certainly looks capable of this feat but I walked away from that fitting not thinking it was likely.
Much to my surprise however is that, with a little practice, the ER5v does do a pretty good job of scooping up balls. Still not as efficient as the PING but I'm getting the hang of it and, with a little practice, should have it mastered.
One thing we have not talked about, that is a particularly cool feature of the "v" models, is the ability to swap out shafts. While the vast majority of us probably won't do so, this affords a nice modular aspect to the design. With putter fittings becoming more common, it could prove beneficial whereby the head is optimal but a different shaft might be needed. Much like drivers and woods, we are finding the ability to swap shafts very useful... kudos to Evnroll for adding this capability to their putters!
Play It or Trade It? (20/20)
What, not already obvious?
Umm, yea, this putter is definitely staying in the bag. Simply based on the strokes gained test alone, my gut tells me it's conservatively worth a stroke/round. For whatever reason, I feel more confident with it - particularly at close range where I tend to give away too many strokes. Any club change takes a little time to adjust to its nuisances and I'm quite certain my performance with this putter will only improve with time.
Conclusion
The ER5v and I just flat out "hit it off". Definitely a drastic change in design and weight from my gamer but it feels very natural in my hands - making the LHL feel more normal if that makes any sense. These putters are of top shelf quality and packed with GI technology. While I couldn't definitively validate the "Sweet Face/No Dispersion" claims, we have seen independent tests that show it's definitely not all marketing hype. One can argue "low vs. no dispersion" is more appropriate but regardless it does what it is designed to do - help us putt better.
Bottom line is that, if you struggle with dispersion from off center strikes and resultant inconsistent rollout distances, Guerin Rife's novel groove design will help with that.
I would not hesitate to recommend anyone looking to make a putter change/upgrade to include Evnroll among your list of candidates!
Thank You again to Evnroll and MGS for this amazing opportunity!
Final Score (91/100)