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I finally got a chance to get a fitting in this Spring. Luckily it was inside since the weather wasn't the best outside when I got there. I haven't had a fitting from anyone in about 3 years, so this was long overdue. I always like to give PXG a chance when it comes to clubs, especially with their value to Veterans and their families along with the quality of their products. I have an OEM-neutral fitting on the 13th, so we'll see how things go then too. But for this, it's all about PXG. My fitter's name was Rafe, and he's a really nice guy. He was on the PXG staff for a few years before transitioning to the sales/fitting side of things. He's also been a golf instructor, so we did get into a few tweaks during the fitting that I'll try and hit on if I can remember. Needless to say, after 2.5 hours and 152 swings, with a 60 minute drive there and then again home, I'm pretty wiped. So forgive me if I stop making sense at some point. He had me go to another area of the facility to get warmed up while he finished up with someone. The Fairways and Greens facility is MASSIVE!! Let's just say that if I lived in the area, I'd pretty much live there. So I grabbed my 7-iron and Swing Setter and headed over to the hitting net area. Something I knew going in and had it reiterated to me at the end is that I really need to stop talking about getting back in shape and actually make a plan and do it. The popping and cracking sounds while I was warming up reiterated that fact as well. He came over and grabbed me after I had a chance to warm up and he finished with his previous client. As typical, he had me hit a few shots with my gamer. And as typical, it was a bit of a mixed bag of shots. Fat has become my normal miss at this point, if I'm playing proper shafts (I found a few of the shafts we tried caused bad hooks). That's been mainly due to my flip, and now it tends to happen as I overdue my attempt to get that negative AoA and transition to my front foot. That was a theme that happened all day, but as I continue to work on my swing I'm hoping it will become less and less. After a few decent representations of my gamer, he made up an interesting starting point for me. Gen6 P in an MMT 70R shaft. My 83 year old dad plays the 70R. *shrug* After 2 swings he'd seen what I could have told him - too light and too whippy. So he swapped to the 80S. Still too light. Now to the 105S. Much better. Numbers weren't where he wanted to see them though - too much dynamic lie, launch was too high, and not enough output for the input. So he grabbed an XP head, 2* flat. So strange as I've always been an upright lie guy, but then again not everyone's lie angles are the same and I've changed over the years. Just an very interesting change, especially since the Mizuno Shaft Optimizer just 2 weeks earlier said I needed 1* upright. *shrug again* The 105S with the XP head just felt so SW heavy. As if I was swinging an E0 or something. Just couldn't make it work with the XP head. So we went on to another option, and he actually stepped away to bend the head 1 more degree flat since his fitting heads only went to 2* flat. After a couple more options, he handed me the KBS Tour Lite Stiff. Ok, now we're on to something. Center contact gave us that launch, lie, smash, height, and descent we need. I wasn't perfect all the time, but I was far better than I'd been to that point. A few more good swings and results before we changed out again. Next up, Nippon Modus 105S. Again, great contact and numbers with the Modus 105S. We were finding the 100-105 weight range seemed to be right at that point. We tried a few more shafts just to make sure. DG115MidS, Accra 80S, Steelfiber PR 95S, among others. But after coming back to the Modus, he had me swing again just to validate. 1 swing, perfect contact. Done. Then the KBS Tour Lite one more time. 2 swing, perfect. Ok, so option 1 & 2 shafts done with the XP head. I didn't necessarily want to get into that head due to lofts and stuff, but after talking through it and seeing all the numbers (not just distance), it's just a matter of what club for what distance and ignoring the lofts. Next up - Driver. Here's where Rafe was really going to earn his money, so to speak. I've yet to find a driver that I could hit center face consistently and out hit my 2W. My best swing with the 2W to start out was about 245 carry, 260 total. He had his work cut out for him. We started with the Black Ops head and Riptide CB shaft. Never really got anywhere with that. After seeing all the heel strikes, he agreed with my comment about needing a shorter driver. Everything hereafter was 44.5" playing length. Ventus Blue, Tensei White, at least 3-4 Graphite Designs, HZRDUS Black Gen4, and others I can't remember. We even went back and forth with the Tour-1 and standard Black Ops heads. Nothing could get that center contact. I'd be high middle, high toe, high heel, lower heel, but not center. I think with all the swings with driver, I found the dead center maybe twice. I was seeing lower spin than I've ever seen, in the low to mid 2000's with several of the combos, just nothing with any consistency. I'd hit something 250 with a slight fade, then 220 strong draw, then 240 dead straight. My good swings (at 95-97 mph mind you) would get to 260 total with 2k spin. But just couldn't make it happen often enough. He then thought of an idea to crank the lie down, like the irons. The PXG adapter allows the lie to be set 3* flat, without altering loft. You can see that below in the adapter setting image. I was surprised at that, but it's pretty cool. So we continued to dabble with the heads and shafts. He then noticed the way I was at address, a bit more on my toes. He grabbed a rubber "bump" and put it under the toes of my back foot. Immediately we got closer to the center of the face. From 22mm heel to 6mm heel in a few swings. That's pretty drastic. I still wasn't getting much out of it, but I was getting tired. We agreed to take a break for a snack and to allow him to set up some paperwork on his laptop for my fitting. I really needed that after around 100 shots in a little over an hour. We ended up on the standard head with the HZRDUS Black Gen4 shaft at 44.5", 3* flat. He wants me to work on getting more towards my heels at setup and not getting to my toes at impact like I was. I will likely pass on the driver at this point. I can grab the Gen5 at $200 with the same shaft and work on my swing mechanics. My 2W was till right around the same distance, granted I was a bit worn down. I have a Taylormade BRNR Mini I still need to test as well that might work out better. But we'll see. At this point we moved on to FW woods. He had me hit both a 3W & 5W, with the lie flat on both as well. I was getting more with the 3W than the 5W, and the 5W seemed to gap pretty well. HZRDUS Black Gen4 here too after several GD's and the Riptide. I play all HZRDUS now and find it works well for me. 3W was getting out about 230 and the 5W about 215-220. As time was winding down and I was running close to E, he had me swing a few hybrids while there was still some fuel in the tank. We found the 3H was the best for gapping between the estimated 5i and the 5W after trying the 4H. Hit the 200'ish mark, where the 5i would estimate around 190. With the tank dry for full swings, he handed me a Sugar Daddy II and wanted me to give that a few swings. First time I'd ever hit one. I can understand where at least some of the hype comes from on those. I hit some of the most pure 52*, 56*, and 60* wedge shots I've ever hit. And even when I didn't get it perfectly, I still got the distance. I'm thinking regardless of what irons I end up with after my other fitting, at least 1 SDii will find it's way into my bag. Just need to determine the grind. Rafe did give me some tips on wedge play, which I found very helpful. Especially since the more lofted clubs have scared me with more full swing shots. But with his suggestions, I was hitting them really well. So I'll keep working on his suggestions with the wedges and I might actually play more than my 50* inside 100yds. So the final fit looks like this: Black Ops Driver, HZRDUS Black Gen4, Stiff, 44.5" Black Ops 3W & 5W, HZRDUS Black Gen4, Stiff Black Ops 3H, HZRDUS Black Gen4, Stiff 0311 Gen6 XP, 5-GW (SW might also be included), Modus 105S (or KBS Tour Lite S), 3* flat Sugar Daddy II, 54* (maybe), 60*, same shafts as irons It's doubtful I'll go full bag like this. I'll pick and choose what I like after my other fitting and go from there. Now to go ice down my ENTIRE body.

Custom Fitting At Its Finest At the heart of Edel's brand is custom fitting. This is especially true with their putters, as their fitting carts host most options with the available “modular” build. If you have not experienced an Edel putting fitting, it should be on your bucket list of golf things to do, as they offer a truly unique experience. The new Edel Array brings another level of customization to putters and features several new options. These include four different models, with all three mallet designs now being available for left-handed golfers. There is also a single right-handed only blade design available. The other options include four different neck options, two alignment aids for the blade, and six for the mallets. As well as five sole weight options, four grip choices, and a Tour Lock Opti-Vibe Weighting system for internal shaft weighting options. That is a lot of options in one putter! What Edel Is Saying Edel says their Array putters are “Machined to the tightest tolerances for exacting precision. Each putter features a striking surface forged and machine-milled from 1025 carbon steel, known for its superior sound and softer feel. In tandem, head shapes and multiple alignment plates offered by the Array Putter line create a very powerful solution to aim bias." Please welcome and congratulate our testers! @Bucky CC @Parshooter36 @Prodigal Duffer @Woodrow72 AND The one and only Beta Tester @GolfSpy AFG

Let's say the fitting is free or was included in the purchase price, what is your limit? How much is too much? What putter would it be?

Probably $400. I got fit for a putter last year (A ping Tyne). Pretty sure brand new it was $250 with fitting. But I'm sure if I got fit for everything meaning grip, shaft, length, style head....I could see myself paying $400.

I've copied and pasted this review from my own blog, but I've struggled to copy over the photo's so please bear with me and I'll copy them over as and when I can. Before getting into the review, if you can't read a green, pick a line or judge pace, then a new putter will not solve your problems. Invest some time to learn these skills before going for a fitting and you will get much greater benefit. I know that sounds rich coming from me, especially given how many putters I've gone through over the years, but it's true! My lessons with Mike Rae at Drumoig and Mike Lander at the Academy have produced big improvements in my green reading and aim. Most (if not all) of my putting issues are mental/confidence-driven! Putting is a beguiling combination of art and science. I believe I've got a decent grasp on the art part, so let's see if the science of putter design is the missing link. Maybe even the L.A.B. Link.1 putter!! Who and what are L.A.B Putters? Link 1 and Mezz If you've not heard of L.A.B. Putters then where have you been? I know a couple of people who were early adopters of the DF2.1 and after Adam Scott started using the broomstick model, I started noticing them more on tour. Their profile exploded when Lucas Glover had his storming end to the 2023 season using the Mezz Max broomstick. If you listen to interviews with the CEO, he says orders went mad after that. Now it seems I can't open YouTube without seeing someone reviewing the new DF3 or experimenting with the other models (especially the broomstick). Watching the recent Cognizant Classic from Florida, I noticed several players using L.A.B. putters. Even Phil Mickelson had one in the bag over on LIV and that's a massive change for him. My understanding is that L.A.B. doesn't pay anyone to use their putters, so these are professional golfers making their own choices. L.A.B. stands for Lie Angle Balanced. These putters are designed to eliminate torque during the putting stroke and bring the head back square at impact. All other putters on the market will twist to some degree during the swing, which can lead some players to try and manipulate the club to bring it back square. Therefore, in theory, you should be able to make a smoother, more repeatable stroke with a L.A.B. putter. For more detailed information I would direct you here https://labgolf.com/low-torque-putter-revolution/ The L.A.B. 101 section of their website is an excellent resource and explains everything much better than I can. The fitting experience with Adam at Auchterlonies I've been interested in L.A.B. putters since my friend Graeme Clark started using the DF2.1 a few years ago. Despite his eulogising, I just couldn't get comfortable with the looks. When they launched the Link.1 and the Mezz, my interest increased and I would always pick them up for a "waggle" in Auchterlonies. I've continued to meet more players using them (mostly Mezz) and I always ask how they find them. Most are evangelical, with comments like "it's my cheat stick" or "it's my magic wand" being common. Some have bought them speculatively in standard specs and others have gone through the L.A.B. online fitting service (more below). Given how much these putters cost, I've not been prepared to use either of those methods. When Adam Legg at Auchterlonies said he had the fitting kit and the new DF3 was about to be released, I thought it was the perfect chance to try them properly and booked an appointment. Adam knows my history with putters and also my likes and dislikes. While familiarising myself with the L.A.B. range in the fitting bay, we had a wide-ranging conversation about eye dominance, posture, the impact of my glasses, my miss tendency and what frustrates me most about putting. Addressing the point I made at the start of the blog, we also chatted about how I read greens and assess pace. Because we still had my SAM data from the last session we already know I can make a good, repeatable stroke in the studio. Therefore we decided not to repeat SAM analysis this time and go straight into the L.A.B. fitting itself. Can you fit a putter correctly online? L.A.B think you can, but I've got some serious doubts! Static measurements are taken for preferred length and lie using an adjustable version of the DF2.1. You stand in the posure you feel most comfortable with and where you you best see the line of the putt. The club is then tightened and the measurements are recorded. My fitting came out at 33 inch long with a 73 degree lie angle. When I did the online fitting https://labgolf.com/remote-fitting/, it recommended 32.5 inch long with a 68 degree lie angle. That's a considerable difference between the two methods and justifies my scepticism towards the online method. For the online fitting, you use your current putter. If you have manipulated your posture to fit that club then I would suggest you are going to get the wrong results using this method. If anyone from L.A.B. happens to read this review, I'd be interested to hear their thoughts about this. When I did a similar exercise with Bruce Rearick he has you stand in putting posture WITHOUT a putter. This will more accurately reflect your natural tendencies and more closely resembles the in-person method above. Adam thought I might have manipulated the handle a bit so we split the difference between the fittings and adjusted the DF2.1 to 71 degrees and 33 inches long, then hit some putts. My goodness, it performed well! Moving swiftly on, I tried the Link.1, Mezz and DF3, before I settled on DF3 as my preferred shape. The Link failed the confidence test on short putts and I wasn't keen on the shape of the Mezz or the Press 1.5 grip. Unfortunately, Adam's demo DF3 was a standard 35 inches long and 69 degree lie, so I had to grip down and manipulate the lie slightly when trying it out. As I will come on to later regarding cost, I was keen to see if I could fit into a standard spec putter. Gripping down a couple of inches was fine but we could both see that I was manipulating the lie angle somewhat. Despite achieving decent results (detailed below), the custom specs would be the best option. Testing, testing, testing The studio only has three different lengths of putt and you soon get used to them, so Adam suggested I take the club away for a couple of days to try on the academy practice green and on course if possible. He also suggested I take a Mezz with the optional Accra shaft upgrade. Obviously, I jumped at the chance and headed to the practice green. Given the cost of this putter, I didn't want to make a purchase decision based only on how it performed in the studio. I would strongly urge anyone doing a putter fitting to find a facility where you can try the putter on a real green using a wide variety of different putts. Like sports teams, putters can look great on paper but perform poorly on grass! Testing inside isn't a true reflection. As Adam didn't have another L.A.B. fitting booked for a couple of days, I was fortunate to get an even longer trial. Living in St Andrews, I am extremely fortunate to have such fantastic practice facilities close by. The last picture with the cored green is at The Duke's with the rest all being at the Academy. I set up several challenges including round-the-clock from 3ft, 6ft and 9ft, a ladder drill and a gate drill to check my start line. Without hitting the same putt twice, I took random putts with different lengths and breaks to check distance control. Then I finished with a par 2 trip around the green using one ball. You only get one attempt on the course, so practice should be as close to that as possible. I used games to get some pressure into the practice sessions, especially for short putts. Day 1, had two practice sessions on two different greens. On day two I put the DF3 head-to-head with my Toulon Atlanta and also spent some time using my PuttOut mat and Devil Ball in the garage. On day 3, I played 9 holes on the Eden course and spent more time on the Academy practice green doing further head to head testing. The indoor testing had some interesting results. If you've not heard of the Devil Ball you can find more information here https://puttout.golf/products/devil-ball. It's an easy-to-use practice aid for assessing impact angle. It proved, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that the Maranello is NOT the putter for me. I could hardly keep the ball on the mat, it was coming off the face at such wild angles. The comparison between the DF3 and the Toulon Atlanta was much closer. If I had to call it, I'd say I was initially more consistent with the Atlanta than the DF3 but the DF3 improved as I got used to it. The grip on the DF3 is too large to use my Blast Motion sensor, so I can't see what was happening in my swing, but I had a slight tendency to start the Devil Ball right. Moving the ball position around made improved the contact. Moving to real balls saw the DF3 pull ahead of the Atlanta. My pace control was better and I "holed" the ball in the Perfect Putt more often. Both putters outperformed the other options and I would call this test a draw. The Atlanta is a good example of a putter that has performed well indoors but less well on grass, particularly with shorter putts. I wouldn't be trying the DF3 otherwise! Looks In my opinion, the DF3 is the most attractive option in the current L.A.B. line-up, although its unconventional looks will still not appeal to everyone. The photo here doesn't do the putter justice and its size is more appealing when you get it in hand. It is considerably smaller than the DF2.1 and not much larger than how I remember the original Taylormade Spiders. It certainly can't be any bigger than the one that Brian Harman uses! Owning more compact mallets, I was initially concerned about the size, but quickly got used to it. In fact, after about 10 minutes I stopped noticing the head altogether as my attention was drawn almost exclusively to the T alignment lines. The rest of the head almost melted away, which was an odd sensation. The Atlanta wins for looks, but neither putters can match the beautiful Maranello. Winner: Toulon Atlanta Grips The new pistol grip is excellent and I far preferred it to the other L.A.B. grips I tried. It is very disappointing that it only comes in white though, as black would be much more practical. A quick look at Adam's Mezz, with the same grip, proves how quickly it will discolour. I don't think any white grips, from any brands, age particularly well. My Atlanta is fitted with my all-time favourite putter grip, the Lamkin Deep Etched. But being totally honest, I slightly preferred the shape and feel of the new L.A.B. grip. Please offer a black one! Winner: DF3, but only just Feel Just like looks, sound/feel are also very personal. The DF3 makes a reassuring "clunk" that was a nice, solid sound. The Mezz had more of a high-pitched "ting" that I really didn't like. Another golfer close by was using a Mezz with the standard steel shaft, so I asked if he would mind swapping to see if we felt any differences. Interestingly, the Mezz with the steel shaft had a similar sound to the DF3. Neither of us liked the sound with the Accra upgrade or noticed any significant difference in how putts performed. That's an easy "no" to the Accra shaft upgrade. I've always liked the feel of my Atlanta. Toulon make lovely milled heads with a feel that's just the right balance of firmness off the face. It's also make a similar "clunk" sound to the L.A.B. I've retrofitted a KBS One-Step and far prefer it to the original StokeLab. Winner: Draw Performance: alignment Even though the DF3 wasn't in my specification, it continued to impress. Putting practice has never filled me with enthusiasm, but I enjoyed using this putter so much that I've had four long sessions with it. I particularly like the T alignment aid on top of the head and found it easy to aim, most especially on shorter putts. I like the similar arrangement on my Maranello too. I wasn't keen on the small single line on the Mezz and the back flange line used on the Link.1. I've never liked the large flange line on the Atlanta and wish I'd found one with a top line instead. Winner: DF3, especially with short putts Performance: lag putting and pace control Moving to pace control, I found the DF3 much better than the Mezz, which I felt had a hotter face and was difficult to control. Was this due to the Accra shaft? I've seen some reviews talk about needing to grip these putters more lightly than conventional putters, but I didn't feel the need to make any changes. If you're gripping your current putter too tightly then that's probably the first thing you should work on. The big positive with lag putting was that I wasn't worried about second putts, as I was already more confident from shorter distances. The Atlanta acquitted itself well in these tests too but has the big benefit of familiarity from use over two seasons. The main difference was that I was less confident on the second putts with it. My testing highlights that I can indeed putt well with the Atlanta, but the L.A.B. just inspired more confidence. Winner: DF3 Performance on the course For an extended test, I managed to play 9 holes on the Eden course. Main greens have been aerated and sanded recently but the Eden greens seem to be further into their recovery and were rolling nicely. There was nothing worse than a two putt during the round and the DF3 acquitted itself very nicely. Play was slow so I had a chance to take some extra practice putts and compare with the Atlanta while I was waiting for the tee boxes to clear. The Atlanta benefits again from immediate familiarity, but the more I used the DF3, the more confident I got with it. It was easier to swing the Atlanta hard for very long putts, but I'm sure I would get used to that with the DF3 with more practice. If there was a dominant miss, it was to the right, whereas the Atlanta was to the left. This was similar to the Devil Ball experiment. Winner: DF3, but it was close Conclusion L.A.B. advertising uses the phrase, "Less to think about" and that really sums up this putter. Especially when it came to my nemisis of short putts. I've been very fortunate to benefit from an extended test with it and would like to thank Adam Legg and Auchterlonies again for that opportunity. I've needed the time though as this is an expensive club, and not one to buy on a whim or after a short session on mat. I've been very fortunate to subject it to comprehensive testing. If you are lucky and fit the standard specification, the DF3 costs around £459, but if, like me me you need a custom spec then it will set you back an eye-watering £549. That's a significant difference to alter the length and lie. Playing about with custom shafts and different alignment patterns, I even got the price up to a staggering £944! However, with L.A.B. putters you're getting something truly innovative. You're paying for years of research and development into the technology and the fact that all putters currently have to be balanced by hand, which is labour-intensive. L.A.B. CEO Sam Hahn claims his margins are lower than other manufacturers and when I watch videos of the factory and build process, I can believe him. Modern drivers now regularly cost over £500, yet seem to change every six months and players seem happy to pay that for the promise of longer, more consistent drives. We use our putter more often, will (hopefully) keep it longer and it could contribute more to lowering your scores. After all, greater confidence putting undoubtedly has a beneficial impact on the rest of your game too. So I'm left asking myself, "How much is confidence worth?" Because confidence was the primary thing this putter gave me over my Atlanta. If I've aimed it correctly, it's going in. There were no horrible, wobbly backswings or twitchy, wristy, steery stabs at the ball either. Having trialled the DF3 for an extended period, including on the course, it simply made me feel positive about putting again. I believe that confidence has been my missing link to better putting and that's what the DF3 gives me. Therefore, it's worth the investment for me and I've placed an order. Now, does anyone want to buy my old putters? I need to raise some money!!

I am pretty sure that you cannot open a trade account with Golfworks as a hobbyist club builder. I have been a Professional Clubfitter and Clubmaker for more than 30 years, and have my own shop, plus I work out of a golf center with fitting bays and simulators, as well as doing some fittings at an area golf course. Besides having professional clubfitting/clubmaking credentials, I believe that you have to do a minimum amount of annual business with Golfworks to maintain trade account status. Prior to having a trade account, I enjoyed "preferred customer" status with Golfworks, which got me reasonable discounts, but not quite at the same level as trade account customers get. However, since Golfworks was acquired by GolfGalaxy/Dick's Sporting Goods, the discount levels have not been quite as good overall as they were prior to that time.

I have to say this is a really interesting topic as everyone can agree the putter is the most used club in their bag yet don’t really get fit and don’t want to spend too much. Also super interesting that a new driver is $550 yet a new putter is $250-$350. I think you should get a putter fitting and you should NOT do it with someone at dicks or PGa superstore, you should get a real fitting done with different brand options AND tech to see what putter stoke you have! Then you can go pick the style that fits your eye but the correct putter balance (toe down, face balance or toe up like a LAB putter). After I figured out that I am a face balance guy I got a odyssey tank 7 putter and used that for 9 years and now just go a tri hot 5, the same putter basically as the tank 7 had gotten beaten up. Because of that consistency of putter it is one of the strongest parts of my game and I think can be for a lot of people if they would just pick one that fits there swing type and then stick to it! lastly I will use odyssey putters until I die. The white hot is incredible especially as I play a firm ball and think it’s the best money can buy along with INCREDIBLE customer service. All that to say I think $350 is the most I would spend on a putter and a fitting about $100.

MyGolfSpy Forum Guide: How To Be A Tester As promised I wanted to do an update for our Want To Be A Tester Thread. We take pride in our transparency and member testing platform. 2023 was an incredible season and it continues to provide amazing opportunities to all of our members. For those new to the Forum let me break down the keys to becoming a Forum Tester and how to increase your chances at being selected. (I will break down the why afterwards) It should also be noted that we as staff view member testing opportunities as a way to give back to the members who have contributed so much to our community. It should also be noted that these reviews are a lot of work and take a lot of time to commit to. All Forum Members selected for testing must have a profile photo. This is our most basic rule, but the bottom line is no profile photo = no selection. Recent Activity - We want to see and have members who are actively engaged in the community. This does not necessarily mean posting everyday 10 plus times a day. But a steady history or pattern of activity is a must. Posting an unofficial review. This is not a must, but helps give us an idea for your writing style and overall ability and completing a thorough review for us. These are 3 simple, yet very effective ways to being noticed by the Forum Staff and having your name stand out as we go through the tester selection process. Now as to why we look for those previous 3 areas of criteria. Photos and media content are essential for testing. While some people are good writers, a bunch of text can be a tough slog to read through. We want to see creative photos and media that highlight the product. If someone cannot even bother to post a profile photo it gives us little confidence they could do any photos in a review. Photos and media are becoming ever more important for our reviews, especially with our Forum Recap Articles gaining further recognition and popularity with OEMs and MyGolfSpy readers. Good, high quality photos which highlight and feature the product are essential. Recent Activity is also extremely important. This shows us reliability to post consistently and take part in conversation throughout the testing period, as well as after the testing period. Being able to see that history gives us added confidence in our selection. Now when I say history I do not mean years of posting. It will be shown a little later in this post, but we actively try to get new people involved. Posting an unofficial review is pretty self explanatory, but for us when we are giving out thousands of dollars worth of equipment we want to have a level of confidence in who we are selecting. So is that all we look at when selecting testers? No, definitely not. The other things we look at and take note of are as follows. Post to Reaction Ratio: This is a simple metric, but gives us a slight idea of the value contributions to the community. However posting in the Good Morning Thread is a bit of a cheat code for that. Donor Status: For those that have, but don’t have the tag please let one of the staff members know and we can add that for you. While not a deal breaker one way or another, it can be used as a tie breaker. OEM requests: This one you can’t really know about ahead of time. However as these companies are providing equipment for free they are within their rights to ask for certain handicaps, situations, swing speeds, geographic regions and more. These questions are asked in the signup form. For those with lower post counts we can see login dates to see that someone is visiting the site. Maybe you are someone who loves reading the forum, but are hesitant to post that much or feel as though you do not have a lot to contribute. I ensure that you do have a lot to contribute no matter who you are, but at least this allows us to see that someone is taking an active interest in the forum. For those that have tested before. Previous review grades and comments are taken into account. More on that below. How long do I have to be a Forum Member before I am considered for Testing? A week? A month? Longer? I was a member for 2 years before I was selected for my first testing opportunity. However it took me a year to really get involved. There is no magic number for how long it takes to be a tester. Simply put we want to select members who are active contributors within our community. That doesn’t have to mean a long history of posts. We also actively try our best to give at least one new tester in on every testing opportunity that happens. In 2023 this happened in nearly every test. What else can help me become a tester? These are small things and are not requirements, but help with us getting to know you a little more or at the very least recognize your forum name. Follow us on our social platforms - The Forum has accounts on Instagram and Twitter… or X. Join our Community Call: Every Thursday we host a Community Call for our members to have general chit chat and sometimes Live Q&A with different golf companies or people. These are a great way for a member to get to know the staff, ask questions and for us to get to know you a little better. Importantly you don’t have to have your camera or mic on, but can simply sit back and listen or type questions in the chat. It is a great way to quickly get involved and see what our community is all about. What are the other rules or guidelines to Member Testing? Members generally only get one opportunity to test each season. Meaning if you are selected for a set of irons it is unlikely you will be selected for another test during the season. There are some exceptions, however we have a lot of great members and want to spread the opportunities around as best we can. Smaller tests such as golf balls, gloves, grips and that sort of thing do leave you eligible for other tests later in the season, however members will only be allowed to be involved in one review at a time. Basically no testing two items at once. For our testing opportunities like Cobra Challenge and full bag opportunities a member can only take part in these once. Period. These are amazing opportunities and of course a lot of fun and work, but we have too many incredible members to give these to any member multiple times. I mention these previous points to highlight a greater point. Please only register or sign up for the testing opportunities you are really excited about and if you are currently testing please do not sign up for other testing opportunities. To be frank it looks greedy and like you are only here for free stuff. Are there certain things that would make me ineligible for a testing opportunity? Outside of not having a profile photo, it should go without saying but all testers must be members of the forum. To that end you must also be a member in good standing. This means no current warnings on your account. Another factor that comes into play are poor previous review scores. I will put this bluntly, if a tester have gone mia on a testing opportunity in the past or been a difficult tester missing deadlines, not providing a review or come close to meeting the deadlines. We have very little reason to consider that person for any future review opportunities. We have too many deserving members to go back to that well or take that risk. Geo Restrictions are the other factor. It should be highlighted and noted that we encourage all testing opportunities to be eligible for all our members, however some OEMs have certain restrictions and in the end it is their call. I am a lefty and live outside the US so I am in your corner, but we are also not going to deny an opportunity if is just US only. Another factor in this is over 90% of the community is US and Canada based. Getting a larger portion of outside NA members will help increase are chances of getting more worldwide testing. I have been selected as a tester, now what? Your lead Forum Staff Member will guide you throughout the process. If there is a fitting involved or any other requirements they will facilitate those and ensure that everything is run smoothly. Most importantly, carefully read all the instructions and documents provided. There is a lot to go over and missing key points can cause you to get behind or miss important deadlines. The biggest thing is ask questions if you have them! The forum staff are here to help and work with all the testers throughout the process. What Happens After Testing? Even after an official test is completed it is highly encouraged that testers continue to take part in discussion. There may still be questions and may still activity on the thread which you should engage in. We love seeing ongoing and longer term updates as it helps anyone considering buying the product have a longer term view of how the product performs. Your Lead Forum Staff Member will then grade your review and participation and you will be given a survey to fill out. After these have been completed you will get your official tester badge! Technically speaking you are now eligible to enter in for more testing opportunities, however as we said above for the most part a member will only get to take part in 1 tester per season. Again I repeat it is why anyone should only sign up for the products they are truly interested in. _____________________________________________________ FAQ I never get picked! Why don't I ever get picked? I hear you, but have you done most of the above? Have you provided worthwhile contributions to the forum? Do you have a profile photo? The answers are all above and we lay out the process pretty clear. The rest is up to you. That being said posting in the TESTERS WANTED pages does not count towards your post count. Also the pick me pick me type posts don't really fly with us. Post them as you like or if you like, but again we want to see members adding value to the forum. Those posts are not. What happens if I get sick or injured during testing? Look this is a lot of work, but at the end of the day we understand things in life happen. TELL THE FORUM STAFF! We can make adjustments and arrange dates to work with everyone's schedule. However you have to tell us first! I don't have social media accounts, does that mean I can't be a tester? This is not a requirement for us. It is nice when the forum gets mentioned and a member is able to bring attention to the forum via social channels, but not a requirement. Good photos however are and with phones today there is little reason why anyone wouldn't be able to take a decent photo. Why don't we know what tests are coming so we can wait to sign up for the ones we really want and not risk getting picked for one we don't really love? We build our schedule out starting about now, however it takes time and things move around so there are no guarantees on when a test will be posted or moved. Posting our schedule to everyone also wouldn't be fair to the smaller tests or some of the lesser known brands which come to testing. We want excitement for every test and mystery in whats to come. If you aren't excited about the product up for testing, don't sign up. I was picked and the product just didn't work for me. What now? First I hope that the person enjoyed the review and was able to provide a good thorough and honest review. If it doesn't work, so be it! That being said we do not allow for any reason a member to sell their testing equipment for at least 2 product cycles. If it doesn't work for you, then pass it along to another member and let them try it. This happened several times this season with various products and members were able to get more testing opportunities. Pay it forward! But seriously, I have been here for X amount of years and still never get picked. Yeah I bring this up again because you would not believe the emails we get. We picked a lot of testers this year, if a longer term member hasn't been picked the basics of is the timing wasn't right or the activity level just wasn't there. There are some tests we feel some testers would be great for and others not as great, we have thousands of applications and have to pick 4-6, it isn't easy and not a ton of fun. If your name hasn't been called there are some gaps in the above material. _______________________________________________ I hope all of you have found this beneficial and productive to go through. The forum staff spend a lot of time going through all the applicants and reviews and so much more. It is not an easy task and we take pride in the selections we make. The testers that don't live up to expectations well that is tough for us and not a great look on us, the forum and this community. Therefore we take a good amount of time and effort to hand pick each tester. There were some testers this year that under performed to a level that they will not be partaking in testing moving forward. On a good note there were a ton of excellent testers and reviews which we are all very proud of. If you have questions please just ask! If you have concerns or want to know more then please reach out to one of the forum staff members. The other thread is going to be locked and this will be the main thread moving forward. There will also be subsequent larger drops of information here for all to view as we aim to be as transparent as possible with testing and make sure that anyone who really wants to be a tester will have that chance and ability to be. Thank you all for reading!

This is a great question. I don’t know what it is about putters but the mod team has selected me as a tester for three high end ones. Right place, right time I guess - thanks I go appreciate it. interestingly the first of those, an EVNroll, replaced a bargain basket under $50 one that I then had altered a bit at a fitting - the EVNroll was a bit better particularly from off the green which at my age is important. With a fitting I’d pay $350 for it. Beyond a doubt I’d pay that for my Sacks-Parente with a fitting - it’s a no brainer. Honestly the LAB that I tested was unable to stay in the bag - competitive on there but NG from off it and that’s a huge factor for me with putter. I’d have to look at their other models to see if they have one that works from off the green. To answer the question I’d say $400 with a fitting sounds about right.

Well, my thoughts at this time is that I hate the weather because I got rained out on Sunday morning. However, a range session was done. Admittedly, the range session was more about finding some tempo for this this week covering for a friend in the old league on Wednesday, but we did get some time with the AI Smoke. Here's what I can tell you from the session. The driver launched much better than my TSR2, as would be expected with the higher loft, but considering the spinny nature of range balls it's hard for me to make any real takeaways as to distance and accuracy. I will say that the combo of Smoke Red and the length of the driver is seeing some quicker swings creep in, which should lead to a bit more distance through better compression and ball speed numbers. I think that's something I failed to mention in the fitting. My TSR2 is D7 on swingweight, I haven't put the AI Smoke on the scale, but I have to think it's in the D2-D3 range considering the information from the custom catalog, as I believe it's between D3-D4 on stock and then my extra wraps and lighter shaft drop the swingweight by about 1.5 points according to their specs. It's easy to swing and it's easy for me to swing hard and fast, which his what I want to do after my Superspeed test last year, but it's also stable so it doesn't feel out of control. I'm excited to get it on the course on Wednesday. We'll report back hopefully with some more thoughts and numbers.

After putting the 3 dot alignment plate back on, I instantly brought my Stack putting performance back down to "normal" and closer to peak historical performance. I continue to believe in the fitting.

PXG gets a bad rap from the commercials but they make some quality clubs and their fitters are really good at their jobs. Looking forward to how your OEM neutral fitting goes compared to the PXG

Im comfortable spending 600 on custom Scotty's, but what blows my mind is people who struggle with their putters and have never gone through a putter fitting

It is no secret that L.A.B. Golf has taken off because of multiple wins on the PGA Tour and a greater professional presence overall. Its success in MyGolfSpy testing and the hype around the newly released L.A.B. DF3 has only increased its notoriety. What Is L.A.B.? L.A.B. stands for Lie Angle Balance. These putters, unlike other putters, are not toe-hang or face balanced. They are balanced to point at the target, meaning no twisting, no struggling to keep the face directed at the target—the putter does this naturally. As each golfer is unique in their putting stance and stroke, the fitting process for L.A.B. is crucial. L.A.B. has made this easy by way of their online submission. A simple step-by-step process is sent to L.A.B. and they use this video to dial in your specifications. L.A.B. is best known for their big and unique-looking DF 2.1, a putter that has many nicknames and certainly does not appeal to all golfers. This is where the DF3 comes in. Please welcome and congratulate our testers! @jbern @MattWillGolf @CFreddie @Cfhandyman @GolfSpy MPR @Steve F

Testers Announced! For this tester's wanted opportunity, we introduce you to RUNNER Golf, a small and up-and-coming putter company from France. Founded in 2021 by Simon Linot, the process of getting their putters to market took a little time. However, the time and hard work paid off when they won the “Best in Show” innovation prize at the 2022 PGA GOLF SHOW. About RUNNER Golf Putters: Available in three different models (RUNNER ORIGINAL, BLADE, and MALLET), this series of putters is packed with technology and RUNNER’s signature moving weights system at the back of each putter. All of the RUNNER golf putters are built in Normandy, France. They consist of a multi-material design with precision-milled 6061 aluminum, complete with various weight options and setups to help golfers make more putts. RUNNER Golf also has a comprehensive self-fitting guide on their website, which will help you choose which one of their putters is best for you. This AI configuration guide will consist of a handful of questions and only takes a few minutes to complete. The questions are thorough and cover everything from putter preferences to putting grip. At the end, it will give the best recommendation for putter style, weight setting, and more! Please welcome and congratulate our testers! @Bobbers @Northern Monkey @RTH1 @SDunne

It depends on the quality of the fitting. I would pay a real fitting with a quality putter up to $299 including all tax and fees.

I paid a 50 euro( 55 dollars) fitting fee and paid 886 euro ( 995 dollars ) for a custom evnroll duo 5.2 putter , I think it was worth it .

I actually went to a putter launch recently. Cove Golf invited me to the introduction of their line. I was able to spend some time with a fitter and a nicely milled mallet putter. The fitter was using a computer analyzer that I had never heard of before. (Will try to get the name of it to share). I hit a number of putts to a hole 15 feet away. I had a really nice session, stroke was consistent, ball rolled well, putter really felt nice. When I looked further into what the entire package would cost me, the putter was a cool $800 and the fitting $200. Even though I was really excited to maybe put a new putter in my bag, I have not been able to pull the trigger on spending the $1000. It's been about a month since I attended this event, and I am really comfortable using the $150 Kayson putter that I picked up last year. FORE! Mike

The most I have ever paid for a putter was $1500 it was a Master Limited addition limited release. It did come with an upgraded shaft and free fitting. I purchased as a collection piece not a gamer. With the number of new putters released every year and toting all the “new technological advancements”. Putter should no exceed the $250-$300 range. Though it is the most used club in the bag you really don’t gain an advantages as you would in a driver

I did a putter fitting last year, the fitter was running a deal that if I bought they would apply the fee to the purchase. I spent $500 on a Scotty so I guess 500. I can tell you, my putting has greatly improved.

About Haywood Golf Founded in Vancouver, Canada in 2018, Haywood Golf is a relatively new addition to the DTC (Direct-to-consumer) market. However, Haywood has made a concerted effort to differentiate itself by offering multiple fitting locations worldwide. They also build all their clubs in Canada. With a move to a new and bigger location in the Vancouver area, Haywood looks to expand on its existing lineup, which already includes a multi-material designed driver and fairway wood, along with a newly released hybrid. Haywood then boasts four different iron models, a driving iron, wedges, and two different putter models (one mallet and one blade). Impressively, all their golf clubs are also available in right and left-handed options. Very Canadian! With so many DTC brands available to consumers, Haywood separates itself by offering more fitting location options and special runs of copper and black nitride finish clubs, along with extremely competitive prices and a ton of options to fit your game. Please welcome and congratulate our testers! @Nunfa0 @CB Lobo 4 Life @frazzman80 @ArizonaLogan

I thought a putter fitting was ridiculous until I had one done.

I currently play the G400Max and am looking to upgrade. I have a PING driver fitting on Thursday, May 9th.....I might have a new driver! Thanks for the review, I play almost all PING clubs. A few weeks ago I got fit for a Callaway driver and the Paradym AI Smoke at 9* with a 65g stiff shaft was the verdict. I liked the club a lot, but the muted sound and the feel off the face was off compared to my PING. The distance was a bit more, but my G400Max is nearly 5 years old!!

The LAB Golf on line fitting is different. It’s not an algorithm, it’s taking a video in front of a door frame and they take measurements. If the video is not of a certain quality, or even if your set up is too flawed, they will ask you to do it again. I actually had an in-person LAB fitting and an on-line LAB fitting and they came up the same. Even if you sent launch monitor data to a fitter for a driver, it still doesn’t tell you about the feel or how the club head will interact with your swing and the shaft.

I have been thinking about replacing my driver and 3 wood. I know that I don't hit them as well as I should and after my recent bag fitting at Club Champion in Glasgow I know for sure its not optimal, its just trying to justify it and work out what is best to get. Will I get more if I just replace the 3 wood first or just the driver first? The price and availability is good and I know what I need and have been fitted for (Callaway Paradym AI Smoke Max 10.5* with Oban Isawa Red 65g and Callaway Paradym AI Smoke Max 15* 3 wood with Oban Isawa Red 75g both in Stiff) Also as I will have 13 clubs, there is a gap in the bag, the other question is do I go 5 wood or 3 Hybrid....hmmm choices choices. Alex