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OFFICIAL FORUM MEMBER REVIEW - MLA PUTTERS


JBones

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OFFICIAL MLA PUTTER REVIEW

 

 

 

Peaksy68               Stage One          Stage Two          Stage Three

 

Kanoito                  Stage One           Stage Two          Stage Three

 

Dhuck Whooker     Stage One           Stage Two          Stage Three

 

RexS                      Stage One           Stage Two          Stage Three

 

Downinone             Stage One           Stage Two          Stage Three

 

 

 

Visit the MLA Golf website HERE

Visit MLA Golfs Facebook HERE

Visit MLA Golfs Twitter HERE

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MGS Review - MLA Tour Classic Putter

 

jb2wl5.jpg

 

 

Stage One

 

Thank you to MGS for selecting me as a reviewer and thank you to MLA for sending me this putter. I am stoked for anything and everything golf and if it involves the short game, I'm that much more excited. 

 

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How I Got Into Golf

 

I am a diehard golfer but it was not always this way. I have been golfing for about 8 years and was originally introduced to the game when I was 9. I remember walking into my grandmother's garage and seeing the old, leather golf bag. It was strapped into an aluminum Play Day pull cart and had a few Persimmon woods and a set of blades that were so thin, they could have been knives. I still can't hit them today and I have no idea how anyone could possibly have game with those things. I am certain that the unplayability of those clubs and my ADHD attitude towards anything that couldn't be mastered in 5 minutes, led to my zero interest in the game of golf.

 

I didn't see those clubs again until I was thirteen, when that same old bag, strapped into the same old Play Day cart, landed in our garage. My best friend and I, had been digging around the garage looking for something that would inevitably get us into a ton of trouble and wouldn't you know it.........we found those clubs. A new 9 hole course had opened a stones throw from where we lived and my friend said he had clubs too, so we had our parents drop us off at the course. I have no idea how many balls we lost that day but we had fun, especially when we got to the ninth tee. The ninth hole was a long, par three with an elevated tee box and when we saw how far our balls flew, we decided to hit every ball we had in our bags. This hole only had one major flaw. Some genius decided to put the parking lot four club lengths behind the green and didn't take into account, two teens who just found out what a driver is capable of. Somewhere around my 15th ball, I managed to find that parking lot and the rear window of someones car, which quickly brought an end to our golf experience. That would be the last time I would step foot on a golf course until I was 28 years of age.

 

My girlfriend had started a new job and become good friends with another female employee. They talked about their significant others all the time and constantly said it sounded like they were dating the same person and that we all had to meet.  Long story short, peas and carrots is putting it mildly. He and I became best friends almost immediately and it wasn't long until he invited me to come play golf with his very large group of diehard golf buddies. New friends, competition, the great outdoors and realizing I never should have put those clubs down so many years ago, has glued me to this wonderful game. I now play between 75 and 130 rounds of golf a year. My mission is to get down to a 6 handicap this year. My only real issue is one out of five swings with my mid irons either ends up in a straight, blading of the ball or the occasional deep (three feet of carpet) chunking. If I can make that go away I honestly think I could be shooting in the mid 70's. 

 

In the last two years I was selected to be a part of an on-line golf reality show called Hack to Jack. We worked with swing coaches a few days a week and played in tournaments on the weekends. We also competed in skills challenges for prizes with the goal of lowering our handicaps. It was a blast! I started the program as a 22 handicap and finished the program as a 10. The awesome people, cool gear and game improvement made for an incredible experience that only further cemented me into the game. I will not be walking away from golf ever again! 

 

 

On To The Main Attraction!

 

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After being selected for this review, I was given a few options of the MLA putter line. After a long deliberation, I chose the MLA Tour Classic, which is a blade putter. MLA was kind enough to cut it to 30.5 inches for me as I have been playing with a custom milled, 3rd party short putter for quite a while. I am 6'3 and have been made fun of on numerous occasions for looking like an ugly Michelle Wie. In the end, the numbers don't lie and the pokes generally become praises which end in comments like, "maybe I should shorten my putter". I believe that I have drastically far more control over speed and distance and have been thinking about going even shorter. My putts per round generally average 26-30. I'm quite proud of my short game and when I was asked to do this putter test, I was thrilled in thinking about the, "what ifs". What if this putter, with its Multiple Line-Detector Activation from which the name MLA is derived, gets me down to 18 putts a round? I can't wait to put it to the test.

 

I chose to do an unboxing for my stage one review before being sent the guide lines and it's my first unboxing ever, so it was a learning experiance. The next one will be better, I promise. You can watch it HERE!

Driver:  :wilson_staff_small: D200 13 Degree
3 Wood:  :wilson_staff_small: D200 15 Degree
5 Wood:  :wilson_staff_small: D200 18 Degree
4th:  :wilson_staff_small: D200 22 Degree
5-P  :wilson_staff_small: FG Tour V4
Gap:  :wilson_staff_small: FG Tour
Sand:  :wilson_staff_small: FG Tour
Lob:  :wilson_staff_small: FG Tour
Putter: Directed Force "Reno" Putter

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Here is a teaser while you wait for me to finish editing my next video.

HERE IT IS! STAGE 2.

Driver:  :wilson_staff_small: D200 13 Degree
3 Wood:  :wilson_staff_small: D200 15 Degree
5 Wood:  :wilson_staff_small: D200 18 Degree
4th:  :wilson_staff_small: D200 22 Degree
5-P  :wilson_staff_small: FG Tour V4
Gap:  :wilson_staff_small: FG Tour
Sand:  :wilson_staff_small: FG Tour
Lob:  :wilson_staff_small: FG Tour
Putter: Directed Force "Reno" Putter

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Driver:  :wilson_staff_small: D200 13 Degree
3 Wood:  :wilson_staff_small: D200 15 Degree
5 Wood:  :wilson_staff_small: D200 18 Degree
4th:  :wilson_staff_small: D200 22 Degree
5-P  :wilson_staff_small: FG Tour V4
Gap:  :wilson_staff_small: FG Tour
Sand:  :wilson_staff_small: FG Tour
Lob:  :wilson_staff_small: FG Tour
Putter: Directed Force "Reno" Putter

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Stage 1

 

A great surprise and honor to be selected to review this MLA Putter, hopefully I do it justice.

 

I've been playing for more than 25 years, the last 20 or so seriously and regularly.

My handicap started off in the mid 20s, and reduced rapidly to high teens.  After a bit of a break I returned to regular play and had a handicap of 14. My handicap reduced gradually to around 10, with an occasional appearance in single figures.

 

My game has always been reasonably well balanced, with no particular glaring weaknesses, an inability to put everything together is my biggest stumbling block.

 

I have always been a streaky putter, when I'm on I putt very well, but when I'm off it can get a bit ugly. My short misses tend to be left, and I can struggle with distance control on long uphill putts.

 

About 6 years ago my daughter started doing a junior clinic at my club, and while waiting for her to finish, I would practice. During this time my handicap dropped from 12 to 6, amazing what a bit of work can do.

 

My handicap is at its lowest ever, 4.9. Australian handicaps are managed by a central body, with all scores returned by clubs to the handicapping body. Only competition rounds count towards your handicap, with slope rating and a daily scratch rating affecting playing handicap and “played to” figure.

 

Over the years I've had only a few putters, a Jack Nicklaus Response (with a massive head), a Cobra Dual Metal, a Ram Zebra, and finally my current putter, a Scotty Cameron California Del Mar, which I've had for about 3 years. I probably putted most consistently with the Zebra, a face balanced putter that probably suit my reasonably straight back and through stroke.

 

I play mostly at Curlewis Golf Club, on Victoria's Bellarine Peninsula, about an hour south east of Melbourne. The greens are large (up to 3 clubs from front to back) and undulating. The greens are usually firm and fast, with bent grass surfaces. My region has about 12 courses, 5 of which (including mine) are rated in Australia's top 100 courses. I play one or two rounds a year in Queensland (northern Aust) with most courses up there having Bermuda greens, which are far from my preference! Within 1 ½ hours of home there is perhaps the highest concentration of accessible top class courses in the world.

 

I chose the MLA Tour Mallet mainly because I prefer mallet styles, and returning to a face balanced putter really appealed. I chose 33", as I like to get my head over the ball, and slightly shorter encourages this with me.

 

Initial impression was great. Beautifully balanced putter. I changed the weights to the 10g, mid range of the 3 weights provided.

 

The 2 hats were an unexpected bonus, now I have to fight off my daughter (she wants the white one)

 

I'll edit some photos in once the weather makes photography possible.

:Sub70:  849 Pro Evenflow Riptide 6.0
:cobra-small: F8 3 & 5 Woods Project X Evenflow Blue 6.0

:titelist-small: TS2 7 Wood Project X Evenflow Blue 6.0
:mizuno-small:  MP18 MMC - Project X LZ 5.5
:cleveland-small: Zipcore Wedges 50,54,58 - Project X LZ 5.5
MLA Tour Mallet 33"
:srixon-small:  Z Star
:ping-small: Pioneer bag
:Clicgear: buggy

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MLA Tour Mallet Stage 2

As stated in stage 1, I'm really impressed with the balance and initial feel of this putter.
The matt black finish with matt white alignment aid is striking at first, and takes a bit of getting used to.
The mid sized Winn pistol grip in black and green coordinates well with the graphics and has a nice soft (but not too soft) feel.

 


I started trialling the putter with the middle 10g weights, but decided to change to the 15g weights, as I wanted to feel a little more head weight. Of course this is all subjective, and the fact I wanted a 33 inch putter probably makes the extra weight more necessary.

 


I haven't done a full statistical review, for several reasons. The practice green at my club has had some minor renovation work done (just prior to putter arriving) which has meant the flatter section is out of action. I didn't want to confuse my stroke by swapping too much between to very different putters, with the MLA being face balanced and my current Scotty Del Mar heavily toe weighted.

At the moment I don't think raw stats from playing would be of much use, as we have had a run of brutal pin positions at my club, due in part to heavy rain forecasts. It would be interesting to see a Putts Gained stat at my club in the recent weeks.

The MLA Tour Mallet is probably the best balanced and most stable putter I have used. Off centre contact seems to have minimal impact on short putts, which still roll well. My long range putting has improved since changing to the 15g weights, with several very near misses from 40+ feet. The putter works very well in the 4 foot “knee knocker” range, and my confidence over these puts has significantly increased. I had an issue during my third round with this putter that I almost assumed the ball would go in the hole without thinking (it didn't) another reason why I'm not giving full stats.

This putter has really highlighted to me perhaps the major issue with my putting, which is poor alignment. The ball rolls so truly off the face that I can actually see what I'm doing wrong, which hasn't always been the case. I tend to align slightly to the left of where I want, but at least with the MLA I'm now realising that this is the problem, rather than a pull or slight closing of the face.

I've shown the putter to several mates and our club pro. The pros initial comment was “this is a really well made putter, it feels great”. A mate who is notoriously yippy (known to miss the hole from under 1 foot) and who currently uses a claw grip first comment was “I think I could putt normally with this” which is pretty high praise from him.

Yesterday's round was my 4th with this putter. I started with 2 X 3 putts, both from 50 odd feet, one where all I was hoping was to put my ball somewhere I had a chance to hole the second putt. Our greens were the quickest they have been for months, and we're rolling very truly. After my initial 3 putts, I putted well, with most putts going where I aimed them. Misses were either misread or slightly short. I finished the round with a 14 foot birdie followed by a 12 foot downhill left to right slider, so things are on the improve.
One of my issues with my putting stroke is watching the putter head, the design of the MLA with the white alignment “line” helps make this more obvious which helps me do something about it.

Scoring

Performance
I will score for on course performance only, as practise performance to me doesn't matter, only what happens in real play, and only in a competition setting.
My putting has improved slightly overall with this putter, with less bad misses (particularly short putts) It has taken a bit of adjusting, mainly with long putts. The feedback this putter gives is great, it is very easy to see incorrect face angle (usually closed for me) The weight kit allows for a bit of experimentation, and helped to get the putter set up more to my liking. I expect my putting on course to further improve as I get more used to it, and as our greens fully recover from a coring. This putter is definitely more suited to my SBST stroke than my current SC Del Mar, especially on short putts.

Score 16/20 (32/40)

Looks
The putter has an understated look, except for the alignment line, which is a bit confronting as it is so different. After a few rounds I don't notice the difference. The black and green combination is interesting, I don't know if this is a great choice in terms of attracting potential users. I personally don't have any problem with it, but I'm not sure how appealing it will be to a potential purchaser. The grip ties in well with the other graphics/colors.

 


I have concerns that the black finish will scratch easily, and obviously but so far no problems.

Score 15/20

Sound and Feel

The feel of this putter is fantastic, with well struck putts rolling perfectly off the face. The sound is muted, but pleasingly so. Off centre contact is noticeable, with enough feedback to realise the contact wasn't perfect, but the ball still rolls well.

Score 19/20

Likelihood of Purchase

This is a really difficult question, partly due to my buying habits (as can be seen by what's in my bag. I would be unlikely to purchase this putter (or any other) without the opportunity to try it in the flesh, especially at $350 price tag.
Having used this putter, I can safely say that if I were to spend that amount on a putter, this is one of the few I would consider.
The slightly “boutique” nature of the brand, and the different approach to design does set the MLA Tour Mallet apart from virtually all other putters I have looked at or tried.

Score 14/20, mainly due to limited access, and a hesitance to spend on an untried product. If MLA had a presence in store or demo days in Australia this score would increase.

Total score 80/100, with potential for higher.


Conclusion
Is this a good putter? Absolutely
Is it a miracle putter? No, you still need to use it properly
Does it design and beautiful balance make it easy to know what I'm doing? Again, absolutely
Will it improve my putting? I think it will, especially as it gives great feedback, and the ball rolls so truly of the face
Will the MLA Tour Mallet stay in my bag? Absolutely

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:Sub70:  849 Pro Evenflow Riptide 6.0
:cobra-small: F8 3 & 5 Woods Project X Evenflow Blue 6.0

:titelist-small: TS2 7 Wood Project X Evenflow Blue 6.0
:mizuno-small:  MP18 MMC - Project X LZ 5.5
:cleveland-small: Zipcore Wedges 50,54,58 - Project X LZ 5.5
MLA Tour Mallet 33"
:srixon-small:  Z Star
:ping-small: Pioneer bag
:Clicgear: buggy

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Stage 3

 

Will the MLA Tour Mallet go in my bag? Most definitely, the balance, feel and consistency off the face off the putter are all great.

 

I would recommend this putter to anyone whose stroke is suited to a face balanced putter. Sure they aren't cheap, but I firmly believe they sit well when compared to other putters in the same price range that I've tried.

 

This was my first exposure to MLA, and without MGS I would never have even heard of them, let alone get achance to use their equipment. I am really impressed with the quality of this putter, across the board. Everyone who I've shown it to have also been impressed.

 

The only thing I would look at changing is different colour and grip size options, which it seems they are already offering.

 

I would love to see them continue to make such beautifully balanced putters, it really is amazing how well balanced this putter is.

 

Have I mention that I love how well balanced this putter is?

 

Thanks again to MGS for the opportunity to review this putter, I've really enjoyed the process, and hope that others can benefit from this review.

:Sub70:  849 Pro Evenflow Riptide 6.0
:cobra-small: F8 3 & 5 Woods Project X Evenflow Blue 6.0

:titelist-small: TS2 7 Wood Project X Evenflow Blue 6.0
:mizuno-small:  MP18 MMC - Project X LZ 5.5
:cleveland-small: Zipcore Wedges 50,54,58 - Project X LZ 5.5
MLA Tour Mallet 33"
:srixon-small:  Z Star
:ping-small: Pioneer bag
:Clicgear: buggy

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MLA Putter Review 2016

 

Stage 1

 

First things first. Thanks to MGS and MLA for this kick-ass opportunity. To be honest, I never thought we (living on the other side of the pond) would get a chance to test gear for MGS, but look at us now swinging it globally :D

 

As a side note, English is not my first language, so if I make any mistakes or there is anything unclear, please do let me know and I'll try to explain it. But I apologize in advance :D

 

About me

 

For those of you who haven't read the thread why/how you started playing: I started in 2010 together with my wife, both looking for a new shared interest. Gave golf a try and have been hooked ever since. I used to live closer to the golf club where it all started and could slip in some practice time and 9 holes after work. Now I have a new job, work more hours, live farther away from the new club and have a 1 year old daughter… so pretty much only get to play on weekends.

 

However, my interest for the game has never decreased… I still like to go out every chance I can. During winter or when it's pouring, you'll see me swinging a club in the living room (a risky activity for the TV and ceiling lamps). I'll practice my swing, inside-out path when lying on my bed (risky activity for my wife). Already got my daughter a set of toy clubs and really hope she picks up the game and we get to spend some great moments together on the course.

 

My scores vary from mid 80's (personal best 83) up to low 90's. Part of the “success” is due to short game and putting. Ball striking with the irons is above average (I would say 7 out of 10 with 5 being average). What kills my score are the misses off the tee. Pulls and slices are the norm, when my typical fade is nowhere to be found.
 

My driver speed is about 100mph with a medium quick tempo and relatively high ball flight. Used to play with KBS Tour shafts, but switched to PX 5.5 to try to bring the ball flight down. Specs are standard length, 2* upright.

 

I've done 2 iron fittings in my life. The first one in 2012 when I got my Mizuno MP-59 and the second one just a few months ago where I got my Apex CF16. I just got my first driver fitting last week, but to my “disappointment”, none of the current offerings was able to beat my gamer. The fitter was very honest about it, so I guess he saved me some dough. I think I almost begged him to recommend a driver… any driver… anything shiny will do.

After years of club ho'ing, I think fitting is the most rational decision I've made. It just saves so much time and money with awry experiments and eBay disputes.

I used to be a tinkerer, constantly trying different stuff to squeeze out the last inch of performance you could find. But now with less time to play and other life responsibilities, I decided in the long run it's cheaper to invest in a good fitting and good equipment and forget it for the next 3-4 years (at least that's what I like to tell myself… and my wife).

 

You can see the clubs I bag in my signature.

 

Yes, I'm aware the above have little to do with a putter, but it should give you an overall impression of the kind of hacker that I am.

 

So now back to topic: I average about 31 putts per round and rarely 3-putt *knocks on wood*. I hope the Golf Gods don't punish me for saying that...

While the numbers are not extraordinary, they are still the best part of my game. My typical misses on the green are on the low side (misread), but my distance control is pretty decent.

 

Here you can see the MLA compared to my Yes! Ann. I'll try to get it completely face balanced by changing the weights.

bottom-resized.jpg

 

Fun fact: I have been playing computer games since I was 10 or 11 and have slowly developed a sense for space and dimensionality. It's hard to explain, but after playing shooting games for so many years, you learn how to take wind, altitude, movement speed, latency, bullet drop, etc. into consideration, find the right trajectory and time it for the headshot.

 

I apply a similar principle to putting (ball is the bullet, hole is the head of the opponent… obviously) and it has served me pretty well so far.

 

My current gamer is a Yes! Ann @ 34” with the stock grip made by Winn, which does feel small in my hands. I've always wanted to go up a couple of sizes with SuperStroke, but I decided to wait until I tested the MLA, since it comes with a midsize Winn grip.

After holding it for a while, I think I will never go back to standard sized putter grips.

grips-resized.jpg

 

I've never had a putter fitting and never saw it as necessary. So many different types, shapes and colors… I always thought it's just a matter of taste and personal preference with no real impact on performance.

My first set of clubs were SGI so the guy who sold me the clubs also suggested a mallet style putter to a beginner due to its forgiveness. The mallets I've owned are the TM Rossa Corza Ghost, Odyssey Sabertooth and some RIFE putter with the cylinders on the back (forgot the name).

I've owned a similar amount of blade style putters such as the TM Est. 79, PING Karsten Zing, Odyssey White Ice, Nike Method Core and my current Yes! Ann.

As you can see, I'm not the Scotty or boutique type of guy. I just can't see myself investing so much money for the name or design when performance is similar.

 

After jumping back and forth between putter shapes, I settled down for a blade. Why? The mallets gave me little feedback and awful distance control. I was never sure whether I should use my arms or let the heavy head do the stroke. The blade style putter is not as forgiving, but I know I'm in control of how far and where the ball goes.

 

It seems like the Tour Classic is closer to a midsize mallet instead of a blade, though.

top-resized.jpg

 

What do I expect from the MLA Tour Classic?

 

From the looks, I expect it to be a little more forgiving on mishits compared to my gamer and the face balance should also help with my SBST stroke (should be adjustable with the weights as well).

I hope this review can convince me that putters also perform differently and benefit from a fitting just as much as drivers/irons/wedges.

 

AAANNNDDD perhaps do a little marketing for the good folks at MLA with the caps they sent me :D

Mizuno towel didn't come with the putter ;)

 

package-resized.jpg

 

I'll be adding more detailed photos in Stage 2 under the LOOKS/PERFORMANCE category with extra info.

:cobra-small: SpeedZone 9* w/ Aldila Rogue Silver 60 S
:callaway-small: X2 Hot 3 Deep 14.5* w/ Aldila Tour Green 75 S
:taylormade-small: JetSpeed 5W 19* w/ Matrix Velox T 69 S OR :adams-small: Super LS 3H 19* w/ Kuro Kage Black 80 S
:mizuno-small: JPX919 Forged 4-PW w/ Modus3 105 S
:titelist-small: Vokey SM7 50/08F, 54/14F & 58/08M w/ Modus3 115 Wedge
:EVNROLL: ER1 34" w/ SuperStroke Fatso 2.0
MfleKCg.jpg Pro / 9dZCgaF.jpgH2NO Lite Cart Bag / :Clicgear: 3.0 / :918457628_PrecisionPro: NX7 Pro LRF

My reviews: MLA Putter // Titleist SM7 // PING i500 // PuttOUT

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Stage 2
 
I believe I covered the most relevant aspects about my golf game and what’s in my bag in Stage 1. If there is anything else I missed, please feel free to let me know. So let’s move on to the data!
 
Performance
 
Performance at the Range
 
Since I was testing this putter alone, I couldn’t apply the Strokes Gained 18 method that MGS uses for the Most Wanted. So… I just did a 1-on-1 shootout between my current gamer and the MLA.
 
What I really wanted to test was the effectiveness of the patented aiming technology. So I tried to eliminate breaks as much as possible and sought for the flattest area of the putting green. I placed 8 tees around the hole with a 3m (9.8ft) radius and proceeded to putt 5 balls from each tee with the MLA and 5 balls with my current gamer. I alternated between tee positions and putters to avoid getting too familiar with the line.

I repeated the same test from 6m (19.6ft) and 12m (39.3ft).

Ball used for this test was the TaylorMade Penta TP5 and it came down to a stupefying total of 240 balls putted and 450 putts. The tests were performed under similar weather conditions and within a 3-day period to factor out fatigue.
 
g800.jpg
 
Total number of putts
 
totalputts.JPG
 
Here you can see the total number of putts per distance. For the shorter distances, where distance control is not critical, the MLA was superior. It was easier to aim and a soft, controlled stroke was enough to bring the ball into the hole. I had difficulties with the longest putts. The head is definitely heavier, but I wasn’t able to feel the acceleration through the ball; it felt as if the energy wasn’t being transferred properly to the ball, so I ended up leaving a lot of putts too short. This didn’t happen with my gamer.
 
Total number of 1, 2 and 3-putts
 
123putts.JPG
 
This is the total amount of 1, 2 and 3-putts for all distances together. Again, the MLA exceled at short-range putts. The aiming aid, the bigger grip, the heavier head all do wonders to steady your hands and softly do a SBST stroke. The missing energy-transfer described above was also the cause of the 3-putts.
 
Range Score: 17 out of 20 points
 
Performance on the Course
 
As mentioned before, I average about 31 putts per round. I played 4 full rounds with the MLA and here are my results.
 
First round using the MLA, tied my personal best of 83 with only 30 putts needed. I just read the breaks, stood over the ball and fired away in order to test the aiming technology. As you all know, the line of sight when you stand behind the ball and over the ball are not always the same. In this case, I let the aiming aid point to the line I had read before and purposely didn’t use the alignment on the ball. I was extremely pleased with the results as the putting line at address coincided with my read.
 
scorecard.jpg
 
My 2nd round was the completely opposite. I’ll spare you shame of looking at the scorecard (barely broke 100). The critical misses were slices off the tee that ended up OB. I had 31 putts plus 2 holes I didn’t record, so we can assume it would have been around 35-36 putts. To my defense, the conditions changed drastically a couple of times during the round: started the day with slow humid greens (17C or 62F for my American friends), then turned into “normal” speeds; then baked by the scorching sun around noon (33C / 91F) and 90% humidity to finish with a refreshing thunderstorm. It was a competitive round and the flight in front of us had 2 holes free in front of them, so the 5 hour round and heat didn’t help either. Accuracy was not an issue as the ball was rolling on the intended line, but distance control and speed were way off due to the unstable weather conditions.
 
Rounds 3 and 4 were both high 80’s with 29 and 28 putts respectively. To be fair, my GIR’s were very low. 70% of my approach shots didn’t make it to the green, but a well-placed chip or pitch made the first putt easier and definitely contributed to the fewer putts. This reflects the results seen on the practice green: the MLA is very sharp on short putts, but lacks distance control on longer ones.
One thing I didn’t notice on the practice green, but did notice on the course was that the MLA is less forgiving than my current gamer. Mishits were definitely more pronounced.
 
b800.jpg
 
Course Score: 17 out of 20 points
 
Performance Summary
 
The MLA exceeded my expectations. The aiming system does assist in visualizing the putting line when standing over the ball. I, personally, no longer have to use the alignment lines on the ball to line up a putt.
 
I’m not sure how much the face balance affected the outcome, but on paper, it should be more suitable to my SBST putting stroke, so this could have also contributed to the better score over the Yes! Ann. The bigger grip and heavier head were also helpful in quieting down my hands.
The only drawback is the lack of distance control I experienced. Remember in Stage 1 when I mentioned why I didn’t like mallet style putters? This is exactly the reason.
 
If I had to compare it to my Yes! Ann, I would rate the MLA better for short putts, but worse on long putts. Results both on the practice green concurred with the findings on the course.
 
Improvement suggestions: perhaps a more Anser-style design that provides better distance control (either by using a lighter head or keep the same heavy head with a counter-balanced grip). Would perimeter weighting improve mishits?
 
c800.jpg
 
Subjective
 
Looks
 
The MLA Tour Classic is a blade-style putter with a wider body (bordering on midsize mallet) with matte black finish and the white patented aiming technology on the top. The bottom consists of a glossy black finish with lime and white paint-fill as well as 2 weight slots.
 
h800.jpg
 
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It took some time for my eyes to settle on the half-shaft offset, as the Ann I use has a full offset.
Grip is a Winn Midsize Pistol with the same lime and white graphics on a black background.
 
a800.jpg
 
Overall, the graphics are not too loud and I really like the combination of lime and black.
I remember a couple of years ago, the MoM @ MGS would get a huge prize package. One of the goodies was a Bettinardi (forgot which model) with lime paint-fill. I instantly fell in love with that putter, but never saw it again.
The MLA Tour Classic reminds me of that putter. It’s not as sexy, but good enough for someone who is not a collector or putter aficionado.
To me, that Bettinardi was the Amanda Dufner of putters and I would have given it 20 points without hesitation. The MLA Tour Classic is more like… I don’t know… Lexi Thompson?
 
dufnerthompson.jpg
 
However, I would shave a point for 2 things:
 
1.    I would have preferred a more traditional and slimmer Anser-style head. Is the thicker chunk behind the head really necessary to achieve the visual effect of the aiming technology? As you can see, the aiming technology doesn’t extend all the way back. What would happen if we just cut it off? Here the photoshopped MLA:
 
I personally like it more.
topviewmodified.jpg
 
2.    My experience with black finishes is that they are not that durable and after a few seasons in the bag, you’ll start to see wear patterns. That’s fine on a wedge and irons, but a putter should remain pristine. Only time will tell how long this will hold.
On the other hand, perhaps the color is necessary to create enough contrast with the aiming technology? If that’s the case, then there is no way around it.
Since these details could be performance related, I’ll only deduct 0.5 points each.
 
Looks Score: 16 out of 20
 
Sound and Feel
 
The MLA has a crispier sound compared to the putters I’ve used in the past. My Yes! Ann is almost muted when compared to it. Here is a recording of the MLA striking a TM Penta TP5 on my indoor putting mat.

 

You can download the sound file
MLA sound.mp3
 

Or listen here


 
Well struck putts feel good and the balls rolls nicely. Mishits on the other hand are more pronounced. You can definitely tell and feel the difference.
I don’t have any experiences with premium offerings, so I can’t do a comparison, but you can definitely notice more “meat” and substance off the face.
 
Sound and Feel Score: 18 out of 20 points
 
Likelihood of Purchase
 
Would I spend the cash to buy this putter? Honestly speaking, probably not. Don’t get me wrong, the flat stick is nice and the aiming technology works as advertised. It’s just that I am satisfied with my short game and I have full distance control with my current gamer. The MLA outperformed my gamer by a small margin. I’m guessing if I add a midsize grip to my Yes! then the results would be even closer.

So if you are like my wife (who has zero sense of dimensionality) and need some help with your aiming or if you suffer from the yips and can’t make those 2-3 footers? This is the putter to use!
 
f800.jpg
 
LOP Score: 15 out of 20 points
 
Subjective Summary
 
Overall, a decent looking putter. It won’t win a beauty contest, but who cares if it’s helping you sink more putts?
Sound and feel can hold their own ground and unless you mishit the putter as often as you mishit your irons, you won’t need extra forgiveness.
 
d800.jpg
 
Total Score: 83 out of 100 points

:cobra-small: SpeedZone 9* w/ Aldila Rogue Silver 60 S
:callaway-small: X2 Hot 3 Deep 14.5* w/ Aldila Tour Green 75 S
:taylormade-small: JetSpeed 5W 19* w/ Matrix Velox T 69 S OR :adams-small: Super LS 3H 19* w/ Kuro Kage Black 80 S
:mizuno-small: JPX919 Forged 4-PW w/ Modus3 105 S
:titelist-small: Vokey SM7 50/08F, 54/14F & 58/08M w/ Modus3 115 Wedge
:EVNROLL: ER1 34" w/ SuperStroke Fatso 2.0
MfleKCg.jpg Pro / 9dZCgaF.jpgH2NO Lite Cart Bag / :Clicgear: 3.0 / :918457628_PrecisionPro: NX7 Pro LRF

My reviews: MLA Putter // Titleist SM7 // PING i500 // PuttOUT

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Stage 3 

 

After countless hours on the practice green and between 5-10 rounds on the course, I've gathered all the information I needed to provide you with an honest review. So here are my closing comments:

 

The Five

 

1.    Will this product go in your bag? Why or why not?

 

It might. The aiming technology works, I no longer have to draw the alignment on the ball. The cover issue is pretty annoying, but I only take it off once before the round and put it back on after. Annoying, but I could live with it.

The decisive criteria would be if I can achieve the distance control I'm used to with my Yes! on longer putts. I will continue to use it for the next couple of months and see if I can find a way to improve on this matter.

 

2.    To whom, if anyone, would you recommend this product? Why?

 

The MLA is a great aid for people whose aim is off or have to readjust the ball alignment 10 times before taking the putt. The MLA system is so automatic, it almost feels like cheating.

Or if you suffer from the yips and are constantly missing those 2-3 footers, the MLA will help as well.

 

3.    How, if at all, did this product change your overall impression of MLA?

 

Hmmm it's not an actual change, because I had never heard of MLA before. But it definitely left a positive first impression with some palpable technology to back it up. Unlike false promises of longer yards, etc. etc… I feel MLA is being honest about the product they are selling and the help it can bring to your game. It definitely left me with a pleasant aftertaste.

 

4.    What feature would you change or eliminate from the next generation of this model?

 

I would like a slimmer profile that resembles a real Anser style putter (see my photoshopped version). By eliminating that chunk, the weight could be reduced, thus providing the control and feedback blade users are accustomed to. While on this, the cavity could be increased for extra forgiveness.

Perhaps offer it with different finishes and customized stamping? Metallic colors, brushed steel, etc. Provided that the aiming technology keeps its effectiveness without the black background.

And please, improve the cover. Magnetic closure is fine, but it should be one single piece of magnet (I can easily spread the opening of my Yes! Cover with single-handed). And for the Tour Classic model you could consider making the cover just a tad wider.

Make these changes without reducing the magical aiming effects and I wouldn't hesitate to dish out $350 for this putter.

 

5.    What feature do you really like, and would most like to see continued or evolved in future models?

 

That would be the aiming technology, obviously. This is the bread and butter of MLA. Additional features such as their own grips and weight kits are definitely a bonus and nice to have.

 

*****

 

So this is it. I hope you guys enjoyed reading my review as much as I did writing it. If I left any questions unanswered, please let me know and I'll gladly get back to you.

:cobra-small: SpeedZone 9* w/ Aldila Rogue Silver 60 S
:callaway-small: X2 Hot 3 Deep 14.5* w/ Aldila Tour Green 75 S
:taylormade-small: JetSpeed 5W 19* w/ Matrix Velox T 69 S OR :adams-small: Super LS 3H 19* w/ Kuro Kage Black 80 S
:mizuno-small: JPX919 Forged 4-PW w/ Modus3 105 S
:titelist-small: Vokey SM7 50/08F, 54/14F & 58/08M w/ Modus3 115 Wedge
:EVNROLL: ER1 34" w/ SuperStroke Fatso 2.0
MfleKCg.jpg Pro / 9dZCgaF.jpgH2NO Lite Cart Bag / :Clicgear: 3.0 / :918457628_PrecisionPro: NX7 Pro LRF

My reviews: MLA Putter // Titleist SM7 // PING i500 // PuttOUT

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MGS Review - MLA Tour Classic Putter

May 2016

 

 

Stage One

 

Thrilled, Honored, And Very Thankful To Be Selected As a Tester

 

It was a huge thrill to be selected by MGS and MLA Golf as a tester for one of the MLA putters featuring their alignment technology.   When I submitted my entry as a contestant, it felt like buying a lotto ticket, the thinking being, “I won't win but it is better to try and not win, instead of the just not winning”. 

 

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I wanted to be involved because of the “Multi-Line Alignment technology”, I have huge problems with putter head alignment, on every putt, there is always a gnawing doubt I have the putter lined up correctly, could this putter eradicate this doubt?  Maybe, all I got to do is buy a ticket.

 

And then, I was picked!!!!!!!!!pic2.jpg   I never get picked, unless it is jury duty.  But it kept getting better.  First, we are told we get to actually keep the putter.   Keep it?     pic3.jpg

Then, we get to actually ORDER one that we want???   Order it?  I felt like a winner on that TV show “Undercover Boss”. pic4.jpg

                      

There are two major categories we could pick from, the Tour and Pro.  I ordered a Tour Classic, 35”, which arrived approximately eight days later, awesome, and MLA graciously included a magnetized head cover,  weight kit and (2) hats.  Fantastic!!!

 

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Why I Do Like Golf? 

 

What a game!  Think about, we start at 300-500 yards from the target, hitting this projectile with all our might, sending it soaring through the air, tracking it down as if it is wounded game, smacking it again and again, hopefully with not too many “agains”, until the ball reaches the oasis, a natural carpet of green, we're are home.

 

But there was some guy back in the day, the Evil Putter Guy, who wasn't satisfied just that, and after a wee belt of whiskey, decided that he needed something more, maybe he was a lousy ball striker and needed to make up strokes.  Anyway, he made a hole in the grand carpet, and decreed, “We must roll the ball in this little hole after reaching this oasis”, and his playing partner, Chumly, who wasn't the confrontational type, did not object, thus the grand curse called putting was created.

 

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Putting, it is the great equalizer.   And the great essential.   Save a par?  Must make a putt.  Birdie? Make a putt.  Want to win a skin? Make a putt.

 

What Kind Of Golfer Am I? 

 

I fell in love with golf because the ball striking.  Putting wasn't as exciting.  Rockets shooting through the air vs. an apple rolling off of a table. 

 

I am kindred spirit of the playing partner of the Evil Putter Guy, who was striping it from tee to green, then got hood-winked by having to perform the additional act of rolling the ball in the hole. 

 

I practice and play on public courses in the Metro Detroit area, northern suburbs, the fairways and rough are lush, and greens tend to be slow, grainy.  You can find some very challenging courses that feature a lot of “target” golf, carries over marshes and water, tree-lined fairways, ponds and lakes, etc.  

 

Usually play nine holes a week in a not-so-intense league, and maybe I will get a round by myself in after work, playing my favorite “yellow ball vs white ball” (Srixon Z Star XV vs. ProV1), rarely do I play 18 holes unless I go on a weekend trip.

 

I have no official handicap, but as a member of a golf league I have averaged 41-43 per nine holes for many years.  A good day on an easy course a 74 or 75 is possible, on a bad day on a hard course a 93 could pop up.   Anything between is possible.

 

Mid and short irons would be the strongest part of the game, also have the ability to the drive the ball 260-280 with the odd 300 in there if the ball lands on a sprinkler head. 

 

However, my driving is a double-edge sword, hence the name, Dhuck Whooker, other names would apply, “The Pusher”, “Snipes”, would work also. While possessing decent swing speed for a “senior”, sometimes tee shots turn into penalty shots real quick, but iron shots usually reach the green or close, chipping/pitching is decent but not good enough to guarantee a tap-in.

 

Then it is time for the putter.  Yikes.

 

I am not mechanically inclined, I don't see lines well, so I putt more by feel.  I found bowling, standing with left foot on this dot, throw ball over this arrow, confounding and suffocating, so robotic.   So I try to envision how the ball will go in the hole and go from there as opposed to picking out intermediate spots, etc.

 

“The Real Inconvenient Truth – They Just Don't Go In”

What is result of my putting?  Simply put, “THEY JUST DON'T GO IN”. Most of my putts have crowd-pleasing drama, followed by that “hockey moan” when a scoring chance is missed, so close but denied.   Not “YESSIR”, it is “no sir”.

 

Pull them left, sure, push them right, yep, hit them through the break, you betcha, leave that “left to righter” under the hole, yeppers.   Leave it short, bomb it past, just name it, I do it. 

 

Hence, the quest for making more putts, brings us to looking into for an opportunity to test an innovation putter alignment.

 

My Current Putter

My current putter is an Odyssey Tank Cruiser 7, counter-balanced, 38” with the stock Superstroke grip.  I chose that model because I found that head went through the ball nicely.  It was bent flat 2 degrees on the recommendation of a putter fitting.   One of the things this putter has helped with is the twisting of the face through impact.   I can mimic a “belly putter stroke” with this putter, and have been better on the shorter putts 2-5 feet.

 

The downside of this putter is 1) alignment and 2) controlling the speed, especially on the faster greens.  Sometimes the alignment doubts are downright paralyzing.

 

Initial Impressions of the MLA Tour Classic

Initially impressions it is aligns beautifully, has a great, balanced, weighted feel in the head, kind of heavy.    The milled face produces a great roll, even on an off-center hit.  I've never gamed a milled face putter like this, has a very solid feel.

 

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The alignment aid on this putter is really quite good.  Definitely worth a run.

 

What Will Be The New Putter?

So why I am doing this when I should be trimming the bushes in front of the garage?  It is “the quest”, “get the ball in the hole”.

 

pic9.jpgpic10.jpgpic11.jpg

 

(Left frame, current gamer, Odyssey Tank Cruiser 7, middle frame, first putt with MLA Tour Classic on practice green at Blackheath, this was a right to lefter slightly uphill, last frame,  it went down, good start!!)

 

What I am looking for with the MLA Tour Classic will do is help improve alignment, confidence, with the shorter length I can have better control with speed.

 

Ultimately, the goal is making more putts. Making more putts means lower scores, more birdies, more skins, more moo-lah, more happiness, finally beating that Evil Putter Guy at his own game.

 

Thanks to all for selecting me to participate in this review.

 

Sincerely yours,

D.  Whooker

Respectfully,
DHUCK WHOOKER

 

 

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Stage One:
First off, let me say I am very happy to be chosen to do a review of this putter for the MGS readers. I would like to thank both MGS and MLA Putters for this opportunity. I am currently using the Yes, Groove Tube putter (Ugly but effective) but, I am really excited to get testing this new MLA putter, it is absolutely gorgeous. I think it will be as awesome to use as it is to look at. When I opened the box for the new MLA putter I was excited to find 2 beautiful MLA Golf Hats (very surprised) along with the following: Putter, Head Cover and Weight Set w/tool. Mill work on this putter looks very nice. I personally prefer heavier putters to help quiet my hands, so I installed the 15g weights first thing. Grip is very nice and also has the nice colors and brand markings in it. Head Cover totally ROCKS, beautiful colors, nice branding (all embroidered) and has a magnetic closure that seems very strong. Weight Kit comes in nice little metal box, 3 sets of weights (2 each 5g, 2 each 10g and 2 each 15g) 2 sets in the box and 1 in the putter. It comes with a handy dandy little tool for changing the weights. I can't wait to hit the course and test this bad boy out.

A little about me:
I live in Williamsburg, Va. I am a 19 handicap at this time, don't get to play as often as I'd like too. Best I ever got down to was a 12 about 10 years ago but, should have gone lower, I was playing 2 to 5 times a week for about 2 years while working night shifts, usually only about once a week now.
My strengths are my short game most of the time, I am usually a good putter, fairly good chipper and I usually have no trouble getting out of the greenside bunkers.
Weakness has to be the driver & fairway woods, I fight a fade/slice and distance. I am really working hard to correct this lately. On bad days I will use a 2 hybrid off the tee boxes.
I used to have a fast swing but, with age, back and hip problems and no time to play, I really concentrate on a smooth steady tempo now. It has given me a much better consistency for sure.
Back when I was in the Navy around '86, a buddy from work started dragging me out to play mornings after a long 12 hour mid shifts. I picked it up fairly quick and have been hooked ever since. I just can't get enough golf in, at least not for about 6 more years until I retire anyway. With my Navy time and my Federal Service time, I now have 34 years of service total.
I was in Japan for 23 years from 1985 to 2008, (85 to 90 in the Navy & 91 to 2008 Federal Service) I learned to play at Atsugi Naval Air Station. I have played almost all of the Military courses there and quite a few Japanese courses, which is a different experience. They will play 9, have lunch, take a hot bath, then go back out and play the other 9. All day thing, of course they pay lots of money to do so.


Here's WITB right now:
* 1W 12* TaylorMade SLDR – Set @ Draw w/Kuro Cage Senior Flex
* Mini Driver 14* TaylorMade Aeroburner - Senior Flex
* 4W 16.5* Cobra Amp - Motore Senior Flex
* 2 (16*), 3 (19*), 4 (22*), & 5 (25*) TaylorMade Mid Rescue Hybrids – Senior Flex
* 6-PW Cleveland 588 Altitude - Stock Graphite - Senior flex
* 52* Cleveland 588 Tour Action Gap Wedge
* 58* Cleveland Smart Sole Sand Wedge
* MLA Tour Classic Putter (Prior to test -Yes Groove Tube Putter)
*Calloway Super Soft or Titleist Velocity balls


What Do I expect from the MLA Tour Classic?

I am not certain but, from a looks perspective, I think that I could get used to it. The black finish is really nice and the bright green accents just pop. The adjustability of the different weights is a huge plus. We will have to see how my testing and review goes, but I think that this putter will be in the bag for 2016…..probably longer!

 

 

First 2 pics are of my UGLY but, very effective Yes Groove Tube putter.

Groove Tube.jpg

groovetube-putter1.jpg

MLA Putter 1.jpg

MLA Putter 2.jpg

MLA Putter 5.jpg

MLA Putter 6.jpg

MLA Putter 7.jpg

MLA Putter 8.jpg

:cobra-small: Max Superlite 9.5* Driver   :cobra-small: Fly-Z XL 10.5* Driver    :cobra-small: Fly-Z XL 16* 3 Wood    :cobra-small: Fly-Z XL 19* 5 Wood

:taylormade-small: Mid Rescue - 2, 3, 4, & 5 Hybrids     :taylormade-small: M2 - 6 Hybrid

:cleveland-small: 588 Altitude 7-PW    :cleveland-small: Tour Action 588 52* Gap wedge   :cleveland-small: Smart Sole 58* San wedge

:cleveland-small: Frontline Elvado Single Bend 33" putter (testing)                   

  :MLA: Target Adixion 33" putter

:titelist-small:  Velocity Golf Balls

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Stage Two - The Review

 

MLA Putters – Official MGS Forum Review by RexS

 

  First off, I want to say that I am very, very grateful for the opportunity to test and review this putter. I am a higher handicap, average around 18-20 over per round. Prior to this test I was using my Yes, Groove Tube putter. It is also what I am using on the putting green comparison.

 

  My biggest problem though is NOT my putter but, my driver, both distance and accuracy. Due to bad hips and back surgery, now days I am only hitting about 200 to 210 with the driver on good days. I think a lot of this is not so much my aches and pains though, as it is technique. It makes it very hard to reach a long Par 4 in 2.

 

  The MLA Tour Classic Putter really appeals to me, I love the look, the colors and I love the weight adjustability. I prefer a heavier putter and even used lead tape on some of my putters to help out. The heavier it is, the quieter I seem to be able to keep my hands. The weights let me set it at a perfect weight for me. My putting is normally around 33-38 putts per round. If I have more than a couple of 3 putts, I am having a serious bad day.

 

  Initially, I put in the 15 gram weights thinking the heavier the better. But, after hitting some putts on the practice green, I decided that was too heavy. I changed to the 10 gram weights, for my first round of play. It still seemed a little heavy, so half way thru the round; I changed to the 5 gram weights…Ba-Bam, this seemed to be the perfect weight for me. It was like flipping on a good putting switch.

 

  I am not sure how the MLA (Multi Line-detector Activation) alignment aid works with the brain but, for me it works. I have played a couple of rounds now with the MLA putter and found my putting is way better. Alignment and distance are both great for me. If I miss a long putt, I am almost always within a 1 to 3 foot circle for an easy tap in. First Round, I had only 32 putts. Second Round, I had 28. Can't wait to get more rounds in to see how it continues.

 

 

Performance at the Practice Green - Score 18 out of 20

 

  On Sunday 5/15, I spent the afternoon on the practice green at my local course. I tried 50 balls per putter from 3 different marked distances. I even had my son come out and help by counting and moving the balls out of the way for me. He wasn't too thrilled about it but, helped out anyway.

 

  To start with, I found one of the holes that was pretty level in all directions and was able to set up tees at 5 foot, 10 foot and 20 foot. I started with the Yes putter and rolled 50 putts form 20 feet, then the MLA putter, 50 putts from 20 feet. I worked my way in to the 10 and 5 foot marks in the same manner. I found that that the MLA putter is a lot better on off center shots for sure. I was also able to roll them in a much tighter pattern. With the weight, distance was even more consistent also.

 

Below are the # of Putts Made (50 balls per putter and per distance, 300 balls)

 

                        5 feet         10 feet       20 feet

MLA TC             46               27             14

Yes GT              41               20               8

 

 Numbers seemed too good to be true to me at first but, I had to remember, this was repetitive putts on the same line from 3 distances. So with that in consideration, pretty good I think.

 

 

Performance on the Course – Score 18 out of 20

 

 I have found that with this putter, no matter how far from the hole or what the slope on the green is, as long as my read was good, I was able to get it very close to the hole on long putts and in the hole on most short putts on the first try .

 

  One of the strongest things about my golf game has been the ability to read a putt. But, that read doesn't help a lot if you can't deliver. With the MLA, I am able to deliver much more consistent than I have in quite some time.

 

  Played my 1st round on Sunday (5/22) was playing in a tournament with a bunch of local Japanese Friend's. I had a very ugly round for driving, approach and chipping but, the putting was consistently good. I shot 101, Unfortunately, “ if you can't get it up, you can't get it in” am I Right? I did have only 31 putts though. Just couldn't get it to the green very well. I will blame it on tournament pressure…..lol.

 

 Played my 2nd round this last Saturday (5/28) and had one of the best rounds I've played this year so far. I shot a 90 but, only had 28 putts. No 3 putts at all, any long putts I had were within 3 feet of the hole or better for tap in's (no gimmies were taken) putted everything out. It made for a fun golf day.

 

  I managed to get out and play a 3rd round (or half round I should say) 9 more holes this last Saturday (6/04, Rain and all). I had 15 putts total, but all were long putts. It was muddy, I wasn't hitting my driver very well and my chipping in the mud sucked on almost every hole. I managed to shoot a miserable 50 on 9 holes. The only good thing to come out of the round was my putting. Almost every putt I had on the green was anywhere from 12 to 30 feet away. I don't think I had single approach that left me anything closer. I still had 3 one putts that were all in the 12 to 16 foot range. The other 6 holes were all 2 putts but, from the 15 to 30 foot range, 3 of them lipped out and stopped in less than 18 inches the other 3 were all in within 6 to 24 inches and all tap ins were made.

 

  It totally amazes me at the number of 3 putts I am no longer having with the use of this putter.

 

 

Looks - Score 19 out of 20

 

 As far as cosmetics go on this putter, I believe that it ranks right up near the top of them all. Maybe it is just me though, partially due to the color combo. To me the black and bright green is one of my favorite combos. I compare it to the Sublime Green Dodge Hellcat with black graphics, just plain mean looking.

 

 The shape is great and very eye appealing. It is not too small, not too big, offset is just right, graphics are very nice and not overdone. I thought the MLA (Multi Line-detector Activation) alignment aid was a little pretentious at first but, once you start using it, “WOW!”. All I can say is; IT WORKS!! I know we all have our own opinions but, to me this is one beautiful putter.

 

 

 Sound and Feel - Score: 17 out of 20

 

 I have always preferred a nice sound and feel of the ball coming off the putter without an insert, and this MLA putter hasn't changed my mind. The sound is nice, it just seems very crisp, not clunky sounding at all. The ball just comes off so nicely it is awesome.

 

 Look and feel is very subjective. I do really love the look of the grip and feel of the grip is good but, the midsize still isn't big enough for me though. I like larger grips like the SS 3.0. It is the most comfortable putter grip I have felt in an off-the-shelf putter for sure.

 

 The only bad thing that I really found on this overall test was the head cover. Even though it totally rocks, looks wise, and I love the magnetic closure, it just seemed too tight and hard to get on and off every hole. I would have to buy a different cover for daily use and save this one.

 

 

Likelihood of Purchase – Score 16 out of 20

 

 This is basically a 3 part score that was averaged out for me:

 

Putter Price - 12 out of 20

Putter Quality - 19 out of 20

Putter Use - 18 out of 20

 

 Not that I don't like to purchase the best equipment there is but, it's just not in my budget to fork out this kind of money for any 1 piece of golf equipment anymore. If you have the budget (or NOT) and want a great putter though, you have to try it! I don't think you will regret it.

 

  Lastly, I must give another “huge thanks” to MGS and MLA for being able to test this putter.

 

 Fact is, that this would be the only way I would ever get it this putter. I would like to apologize for the small amount of pics I was able to get due to mass amounts of rain we have had here in Virginia over the last few weeks and I hope it does not prevent me from be selected in future reviews. This is my first ever review of any type and I have learned a lot along the way. I really was hoping to add pics from 2 upcoming tournaments this week. It looks like the weather is going to be nice finally.

 

  I will get more pics and possibly a video for the Stage 3 finale.

 

Overall Score - 88 out of 100 points

 

 

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:cobra-small: Max Superlite 9.5* Driver   :cobra-small: Fly-Z XL 10.5* Driver    :cobra-small: Fly-Z XL 16* 3 Wood    :cobra-small: Fly-Z XL 19* 5 Wood

:taylormade-small: Mid Rescue - 2, 3, 4, & 5 Hybrids     :taylormade-small: M2 - 6 Hybrid

:cleveland-small: 588 Altitude 7-PW    :cleveland-small: Tour Action 588 52* Gap wedge   :cleveland-small: Smart Sole 58* San wedge

:cleveland-small: Frontline Elvado Single Bend 33" putter (testing)                   

  :MLA: Target Adixion 33" putter

:titelist-small:  Velocity Golf Balls

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Stage 3 Placeholder

:cobra-small: Max Superlite 9.5* Driver   :cobra-small: Fly-Z XL 10.5* Driver    :cobra-small: Fly-Z XL 16* 3 Wood    :cobra-small: Fly-Z XL 19* 5 Wood

:taylormade-small: Mid Rescue - 2, 3, 4, & 5 Hybrids     :taylormade-small: M2 - 6 Hybrid

:cleveland-small: 588 Altitude 7-PW    :cleveland-small: Tour Action 588 52* Gap wedge   :cleveland-small: Smart Sole 58* San wedge

:cleveland-small: Frontline Elvado Single Bend 33" putter (testing)                   

  :MLA: Target Adixion 33" putter

:titelist-small:  Velocity Golf Balls

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I chose to do an unboxing for my stage one review before being sent the guide lines and its my first unboxing ever so it was a learning experiance. The next one will be better I promise. You can watch it HERE!

 

 

Admit it, you had trouble opening the box! :lol:

But nice video!

:cobra-small: SpeedZone 9* w/ Aldila Rogue Silver 60 S
:callaway-small: X2 Hot 3 Deep 14.5* w/ Aldila Tour Green 75 S
:taylormade-small: JetSpeed 5W 19* w/ Matrix Velox T 69 S OR :adams-small: Super LS 3H 19* w/ Kuro Kage Black 80 S
:mizuno-small: JPX919 Forged 4-PW w/ Modus3 105 S
:titelist-small: Vokey SM7 50/08F, 54/14F & 58/08M w/ Modus3 115 Wedge
:EVNROLL: ER1 34" w/ SuperStroke Fatso 2.0
MfleKCg.jpg Pro / 9dZCgaF.jpgH2NO Lite Cart Bag / :Clicgear: 3.0 / :918457628_PrecisionPro: NX7 Pro LRF

My reviews: MLA Putter // Titleist SM7 // PING i500 // PuttOUT

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Admit it, you had trouble opening the box! :lol:

But nice video!

Thank you!  :D  Its true! That box sucked! 

Driver:  :wilson_staff_small: D200 13 Degree
3 Wood:  :wilson_staff_small: D200 15 Degree
5 Wood:  :wilson_staff_small: D200 18 Degree
4th:  :wilson_staff_small: D200 22 Degree
5-P  :wilson_staff_small: FG Tour V4
Gap:  :wilson_staff_small: FG Tour
Sand:  :wilson_staff_small: FG Tour
Lob:  :wilson_staff_small: FG Tour
Putter: Directed Force "Reno" Putter

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Had to put this up so everyone could see it -- this is why I call BRILLIANT!!!!

 

 

What's in the bag:
 
Driver:  :titelist-small:TSR3; :wilson_staff_small: DynaPWR Carbon
FW Wood: :wilson_staff_small: DynaPWR 3-wood; :titleist-small: TSR 2+
Hybrids:  PXG Gen4 18-degree
Utility Irons: :srixon-small: ZX MkII 20* 
Irons:;  :Sub70:699/699 Pro V2 Combo; :wilson_staff_small: D9 Forged;  :macgregor-small:MT86 (coming soon!); :macgregor-small: VIP 1025 V-Foil MB/CB; 

Wedges:  :cleveland-small: RTX6 Zipcore
Putter: :cleveland-small: HB Soft Milled 10.5;  :scotty-small: Newport Special Select;  :edel-golf-1:  Willamette,  :bettinardi-small: BB8; :wilson-small: 8802; MATI Monto

Ball: :bridgestone-small: Tour B RXS; :srixon-small: Z-STAR Diamond; :wilson_staff_small: Triad

Stat Tracker/GPS Watch: :ShotScope:


 
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Awesome start gentlemen!  Can't wait for the rest...

 

What's in the bag:
 
Driver:  :titelist-small:TSR3; :wilson_staff_small: DynaPWR Carbon
FW Wood: :wilson_staff_small: DynaPWR 3-wood; :titleist-small: TSR 2+
Hybrids:  PXG Gen4 18-degree
Utility Irons: :srixon-small: ZX MkII 20* 
Irons:;  :Sub70:699/699 Pro V2 Combo; :wilson_staff_small: D9 Forged;  :macgregor-small:MT86 (coming soon!); :macgregor-small: VIP 1025 V-Foil MB/CB; 

Wedges:  :cleveland-small: RTX6 Zipcore
Putter: :cleveland-small: HB Soft Milled 10.5;  :scotty-small: Newport Special Select;  :edel-golf-1:  Willamette,  :bettinardi-small: BB8; :wilson-small: 8802; MATI Monto

Ball: :bridgestone-small: Tour B RXS; :srixon-small: Z-STAR Diamond; :wilson_staff_small: Triad

Stat Tracker/GPS Watch: :ShotScope:


 
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Had to put this up so everyone could see it -- this is why I call BRILLIANT!!!!

 

Thank you!  :D I couldn't get it to load live in the thread for some reason. 

Driver:  :wilson_staff_small: D200 13 Degree
3 Wood:  :wilson_staff_small: D200 15 Degree
5 Wood:  :wilson_staff_small: D200 18 Degree
4th:  :wilson_staff_small: D200 22 Degree
5-P  :wilson_staff_small: FG Tour V4
Gap:  :wilson_staff_small: FG Tour
Sand:  :wilson_staff_small: FG Tour
Lob:  :wilson_staff_small: FG Tour
Putter: Directed Force "Reno" Putter

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My Stage 1 review is now up.

:cobra-small: Max Superlite 9.5* Driver   :cobra-small: Fly-Z XL 10.5* Driver    :cobra-small: Fly-Z XL 16* 3 Wood    :cobra-small: Fly-Z XL 19* 5 Wood

:taylormade-small: Mid Rescue - 2, 3, 4, & 5 Hybrids     :taylormade-small: M2 - 6 Hybrid

:cleveland-small: 588 Altitude 7-PW    :cleveland-small: Tour Action 588 52* Gap wedge   :cleveland-small: Smart Sole 58* San wedge

:cleveland-small: Frontline Elvado Single Bend 33" putter (testing)                   

  :MLA: Target Adixion 33" putter

:titelist-small:  Velocity Golf Balls

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All stage 1 reviews are up -- let's hear what you guys think!!

 

What's in the bag:
 
Driver:  :titelist-small:TSR3; :wilson_staff_small: DynaPWR Carbon
FW Wood: :wilson_staff_small: DynaPWR 3-wood; :titleist-small: TSR 2+
Hybrids:  PXG Gen4 18-degree
Utility Irons: :srixon-small: ZX MkII 20* 
Irons:;  :Sub70:699/699 Pro V2 Combo; :wilson_staff_small: D9 Forged;  :macgregor-small:MT86 (coming soon!); :macgregor-small: VIP 1025 V-Foil MB/CB; 

Wedges:  :cleveland-small: RTX6 Zipcore
Putter: :cleveland-small: HB Soft Milled 10.5;  :scotty-small: Newport Special Select;  :edel-golf-1:  Willamette,  :bettinardi-small: BB8; :wilson-small: 8802; MATI Monto

Ball: :bridgestone-small: Tour B RXS; :srixon-small: Z-STAR Diamond; :wilson_staff_small: Triad

Stat Tracker/GPS Watch: :ShotScope:


 
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MGS Review - MLA Tour Classic Putter

 

jb2wl5.jpg

Stage One

 

 

I chose to do an unboxing for my stage one review before being sent the guide lines and it's my first unboxing ever, so it was a learning experiance. The next one will be better, I promise. You can watch it HERE![/font][/color]

Great unboxing video! Hope to read more about this putter, about it's feel and sound. Awesome!!

 

Sent from MyGolfSpy mobile

WITB:

 

Driver:   :taylormade-small: Sim2 Max w/ Fujikura Motore X F3 shaft

FW Wood:   :cobra-small:  F9 wood 14.5* 

Hybrids:  :taylormade-small: Sim2 Max 3 Hybrid & :nike-small: Vapor Flex 4 hybrid  

Irons:  :srixon-small: Z565 - 7 thru PW & ZU85 - 5 thru 6 with Recoil ZT9 F4 shafts                                            

Wedges:   :cleveland-small: RTX4 52*, 56*, 60* 

Putter:  Scotty Cameron M2 Newport

Ball:  :Snell: Black & :titelist-small: Pro V1

Bag: 2018 MyGolfSpy stand Bag & 2021 Greenside Golf stand bag

 

 

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Thank you. I will be working on my stage two video over the weekend. I want to play in two more tournaments before I give my opinion.

Driver:  :wilson_staff_small: D200 13 Degree
3 Wood:  :wilson_staff_small: D200 15 Degree
5 Wood:  :wilson_staff_small: D200 18 Degree
4th:  :wilson_staff_small: D200 22 Degree
5-P  :wilson_staff_small: FG Tour V4
Gap:  :wilson_staff_small: FG Tour
Sand:  :wilson_staff_small: FG Tour
Lob:  :wilson_staff_small: FG Tour
Putter: Directed Force "Reno" Putter

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First 2 pics are of my UGLY but, very effective Yes Groove Tube putter.

 

Doesn't matter what they look like, as long it gets the job done. It does remind me of a ship in a Star Trek movie though.....just kidding. Hope to read more about this cool looking putter. Thank you for your service in the military. We appreciate it. Have a great Memorial Day weekend !!

 

 

 

Sent from MyGolfSpy mobile

WITB:

 

Driver:   :taylormade-small: Sim2 Max w/ Fujikura Motore X F3 shaft

FW Wood:   :cobra-small:  F9 wood 14.5* 

Hybrids:  :taylormade-small: Sim2 Max 3 Hybrid & :nike-small: Vapor Flex 4 hybrid  

Irons:  :srixon-small: Z565 - 7 thru PW & ZU85 - 5 thru 6 with Recoil ZT9 F4 shafts                                            

Wedges:   :cleveland-small: RTX4 52*, 56*, 60* 

Putter:  Scotty Cameron M2 Newport

Ball:  :Snell: Black & :titelist-small: Pro V1

Bag: 2018 MyGolfSpy stand Bag & 2021 Greenside Golf stand bag

 

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

Downinone's Stage 2 VIDEO review is up. You won't want to miss this!!

 

http://forum.mygolfspy.com/topic/15892-official-forum-member-review-mla-putters/?p=203935

 

What's in the bag:
 
Driver:  :titelist-small:TSR3; :wilson_staff_small: DynaPWR Carbon
FW Wood: :wilson_staff_small: DynaPWR 3-wood; :titleist-small: TSR 2+
Hybrids:  PXG Gen4 18-degree
Utility Irons: :srixon-small: ZX MkII 20* 
Irons:;  :Sub70:699/699 Pro V2 Combo; :wilson_staff_small: D9 Forged;  :macgregor-small:MT86 (coming soon!); :macgregor-small: VIP 1025 V-Foil MB/CB; 

Wedges:  :cleveland-small: RTX6 Zipcore
Putter: :cleveland-small: HB Soft Milled 10.5;  :scotty-small: Newport Special Select;  :edel-golf-1:  Willamette,  :bettinardi-small: BB8; :wilson-small: 8802; MATI Monto

Ball: :bridgestone-small: Tour B RXS; :srixon-small: Z-STAR Diamond; :wilson_staff_small: Triad

Stat Tracker/GPS Watch: :ShotScope:


 
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Kanoito's Stage 2 is up!  Must read Forum Material!!!!

 

 

http://forum.mygolfspy.com/topic/15892-official-forum-member-review-mla-putters/?p=203973

 

What's in the bag:
 
Driver:  :titelist-small:TSR3; :wilson_staff_small: DynaPWR Carbon
FW Wood: :wilson_staff_small: DynaPWR 3-wood; :titleist-small: TSR 2+
Hybrids:  PXG Gen4 18-degree
Utility Irons: :srixon-small: ZX MkII 20* 
Irons:;  :Sub70:699/699 Pro V2 Combo; :wilson_staff_small: D9 Forged;  :macgregor-small:MT86 (coming soon!); :macgregor-small: VIP 1025 V-Foil MB/CB; 

Wedges:  :cleveland-small: RTX6 Zipcore
Putter: :cleveland-small: HB Soft Milled 10.5;  :scotty-small: Newport Special Select;  :edel-golf-1:  Willamette,  :bettinardi-small: BB8; :wilson-small: 8802; MATI Monto

Ball: :bridgestone-small: Tour B RXS; :srixon-small: Z-STAR Diamond; :wilson_staff_small: Triad

Stat Tracker/GPS Watch: :ShotScope:


 
Follow @golfspybarbajo

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