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2019 Official Forum Member Review-Cleveland Frontline Putter


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CLEVELAND FRONTLINE PUTTER REVIEW

Follow along as five MGS members put the Cleveland Frontline Putter technology to work and see if it helps their putting game.

Frontline Putters Elevado

 

The Five testers are:

@txgolfjunkie              official review

@romeopapazulu       review link

@DaveP043                official review

@ChasingScratch       official review

@RexS                          Review Link

 

 

:ping-small: G430 Max 10K 

:titelist-small: TSiR1 15.0 Aldlia Ascent 60g

:titelist-small: TSR2 18.0 PX Aldila Ascent 6og

:titelist-small: TSi1 20 Aldila Ascent Shafts R

:titelist-small: T350 5-GW SteelFiber I80 

:titelist-small: SM10 48F/54M and58K

:ping-small: S159 48S/52S/56W/60B

:scotty-cameron-1: Select 5.5 Flowback 35" 

:titelist-small: ProV1  Play number 12

 

 

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Before I get to the meat of this review, let me give a background on myself both personal and golfer...

My name is Shane and I live and tee it up in the 'burbs north of Houston, TX. I was born and raised in Waco, but I’ve spent the last 15 years in the Houston area. I’m a lefty that played for a competitive JUCO program about twenty years ago, but I really started to enjoy this game after graduating from Baylor University. My love of the game continues to grow as I now have two boys under two at the house and my priorities are shifting constantly. Being a loving husband and father will always be #1a and #1b in my life, but golf is #2. I’m a scratch golfer with my strength being my mental approach to the game. I don’t get pissed on the course anymore nor do I find the need to helicopter an ill-performing iron deep into the woods. I only get to play about twice a month so I better enjoy my time on the course because it’s back to changing diapers when I get home.

WITB:

As I started to type out my WITB (as seen in my signature), I noticed MGS really is my ‘dealer’ and Adam and Co. have a drug I can’t refuse…that drug being data…which is so much better than gold medals, random rankings, or YouTube reviews by a single golfer.

My driver, 3W, irons, wedges, glove, and now golf ball (based on personal preference) all finished in the top 3 of their respective ‘Most Wanted’ tests. My current putter did finish 9th in the 2017 mallet test, however, it did beat out the 2017 most wanted mallet, the Evnroll ER7, and the Envroll ER5 in my own testing. I chose the ER6 due to the ability to change the head weight, something I wish was more readily available in the Evnroll lineup.

Oh, and I just purchased the 2019 Most Wanted GPS Watch to replace my aging SkyCaddie Linx GT system. As my wife would say in regards to MGS enticing me to yet another golf purchase: Who the hell is MyGolfSpy and why do you need a golf watch?! Why don’t you spend that money on your son’s birthday party?!? Wow, what a gift?!!

Putting background:

My most recent SAM PuttLab Report showed my stroke to be boring and robotic with very little rotation or arc to it. My stroke is a very straight back, straight through stroke with 1.0* of face closing at impact, a slight loop (straight back then loop inside) that strikes the ball with a slightly closed face with most of my ball strikes at the center of the face or slightly out on the toe. The final crushing blow to my putting ego was the putter recommendation: The Bettinardi Queen Bee 6 with a double bend shaft. Yes, the ‘brick on a stick’ putter. The most minimally engineered putter head out there. And to top it off, the double bend shaft…la-dee-freaking-dah. The fitter did say that if he had to put a number on my ER6, he would give it about a 95% compatibility rating which is good enough for me.

Here’s a video representation of my stroke:

On the course, I find my strengths to be in distance control while my weaknesses tend to be under-reading the break and getting a little quick with the stroke at times, thus pushing the putts left of intended target line.

Day of Arrival:

I received this putter on a typical 95* day in October here in Southern Texas, but it wasn’t the heat that caused a momentary increase in blood pressure…it was the label on the box that showed the contents to be a right-handed utility club. A what?!? As a lefty, I’ve had my few instances where I received a right-handed club and the cold, hard reality of waiting another two weeks to receive the correct club quickly set in. Yes, very first world problems indeed. Thankfully it was a mislabeled box and my Cleveland Frontline Elevado in 35” was finally in my hands. It was time to get to work.

Don't mind me sitting on my front porch, Mr. FedEx...you just come lay that beautiful package at my doorstep. 

1545144173_Cleveland4.jpg.184cef28a79ee747ab4f1522597bc914.jpg

My wife wanted this putter off the front porch ASAP due to it clashing with our fall decor. Uh, say no more woman, I got you covered. 

1984757837_Cleveland5.jpg.0920722ee0d9fafb3dc3c15737c92d88.jpg

THIS is the label that caused my heart to drop into my gut.

1766862451_Cleveland6.jpg.f8cc19cd35e8474b484767a1b128d67d.jpg

Looks (10 out of 10 points):

You get a Lamkin Sinkfit midsize pistol grip at 120g. A glossy black shaft that feeds nicely into a matte black putter head weighing 370g in a classic winged blade design that frames the ball perfectly at address. Simple white top line alignment. Lower profile as a result of the 2135 technology. Speed Optimized Face Technology (SOFT) forged aluminum face insert that, according to Cleveland, adds speed on off-center strikes so there won’t be any distance lost on 6 ft putts. Also, Tungsten Forward Weighting which puts the center of gravity positioned closer to the face for better stability through impact resulting in straighter, more accurate putts. Overall the putter checks every box that I look for in a putter.

Matte black putter head with a simple top line alignment and a glossy black shaft. Simply all you need to roll the rock. 

107576965_Cleveland8.jpg.a3f1cfb280af54b55b452cb6a4cb7508.jpg

SOFT forged aluminum face with the tungsten weighting up front and pushed out to the toe and heel. 

1444362673_Cleveland7.jpg.58e11558e00ba89b5cfc73208a689b65.jpg

No review complete without that rear view! 

1624738501_Cleveland10.jpg.2246eae2ce3438fc6b5ba56a35bc5656.jpg

Face-balanced design for those with a 'simple' stroke. 

1877456468_Cleveland9.jpg.d2bb4758b0c8df6b4aa18fbf302da5c0.jpg

With the forward weighting of the Cleveland Frontline Elevado, here’s a pictorial reference as to the placement of the weight versus the Evnroll ER6.

1902389321_Cleveland1.jpg.2153cc6b0e6396d6a0ec47156c943557.jpg

Feel/Sound (8 out of 10 points):

Most golfers, myself included, mistake sound for feel on putters so I did my best to separate the two in this review. The sound of the putter is muted and pleasing to my personal taste. It doesn’t have a high pitch at impact you might think with insert, but a similar note you’d hear from a softer insert putter. In regards to feel, putts coming off the sweet spot felt great while putts out towards the toe and heel were a little difficult to distinguish. With the lower profile of the putter, the sweet spot is compressed into a flatter area so my misses were more on the top of the putter face and it felt similar to when you catch a tee shot high on the face of a driver…kind of that deadening feel.

Here's what I'm referencing: 

946015740_Cleveland3.jpg.40bfeb109230bb779684aa1757364063.jpg

One last note, the overall weight of the Elevado is about 10g less than my Evnroll ER6, but it feels a good bit heavier in the hands which I equate to the forward weighting. It's not necessarily a bad feeling, it's just astonishing how much heavier it feels despite weighing less. 

 

Basic Characteristics (15 out of 20 points):

Here’s what this putter has going for it:

  • Accuracy from about 6ft and in.
  • Distance control from outside 20ft. Yes, there’s a stigma that heavier putters lack distance control but this putter did really well at 3-putt prevention from outside 20ft.
  • With the weight pushed up front and out, the stability is noticeable on the shorter putts.
  • Forgiveness on toe hits (where I normally miss my putts) didn’t result in severe distance loss on longer putts.

Here’s where there could be some improvements:

  • Better mid-range performance. I can put the Evnroll on the right line but miss a putt with speed. With the Frontline Elevado, my misses were right or left of the cup. I don't mind missing a putt based on speed, but if I line up properly and the ball starts offline, we're going to have some words!
  • I’m at a loss as to how my simplistic stroke with a face-balanced putter could pull so many putts, especially with putts that broke towards me…is it the forward weighting? Is it the pistol grip? Do I need more forward press?

 

On-Course Performance (20 out of 30 points):

On the practice green I can roll the Frontline Elevado just fine against the Evnroll. Even out on the course, flat putts with little break were rolling great. However, when I played my second of six rounds with the Elevado, I noticed one particular flaw and it’s only related to the fact that I currently game one of the most consistent faces in golf...the front weighting feels heavier in the hands and I found myself getting super quick with my stroke on the shorter putts (<6ft) with substantial break. Very specific circumstances, yes, but at the same time, when you are faced with a sliding putt and don’t have any confidence your putt will start on the correct line, it messes with your mental state. I noticed my putts weren’t starting on the line I intended so I made a quick slow-motion video of the two putters to see how quickly the Elevado got the ball rolling in comparison to the Evnroll. Turns out the ER6 got the ball rolling quicker by about two inches which might not seem like much, but on a putt that’s breaking from the start, your ball could start offline by about half a cup right from the get-go.

Here's the video of how quickly each putter got the ball rolling: 

Here's a freeze frame of each putter after the ball had traveled one complete revolution:

1932209240_Cleveland2.jpg.85046de5532a9173c9a3bb06ee7624c1.jpg

Miscellaneous (6 out of 10 points)

The headcover seems like a cost-cutting measure and after-thought more than anything else. The headcover is too big for the putter head but hey, I’d rather Cleveland Golf spend their R&D money on the putter head than on the headcover.

 

Play It or Trade It (10 out of 20 points)

This putter deserves to be played. It might just be a placebo, but to me, there’s something to the forward weighting and 2135 technology. I’ll let MGS determine if this technology is legit based on their lengthy testing. Does the Elevado fit my particular game? Not entirely. So, where do I go from here? If you’ve stuck around long enough to make it to this point in the review, you’re a lefty and you think you’re stroke would fit this putter, I’ll gladly send you this putter for the cost of shipping. I would ask that you include your thoughts/opinions on the Frontline Elevado here in this thread once you receive this putter. The first lefty to DM me can have dibs and I’ll send it out via USPS Priority so you’ll get it within 2-3 days. Sound good?

Conclusion

If I was still childless and playing a lot more than I am now or if I still maintained a revolving door with putters and never got a good putter fitting then this putter would probably fight for a spot in my bag. I love heavier putters, I love black putters, I love putters with great feedback and those that sit square at address. However, I have all of that in my Evnroll ER6. The deciding factor to me was on putts that had quite a bit of break to them; the forward weighting of the putter really caused some inconsistency with the stroke. My stroke felt rushed to a point where I started to pull the ball quite a bit on putts that broke towards me, almost like the putter face was closing down early. Most of the courses in my immediate area don’t feature greens with a lot of undulation, but I do face the occasional round where I’m looking a shorter putts with a lot of break and the Evnroll just performed better with the rear weighting and consistent roll off the face. 

Final Score: (69 out of 100 points)

Cobra Connect 5 Competitor - Team Chad

  • :cobra-small: King Radspeed 10.5* w/ Hzrdus RDX Blue 60 6.5 tipped 1/2" - Peacoat/Red
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Once again, I’m back with a review, this time of the Cleveland Frontline. Thanks to Cleveland for providing the putters, and to MyGolfSpy for selecting me.

An introduction to me, I'm a 63-year old Geotechnical Engineer, living in the Washington DC suburbs. I play golf a bit further west, at Stoneleigh Golf Club in Round Hill, VA. Stoneleigh is on the eastern flank of the Blue Ridge. The course is pretty hilly, lots of uphill and downhill shots, with rolling to really severely contoured greens. The greens are generally moderately firm, its not possible to stop a ball with trajectory alone, spin is important. Its not really long, only 6800 yards from the back tees, but it doesn't need to be. The course is pretty breezy most days, so dealing with the wind is important.

A quick equipment summary: I just replaced my driver over the winter. Through a fitting session at Mid South in Pinehurst, I ended up with a Calloway Rogue SubZero with Graphite Design YS-Six shaft. Irons are AP-2 714, with Vokey wedges of various ages. Putter is (was) an old Ping G5i (with the blue inserts) B-60.

I did a review fairly recently, for the Snell MYB-X, and wrote a bunch of personal stuff there. Rather than reproduce it all here, I’ll just give you the link,

https://forum.mygolfspy.com/topic/32155-2019-official-forum-member-review-snell-mtbx-golf-balls/?do=findComment&comment=551094

Since this review is for a putter, I should share a little about my putters and putting. As far as I can remember, I’ve only used 4 putters in my life. The first I remember is some type of 8802 knockoff I had when I started, along with the Sam Snead Blue Ridge clubs. Once I started to play a bit, I ordered a fancy new Mustang putter from Austad, I think it might have cost $12. At that time the Ping putters were just beginning to become popular, and this was a heel-and-toe weight knockoff. Fast forward a few years, into the 80’s, and I bought myself a T.P Mills made by Spalding, black finish, with a flange and heel and toe weighting. My current putter was a gift, in the mid-2000s, a Ping G5i B-60. That’s the one with the blue insert on the face, as well as on the rear flange. Obviously I’m happy with the Ping, having kept it for 15 years.

But the one putter I always liked the look of was the old Ram Zebra putter used by Ray Floyd in the 80s. I looked at a bunch, but never pulled the trigger. That’s what led me to put my name in for this test, the Frontline Cero has much the same shape, and similar markings, as the Zebra did.

I wonder sometimes about my putting style. I know I have some arc in my stroke. For a long time, I tried to use something of a “pop” style, short backswing, accelerate to the ball, and a nice full followthrough. But I’ve learned a bit about the putting stroke, it seems that the best putters don’t really accelerate through the ball, their putter speed has just about leveled out at impact. So I’ve worked on doing just that, a little longer backswing, and less abrupt acceleration. This actually does help with speed control, especially when the greens are faster. So that’s what you’ll see in the videos included later, a bit of arc, moderate backswing, and smooth acceleration with peak speed just around impact.

First Impressions

The putter arrived on a Monday in late October. Standard FedEx package, no surprises. Opening it up, it looked as expected. Fat handle, black shaft, almost completely black looking down. The face shows three inserts, the center grooved: impact insert, and the two weight inserts, set into the black frame. Its an interesting look. Where many manufacturers would embed the weight inserts, or insert them from the sole, Cleveland brings the technology into plain sight on the front of the putter.

The grip is big, at least bigger than the one I’m used to. But it feels good. Its also heavy, counterbalancing the weight of the clubhead, so the feel swing it is pretty light. A novelty to me, I’ll find out if I like it or not.

Which brings us to the technology. Cleveland makes two basic claims. First, that moving the weight to the face of the putter will decrease the rotation of the putter on off-center strikes, as compared to most recent high Moment of Inertia mallet putters. Higher MOT generally means less rotation of the clubhead on off-center strokes Most mallet putters put weighting to the rear of the putter to produce the high MOI, which moves the Center of Gravity away from the face. On off-center strikes, the putter tends to rotate around the CG, which means the face HAS to move laterally, which throws the ball offline. With the CG at the face, the Frontline putter may rotate a bit, but it won’t translate laterally. This is similar to gear effect spin, which happens with woods (deeper CG) much more than with irons (CG near the face).

The other technology claim is with the forged aluminum face. The grooves in the insert are spaced closer near the center, wider away from the center. A center stroke has less contact area with the ball (more groove area), an off-center stroke MORE contact area. This serves to minimize distance loss on off-center putts.

 

The Cleveland claim, as outlined in the original post asking for testers, is this:

One of the most astounding statements to this fact was made by Cleveland Golf's Marketing Director Brian Schieke,when he told our very own John Barba,  the forward CG technology in Frontline, once you understand it, can help golfers make a 15-foot putt at the same rate as they can make a 10-foot putt.”

 

Grading
Looks (9 out of 10 points)

 

As you can see, the Cero has the shape of a rounded mallet, something I was looking for.895810015_straightdowna.jpg.365ea9051048ce271711bbee0b7f971a.jpg

What didn’t show up initially is that the back “mallet” part is really a lightweight extension, the real structure of the putter is in the face.

754310874_endview.jpg.d23be0ec2d088aef36a3cbb6ea530fed.jpg

The technology is visible, the two tungsten weights to produce the high MOI at toe and heel, the grooved SOFT insert in the center. This is a kind utilitarian look that strikes me as similar to the current architectural trend for exposed structure and ductwork in loft-style spaces. To some it looks “cheap”, to me it emphasizes that this putter is designed to be different.

face.jpg.90bfd28404b5a691e1d5d574a5b4efc9.jpg

The two long alignment lines are what I wanted, and I like them in real life. It gives a very strong feeling of proper alignment. I like the black finish, no chance of reflected glare on this one.

Sound & Feel (8 out of 10 points)

Two things struck me immediately with the Frontline, and additional experience has not changed my impressions. First, it swings as if it were pretty light. I understand that’s the effect of the counterbalance effect of the large Lambkin grip, but it was still a surprise to me. Second, the sound and feel of impact were both pretty muted, more of a gentle thud than the click I’ve been accustomed to. I’ve specifically tried toe and heel strokes, and I really don’t feel any difference, no feeling of twisting, no feel of “not solid”. Even though these were changes to me, I adjusted reasonably quickly, and have grown very comfortable with the putter.

Basic Characteristics (15 out of 20 points)

My first trials with the Frontline were at my home club on the practice green. From the start, it seemed easy to set up and align properly. I did a number of rounds with 5-foot putts, and was consistently satisfied with the trueness of my putting. Distance control took a bit longer to dial in. As I’ve mentioned, the counterbalance effect of the heavy grip is new to me, and it took me a while to get used to it. With a little practice, however, it began to work pretty well, consistently getting 20 and 30-footers to with a couple of feet. With the lighter “feel” from the counterbalance, I wondered if I’d notice the putterhead wandering through the stroke, and was pleasantly surprised that it generally stayed right on course. Apparently there’s enough weight in the head to keep it on line, even though the overall feel is light.  The moderate toe-hang seems to fit my stroke.568234278_toehang.jpg.2251cceb1fd43d7fcfb66c74df92dc7a.jpg

 

What I specifically wanted to test out was the performance on off-center strikes, to try to see if the advertised technology performed as promised. What I found, and the videos show, is that center strikes and toe strikes rolled pretty much in the direction and distance intended. I’m not sure I have a great basis for comparison, as I’ve never used the style of putter (rear-weighted mallet) that the Frontline marketing suggests performs worse, but I was happy with the consistency of results across the face of the putter.

 

Yes, I've noticed that I actually don't hit the putts dead center, even when I'm trying.  

On-Course Performance 24 out of 30 points)

I’ve used the Frontline for 8 rounds now, two rounds at my home course, and during seven rounds on 6 different courses around Pinehurst. This is a stern test for any putter, because the results are greatly dependent on the ability of the operator to adjust to varying conditions. I’ll admit, I struggled at times, both with my full game, and with putting. The greens in NC were a bit faster than at home, I’d estimate 10 to 11 on the Stimp, as compared with 8-9 at home. Green speed impacts read as well as distance control, and some of the statistics reflect that. My make percentage in the 6 to 10 foot range wasn’t what I’d like, and I had too many 3-putts from long range. Even so, I averaged about 2.6 strokes lost, as compared to the pro tour standards. Compare that to my average differential of 10.9, it seems like my putting was better than the rest of my game. For reference, my current index is 5.1, and my average differential in my past 20 scores is 8.6. Its hard to blame a new putter, when putting is the best part of my game.

In retrospect, I’m pretty happy with the Frontline Cero. In spite of its fairly significant departure in appearance and in feel, I adjusted pretty quickly to it. On a fairly difficult stretch on some tough fast greens, different each day, I think I have to be pretty pleased with the Strokes Gained results.

Miscellaneous (6 out of 10 points)

There are very few tidbits that I haven’t mentioned previously. One might be the cover. I was lucky enough to receive a lovely leather MGS putter cover when I visited the Yorktown HQ this spring, so I’m pretty spoiled. The Frontline cover is just fine, but I know the Velcro closure will eventually stop sticking.

The other minor point is the marketing line: “…can help golfers make a 15-foot putt at the same rate as they can make a 10-foot putt.” I don’t doubt that the technology works as advertised on off-center strokes. But most of us his most of our putts pretty close to the center of the club. The technology simply will never get the chance to improve most putts, because mots putts aren’t hit off-center. So its definitely a stretch.

Play it or Trade it? (14 out of 20 points)

Here's the final judgement, really. Is this one going to stay in my bag? For the moment, it is. We don’t play a lot of golf in Northern Virginia over the winter, but I’ll be spending a week in Palm Springs in January. Once again, I’ll be using this putter on a number of different golf courses, courses that I play once a year or less. I’ll try to update my strokes gained stuff, see if there are trends to consider. I’ll also keep track of the more qualitative impressions I have, confidence, consistency, etc. My gut feel right now is that this one is staying in my bag.

Conclusion

This was interesting for me, I haven’t looked critically at my putter for a long time, maybe not ever. I may have learned more about myself than about the putter. But I fulfilled a long-term wish, using a mallet-style putter, and I’m glad for that. I feel like the greater front-to-back dimension does help me align well. This is the first time I’ve used a heavy putter grip, and I’m not as certain that its a positive for me, I’ll continue to evaluate that. As far as the technology claims by Cleveland, I have no doubt that the “face-weighting” does what it cays as far as reducing lateral movement on off-center strikes, but I don’t think I hit enough putts off-center that it will make an appreciable difference.

Final Score: 76 of 100

Edited by DaveP043

:titleist-small: Irons Titleist T200, AMT Red stiff

:callaway-small:Rogue SubZero, GD YS-Six X

:mizuno-small: T22 54 and 58 wedges

:mizuno-small: 7-wood

:Sub70: 5-wood

 B60 G5i putter

Right handed

Reston, Virginia

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Cleveland Frontline Elevado Slant Neck Putter – Official MGS Forum Review by ChasingScratch

Intro

Hello fellow spies!  ChasingScratch here with another review.  I am currently a 3.5 handicap playing out of the Dallas region in Texas.  I have two young children (5 and 4yrs old) and a wife who just started her teaching career.  Needless to stay, I have little time to play and practice golf.  I play 2-3 times per month and typically just roll up the course and step onto the first tee after hitting a few putts and stretching.

In my opinion, my Achilles heel is putting.  Using a strokes gained calculator, compared to a pro I lose on average 1.6 strokes per round.  I hit it long off the tee and can shape the ball if need be.  I typically hit 60% of GIR and a little over 50% fairways.  I have some par-saver putts that I would like to make with more consistency.

I have a custom fit bag from top to bottom.  This was the first time I’d ever been fit for a putter before and I ended up on the Ping Sigma 2 Tyne 4.  The mid-toe hang mallet style helps me to rotate the putter properly on a slight in-to-in arc and I love the look of a good flange-style mallet.  For all intents and purposes, the Ping and Cleveland are the same, both mallet mid-toe hang with flanges, 33” and same loft. 

1764996264_midtoehangresize.jpg.986f34c56fa32c3f6d2a66fdc8900cea.jpg

I’ve played several Cleveland putters before.  I had an Anser-style Cleveland classic putter for a while as well as a brief and miserably failed experiment with their Smart Square counter-balanced putter. 

754366629_frontlinewithbagresize.jpg.8578d71aa33d895ea84299b886880a96.jpg

I tend to over-read break and miss high side about 90% of the time.  This is something I’m working on as much as possible.  My confidence with my putting has never been great.  With my custom fit Ping, it has improved, but I always need work on putting.

First Impressions

This putter looks phenomenal!  I love the black/red combo (I use black/red New Decade Multi-compounds and black KBS $-taper shafts with red ferrules).  It really makes for a strong combo. 

351381811_bagresize.jpg.8ab66629c487b1552d098cddb960cc75.jpg

The stock grip option that come with the Frontline is different from anything I’ve had before.  It is thicker than the Ping Pistol grip I have on my Tyne 4.  I actually like the bigger grip.  There is also a slight indent under the right hand trigger finger (for a right hand low hold).  It feels good in the hands. 

92700579_gripresize.jpg.b5a78bf2ce91d010057acf09205b4ffd.jpg

Speaking of the technological claims, Cleveland is saying that by putting the weight forward (in the face) as opposed to low and back, they are improving the ability for a putt hit towards the toe or heel of the putter face to still be a made putt.  During an interview, a Cleveland rep stated that this technology allows the golfer to make 15 foot putts at the same rate as 10 foot putts.  I was immediately skeptical when I read that.  PGA and LPGA tour pros don’t make 15 foot putts with the same regularity as their 10 footers, so how can moving the weight up front do anything near that for the regular golfer? 

1974111061_15footersinto10footersresize.jpg.7d7557d354343d93df0ac9244fc4f5bc.jpg

1777416444_FrontlineClaimresize.jpg.d17f4fd12effa5b5c19feee23f07edcb.jpg

Looks (9 out of 10 points)

If Batman would pick a putter to use, the Elevado would be it.  I’m a huge fan of black in golf.  The matt-black finish has no glare when putting, and the 2135 alignment technology is something special.  I found that the line looks correct more often than with a putter that has a lower alignment line.  The putter face also looks stellar.  I really like all the crisscrossing lines and tungsten weights.  The flanges are a little short in length for my liking, and the overall size is quite small for the modern mallet putter category.  Overall, it’s a darn good looking putter.

108462_Batmanresize.jpg.5d63b62524c826e7a92ee694b452f2ef.jpg

Sound and Feel (6 out of 10 points)

As much as I love the look of the Elevado, the sound and feel are lacking.  This category is completely subjective and what one of us loves the other can easily (and often does) hate in a putter.  I significantly prefer the feel of the insert on my Ping (softer and more muted).  With the Elevado, I feel like it is more clicky or clanky.  It just sounds off to me.  Almost like ‘tinking’ a nail on some steel.  Again, this is purely subjective, but I don’t like the sound. 

On dead center putts, it feels just fine.  Nothing special, but fine.  There were a handful of times where it felt completely wonky.  We were discussing it in the thread and concluded that it was almost a clank feel.  Definitely not a confidence-inspiring attribute to have a ghost clank come out of nowhere.

Basic Characteristics (20 out of 30 points)

There is nothing inherently wrong with this putter.  If you hit it in the dead center on the correct line and proper speed, it will make putts all day long.  However, so will any other putter.  Ben Crenshaw did just fine with his “Little Ben” minimalistic putter. However, Cleveland made the big claim that moving the weight forward was superior in a putter. 

I’m calling BS.  The main gripe I have is the whole “make 15 footers like 10 footers” claim and if you miss on the toe or heel you’ll hit straighter putts.  THOSE ARE HUGE STATEMENTS!  I took slow-motion video of off-center strikes (see below) and there is still a clear twisting of the putter head.  In tests of heel/toe strikes with my Ping, I could also make putts. Nothing special here.

 

1535814645_offcenterhitimagesresize.jpg.1eb7aaf02209453dcfeb23bfb29de609.jpg

For the 2019 PGA Tour season, the average make percentage from 10ft was 41%.  From anything more than 10ft and up to 15ft, the average dropped to 30%.  The best golfers in the world are not making putts from 15ft at the same rate as 10ft.  Furthermore, if this putter technology could allow golfers to make longer putts at the same rate, why wouldn’t every professional golfer on the tour immediately switch to this line of putters?  In a game where tournaments are won and lost with one stroke, you would think they’d jump all over this.

 

In my testing, I never made 15 footers at the same rate as 10 footers.  The chart below shows the two tests on two different quality greens:

700652997_practiceputts.JPG.5d17c5315472aa6f4ab6eec7beaca0ce.JPG

MGS says it all the time, humans (not robots) hit golf balls on real courses.  Given the fact that we play golf on real greens and not indoors perfect artificial turf, I did the majority of my testing on real greens.  With real greens come real challenges.  No technology is going to make the greens any less bumpy or take all the variables (line, speed, grain, damage, etc.) out of the putt.

On-Course Performance (20 out of 30 points)

My very first round with the Elevado was superb!  30 putts (even with two 3-putts).  I had a career high 6 birdies with 4 in a row on the front nine.  3 of these 4 were 18 footers.  The other birdies were 2ft, 7ft, and 14ft.  I was riding the clouds... then came disaster.

My next round, I had 40 putts (6 of those were 3-putts).  Talk about a confidence killer.  My distance control was pitiful.  I just couldn’t get the lag speed down. The next 3 rounds were pretty standard.  The final round of testing yielded 38 putts, of which 4 were 3-putts.

Comparing my putts from the 6 rounds with the Frontline and my most recent previous 6 round with my Ping yields no statistically significant advantage for either (see chart below).  The one big difference is the range, with the Ping having a smaller range than the Elevado.  Standard deviation is also tighter on the Ping.  My best round with both was 30 putts.

985930150_roundsofgolf.JPG.b951b9db624ba508354576944f9f3b9f.JPG

Miscellaneous (5 out of 10 points)

I hate to be too picky about this, but the head cover leaves much to be desired.  Rather than a snug tailored fit, the head cover feels like you’re wearing pants 4 sizes too big.  It just feels like they cheaped out here.  Also, using Velcro vs a magnet is disappointing.  It is also already tearing.

838202054_Headcoverresize.jpg.3d3c72bb3cbead9b0c3cf18eed971644.jpg

Play it or Trade it? (10 out of 20 points)

I’m really on the fence about this one.  On the one hand, I had the most birdies in one round ever with this putter.  On the other, I’ve had some really awful rounds with distance control and 3-putts.  Part of me wants to hang onto it and test again when I’ve improved my green reading.  The other part of me says “It is what it is and you won’t ever like it as much as your Ping.”  For now, it will be on the bench.

98663419_putterfacesresize.jpg.48b7559ef14291ffb28472f51216112b.jpg

Conclusion

The Elevado Slant Neck is just fine.  Nothing wrong with it at all.  Looks great and if you read the putt break/speed and hit it on that line, you’ll make the putt.  But that’s any other putter as well.  I’m not buying the marketing claim that this putter will help you make 15 footers at the same rate as 10 footers.  That just ain’t happening, ever.  While I will always have fond memories of that first magical round with this putter, the other distance control issue-filled rounds will also haunt me.  For the moment, I won’t be riding off into the sunset with the Elevado.

1295395600_Sunpicresize.jpg.fb8cc228e1fc58bc8be923c40f1bedf8.jpg

Final Score: 70/100

Edited by ChasingScratch

Instagram:  @tony_rosselli_

:SuperSpeed:Training

Pre training max driver speed: 124mph

Current: 130mph

WITB:

Driver: :ping-small:G425 Max, 9*

Woods: :taylormade-small: 2007 Burner TP 3 wood and 5 wood

Irons:  :srixon-small: Z765 4-PW (1 degree flat) with KBS $-130 shafts

Wedges:  :vokey-small: SM7 50/12/F, 54/10/S and 58/12/D

Putter:  L.A.B. Directed Force 2.1

Ball:  :titelist-small: ProV1

 

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Hey fellow spies! ChasingScratch here with another review. I’m excited to share my findings with you so you can decide if the new Cleveland Frontline putters are something you should consider for your bag.

 

Right out the gate, I’ll admit I have some skepticism. I really like the look and feel of my custom fit Ping Sigma2 Tyne 4 putter. It is a mallet with toe hang. As such, I decided to get the Frontline model that was the most similar to this putter so I went with the Elevado.

 

I’ve played one round with it so far, and putted indoors on my putting mat numerous times.

 

Just to get your interest peaked, here are images of my front and back nine scores for the maiden voyage with the Elevado:

 

IMG_4883.PNG.912612d55a44db66e7d9d429eeaefdbd.PNG

 

IMG_4884.PNG.87394b35cdc5c1d64f5f3925bebbc580.PNG

 

Those birdie putts were from:

 

1) 19ft

2) 2ft (20ft eagle putt missed so a tap in)

3) 19ft

4) 18ft

5) 5ft

6) 13ft

 

I rarely make anything outside of 7ft, so this was VERY encouraging start with this putter.

 

You will see two 3-putts on the card. One was from 50ft on a putt with lots of different breaks in it. The other was from 20 feet that I completely miss-read and I left 10ft for the comeback putt.

 

I play again on Saturday at a recently renovated course (I’ve never played there before). We’ll see if the hot streak continues!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using MyGolfSpy

 

Instagram:  @tony_rosselli_

:SuperSpeed:Training

Pre training max driver speed: 124mph

Current: 130mph

WITB:

Driver: :ping-small:G425 Max, 9*

Woods: :taylormade-small: 2007 Burner TP 3 wood and 5 wood

Irons:  :srixon-small: Z765 4-PW (1 degree flat) with KBS $-130 shafts

Wedges:  :vokey-small: SM7 50/12/F, 54/10/S and 58/12/D

Putter:  L.A.B. Directed Force 2.1

Ball:  :titelist-small: ProV1

 

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Definitely interested in following along with this review thread. I purchased a Frontline Elevado slant neck from Cleveland immediately on release. I love the look of this line; the all black is very, very sharp. The feel is quite different from the previous generation of Cleveland putters: much firmer.

But so far, I'm struggling a bit with mine. I replace the stock grip with a Flat Cat, and that may have been a mistake. I think the stock grip has some significant heft to it, and the Flat Cat Slim I put on is pretty light. I don't have a swingweight scale, but my guess is that I've adjusted it several points heavier toward the head.

(Obviously, replacing the grip isn't a review of the putter itself.)

Anyway, should be a fun thread to follow!

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Definitely interested in following along with this review thread. I purchased a Frontline Elevado slant neck from Cleveland immediately on release. I love the look of this line; the all black is very, very sharp. The feel is quite different from the previous generation of Cleveland putters: much firmer.
But so far, I'm struggling a bit with mine. I replace the stock grip with a Flat Cat, and that may have been a mistake. I think the stock grip has some significant heft to it, and the Flat Cat Slim I put on is pretty light. I don't have a swingweight scale, but my guess is that I've adjusted it several points heavier toward the head.
(Obviously, replacing the grip isn't a review of the putter itself.)
Anyway, should be a fun thread to follow!


I got the slant neck as well. I love the black and red combo. It matches my irons and driver to a tee. I have New Decade Multi-compound red/black grips. My iron shafts are the black PVD finish KBS $-taper 130 shafts and I’ve got red ferrules and the shaft labels are red. My driver shaft is the HZRDS smoke, so it’s all blacked out as well.

I agree that the feel of the Elevado is very different. The milled face is way clickier than my Ping Sigma 2 insert. I can’t say that I prefer the click of the Cleveland at all over the Ping. I also feel like you can definitely tell if you miss it off the center a bit. Almost feels the opposite of what you’d expect, given the claims of tightening dispersion when you miss the middle.


Sent from my iPhone using MyGolfSpy

Instagram:  @tony_rosselli_

:SuperSpeed:Training

Pre training max driver speed: 124mph

Current: 130mph

WITB:

Driver: :ping-small:G425 Max, 9*

Woods: :taylormade-small: 2007 Burner TP 3 wood and 5 wood

Irons:  :srixon-small: Z765 4-PW (1 degree flat) with KBS $-130 shafts

Wedges:  :vokey-small: SM7 50/12/F, 54/10/S and 58/12/D

Putter:  L.A.B. Directed Force 2.1

Ball:  :titelist-small: ProV1

 

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I play again on Saturday at a recently renovated course (I’ve never played there before). We’ll see if the hot streak continues!
 
 
Sent from my iPhone using MyGolfSpy
 


That’s quite a steak indeed!


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That’s quite a steak indeed!


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It was epic!! I’ve never had that many birdies in a row before. And I think six birdies in one round is also an all-time high for me. The Elevado is starting off on a high note!


Sent from my iPhone using MyGolfSpy

Instagram:  @tony_rosselli_

:SuperSpeed:Training

Pre training max driver speed: 124mph

Current: 130mph

WITB:

Driver: :ping-small:G425 Max, 9*

Woods: :taylormade-small: 2007 Burner TP 3 wood and 5 wood

Irons:  :srixon-small: Z765 4-PW (1 degree flat) with KBS $-130 shafts

Wedges:  :vokey-small: SM7 50/12/F, 54/10/S and 58/12/D

Putter:  L.A.B. Directed Force 2.1

Ball:  :titelist-small: ProV1

 

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Also very interested in following along and hearing all the testers' reactions and on-course experiences!

When I saw the blog review on these, it definitely piqued my interest as I'd tested a Cleveland putter in the recent past and really liked what was their "True Feel" face (but ultimately ended up with an EvnRoll).

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5W...Callaway Great Big Bertha (MCA Kai'Li Red 50/R)
7W...Tour Edge Exotics EXS (Tensei CK Blue 50/R)

4H...Callaway Epic Super Hybrid (Recoil ZT9 F3)
5H...Callaway Big Bertha ('19) (Recoil 460 ESX F3)
6i-GW...Sub 70 699 V2 (Recoil 660 F3) 
54°, 60°...Cleveland CBX2, CBX 60 (Rotex graphite)
Putter...Ev
nRoll ER5 or MLA Tour XDream (P2 Reflex grip on both)
...all in a Datrek bag on an MGI Zip Navigator electric cart. Ball often, not always, MaxFli Tour.

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Also very interested in following along and hearing all the testers' reactions and on-course experiences!
When I saw the blog review on these, it definitely piqued my interest as I'd tested a Cleveland putter in the recent past and really liked what was their "True Feel" face (but ultimately ended up with an EvnRoll).


I’ve had two other Cleveland putters before:

1) Cleveland Classic #1
2) Cleveland Smart Square (face-balanced and counter weighted)

I wasn’t too impressed with either of those, so this Cleveland Elevado has some making up to do.


Sent from my iPhone using MyGolfSpy

Instagram:  @tony_rosselli_

:SuperSpeed:Training

Pre training max driver speed: 124mph

Current: 130mph

WITB:

Driver: :ping-small:G425 Max, 9*

Woods: :taylormade-small: 2007 Burner TP 3 wood and 5 wood

Irons:  :srixon-small: Z765 4-PW (1 degree flat) with KBS $-130 shafts

Wedges:  :vokey-small: SM7 50/12/F, 54/10/S and 58/12/D

Putter:  L.A.B. Directed Force 2.1

Ball:  :titelist-small: ProV1

 

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10 hours ago, GolfSpy MPR said:

Definitely interested in following along with this review thread. I purchased a Frontline Elevado slant neck from Cleveland immediately on release. I love the look of this line; the all black is very, very sharp. The feel is quite different from the previous generation of Cleveland putters: much firmer.

But so far, I'm struggling a bit with mine. I replace the stock grip with a Flat Cat, and that may have been a mistake. I think the stock grip has some significant heft to it, and the Flat Cat Slim I put on is pretty light. I don't have a swingweight scale, but my guess is that I've adjusted it several points heavier toward the head.

(Obviously, replacing the grip isn't a review of the putter itself.)

Anyway, should be a fun thread to follow!

I am no expert club builder, but I think a light grip might not be the best fit on this. I have the slant neck elevado as well, and it is the heaviest putter I've wielded in a while. If the stock grip is a heavier grip, a light grip might really throw the balance off. 

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:benhogan-small: Ben Hogan TK15 50, 54, 58 deg wedges

:cameron-small: Futura 5.5

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I am no expert club builder, but I think a light grip might not be the best fit on this. I have the slant neck elevado as well, and it is the heaviest putter I've wielded in a while. If the stock grip is a heavier grip, a light grip might really throw the balance off. 


As far as stock grips go, I really like the Lamkin grip it comes with. There is almost a molded part on the underside for the hands that you can feel. Hard to explain really.


Sent from my iPhone using MyGolfSpy

Instagram:  @tony_rosselli_

:SuperSpeed:Training

Pre training max driver speed: 124mph

Current: 130mph

WITB:

Driver: :ping-small:G425 Max, 9*

Woods: :taylormade-small: 2007 Burner TP 3 wood and 5 wood

Irons:  :srixon-small: Z765 4-PW (1 degree flat) with KBS $-130 shafts

Wedges:  :vokey-small: SM7 50/12/F, 54/10/S and 58/12/D

Putter:  L.A.B. Directed Force 2.1

Ball:  :titelist-small: ProV1

 

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My first round with this was pretty average. I didn't get many strokes with it before we started, so I was going in blind. My iron/approach didn't do me any favors and I didn't leave myself many putts short enough that I was super disappointed with a two putt. 

The 370g head doesn't sound heavier than many others out there, but it feels heavy. Maybe not a high swing weight, but heavy, balanced and stable. Length and lie also feel like a better fit than my  Cameron.

One dumb thing I did in my first round is I reverted to using a line on the ball for alignment. I have already determined that I putt worse doing that. I had a few putts that went end over end right on my line that just missed. So I hit them well, just can't line it up right with that method. 

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Whelp, the honeymoon birdie-fest of my first round with the Cleveland Frontline Elevado putter came to a crashing train wreck of a halt today. In my second round, I had a whopping 6 three putts and a total of 40 putts on the day. Talk about a complete 180 Batman!?!?

 

I had three putts that very easily could have dropped. One lipped out so slowly it was a wonder it didn’t fall. Two others were down hill putts that stopped 1” or less from going in.

 

I still made quite a few from the 10’-15’ range and 7 feet and in is almost lights out. I didn’t hit many balls inside of 20 feet today, and the lag putts were from 50+ feet quite often.

 

Overall, a very discouraging round of putting today.

 

IMG_4896.PNG.2fe905a1b33c4880ef6442bee2089a76.PNG

 

IMG_4897.PNG.e39af484e13400da160766fcd1606915.PNG

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using MyGolfSpy

 

 

 

 

Instagram:  @tony_rosselli_

:SuperSpeed:Training

Pre training max driver speed: 124mph

Current: 130mph

WITB:

Driver: :ping-small:G425 Max, 9*

Woods: :taylormade-small: 2007 Burner TP 3 wood and 5 wood

Irons:  :srixon-small: Z765 4-PW (1 degree flat) with KBS $-130 shafts

Wedges:  :vokey-small: SM7 50/12/F, 54/10/S and 58/12/D

Putter:  L.A.B. Directed Force 2.1

Ball:  :titelist-small: ProV1

 

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I checked the total weight of the Frontline Elevado and it is 597g.  For comparison, my Cameron 5.5M is 557g.  I will have to get the swingweights checked out, but this is one solid stick.

1_IMG_1829.jpeg.2369a0f9ceabb5dffe74e9ec95475833.jpeg

I like the grip so far.  It is longer than my two most recent grips, so there is some wiggle room if you like a little more or less of the pistol shape in your upper hand. Here it is next to the stock grip on my Cameron.  It's not much longer than this, but the Golf Pride Tour Sensr is 1.5" shorter and feels pretty small compared to the Lamkin.

1_IMG_1851.JPG.b8c75e4f9cc09eac890db5ca7048bf6b.JPG

The texture has a good grip to it.  Or does the grip have a good texture? 

1_IMG_1831.JPG.bb5a5b25d7ee32e950fee41fbe8fddff.JPG

The whole top of the grip is flat.  I would rate this as a medium to medium-large grip.  The upper flat section doesn't seem as wide as the Ping PP60 grip, which feels very awkward to me.  Lamkin has this grip listed at 120g.  If you want to swap this out, I recommend to pay attention to the weight of the new grip.  An EVNROLL Gravity grip is also 120g.  Hmmmmm. 🤤

The face is completely new compared to my 2135 Satin Elevado.  The Satin Elevado has a face that I can use if I lose my meat tenderizer.  I had a few issues with that putter that I will get to during this testing, but one was the face.  There was so much material machined off of the sweet spot that this was a very soft feeling face.  I ended up switching to a harder feeling ball to firm up the feel.

1_IMG_1825.JPG.657e02967bd0496f5aaddee894132c3a.JPGd

Nice grass stain on the face!  Who else has to clean their spouses clubs for them?  Did I just throw myself under the bus there?

1_IMG_1820.JPG.f7f13607086dc3835f3459c513cb688d.JPG

The Frontline has much less material taken out.  This results in a face that is much firmer.  For me, this is a big win.  YMMV.  I had some friends take some strokes with this, and some preferred the meat tenderizer feel.

I am trying to get putting sessions in each day and am keeping score.  There have been some interesting finds in that testing already.  I will have to do this in many small doses, as I have the back of a 90 year old man.  A few times already I have hit that wall where what I assume is my back just tells me to take a hike and I have no chance of putting a decent stroke on the ball.  I will have to cut myself off before this happens to keep the results honest.  I have also found that it is easier to go from the Cameron to the Frontline than vice versa.  Length/lie may be a better fit on the Frontline. 

I was able to take this out on the course for the second time this afternoon.  Weather could not have been better.  I also got to try out the Arccos sensors for the first time.  I ended up with 38 putts on the day en route to an 82.  I could not get the speed down at all.  We got the feeling that this course is pretty much shut down for the season, but are still allowing people to play.  Bathrooms were closed, ball washers were all down, and it looks like they were painting brown spots green to keep things looking...nice?  I have spent a good amount of time on the BirdieBall green (medium stimp: 10-11).  This course must have been playing at a 7.  And we rushed out to be able to get all 18 in before dark, so I didn't get any warmups beforehand.

My consolation is that Arccos rated me as a 7.2 putting handicap.  I wasn't too happy with my chipping, and Arccos confirmed that by giving me an F+ for a chipping handicap.  I had a few 5-6 footers that I managed to miss, but like last time, I hit them where I was aiming.  There were some phantom breaks or force fields around some of the cups and the ball would just take a hard left or right just before the cup.  With them playing so slow and me having such a hard time putting a 3W swing on the ball, getting the line read right (not a strong point of mine in the first place) was just too much to ask.  But I really appreciate Arccos giving me a green participation ribbon for putting while letting me know that if I can't get the ball within 30ft of the hole, those birdies will continue to escape me.

242210394_ScreenShot2019-11-10at9_21_25PM.png.ed89b746a30e69b3ff8f7b9d70cfd4de.png

While this weather holds up I am going to get out again somewhere that hasn't given up on 2019 already.  I really want to know if it was really that slow today, or if I am setting myself up for failure practicing on a green that is a fair amount faster than anything I am going to be playing on.

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My Elevado with the Lamkin Sink Fit grip is topping out at a total weight of 596g.

My Evnroll ER6 with the Gravity grip is registering at 609g. 

Both are 370g heads. Both have 120g grips. Both are 35" in length. 

Yet if I didn't know any of this beforehand, I'd bet a lot of money I don't have that the Elevado was heavier than the ER6. The Cleveland just feels a lot heavier in your hand and I'm guessing it's related to all the weight being at the front of the putter vs the rear like in the Evnroll. 

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Correct me if I'm wrong, but a heavier putter is "generally" better for stability on short range putts at the expense of long range touch.  

I have a touch drill I am trying indoors.  I need to get a putt at least 3 feet, then try to pass each putt with the next one and squeeze in as many as I can before hitting the end of the mat.  So I think my range is 3-11ish feet.  Come up short and I'm out.  I'll send some scores later, but so far I haven't noticed a big difference between the Frontline and my Futura.  Is this range long enough to really tell the difference?

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I checked the total weight of the Frontline Elevado and it is 597g.  For comparison, my Cameron 5.5M is 557g.  I will have to get the swingweights checked out, but this is one solid stick.
1_IMG_1829.jpeg.2369a0f9ceabb5dffe74e9ec95475833.jpeg
I like the grip so far.  It is longer than my two most recent grips, so there is some wiggle room if you like a little more or less of the pistol shape in your upper hand. Here it is next to the stock grip on my Cameron.  It's not much longer than this, but the Golf Pride Tour Sensr is 1.5" shorter and feels pretty small compared to the Lamkin.
1_IMG_1851.JPG.b8c75e4f9cc09eac890db5ca7048bf6b.JPG
The texture has a good grip to it.  Or does the grip have a good texture? 
1_IMG_1831.JPG.bb5a5b25d7ee32e950fee41fbe8fddff.JPG
The whole top of the grip is flat.  I would rate this as a medium to medium-large grip.  The upper flat section doesn't seem as wide as the Ping PP60 grip, which feels very awkward to me.  Lamkin has this grip listed at 120g.  If you want to swap this out, I recommend to pay attention to the weight of the new grip.  An EVNROLL Gravity grip is also 120g.  Hmmmmm. 🤤
The face is completely new compared to my 2135 Satin Elevado.  The Satin Elevado has a face that I can use if I lose my meat tenderizer.  I had a few issues with that putter that I will get to during this testing, but one was the face.  There was so much material machined off of the sweet spot that this was a very soft feeling face.  I ended up switching to a harder feeling ball to firm up the feel.
1_IMG_1825.JPG.657e02967bd0496f5aaddee894132c3a.JPGd
Nice grass stain on the face!  Who else has to clean their spouses clubs for them?  Did I just throw myself under the bus there?
1_IMG_1820.JPG.f7f13607086dc3835f3459c513cb688d.JPG
The Frontline has much less material taken out.  This results in a face that is much firmer.  For me, this is a big win.  YMMV.  I had some friends take some strokes with this, and some preferred the meat tenderizer feel.
I am trying to get putting sessions in each day and am keeping score.  There have been some interesting finds in that testing already.  I will have to do this in many small doses, as I have the back of a 90 year old man.  A few times already I have hit that wall where what I assume is my back just tells me to take a hike and I have no chance of putting a decent stroke on the ball.  I will have to cut myself off before this happens to keep the results honest.  I have also found that it is easier to go from the Cameron to the Frontline than vice versa.  Length/lie may be a better fit on the Frontline. 
I was able to take this out on the course for the second time this afternoon.  Weather could not have been better.  I also got to try out the Arccos sensors for the first time.  I ended up with 38 putts on the day en route to an 82.  I could not get the speed down at all.  We got the feeling that this course is pretty much shut down for the season, but are still allowing people to play.  Bathrooms were closed, ball washers were all down, and it looks like they were painting brown spots green to keep things looking...nice?  I have spent a good amount of time on the BirdieBall green (medium stimp: 10-11).  This course must have been playing at a 7.  And we rushed out to be able to get all 18 in before dark, so I didn't get any warmups beforehand.
My consolation is that Arccos rated me as a 7.2 putting handicap.  I wasn't too happy with my chipping, and Arccos confirmed that by giving me an F+ for a chipping handicap.  I had a few 5-6 footers that I managed to miss, but like last time, I hit them where I was aiming.  There were some phantom breaks or force fields around some of the cups and the ball would just take a hard left or right just before the cup.  With them playing so slow and me having such a hard time putting a 3W swing on the ball, getting the line read right (not a strong point of mine in the first place) was just too much to ask.  But I really appreciate Arccos giving me a green participation ribbon for putting while letting me know that if I can't get the ball within 30ft of the hole, those birdies will continue to escape me.

242210394_ScreenShot2019-11-10at9_21_25PM.png.ed89b746a30e69b3ff8f7b9d70cfd4de.png

While this weather holds up I am going to get out again somewhere that hasn't given up on 2019 already.  I really want to know if it was really that slow today, or if I am setting myself up for failure practicing on a green that is a fair amount faster than anything I am going to be playing on.


That meat tenderizing comment had me rolling! LOL

I struggled with the speed mightily in my second round as well. 6 three putts on the day and 40 putts overall. Not a good look.


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:SuperSpeed:Training

Pre training max driver speed: 124mph

Current: 130mph

WITB:

Driver: :ping-small:G425 Max, 9*

Woods: :taylormade-small: 2007 Burner TP 3 wood and 5 wood

Irons:  :srixon-small: Z765 4-PW (1 degree flat) with KBS $-130 shafts

Wedges:  :vokey-small: SM7 50/12/F, 54/10/S and 58/12/D

Putter:  L.A.B. Directed Force 2.1

Ball:  :titelist-small: ProV1

 

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My Elevado with the Lamkin Sink Fit grip is topping out at a total weight of 596g.
My Evnroll ER6 with the Gravity grip is registering at 609g. 
Both are 370g heads. Both have 120g grips. Both are 35" in length. 
Yet if I didn't know any of this beforehand, I'd bet a lot of money I don't have that the Elevado was heavier than the ER6. The Cleveland just feels a lot heavier in your hand and I'm guessing it's related to all the weight being at the front of the putter vs the rear like in the Evnroll. 


Interesting theory on the feeling being heavier with the weight up front. Idk if there is any merit to it, but it passes the locker room test (in my book at least). Less balanced weight distribution would make it seem heavier. Think about a barbell. If you load 100lbs on it with the weight even on both sides, and then load 3/4 of the weight on one side, it will likely feel heavier (at least on the one side) with the unevenly distributed bar. The total weight is the same, but where it is placed is the difference.


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Instagram:  @tony_rosselli_

:SuperSpeed:Training

Pre training max driver speed: 124mph

Current: 130mph

WITB:

Driver: :ping-small:G425 Max, 9*

Woods: :taylormade-small: 2007 Burner TP 3 wood and 5 wood

Irons:  :srixon-small: Z765 4-PW (1 degree flat) with KBS $-130 shafts

Wedges:  :vokey-small: SM7 50/12/F, 54/10/S and 58/12/D

Putter:  L.A.B. Directed Force 2.1

Ball:  :titelist-small: ProV1

 

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I've had three rounds with mine (the Cero SlantNeck).  My feels are a little different to a couple of the other guys, but maybe its based on what I was using before.  For 15 years or so I've played with a Ping G5i B60, with a GP Tour Classic grip (slightly oversized paddle-front).  The Cero actually feels much lighter in my hands, almost certainly due to the counterweight effect of the larger Lamkin grip.  The Cero also feels softer at impact than the old Ping.  An interesting thought, do older "plastic" inserts change characteristics over time?.  My distance control has been pretty decent, and I like the way it lines up.  Preliminary trials of purposely hitting putts off center are underway (teasing the real review).

:titleist-small: Irons Titleist T200, AMT Red stiff

:callaway-small:Rogue SubZero, GD YS-Six X

:mizuno-small: T22 54 and 58 wedges

:mizuno-small: 7-wood

:Sub70: 5-wood

 B60 G5i putter

Right handed

Reston, Virginia

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I've had three rounds with mine (the Cero SlantNeck).  My feels are a little different to a couple of the other guys, but maybe its based on what I was using before.  For 15 years or so I've played with a Ping G5i B60, with a GP Tour Classic grip (slightly oversized paddle-front).  The Cero actually feels much lighter in my hands, almost certainly due to the counterweight effect of the larger Lamkin grip.  The Cero also feels softer at impact than the old Ping.  An interesting thought, do older "plastic" inserts change characteristics over time?.  My distance control has been pretty decent, and I like the way it lines up.  Preliminary trials of purposely hitting putts off center are underway (teasing the real review).


Interesting thought on whether older inserts can change feel over time. That is something I’ve never even considered.

My distance control with the Elevado was great on the first round. The second round was just really strange. Perhaps it was playing a new course, but I just could not get it together. Anything over 20ft and it was a crap shoot. The one caveat was on number 18. It was a par three with a two tier green. Hole was cut on the bottom tier. My ball was on the top tier. I literally touched the putt and it almost rolled off the front of the green. That one would’ve had to have hit the flagstick to have had any chance of stopping.


Sent from my iPhone using MyGolfSpy

Instagram:  @tony_rosselli_

:SuperSpeed:Training

Pre training max driver speed: 124mph

Current: 130mph

WITB:

Driver: :ping-small:G425 Max, 9*

Woods: :taylormade-small: 2007 Burner TP 3 wood and 5 wood

Irons:  :srixon-small: Z765 4-PW (1 degree flat) with KBS $-130 shafts

Wedges:  :vokey-small: SM7 50/12/F, 54/10/S and 58/12/D

Putter:  L.A.B. Directed Force 2.1

Ball:  :titelist-small: ProV1

 

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On 11/11/2019 at 1:53 PM, ChasingScratch said:

 


That meat tenderizing comment had me rolling! LOL

I struggled with the speed mightily in my second round as well. 6 three putts on the day and 40 putts overall. Not a good look.


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Had a couple of those awful 3 putt days recently and I don’t wish that on anyone.  Hope the putts start falling soon.

Great start guys. Enjoying this one so far, keep it up! 

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Had a couple of those awful 3 putt days recently and I don’t wish that on anyone.  Hope the putts start falling soon.
Great start guys. Enjoying this one so far, keep it up! 


Yeah I’m hoping to have more of the first round putting experiences with the Frontline Elevado going forward. I really do think the new course and the fast greens threw me for a loop. I got frustrated and that never helps.


Sent from my iPhone using MyGolfSpy

Instagram:  @tony_rosselli_

:SuperSpeed:Training

Pre training max driver speed: 124mph

Current: 130mph

WITB:

Driver: :ping-small:G425 Max, 9*

Woods: :taylormade-small: 2007 Burner TP 3 wood and 5 wood

Irons:  :srixon-small: Z765 4-PW (1 degree flat) with KBS $-130 shafts

Wedges:  :vokey-small: SM7 50/12/F, 54/10/S and 58/12/D

Putter:  L.A.B. Directed Force 2.1

Ball:  :titelist-small: ProV1

 

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2135.  Besides my bedtime, what does this mean?  This is the radius of a golf ball in millimeters x 100.

Why should you care?  Cleveland feels that by having the alignment line on the putter at this height, you can have your eyes inside of your line and you can still tell that the ball is centered on the club face.

454637083_ScreenShot2019-11-12at8_24_48PM.png.49daf2e1d80ab3abb9dad793f961795b.png

2059491753_ScreenShot2019-11-12at8_25_00PM.png.786da15854bbf63673b9a31bf7113323.png

In their example above, I can see how there could be some issues with someone who has the eyes well inside the line or even outside the line (gasp!), IF they have a putter with the alignment line at the base of the putter.  I don't have a putter arsenal the size of @GolfSpy MPR, but when comparing the height of the alignment line of the Elevado to my SC 5.5M and an old Rife 2-Bar, they can't be more than a couple of nanometers x 1000 different.  I can't find any of my trigonometry books to take a refresher, but I think the possible alignment error from the eyes even 12 inches inside of the putting line with a change of a couple mm in your putter line height is going to be significantly smaller than the size of your strike area of ten putts.

Is this really technology?  I would say it is a measurement (that's missing the decimal point).  Do I like it?  Yes, because I had some wires crossed at birth and am severely left eye dominant.  That line on top is great for me.  

Can this be a detriment?  I can't see how, unless you are playing TopFlite Magna's.  In which case you will need to find a putter with 22098 "technology".

2_IMG_1835.JPG.956e6446d56af89d3d31801ef4edf033.JPG

2_IMG_1836.JPG.7d6ad21a036e2ad79e9e0d0c35877348.JPG

On a side note, I have determined that my horrible speed judgement in the last round was a result of my practice green.  I got the medium speed green and played on really slow greens.  Without a single warmup putt, I left a 15 ft birdie putt on the first hole 4 ft short.  I hit some more putts at home last night and my speed was right on again.  So not so much a putter issue than a putt-er issue.

:ping-small: G400 LST 8.5 Ping Tour 65 Stiff

:adams-small: Adams XTD Ti 18 deg 3Hy

:benhogan-small: Ben Hogan PTx 22-46 

:benhogan-small: Ben Hogan TK15 50, 54, 58 deg wedges

:cameron-small: Futura 5.5

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8 hours ago, romeopapazulu said:

  So not so much a putter issue than a putt-er issue.

I've said it about my own game too.  The only thing problem part in with this car is the nut behind the wheel.

:titleist-small: Irons Titleist T200, AMT Red stiff

:callaway-small:Rogue SubZero, GD YS-Six X

:mizuno-small: T22 54 and 58 wedges

:mizuno-small: 7-wood

:Sub70: 5-wood

 B60 G5i putter

Right handed

Reston, Virginia

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2135.  Besides my bedtime, what does this mean?  This is the radius of a golf ball in millimeters x 100.
Why should you care?  Cleveland feels that by having the alignment line on the putter at this height, you can have your eyes inside of your line and you can still tell that the ball is centered on the club face.

454637083_ScreenShot2019-11-12at8_24_48PM.png.49daf2e1d80ab3abb9dad793f961795b.png

2059491753_ScreenShot2019-11-12at8_25_00PM.png.786da15854bbf63673b9a31bf7113323.png

In their example above, I can see how there could be some issues with someone who has the eyes well inside the line or even outside the line (gasp!), IF they have a putter with the alignment line at the base of the putter.  I don't have a putter arsenal the size of [mention=58668]GolfSpy MPR[/mention], but when comparing the height of the alignment line of the Elevado to my SC 5.5M and an old Rife 2-Bar, they can't be more than a couple of nanometers x 1000 different.  I can't find any of my trigonometry books to take a refresher, but I think the possible alignment error from the eyes even 12 inches inside of the putting line with a change of a couple mm in your putter line height is going to be significantly smaller than the size of your strike area of ten putts.
Is this really technology?  I would say it is a measurement (that's missing the decimal point).  Do I like it?  Yes, because I had some wires crossed at birth and am severely left eye dominant.  That line on top is great for me.  
Can this be a detriment?  I can't see how, unless you are playing TopFlite Magna's.  In which case you will need to find a putter with 22098 "technology".
2_IMG_1835.JPG.956e6446d56af89d3d31801ef4edf033.JPG
2_IMG_1836.JPG.7d6ad21a036e2ad79e9e0d0c35877348.JPG
On a side note, I have determined that my horrible speed judgement in the last round was a result of my practice green.  I got the medium speed green and played on really slow greens.  Without a single warmup putt, I left a 15 ft birdie putt on the first hole 4 ft short.  I hit some more putts at home last night and my speed was right on again.  So not so much a putter issue than a putt-er issue.


I personally like the 2135 alignment line concept. I tend to have my eyes inside the ball and am right handed/left eye dominant as well. With my Ping Sigma 2 Tyne 4, the alignment line is on the bottom, which I like much less than the Cleveland.


Sent from my iPhone using MyGolfSpy

Instagram:  @tony_rosselli_

:SuperSpeed:Training

Pre training max driver speed: 124mph

Current: 130mph

WITB:

Driver: :ping-small:G425 Max, 9*

Woods: :taylormade-small: 2007 Burner TP 3 wood and 5 wood

Irons:  :srixon-small: Z765 4-PW (1 degree flat) with KBS $-130 shafts

Wedges:  :vokey-small: SM7 50/12/F, 54/10/S and 58/12/D

Putter:  L.A.B. Directed Force 2.1

Ball:  :titelist-small: ProV1

 

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I've said it about my own game too.  The only thing problem part in with this car is the nut behind the wheel.

 

Give Lee Trevino a stick and a shovel and he’d still kick our butts!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using MyGolfSpy

Instagram:  @tony_rosselli_

:SuperSpeed:Training

Pre training max driver speed: 124mph

Current: 130mph

WITB:

Driver: :ping-small:G425 Max, 9*

Woods: :taylormade-small: 2007 Burner TP 3 wood and 5 wood

Irons:  :srixon-small: Z765 4-PW (1 degree flat) with KBS $-130 shafts

Wedges:  :vokey-small: SM7 50/12/F, 54/10/S and 58/12/D

Putter:  L.A.B. Directed Force 2.1

Ball:  :titelist-small: ProV1

 

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