Unofficial Review: L.A.B. Golf Directed Force 2.1 Putter

[edingc]

I ended up getting out for 27 more "real" holes of golf today before the cold weather sets back in here in Michigan. Unfortunately, my streak of zero three putts is no longer intact, but I still putted out of my mind again today. The last four rounds (the only four with the L.A.B.) have been the best I've putted all season:

(Today's rounds were 31 and 15 total putts, respectively.)

I had two three putts today (opening hole when I left my approach on the bottom tier of the three-tiered green, and a par 3 where I went long of pin but had to putt around a huge punchbowl in the green). I do not think I left myself more than three feet with any other first putt that did not go in. Many putts finished with inches of the hole for gentle tap-ins.

Obviously, getting a new putter has meant I've practiced putting more than usual. However, there is something to the L.A.B. that just seems to make me a better putter? I've never been one to miss "good" with the putter. I used to either hit the putt or miss it by several feet. That all has gone out the window with my drastically improved distance control.

[Vegan_Golfer_PNW]

@edingc Man, you make me really want to drop a solid on one of these! Great to hear it is working out for you!

[edingc]

7 minutes ago, rbsiedsc said:

@edingc Man, you make me really want to drop a solid on one of these! Great to hear it is working out for you!

Yeah, so that's the line I'm trying to toe a little bit. I understand these things are pricey. I'm sure my improvement isn't just the putter, it's a result of both the putter and practicing. So I'm trying to be mindful when writing these posts because I'd hate for someone to go out and drop the cash on a L.A.B. and be disappointed.

My recommendation if you are interested in purchasing would be to do a remote fitting, and if you have a local dealer, an in-person fitting. See how the specs compare. If you can roll one beforehand that's obviously huge, too. And then you can search eBay or reach out to L.A.B. directly for a factory second for a lot cheaper, unless of course you're ready to drop the full price on a new one.

[dlow206]

After having the DF 2.1 for a bit longer than a month or so, I am having some struggles. First is distance control. I have had 10 foot putts that I have blown by the hole by 10 feet, it blows my mind. Every miss is long. Even though I drained a 30 footer during my last round, the ball hit the flagstick and then went in. I had another putt like that but it hit the flagstick and blew by the hole. My distance control isn't the best normally, but its never long by that amount, usually short actually with other putters. I wonder if its the weight of the putter. The head feels pretty light because its torque balanced, but in actuality the head is pretty heavy, it just doesn't feel that way.

When I am practicing indoors, I am not sure what's happening, but i am pulling a lot of putts. Something is out of whack right now for me.

[yungkory]

7 hours ago, edingc said:

Yeah, so that's the line I'm trying to toe a little bit. I understand these things are pricey. I'm sure my improvement isn't just the putter, it's a result of both the putter and practicing. So I'm trying to be mindful when writing these posts because I'd hate for someone to go out and drop the cash on a L.A.B. and be disappointed.

My recommendation if you are interested in purchasing would be to do a remote fitting, and if you have a local dealer, an in-person fitting. See how the specs compare. If you can roll one beforehand that's obviously huge, too. And then you can search eBay or reach out to L.A.B. directly for a factory second for a lot cheaper, unless of course you're ready to drop the full price on a new one.

I'm fully committed to buying one and blaming you for when it doesn't magically turn me into the state's best putter. Jokes aside I am most intrigued about the remote fitting than anything.

5 hours ago, dlow206 said:

After having the DF 2.1 for a bit longer than a month or so, I am having some struggles. First is distance control. I have had 10 foot putts that I have blown by the hole by 10 feet, it blows my mind. Every miss is long. Even though I drained a 30 footer during my last round, the ball hit the flagstick and then went in. I had another putt like that but it hit the flagstick and blew by the hole. My distance control isn't the best normally, but its never long by that amount, usually short actually with other putters. I wonder if its the weight of the putter. The head feels pretty light because its torque balanced, but in actuality the head is pretty heavy, it just doesn't feel that way.

When I am practicing indoors, I am not sure what's happening, but i am pulling a lot of putts. Something is out of whack right now for me.

Switch putters at home for an hour, then go back to the DF and see what happens?

[dlow206]

8 hours ago, yungkory said:

Switch putters at home for an hour, then go back to the DF and see what happens?

Tried this and the ball definitely for me feels like it comes off much softer from any other putter. I think i will eventually get the distance control figured out with the DF 2.1.

[dlow206]

Ok, figured out the pulls issue i was having. (Sorry @edingc, i know this is your thread, but didn't want to leave my comment about pulling the ball with this putter out there now that I figured out why).

So the key is (at least for me), is letting the putter do what it wants to do. The misnomer I have had is about what it means to "stay square". The putter wants to "stay square", but they key here is stay square to what. Its not square to the target, its square to the arc of your stroke.

I can decently putt (maybe not optimally) with all different types of putters, from face balanced to putters with a lot of toe hang. With a face balanced putter, my stroke is more straight back straight through with just a bit of arc to it. With a putter with more toe hang, my stroke adapts and has more arc to it. 

Now, with the DF 2.1, my brain for some reason has some sort of preconception stuck in it that the DF 2.1 movement will be more like a face balanced putter than a putter with more toe hang. Because of that, my brain is causing my arms to move the DF 2.1 like it expects a face balanced putter to move, with minimal arc.

If i take a more relaxed grip with the DF 2.1, and truly let the club move how it wants to move, with my stroke, it actually wants to have more arc than a face balanced putter. For me, the arc looks more like the arc that i have with a toe hang putter, and then it squares back up at impact. 

So for me, i need to train my brain not to look at this gigantic mallet-shape and think that it will move like a face balanced mallet. As long as i setup to the ball correctly, i need to let the putter move how it wants to move and trust that it will square up at impact.

[edingc]

1 hour ago, dlow206 said:

Ok, figured out the pulls issue i was having. (Sorry @edingc, i know this is your thread, but didn't want to leave my comment about pulling the ball with this putter out there now that I figured out why).

So the key is (at least for me), is letting the putter do what it wants to do. The misnomer I have had is about what it means to "stay square". The putter wants to "stay square", but they key here is stay square to what. Its not square to the target, its square to the arc of your stroke.

I can decently putt (maybe not optimally) with all different types of putters, from face balanced to putters with a lot of toe hang. With a face balanced putter, my stroke is more straight back straight through with just a bit of arc to it. With a putter with more toe hang, my stroke adapts and has more arc to it. 

Now, with the DF 2.1, my brain for some reason has some sort of preconception stuck in it that the DF 2.1 movement will be more like a face balanced putter than a putter with more toe hang. Because of that, my brain is causing my arms to move the DF 2.1 like it expects a face balanced putter to move, with minimal arc.

If i take a more relaxed grip with the DF 2.1, and truly let the club move how it wants to move, with my stroke, it actually wants to have more arc than a face balanced putter. For me, the arc looks more like the arc that i have with a toe hang putter, and then it squares back up at impact. 

So for me, i need to train my brain not to look at this gigantic mallet-shape and think that it will move like a face balanced mallet. As long as i setup to the ball correctly, i need to let the putter move how it wants to move and trust that it will square up at impact.

This is an open thread for anyone. No need to apologize. I just wanted somewhere to write an actual review (of which more will be coming as I clean up my thoughts and then obviously next season I'll have a lot more use).

I do tend to pull putts if I don't get the face flat. My "comfortable" position isn't optimal with the hands way too low at address, so I have to be really conscious about setup. If I stand nice and tall with nice hand height, I get great results.

Is it possible you're pulling the club inside a bit? From my experimenting on the EXPUTT, I found I deliver the club with an open face and very inside-out if I don't feel like my shoulders are turned left at address. That, combined with dropping my left (forward) foot a bit back, gets my pendulum swinging along the line much more consistently.

[dlow206]

17 minutes ago, edingc said:

This is an open thread for anyone. No need to apologize. I just wanted somewhere to write an actual review (of which more will be coming as I clean up my thoughts and then obviously next season I'll have a lot more use).

I do tend to pull putts if I don't get the face flat. My "comfortable" position isn't optimal with the hands way too low at address, so I have to be really conscious about setup. If I stand nice and tall with nice hand height, I get great results.

Is it possible you're pulling the club inside a bit? From my experimenting on the EXPUTT, I found I deliver the club with an open face and very inside-out if I don't feel like my shoulders are turned left at address. That, combined with dropping my left (forward) foot a bit back, gets my pendulum swinging along the line much more consistently.

Could be pulling it a bit from the inside, but even when accounting for that, i do perceive the DF 2.1 wants to naturally arc slightly more than with a face balanced putter. When I let it arc naturally, the start line is much better.

[yungkory]

The face insert is probably the thing I am most hesitant about when it comes to forking over the cash for one of these. Is it any firmer/softer than the Spider X @edingc?

[edingc]

1 hour ago, yungkory said:

The face insert is probably the thing I am most hesitant about when it comes to forking over the cash for one of these. Is it any firmer/softer than the Spider X @edingc?

No insert on the L.A.B., just horizontally milled lines on the aluminum face.

I've noticed the feel changes a bit if not struck out of the middle. With the BGT Stability Tour a nicely centered hit is very muted, and I perceive that to be soft as well. If you get a little more heel or toe side, you get more of a clang noise and to me the feel is firmer.

Let me roll a few with both putters tonight and get back to you with more thoughts.

[yungkory]

I had no idea they were milled, I thought I read somewhere that it was an insert. That makes me feel a lot better about blindly ordering one after never feeling it in the hands.

[edingc]

45 minutes ago, yungkory said:

I had no idea they were milled, I thought I read somewhere that it was an insert. That makes me feel a lot better about blindly ordering one after never feeling it in the hands.

I'll try to grab a picture of the face tomorrow on the green. It's supposed to be partly sunny so good photo taking weather, hopefully.

I just rolled a handful with the Spider X and I'd say the insert on the Spider X much be just a touch bit more "soft" feeling. The sound is definitely more consistent and muted from heel-to-toe than the DF 2.1. As I mentioned earlier, the further from center you get with the L.A.B. you get a louder, more ping-y sound. 

@dlow206 - You have a much more extensive collection of putters than I do. Anything to add regarding sound and feel vs. an insert or other milled putter?

[edingc]

23 hours ago, yungkory said:

I had no idea they were milled, I thought I read somewhere that it was an insert. That makes me feel a lot better about blindly ordering one after never feeling it in the hands.

As promised. (Don't mind the EXPUTT stickers.)

[dlow206]

I've come to the conclusion that a 33" putter is too long for me (even a 32" is too long), so i am going to try something unique with the DF 2.1 (not modifying the club/shaft itself). Let's see what happens.

[edingc]

45 minutes ago, dlow206 said:

I've come to the conclusion that a 33" putter is too long for me (even a 32" is too long), so i am going to try something unique with the DF 2.1 (not modifying the club/shaft itself). Let's see what happens.

Funny you mention length. One of the reasons I went to the longer putter was so that I could practice a little more without back pain. So far, so good. I spent well over two hours hitting putts this week and had no back pain whatsoever.

I am slightly inside of the ball with my eyes. I rely on the line on the ball to aim and then just match up the lines on the L.A.B. Works well for me.

[BMart519]

1 hour ago, dlow206 said:

I've come to the conclusion that a 33" putter is too long for me (even a 32" is too long), so i am going to try something unique with the DF 2.1 (not modifying the club/shaft itself). Let's see what happens.

On an unrelated note: how long is your driver? And have you tried playing it at 44.5" or shorter?

[edingc]

Since it was brought up, I broke out the putting mirror to see where my eyes align when addressing the ball. With the 36" L.A.B. my eyeline is somewhere between 1.5-2 inches inside the ball.

[dlow206]

57 minutes ago, BMart519 said:

On an unrelated note: how long is your driver? And have you tried playing it at 44.5" or shorter?

Right now, my TSi 2 driver for the review is 44.5”

[dlow206]

1 hour ago, edingc said:

Funny you mention length. One of the reasons I went to the longer putter was so that I could practice a little more without back pain. So far, so good. I spent well over two hours hitting putts this week and had no back pain whatsoever.

I am slightly inside of the ball with my eyes. I rely on the line on the ball to aim and then just match up the lines on the L.A.B. Works well for me.

For me, because of my height and wrist to floor, i could stand completely upright and a 33” putter is still too long.

i am going to put a superstroke wrist lock grip on and putt wrist lock style. Its not as dramatic as arm lock so adjustment needed to loft and i think lie angle will be fine. I can actually wrist lock putt with the existing OG 3 grip, but the superstroke will probably be more comfortable

[edingc]

52 minutes ago, dlow206 said:

I can actually wrist lock putt with the existing OG 3 grip, but the superstroke will probably be more comfortable

I do something similar with the Press II. I grip down enough so that there is a slight bit of contact with my inner wrist. 

[dlow206]

Here's the experiment (the wristlock grip). i like it so far at least putting indoors.

[yungkory]

15 minutes ago, dlow206 said:

Here's the experiment (the wristlock grip). i like it so far at least putting indoors.

Does it look weird at address now that the artificial shaft lean isn't pre-installed?

[dlow206]

9 hours ago, yungkory said:

Does it look weird at address now that the artificial shaft lean isn't pre-installed?

With the new grip, i always address it with shaft lean, otherwise the top nub on the grip won’t connect well to the arm/wrist for the wrist lock to happen

[edingc]

Adding my "final" (for the 2020 season at least) review here and will also update the main post:

Looks - 4/5 Stars

There is no doubt the DF 2.1 is funky looking. Bottle-opener shape aside, the biggest thing you notice is the size of the head. The DF 2.1 makes my Spider X look tiny in comparison. After a few rolls, however, the head’s size feels more and more natural. 

The combination of the black grip, black Stability Tour shaft and black head is very pleasing. The head finish is matte, and L.A.B.’s updated branding on the sole of the club looks better compared to previous iterations of the putter. Since the finish is matte, there is no issue with sun glare or reflection.

I’m very happy L.A.B. was able to accommodate my request to combine sightline options. I like having lines both parallel and perpendicular to my aim line. I also like that the outer lines frame the golf ball at address. I have a tendency to set the face too open and put the ball toeside, and these lines provide a nice reference for me to address the golf ball.

Sound and Feel - 4/5 Stars

The adjustment period has been relatively painless, with the biggest change being how light the head feels throughout the swing compared to my previous gamers. 

The sound of a putter is strongly correlated with feel for me. Having played the Spider line of putters, this is my first non-insert putter in some time. The DF 2.1 has horizontally milled lines on the aluminum face. Keep in mind I am gaming the DF 2.1 with the BGT Stability Tour shaft. I chose this shaft specifically because L.A.B. recommended it to achieve a “softer” feel. 

Putts struck out of the middle have a soft, muted sound and feel. As you move more to the heel and toe of the putter face (of which there is a lot to hit!), the sound becomes more metallic and pingy. This leads to those putts feeling firmer than ones out of the middle. 

I’m thoroughly enjoying the sound/feel of this putter.

Basic Characteristics - 5/5 Stars

The strength of this putter is its outstanding distance control. Given a few minutes to get a feel for the greens, I’m confident I will leave almost all of my putts within a 2-3 foot circle of the hole (that is, if they don’t go in!). It does not seem to matter if I don’t hit a putt just right - distances are repeatable and insulate against my stroke being imperfect.

There is definitely something to the lie-angle balance technology, but you have to be careful not to manipulate the club with your hands. Coming from a standard putter, it took a few practice sessions to eliminate my hands from causing rotation of the face.

I went up to a 36 inch putter to alleviate some of the stress on my lower back. This has been a resounding success. I have practiced a lot since receiving the putter (much more than I had all season up to that point) and have no back pain whatsoever. I am more upright in my stance and my eyes now rest about one-to-two inches inside the ball at address.

Miscellaneous - 5/5 Stars

The included leather headcover is very high quality. It has very strong closure magnets but is still easy to put on and take off, appears to be made from quality materials and the embroidered L.A.B. logo is top notch. 

To attach my Arccos putter sensor to the Press II grip, I had to take a small drill bit and deepen the hole at the end of the grip. I’ll admit it was a little unnerving to take a power tool to a brand new $700 putter.

On Course Performance - 5/5 Stars

With the nice fall weather holding on as long as it has this year, I’ve had more opportunities to play than I anticipated when starting this post. I ended up squeezing in a total of four rounds (54 tracked holes) with the L.A.B. The results were very promising.

 

The four rounds were the best putting performances of my season! And that was despite playing courses I hadn’t previously played more than once during the year.

In 54 holes I tallied only two three-putts, for a three-putt percentage of 3.7 percent. In comparison, my final 54 holes with the Spider X yielded five three putts, and I recorded 11 three-putts over 36 holes at one point during the last week of the #CobraConnect challenge.

Although I have no on course data to support this claim, my second putts are also of much more makeable distance. It would have not been uncommon in the past for my second putt to be four feet or longer. With the L.A.B. so many of my second putts are tap-ins.

“Early” Overall Score - 4.5/5 Stars

Yeah, the L.A.B. DF 2.1 is an expensive piece of golf equipment. However, if current trends hold, the L.A.B. will be a major reason for me finally staying in the single digits. I have not tried/tested/purchased another piece of equipment that has made such a dramatic change to my game in such a short period of time.

[GolfSpy_BOS]

Adding my "final" (for the 2020 season at least) review here and will also update the main post:
Looks - 4/5 Stars

There is no doubt the DF 2.1 is funky looking. Bottle-opener shape aside, the biggest thing you notice is the size of the head. The DF 2.1 makes my Spider X look tiny in comparison. After a few rolls, however, the head’s size feels more and more natural. 
The combination of the black grip, black Stability Tour shaft and black head is very pleasing. The head finish is matte, and L.A.B.’s updated branding on the sole of the club looks better compared to previous iterations of the putter. Since the finish is matte, there is no issue with sun glare or reflection.
I’m very happy L.A.B. was able to accommodate my request to combine sightline options. I like having lines both parallel and perpendicular to my aim line. I also like that the outer lines frame the golf ball at address. I have a tendency to set the face too open and put the ball toeside, and these lines provide a nice reference for me to address the golf ball.
Sound and Feel - 4/5 Stars

The adjustment period has been relatively painless, with the biggest change being how light the head feels throughout the swing compared to my previous gamers. 
The sound of a putter is strongly correlated with feel for me. Having played the Spider line of putters, this is my first non-insert putter in some time. The DF 2.1 has horizontally milled lines on the aluminum face. Keep in mind I am gaming the DF 2.1 with the BGT Stability Tour shaft. I chose this shaft specifically because L.A.B. recommended it to achieve a “softer” feel. 
Putts struck out of the middle have a soft, muted sound and feel. As you move more to the heel and toe of the putter face (of which there is a lot to hit!), the sound becomes more metallic and pingy. This leads to those putts feeling firmer than ones out of the middle. 
I’m thoroughly enjoying the sound/feel of this putter.
Basic Characteristics - 5/5 Stars

The strength of this putter is its outstanding distance control. Given a few minutes to get a feel for the greens, I’m confident I will leave almost all of my putts within a 2-3 foot circle of the hole (that is, if they don’t go in!). It does not seem to matter if I don’t hit a putt just right - distances are repeatable and insulate against my stroke being imperfect.
There is definitely something to the lie-angle balance technology, but you have to be careful not to manipulate the club with your hands. Coming from a standard putter, it took a few practice sessions to eliminate my hands from causing rotation of the face.
I went up to a 36 inch putter to alleviate some of the stress on my lower back. This has been a resounding success. I have practiced a lot since receiving the putter (much more than I had all season up to that point) and have no back pain whatsoever. I am more upright in my stance and my eyes now rest about one-to-two inches inside the ball at address.
Miscellaneous - 5/5 Stars

The included leather headcover is very high quality. It has very strong closure magnets but is still easy to put on and take off, appears to be made from quality materials and the embroidered L.A.B. logo is top notch. 
To attach my Arccos putter sensor to the Press II grip, I had to take a small drill bit and deepen the hole at the end of the grip. I’ll admit it was a little unnerving to take a power tool to a brand new $700 putter.
On Course Performance - 5/5 Stars

With the nice fall weather holding on as long as it has this year, I’ve had more opportunities to play than I anticipated when starting this post. I ended up squeezing in a total of four rounds (54 tracked holes) with the L.A.B. The results were very promising.
 
The four rounds were the best putting performances of my season! And that was despite playing courses I hadn’t previously played more than once during the year.
In 54 holes I tallied only two three-putts, for a three-putt percentage of 3.7 percent. In comparison, my final 54 holes with the Spider X yielded five three putts, and I recorded 11 three-putts over 36 holes at one point during the last week of the #CobraConnect challenge.
Although I have no on course data to support this claim, my second putts are also of much more makeable distance. It would have not been uncommon in the past for my second putt to be four feet or longer. With the L.A.B. so many of my second putts are tap-ins.
“Early” Overall Score - 4.5/5 Stars

Yeah, the L.A.B. DF 2.1 is an expensive piece of golf equipment. However, if current trends hold, the L.A.B. will be a major reason for me finally staying in the single digits. I have not tried/tested/purchased another piece of equipment that has made such a dramatic change to my game in such a short period of time.

Freaking awesome results man! I hope the DF keeps rolling true for you in the Spring!

Thank goodness you didn’t have this during #CCC4.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[dlow206]

@edingc- great in-depth review above.

I played like crap yesterday, but my putting with my DF 2.1 was the only highlight of my round. Made quite a few of my putts under 10 feet, so was happy with that. I typically find a way to miss too many putts within the 5 to 10 foot range. I think the secret for me was the wristlock grip that i threw on there.

[edingc]

4 minutes ago, dlow206 said:

@edingc- great in-depth review above.

I played like crap yesterday, but my putting with my DF 2.1 was the only highlight of my round. Made quite a few of my putts under 10 feet, so was happy with that. I typically find a way to miss too many putts within the 5 to 10 foot range. I think the secret for me was the wristlock grip that i threw on there.

Thanks!

If that wrist-lock grip gets you the right forward press in a comfortable manner, the DF is going to be money. I really am glad the Press II grip is working as well as it is for me. I did not like the feel of the OG Press grip (the heavier rubber one) at all and took a chance on the Press II. Love it.

[dlow206]

Just now, edingc said:

Thanks!

If that wrist-lock grip gets you to the right forward press in a comfortable manner for you, the DF is going to be money. I really am glad the Press II grip is working as well as it is for me. I did not like the feel of the OG Press grip (the heavier rubber one) at all and took a chance on the Press II. Love it.

I have an OG press grip, a Press II grip, and now the wristlock grip lol. I used a grip remover to remove the OG press grip and the Press II, so they are still intact.

[yungkory]

57 minutes ago, edingc said:

Adding my "final" (for the 2020 season at least) review here and will also update the main post:

Looks - 4/5 Stars

There is no doubt the DF 2.1 is funky looking. Bottle-opener shape aside, the biggest thing you notice is the size of the head. The DF 2.1 makes my Spider X look tiny in comparison. After a few rolls, however, the head’s size feels more and more natural. 

The combination of the black grip, black Stability Tour shaft and black head is very pleasing. The head finish is matte, and L.A.B.’s updated branding on the sole of the club looks better compared to previous iterations of the putter. Since the finish is matte, there is no issue with sun glare or reflection.

I’m very happy L.A.B. was able to accommodate my request to combine sightline options. I like having lines both parallel and perpendicular to my aim line. I also like that the outer lines frame the golf ball at address. I have a tendency to set the face too open and put the ball toeside, and these lines provide a nice reference for me to address the golf ball.

Sound and Feel - 4/5 Stars

The adjustment period has been relatively painless, with the biggest change being how light the head feels throughout the swing compared to my previous gamers. 

The sound of a putter is strongly correlated with feel for me. Having played the Spider line of putters, this is my first non-insert putter in some time. The DF 2.1 has horizontally milled lines on the aluminum face. Keep in mind I am gaming the DF 2.1 with the BGT Stability Tour shaft. I chose this shaft specifically because L.A.B. recommended it to achieve a “softer” feel. 

Putts struck out of the middle have a soft, muted sound and feel. As you move more to the heel and toe of the putter face (of which there is a lot to hit!), the sound becomes more metallic and pingy. This leads to those putts feeling firmer than ones out of the middle. 

I’m thoroughly enjoying the sound/feel of this putter.

Basic Characteristics - 5/5 Stars

The strength of this putter is its outstanding distance control. Given a few minutes to get a feel for the greens, I’m confident I will leave almost all of my putts within a 2-3 foot circle of the hole (that is, if they don’t go in!). It does not seem to matter if I don’t hit a putt just right - distances are repeatable and insulate against my stroke being imperfect.

There is definitely something to the lie-angle balance technology, but you have to be careful not to manipulate the club with your hands. Coming from a standard putter, it took a few practice sessions to eliminate my hands from causing rotation of the face.

I went up to a 36 inch putter to alleviate some of the stress on my lower back. This has been a resounding success. I have practiced a lot since receiving the putter (much more than I had all season up to that point) and have no back pain whatsoever. I am more upright in my stance and my eyes now rest about one-to-two inches inside the ball at address.

Miscellaneous - 5/5 Stars

The included leather headcover is very high quality. It has very strong closure magnets but is still easy to put on and take off, appears to be made from quality materials and the embroidered L.A.B. logo is top notch. 

To attach my Arccos putter sensor to the Press II grip, I had to take a small drill bit and deepen the hole at the end of the grip. I’ll admit it was a little unnerving to take a power tool to a brand new $700 putter.

On Course Performance - 5/5 Stars

With the nice fall weather holding on as long as it has this year, I’ve had more opportunities to play than I anticipated when starting this post. I ended up squeezing in a total of four rounds (54 tracked holes) with the L.A.B. The results were very promising.

 

The four rounds were the best putting performances of my season! And that was despite playing courses I hadn’t previously played more than once during the year.

In 54 holes I tallied only two three-putts, for a three-putt percentage of 3.7 percent. In comparison, my final 54 holes with the Spider X yielded five three putts, and I recorded 11 three-putts over 36 holes at one point during the last week of the #CobraConnect challenge.

Although I have no on course data to support this claim, my second putts are also of much more makeable distance. It would have not been uncommon in the past for my second putt to be four feet or longer. With the L.A.B. so many of my second putts are tap-ins.

“Early” Overall Score - 4.5/5 Stars

Yeah, the L.A.B. DF 2.1 is an expensive piece of golf equipment. However, if current trends hold, the L.A.B. will be a major reason for me finally staying in the single digits. I have not tried/tested/purchased another piece of equipment that has made such a dramatic change to my game in such a short period of time.

Sick early review! I took your advice and went to the shop yesterday while da wife and MIL were shopping at a nearby store. I think I'm gonna go back up to 34" as it allows me to be just a little bit more up-right, and I feel like my elbows are in a better position.

Either of you guys got your fitting vids up on YT by chance? I watched the "how-to" but seeing a real-life example that seemingly worked out well would help put my mind at ease.