Scotty Cameron Phantom X 5.5 – MGS Forum Member Review by CFreddie

CFreddie · April 6, 2023

Intro

I’ve played golf off and on my entire life, usually sporting “hand me downs” from my dad (he would always give me his set once he upgraded). Growing up & living in Atlanta, we have an “ok” selection of public tracks easily accessible from the city, but IMO, you need to travel 60-90 mins out of town for the better courses. Pre-COVID, I usually only played 1-2 times a year, but my interest in golf really took off during lockdown (crazy, I know ). After starting at 25+ handicap, I’ve worked hard to get it down at 12, where I currently sit.

Given most of my previous golf clubs have been hand me downs, I’ve never truly invested in clubs to improve my performance - which is why the flat-stick has always plagued me. That was, until this year…

I Saw Greens In My Nightmares

For a while, my biggest struggle was been on the green - I’ve never been comfortable putting regardless of putter, which includes a variety of blades (PING Anser) and mallets (TaylorMade Spider). During COVID lockdowns, I even purchased a “Perfect Practice” Putting Mat (shoutout DJ) to no avail.

Scotty Cameron has ALWAYS been on my radar (I’m pretty sure they are on everyone’s) and why wouldn’t they? End of the day, they make beautiful putters that build confidence in their users. And while feel is subjective, a Scotty always feels “different”. However, as we all know, this comes with a price, and I’d argue there are many cheaper options that I tested (and loved), and plan to discuss those trade-offs below.

For this review, I’d love to highlight the key features that I feel have turned around my putting performance (its now the strongest part of my game), and try to avoid any of the “corporate speak” you’d see in a typical review. Regardless, my end goal was to find my “forever” putter - and finally excel in one of the hardest facets of the game.

SPOILER ALERT - MY PHANTOM HAS A PERMANENT SPOT IN THE BAG

First Impressions 4.5/5 - Wowzers, with a catch

Lets get this out of the way - this is a BEAUTIFUL putter. From the quality of the grip (I like a “pistol” style grip over the bigger grips) down to the sight-lines over the ball, this club exudes confidence.

The putter arrived in the standard club box, but was protected with styrofoam spacers and wrapped in plastic - didn’t expect anything more (even from Scotty) so this checked the box.

However, my BIGGEST gripe with the Phantom X - the headcover. Its awful - the velcro feels cheap and its UGLY (hello bright yellow). Would it really kill them to include a nicer magnet-enclosed head over on a club that runs $400+? No worries, I’ve already replaced it with a Seamus mallet cover adorned with a course I recently played (shoutout to Sheep Ranch).

Aesthetics 5/5 - Pure Class

One call-out - the “5.5” designation signifies the 5 shape with toe hang (the 5 is more straight-back, straight-through). Given my putting stroke has a slight arc to it, this fits me much better than a standard mallet.

The Numbers 5/5 - Pure Confidence

While I don’t have hard numbers, qualitatively, my putting has vastly improved - not only am I more confident on the green, but I’m definitely sinking more putts on average. One example, in a typical “ladder drill” on my putting mat, hitting 5 putts from 2 / 4 / 6 / 8 feet used to take 3+ minutes. However, in my last practice session, I was able to complete all 20 putts in one try (!!!).

On the Course 5/5 - (Almost) Automatic

Play it or Trade it? 5/5 - (Almost) Perfect, at least in comparison

Compared to my previous putters (Ping Anser, TaylorMade Spider), my 5.5 has kept me in matches, sunk long putts, and instilled new confidence in my game. However, I did have to knock it some for the headcover (still bitter on that one ).

Final Score 29.5/30 - Or in other words, this stays in the bag.