L.A.B. Putters - 2023 Forum Review

[GolfSpy SAM]

TESTERS ANNOUNCED!

MyGolfSpy Forum had a near record amount of registrations for this test and it certainly was not easy to narrow it down to get to our 6 testers. 

From L.A.B.

All golfers have had those days when their putting stroke feels completely off. What they’re feeling is torque — the twisting of the putter head — and it’s the enemy of consistent putting.

Lie Angle Balance (L.A.B.) is a patented technology we developed that simplifies putting. It eliminates torque from the design of a putter, giving all golfers the ability to consistently repeat their stroke — especially when the pressure is on.

Whether you’re a great putter or a golfer who frets every 5-footer, our putters and grips will help you become a better putter. That means lower scores… and more bragging rights.

 

Please welcome and congratulate our 6 testers who will partake in a long term L.A.B. Putter review!

@RoverRick
@McGolf
@pozzit
@Splatt
@Syks7
@TSauer

Stay tuned and follow the thread for a lot more to come!

[RoverRick]

Who is RoverRick? 

I’m 58 (for a few more days), married, former military, former Boy Scout Leader, former business owner and engineer. Now a manager for largest contractor for the largest trucking operation in the US. 

How did I become “RoverRick”?

My first online forum was a Land Rover chat. I absolutely loved my Range Rover, when it would start, and tired of the mechanical issues, and having an engineering degree, I rebuilt the engine one time. However, there came a point where I needed reliable transportation so I left that phase of my life.

How did my golfing life evolve?

I started golf in high school, but was never serious about it and played 3-4 times a year. I took golf as my P.E. (it was still called P.E. back then) courses in college. Didn’t play during my Army years and moved to Dallas in 1992 and joined the corporate world. In 1996, I moved back to East Texas and started playing more golf. In 1997, I joined my current country club and began playing with the same guys I play with now, although there were originally 4 of us and now 26 players are in our tee time group. It was a glorified cow pasture back then, but has been rebuilt and is one of the nicest in East Texas now.

In 2002, I became self-employed, and played Wednesdays and weekends, when I was in town. I traveled a lot around the US and decided I wanted to play in every state. I’ve played in 49 states, never been to Maine, 8 countries and 4 continents. At this point it was never about score. Pure enjoyment. 

Then in 2008, my business changed to where I was primarily focusing on Europe. At 2pm everyday it was 10pm for the people I was dealing with, so I was able to play golf every afternoon. In 2009, at age 45 I decided to try to become a scratch golfer by age 50. I joined MGS around in 2011. My official handicap was 0.2 on my 50th birthday in May of 2014, but after that I hovered between a 2-4 until 2017. On my 49th birthday, I also noticed I was one if the few men in my family with hair so I decided I wanted to have a ponytail on my 50th birthday also. I hated it and cut it the day after my birthday. 

I left golf for about a year in 2018. I decided to come back to golf in 2019 but within a couple of months, I was in an accident just as I was regaining my swing. I went to work in a different industry for the benefits, and it was a great opportunity at a great company where I speak to my bosses once every two weeks, and we primarily talk about golf and what I need from them. The last 5 years have not been kind physically. I developed osteoarthritis in both knees and right ankle. And physically it seems as every time I make gains with my swing another physical limitation comes up. It’s been a struggle, which I have documented some here on MGS. 

However, I am a golf nut. I will never be a long hitter and have always relied on my short game and putter. Most of the last couple of years has been trying to retool my long game swing and overcome my knee issues and keep the ball in play but to the detriment of my short game. I realize this is stupid because when I was “scratch” for that brief period, it was not because of my long game. It was because from 120 yards in, I averaged 8-10 feet and I made the majority of my putts from inside 10’. 

My goals in golf now is to put it in the fairway, give me a shot at the green, and and give me a shot at par. These are goals. Obviously, I’m not doing that right now. 

What are my plans for golf in the future?

I recently discovered something about wedges. While they may not be the best in every category Vokey wedges give me confidence. Just something about knowing I have that wedge that allows me to hit a good shot. I have Taylormade, Mizuno, Callaway that on the range and practice are do better. But not on the course. 

How do I plan to test this putter?

Honestly, I could go get on same putting wizard like machine and compare which has the better roll, etc. I can make putts with any putter with some practice. But putting to me is all about feel. I feel the break, I feel the speed. I feel the confidence that the ball is going to go where I want it. 

To me, the purpose of putting is to get the ball in the hole to win or tie the hole. When I have to focus on my putting stroke verses getting the ball in the hole, I lose confidence. The putter I’m using right now, I have to return my attention to the putter before contact to ensure a center strike and true distance. 
 

I have 4 stroke play matches per week and I have 3 match play matches scheduled this month and I have 2 tournaments I’m playing in. Will this putter allow me to preform under pressure and actually reduce the pressure by instilling trust and confidence? That’s the true test of a putter verses purity of roll or any tangible or measurable metric. 
 

L.A.B. Directed Force DF2.1 Putter Introduction and First Impressions (17 of 20) Added on June 2  

 

Why did I sign up for this test?

When the LAB Putter signup first came out, I did not sign up. I am a really good putter and don’t go in for the latest gimmicks. On April 12, 2023, I had 21 putts in 18 hole stroke play money match, then played in a 9 hole scramble where I made every putt for my team, I made every putt last year to set the record at -11 on the Men’s Monthly 9 Hole Scramble. I also made 17 putts in 2015 to win a 6 person scramble. I am a very good putter. However, on January 15, 2023, I had 42 putts and that included 10 tap ins from close wedge shots. So I while I am generally a good putter, I can be a bad putter some days. 
 

Last year, I watched several videos where Peter Finch gamed a LAB DF2.1. Honestly, I didn’t see that this putter was a dramatic improvement to his putting. I prefer the looks of a blade over any mallet. Besides, I have 6 very good putters in my arsenal. 

 

1.      Scotty Cameron Studio Styles Newport 1.5 GSS 

2.     Scotty Cameron Coronado (Blacked Out)

3.     Scotty Cameron Big Sur (Oil Can) 39”

 

4.     Odyssey Mid 

5.     Odyssey Stroke Labs White Hot Double Wide Triple Track 

6.     Evnroll ER5B

These are mostly blades, but there are toe flow putters and face balanced, heavy and light, from 34” to 39”. 

I had been watching some BustaJack videos and noticed Mason draining putt after putt with an orange DF2.1, but Cole was also making lots of putts with, what I later discovered was the LINK1. Last year, Mason used the MEZZ1 and Cole had a new Scotty.  I noticed a dramatic increase in putts made by 2 guys that were already pretty good putters. My interest was piqued. 

I decided to watch an online review. The first time I saw someone demonstrate what a normal putter does in the “Revealer” I said “Exactly! That’s been my problem. I have felt that!” The very reason I have spent money on more than the 6 expensive putters I still own is because sometimes I feel like I am arm wrestling the putter more than swinging it. 

After seeing scores of these reviews, I signed up for the review test. 

I do not think this is a bandaid for crappy putters. I think this is a superiorly engineered product that will make all golfers better. 

So I signed up for this test to answer these questions:

1.     Can the size and shape of the DF2.1 reduce my mishits?

2.     Have I been fighting with my putter all this time? 

3.     Can Lie Angle Balanced Putters take my putting to the next level? 

After being selected, I went to Dallas Golf and PGA Superstore and looked their selection of LAB putter over. I wanted to look at these in person to decide if the more traditional LINK1 that appealed to my more conservative side was best, or the Directed Force DF2.1 that appealed to my “function over aesthetics” and engineering side was better.
 

In person, I was not offended by the larger head. As a matter of fact it is not significantly larger than a TM Spider or many other mallets. The very first time I saw one, it was an arm lock mixed in with the other arm locks. I didn’t even recognize it by its shape but by ”L.A.B. GOLF” printed on the grip. The head was not noticeable larger than the other mallet putters. Also the long blade length, center shaft, and press grip made the back of the club irrelevant. I barely even notice it.

Traditional in person fitting. 

Dallas Golf had a number of stock length and lie DF2.1. They also had a professional putter fitter there. We went through the process, and once I found the correct loft and lie at Dallas Golf, I made 8 of 8 12’ putts with it. 35” 70° was what worked best for me in the live fitting. 

Online Fitting. 

As part of this test, we had online fittings. It was a simple process of setting up with your gamer putter in front of a door frame and having someone video you at hands level and directly down the line. The interesting thing was I did not tell Sam from LAB the specs that were given at Dallas Golf. He replied back with 35” and 70° lie angle.
 

I happened to be the first one to order my putter, and it shipped surprisingly quickly. I had seen a review with the red putter with white shaft. The color looked more maroon than red. Since I graduated from Texas A&M, a maroon and white putter would be perfect. 

There were no official “Unboxing” pics for a very good reason. My putter was supposed to arrive on Friday. By the following Tuesday it had sat in UPS purgatory for 4 days with no movement. I had a tee time at 12:04 Wednesday afternoon, and I could see that it was on a truck but not headed to my house. I went and parked on a road that their app said the truck was on and waited. When the UPS truck drove by I pulled out behind him and followed him to his next stop. I was waiting for him when he came back out and explained that I had a new putter on his truck and a tee time in 45 minutes and could he give me my package? He said, “As long as you show me your putter I’ll give it to you.” So he gave it to me and I opened it in the Dollar General parking lot. 

 

.

Upon opening the box with the UPS driver, the first thing I saw was the Head Cover. Absolutely beautiful and nicely constructed. The white shaft was gleaming, and it looked incredible. When I removed the cover it was not the maroon I had seen in the two year old video, but a heart-stopping “Kiss My @$$” red. My only disappointment was because I was hoping it was more maroon for nostalgia. However, the “KMA” red looks great. It definitely grabs people’s attention. You be the judge. Does this stand out?

 

I got to the course and found my group was preparing to go off early to beat the approaching storm, so I had to by pass the practice green and go to the first tee box. Since I had visited Dallas Golf the week before I knew what to expect. What I didn’t expect was the reaction from the other players. The very first comment was a total surprise. “That’s a bad @$$ putter! Can I try it? “ I have yet to hear anything but good comments. Especially after they putt with it. 

 

My only disappointment was that the sound when putting with Chrome Soft X LS Triple Track balls. It sounds a little tingy. The first day I had 18 putts in 11 holes. The distance control and set up were easy. The putts simply did not break the same as with a conventional putter. Although at the time it could have been the weather. We only got 11 holes in before the deluge began. 

 

This is as far as I am going for now. This is a long term review and I have only had it for a few rounds. I will say that I am having some adjustment period with this putter. It’s more of a comfort factor on important short breaking putts. 

I’ll update as soon as I can.

Added July 4th  Happy Birthday America  

I thought another pic of the head cover would be appropriate for July 4th , and yes, the shaft does gleam in the sun. 

Aesthetics 

General Shape:The general shape of the head is appealing to me as an engineer. It looks like a very balanced and forgiving design with an extremely wide “sweet spot”. Since I look at the hole instead of the ball, I am susceptible to not striking the center of the club face. This can cause severe distance control issues. But this head allows me to not even think about that. The sound of off centered hits is noticeable, but the performance is not really affected. 

Graphics/Badging LAB has 36 different alignment graphics options. I happen to see a putter face square or perpendicular to the putting line better than just a continuation of the line. So I went with the stock line behind the face.      

How does the overall look come together? The over all looks of this putter are simply stunning. Not only does it look good, it inspires confidence. The ball goes exactly where I am aiming. Which is often the problem. 

How does the appearance compare to other clubs in the same category?TaylorMade has made Spyder putters in various colors for several years. Some of the novelty of colored putter is gone. Had this actually been maroon, it would perhaps be more appealing to me, but it wouldn’t have the same “wow factor”. The shaft and head color contrast makes it stand out well above anything I have ever seen. I actually have had to doctor some of the photos because the shaft gleams in the sun sometimes  

Are they flashy? Do other players notice them in your bag without being prompted? The first time anyone sees it, they start a conversation about it. So much so that guys I don’t even know have approached me in the bar and said they saw me with it and ask questions about it. In the bag that huge head cover with the red and white stripes really stands out. 

Describe how the club sounds and feels  Does it sound: loud, quiet, harsh, smooth, or other? The sound is very dependent on the ball that is used. The firmer balls sound pingy or tinny. They sound like I didn’t strike them well. I purchased a lot of Callaway Chrome Soft X LS Triple Tracks back in February when I was going through a bad putting spell, thinking that I could use the alignment aid. That turned out to not help. But I liked the ball. The Titleist ProV1 and the newer model of the AVX do not sound that way at all. They are much duller sounding, smoother, more solid. I haven’t really tried the Taylormade balls. I will try the TP5X. I need a lower spinning ball for my driver, but I have a new shaft coming tomorrow so we will see. My only deduction in this review so far is the sound. If there was a softer insert like the original Odyssey White Hot face, then I’d probably give it 10/10.

Compare the sound to something non-golf. A firm ball sounds like a lightweight horseshoe hitting the top of the steak. While the softer ball sounds more like it is hitting the ground. 

Does it feel soft, crisp, dull, clicky? The X LS feels like it was not struck firmly, while the AVX feels like more of a solid strike. What I meant by that is balls hit low on the face have a tingy sound  The harder more clicky off other putter balls sound tingy  

Does it feel consistent across the face, or are mis-hits noticeably pronounced? The reason I went with the DF2.1 was because when I was testing these at Dallas Golf, I intentionally lined up with the ball 1/2” from the toe. This startled the fitter and he stopped me before I hit to tell me. I said I knew and was testing something. The putt still went the same distance and I sank the putt. I did the same with the heel and I think that one lipped out, but still went the proper distance. Because of the  shape and balance there is no discernible difference in the feel or performance across the face. There is a difference in sound but not really feel on really low on the face hits  

Compare to your best/worst feel and sound experiences. Even the worst sound off the putter face is acceptable if it is followed shortly after by the ball rattling in the cup of clicking off the flag stick. 

Does the sound/feel affect your performance? I would say that the softer sound off the softer ball makes me feel as if I struck the ball better. The tinnier sound makes me think I mishit it. 

 

This is during a ball test (TP5, TP5X, AVX). It’s about 50’ with 4’ left to right break downhill but goes back up at the end. This was typical of my grouping.  More random pics and close ups later.

The Numbers (39 of 40)

Accuracy - Can you repeatedly putt over the same spot or through a gate? Absolutely! From the very start this putter hit exactly where I aimed. My biggest issue was my setup and grip initially were flawed, and I was not actually aiming the putter where I thought I was.  After spending some time with drills and focusing on my setup, I would say the putter is much more accurate than the user. 

Distance Control - Is it easy to gauge distance? Because of my putting style, distance control is rarely an issue for me. I wanted this putter because I stand about 10 feet behind the ball, see my line, move left or right so I’m looking down the line, walk up and set my putter and make minuet adjustments all the while looking at the hole. When that feels right right I look at the spot the ball must enter the hole and hit it to that spot. Three-putts generally happen because you were 5-8 feet short or long, not because you mis-read the break by 5-8’. I either make the putt or have a tap in. 

Stability of Stroke - Does it say on path during the stroke or does it have a tendency to waiver? I have never experienced any putter more stable than this one. The biggest adjustment I am having is how the ball rolls more true than what I was used to. 

Forgiveness - Compare impacts on all 6 segments of the head. As stated, I intentionally hit off the toe and heel and found this to be awesome. During the 2 months and perhaps 32 rounds I have missed putts because of misreads and improper aim, but I have not pulled the ball or pushed it or hit it on the face that caused it to stray off line. This blade is 4 3/4” wide. This morning I intentionally hit the call 1/4” from the toe and again from the heel. There was no discernible difference in line or distance. I was hitting 3 balls on a relatively straight 20’ putt. There was no pattern to the misses and actually sank some off the toe and heel and center. 

Playability - Green vs Fringe vs Rough vs Slopes of all angles This has been the biggest surprise of all. I am more likely to putt from the fairway, fringe, or rough than chip now. I am a great chipper. The real reason I have fewer putts than most people is because I hit wedges or chip closer to the hole. This is so solid all I have to do is nothing different than if I were on the green. Just hit it harder. I putt more from off the green rather than chip because it is so controllable. 

 

On-Course (9 of 10)

Pressure – When you step up to a difficult shot with something on the line (money, best score, water water water) can you execute for success? I play money matches 4 days a week. There are 4 parts to a putt. Reading the green, setting up to the proper line, making a good stroke, and hitting it the proper distance. In the past, I have always had to be concerned with making a bad stroke. That worry is gone. Knowing that I have the right putter means knowing I can make the short putts without fear the club will twist. That means even on the tee my stress is lower. 

What factors were you pleased with? The fact that I don’t have to worry about striking the center of the face, or the putter wanting to twist is so comforting. 

What factors did you find lacking? I do not like the tinny sound with the firmer balls. 

Final Performance Comments:

Overall, how did it perform? This is not the final review but so far, as I told Sam from LAB, I can only see replacing this club with another one with an insert to make it feel and sound a little better.

Did it help improve your scores? By how much? This is the interesting part. My number of putts may actually be up while my scores were lower. New diet and drugs have reduced my knees and ankle issues to the point where I am hitting the driver and irons better. Swing changes, ball changes, and even the starting line up in the bag have changed, all of which have contributed to my handicap index dropping 3.6 strokes since I put this club in the bag. While I cannot definitively say that this club has shaved # strokes off my score, I can say that I have never felt that I brought the wrong putter to the course. 

How, if at all, did this product change your overall impression of the OEM? I had seen these putters in videos, Peter Finch and Adam Scott, and I thought they were a gimmick. Similar to the Stand Alone Putter that you could stand up behind the ball and go back and check the alignment, or the Pyramid Putter. I had zero interest in them. It wasn’t until I watched a number of BustaJack videos where they were both using them and making a lot of putts I decided to check them out. Those videos made me think this wasn’t a gimmick. 2 months into this, and I absolutely believe it is a putter that can help everybody.  

What feature would you change or eliminate from the next generation of this model? I would change something to change the sound, perhaps an insert. But if the ting is followed by the ball rattling in the cup, it is easy to get used to. 

What features do you really like, and would most like to see continued or evolved in future models? The anti-torque design or Lie Angle Balance is really an awesome feature. This putter really works best with a very light grip. Unlike other putters that want to twist, this does not. I’m finding more and more that a very light grip allows the club to flow through the putt better. 

 

The Good, the bad, the in-between (18 out of 20)

The good is that does everything it is advertised to do. The bad is that it could sound better and it takes up a lot of space in the bag. These are the only drawbacks that I have with this putter  

 

Play it or Trade it? (10 of 10)

100% Play it. I may even sell all my other putters, and I’ve only sold 1 putter in my life. If I do sell my other putters and some excess clubs, I will likely buy a LAB Golf LINK1. 

 

Conclusion

In conclusion, I asked 3 questions before I got this putter. 

1.     Can the size and shape of the DF2.1 reduce my mishits? Yes, I have not had a putt come up short because I didn’t hit the center of the putter face. 

2.     Have I been fighting with my putter all this time? Yes. During this short period, the Lie Angle Balanced putter has totally eradicated my pulled and pushed putts caused, I now believe, by the putter arc not coinciding with my swing. I have not experienced this putter not conforming to my swing that day. 

3.     Can Lie Angle Balanced Putters take my putting to the next level? This is yet to be seen. As I stated, I am actually having more putts now, but that’s because I’m having fewer other shots. It’s only a matter of time before I get everything working at once. My last 5 rounds I was very close to making 5 or 6 birdies per round. 

 

Final Score (93 out of 100)
While is is a long term review, and I will add comments in this thread through the next couple of years, after 20 or so rounds, I know enough to say that it is everything I hoped it would be. It has pointed out that I had setup issues that affect my aiming. I’ve altered my pre-round routine to fix this problem.  

Similar putt as before, but this time the opposite direction up the hill. 

Back down the hill again on a slightly different line.

Just a view back to the hole, but zoomed in a little. The point of these 4 pics is to show the repeatability with this putter. 

Today is July 4th. At my club, they have 3 meals, a 6-person family scramble, and fireworks. I opted to not play in the 5 hour 6-person scramble and went to the practice area to do some ball testing. 50 yards and in and putting with my gamer ball, the AVX, against TP5 and TP5X. I usually only use one ball on the practice greens, but today I had 3. I decided to include the following pictures because they are indicative how I have been doing on long putts. I was practicing 50-60’ breaking putts both uphill and downhill. This is just some random pics, but the grouping is what I was doing all day and is my normal leave. I have unrealistic goals and often leave the green disappointed because I lip out or just miss from that range. 

I’m also very upset with myself because last week I played Trinity Forest with the 2 owners of my company. I was expecting to wow them with my LAB DF2.1 putter. However, the one that lives in Utah had a blue DF2.1 Arm Lock in the bag, and the one from Kansas City had a black standard DF2.1 in his bag. Yes, all three of us had LAB putters. I said I wanted a pic of us with the putters and only thought about it 18 times that day and 18 times the next day at Cowboy’s GC, but I never thought to take my camera to the green. They both loved their putters. We are playing in Florida next month, and MAYBE I can remember. 
 

I should also point out that the guy with the black DF2.1 was putting better than I have ever seen him putt. Our caddie remarked that he had never seen the entire group with basically the same putters putt as well as we did as a group. I made over 200’  of putts at Trinity Forest. Okay, truth time, I missed probably 400’ of putts and 7 times I made 12-15’ come-backers because I “blew” it passed the hole. I mostly 2 putted, but I did have a 4 putt double on a 220 yard par 3. I “hit the green in regulation” but since I had a 120’ putt, I’m not sure it should count as such. I “won” the hole with a double bogey. 
 

Appendix 1 of Conclusion. 

Look what showed up on the putting green before my regular Wednesday afternoon match. A couple of weeks ago I told him the same thing I told my bosses on the phone. Every year or two, thousands of golfers spend $500 on a driver that they will use perhaps 14 times in an effort to gain 2-3 more yards and perhaps hit a fairway or two more. Neither will have a drastic effect on their scores. Or perhaps spend $400 for a newer. shinier version of a 1960’s technology putter. Why not spend $400-500 on a totally different technology? One that changes the way we think about putters and that may actually save strokes?

Terry said that inside 5’ the MEZZ was awesome. 

[McGolf]

Who is McGolf?

McGolf is an young golfer at 60 years of age and started golf just as I left the military some thirty plus years ago.  Ive met some of you at the Maryland MGS meet up however I ve made Ohio my home for the last 30 years. I like to think of myself as a casual golfer when I able to get to the grass BUTTTTTTT I am freak when it comes to golf equipment and how they work, if they come in the spec stated etc.

I (we) own and operate McGolf Custom Clubs with Mrs McGolf while still working in the nuclear industry as a director of Emergency services. I am always looking into newer putter technology and styles to see if they really work. We also run a youtube channel dedicated to golf equipment fittings, repairs and reviews. Which will make the review even more interesting to me and hopefully to you.

How to test this putter?

Testing will be an initial receipt inspection of the parameters. Then a comparison indoors to the gamer which is on a hot streak right now so this should be an awesome trial. I will be using the CAPTO to gather data. but all this doesn't mean diddly unless the ball goes into the hole. I can see a few contests out at the course.

My Game

 Putting be far is the weakest part of my game. I dont switch putters often but when I do its typically after some level of success testing,. Im 80 to 84 for score. A LEFTY and the weather has just turned whoo whoo

First Impressions:

LAB putters stands for Lie Angle Balancing. The idea of the technology LAB presents a ZERO torque concept when performing the putting stroke. In talking with CEO (Sam) the putter should actually work better when the tension on the grip is lighter. To aid in the alignment of the face and get the putter into a proper loft, the grip is also unusual in that it presents the golfer with a present amount of lean to get the putter loft around 1- 2 degrees. There are three major models. The directed force model, the MEZZ and MEZZ max model and the LINK model. The custom options available are very substantial to include not only colors, but alignment lines, shaft choices and grips will different impacts when considering loft.

Aesthetics (8 out of 10)

●      When talking Aesthetics, the LAB models are certainly in a category all their own.  The MEZZ max is a very symmetrical model that is the LAB version of a fang putter or think model 7 from Odyssey. At first glance the MEZZ max looks like it could drive nails with the height of the putter. However, when looking down at the putter it looks easier to align and not to thick.

●      The construction is a high test aluminum surrounding a block of milled steel.

●      I opted for the low torque ACCRA shaft in black with a gray stone putter head and specific alignment lines in front of the shaft.

●      Another difference of the LAB putter is where the putter shaft inserts into the head is much further from the face than the standard putter. In my opinion, this gives the user a clearer picture of the face angle/ alignment to the putter.

●      Finally, the grip, it is a oval shaped 1.5 degree deloft. The best thing is when aligning the bicolor grip it automatically placed the putter in the proper position without some sort of weird placement.

●      The sound and performance are softer and dead solid.

●      Finally after the test period the other putters now look funny.

The Numbers (10 out of 10)

Once a golfer can get past the aesthetic of the putter, the weight and balance are noticeably different than the standard putter. The trend of heavier putters is blown out of the water here. Comparatively, the MEZZ Max is lighter but not feathery light. Immediately I noticed a good balance to the putter. Of course, it is a ZERO TORQUE balance which means in short that when you putt the putter wants to stay in the direction of the putt. This also translates into the use of a lighter grip, When we grip lighter, we don’t fight the putter in this case. In other putters a death grip is a welcomed addition to keep things on line.  I used the CAPTO unit to get real data for the MEZZ MAX when comparing to my original gamer. It was working well so I expected a real fight to stay in the bag. I was not disappointed. It was a close competition but the MEZZ MAX won the numbers game.

I did a test using the capto unit that measure several parameters of the putt.:including consistency, accuracy, how you shake in the putt, the power loss or smash factor of the putt. Etc.

In each category measured against my gamer which is/was the makefield putter with a BGT shaft. The MEZZ Max won the overall contest by less than 1 percentage point. That may not sound like a lot however when the numbers were in the low to mid 90% range it is hard to get better. One category were the putter was a clear winner was the rotation or delivering the club back to square. The MEZZ MAX did exactly what it was supposed to do.

This was backed up by some on course testing at the home course the MEXX maz was a true weapon for a lower score.

 

On-Course (19 out of 20)

The reason for being late on the results is I had a Myrtle beach trip planned at the end of the evaluation. I went to 6 different courses. Shaftesbury, Pine lakes, Grande Dunes, Glen Dornoch, Tidewater and Arrowhead. All of the course had different greens complexes and different way to maintain them as I found out later. For the metric types I had 12 one putts, (12) 3 putts and the rest 2 putts with one 4 putt were my mind was already into some beachy type adult beverage.  I had to use the Makefield for 6 holes tops in the rounds. I found the MEZZ MAX to be a great performer in fast and strangely enough slower greens.  The greens that were still healing from aeration gave me issues where the Makefield did the heavy lifting. My directional control, distance to the second putt were terrific. The putter performance could only have be better if I one putter everything. Hahahahahaha. 

The Good, the bad, the inbetween (19 out of 20)

I know this is self serving but I did an initial review on my YouTube channel. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WnhcXyF5Xyg . In the video I talk to the initial thoughts and results of testing indoors . If you would like to know more I had a discussion  with Sam of LAB golf  that can be found here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xfueKKcSii0&t=1s .

Ok the good the bad and in-betweens: The putter looks funky, we all know that. However, if I have found out anything looks are in the eyes of the beholder particularly when that thing is performing well. I have seen golfers completely absolutely not want to deal with a golf club based on looks alone buttttt, after a few schorpes (is that even a word) the golfer saw a dramatic improvement and all of a sudden it’s a thing of beauty.  The MEZZ MAX falls into this category. Once I really looked at the symmetry it truly is not that far from some of the other crazy designs in the industry.  One attribute I think is completely over looked is the alignment of the putter. I cant understand why more is not made of this. Because the shaft sets further back in the head it gives a clear alignment of the face, lines and ball. This is not to be over looked. It helps!

The bad. The price. The standard putter is in line with the other top line brand in the market. It is when the custom shaft or paint or anything else is added when the putter become very pricy.  From a consumer point of view the performance needs to be justified and in light of the last few PGA tournaments it has with Adam Scott and Luke Glover playing lights out with the putter.

The inbetween, the grip that comes on the club is only available at LAB golf the best I can figure. Although LAB is very friendly handling one and twos while dealing with order could prove to be problematic.
 

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

PLAY IT!!!!!! Putting has been my weak spot in golf. It comes from lack of practice, patience, and confidence. When the testing starting I was already in the improvement mode with the gamer. However the entry of the MEZZ max help speed up the improvement process. It fits the stroke and taking tension off the grip really does help for me.

 

Conclusion

The LAB MEZZ MAX was a great choice made by SAM. Being a fitter, the process was a bit different talking with Sam and I learned a ton. This is the perfect example of you can’t judge a book by its cover. The feel is solid, the feed back is true. The performance is even better than expected. The putter is a complete package if you are looking for a low torque / 0 torque concept of a putter. Thanks to MGS for selecting me for the chance to use the MEZZ MAX.

As a final note I have paper work to become a dealer.

Final Score (96 out of 100)

Edited October 4 by McGolf
Added to appropriate place in thread.

[pozzit]

Intro

My name is Tim, I have been around here for coming on 4 years. I am so excited to participate in this test. Some of you may be noticed I jumped the gun and built myself my own REVEALER before the testers were announced. As I type that statement it makes it clear I fall into the analytical Left brain crowd. I’m sure that will be very apparent in the review. I have an amazing wife who has wonderfully encouraged my golf obsession and excitement for this review. We have a toddler and a 2nd girl due mid-June. So I have a lot of exciting deliveries over the next several weeks.  I jokingly asked my wife if I should bring the putter to the hospital as we wait for labor, she replied saying “Well if its going to take as long as it did last time, Go For It.”

My game

I usually shoot between 75-85 I have had 2021 Arccos(6.7hcp) and 2020 Game Golf(6.1) I have stopped using those services but I may have gone up a stroke or 2 since then. I do not change putters often I have had 2 putters in the last 10ish years. An Anser style and my current gamer is Odyssey White Hot 2-Ball. I have never considered myself a good putter. I have always excelled in Wedges to bring my #of putts down or excelled in Approaches which usually leaves me further and I’m reliant on a good lag. I have had the mental goal of lagging to 5ft is good and but that’s the size of an outdoor trampoline, that’s massive. Also comparing that to strokes gained a scratch handicap misses 25% of 5ft putts. Typically, I hit 8-10 greens per round and am usually satisfied with 36 putts which being generous is mediocre. Also, I can regrettably say I have already got a 4-putt on a scorecard this year.

First Impressions (20 out of 20)

Unboxing Glamour Shots

Fitting Experience

LABs virtual fitting was incredibly easy and informative. Taking a 10 second video standing near a vertical door frame was incredible simple and although I recorded several I got to look and see the exact positions they were looking at.

Once I submitted the fitting, I was reached out to saying my position was really discouraged since my eyes were beyond the ball (I was aware of this). What I was not aware of is this is bad like very bad, like not a single person on tour and especially those who are considered good putters have this position. So they gave a few suggestions on what position I should be in and with a putting mirror and video it was pretty easy to see the difference. Once I found a good position they wanted me to be comfortable in this position (ideally taking a week or weeks to engrain). Since I didn’t have much time I hit probably 100 putts around my basement to feel comfortable since the Balancing is supposed to be around your comfortable position. Once I sent the video the next day they fitted me to 34” and 69* lie angle.

 

Once I was fit and decided on the DF2.1 putter this is considered the “Automatic” design meaning that the LAB principles are in full force and its like Putting on rails. I need all the help I can get so this made sense to me. Sam Hahn (CEO of LAB) mentioned this is the essence of the brand and as long as you can get over the size and aesthetics this will be the best putter for nearly everyone.  I placed an order for the DF2.1 with an incredible variety of colors(7), alignment(37), headcover(3) and grips(6) it truly felt like it was built for me. I decided on a Monochromatic theme alternating between black and white. This game good contrast and variety without going to bold in colors. Going with the mindset of most improvement I went for the most alignment as possible(Alignment #19).

Also for reference, when I did a Quintec fitting through the testing time the fitter confirmed all the measurements were exactly as LAB had identified.

Aesthetics/Quality

After much anticipation, I got the DF2.1 in hands and man this thing is built with premium materials and craftsmanship. From the soft leather of the headcover to etched in alignment marks it is clear this is a premium product. The matte finish on both the head and shaft gives it a refined look. The putter and cover have also stood up to some abuse being swapped in and out of the bag so many times to taken on course, to the putting green, in my basement, and even in a stroller a few times taking my toddler to golf. I did not treat this any different then my normal putter meaning the headcover was thrown around the green it didn’t always make it back on the putter while in the bag/stroller and bounced around my trunk with golf balls and kids toys. The clubs looks flawless, a couple of scuffs on the white shaft that came off with paper towel and water (recommended instructions when delivered). The headcover has a little wear on one edge of the stitching where I believe it rubbed against either other clubs or in my car. This is the one of the issues with the DF2.1 being so big. As far as a white headcover goes being on the ground and in a dirty trunk it has held up beautifully. On an off not I grabbed my 2 Ball putter felt about as protective as one of those microfiber bags you get on a cheap rangefinder, little impact protection or anything just enough to keep some stray dirt off it.

The first few swings with the putter felt balance (No Doy), this is had to explain it just felt like everything was so connected and felt like all one thing. I think this lies in how they are balancing the head that makes it feel like that. The DF2.1 had a very just let it swing feeling that I’m sure comes from the “Automatic” feeling I mentioned above.

The Numbers (37 out of 40)

Putting Green

I took a 3 pronged approach as it came to the numbers. I spend many hours on different putting greens from 5, 10 & 20ft. I got quantifiable data on Quintec and took my on-course data (this will be discussed more in the next section). Throughout the 6 week test I went out a local putting green I believe 6 or 7 times. I took the DF2.1 and my current putter for testing an hit 60+ putts with each putter from each length in total close to 400 putts. Here is what I got:

Quintec Fitting

So at the very end of the test when I was most farmilar with the DF2.1 I took it to a fitter that has a Quintec Fitting system. I hit 6-7 putts with the DF2.1, 2-Ball, Spyder, and Cleveland HB 10.5(previously looked at before this test). Between these four the fitter explained based on the numbers the LAB was the best fit to me without any modification. The numbers he focused on were the ball related numbers to understand the Launch Angle, Cut/Hook spin, and Forward Spin. In each one of these metrics LAB hit the sweet spot more often then any of the other putters with specific call out to the reduced cut/hook spin as well as the Launch angle. Interesting to me the closure rate was actually higher for the DF2.1 then any tested I’m not sure it that is because of how its balance or not (15% increase in degrees/sec).

Also of note, the fitter measured me and fit me to the exact specs LABs virtual fitting suggested.

 

On-Course (5 out of 10)

If you followed along as we were testing these putters, you may have some insight into my performance. On course I was struggling, nearly all a speed issue. For whatever reason I was off I could not get consistent speed control and was a bit all over the place. The learning curve seemed to be very slow for me and I struggled. In the last 2 weeks of the review, I was definitely turning things around and feeling more comfortable with my distance control but still had a hole here or there what was like I forgot how to putt.

Prior to running this test I used a Odyssey 2-Ball White Hot RX. My putting average for the year up to starting with the LAB was 1.94 Strokes a hole with a Strokes gained differential of -2.16 per round. Over 153 holes (8.5- Rounds) with the DF2.1 I averaged 2.03 Stokes per hole with a Stroked Gained differential of -3.37. This equated to an additional 1.6 strokes per 18 Holes. This was very upsetting because everything seemed to make sense and DF should be doing better but it rarely showed on the course.

I struggle I had was I felt anything at 5’ or less was just in but once I exceeded about 15’ I felt hopeless.

The Good, The Bad, the In-Between (15 out of 20)

The Good

Without a doubt this is a premium Quality putter, I went into more detail above but this is well built and built to last.

When I originally received my putter I talked to Sam Hahn and had some questions and took some initial swings and asked about putter weighting and my assumption of what it should do. I originally thought this should have do bias in orientation (no toe hang or face balance) this was incorrect and he said a toe up is acceptable. I also took some swings and sent him a video and he questioned if the putter may have been improperly balanced. Sam wanted to confirm this and asked if I could ship it back to verify the quality. He seemed to take this concern very seriously and initially seemed embarrassed and concerned that it got out of the factory that way. Long story short It was balanced perfectly and idiot reviewing it was steering the putter way to much. This showed me how much care and passion Sam and the whole team have for their product.

The Lie Angle Balanced Story, I am an engineer by trade and feel like I do a great job of weeding through Marketing BS. This may be the fact that both my parents and wife work in marketing and I can see how a slight tweak can be “Revolutionary”. When I heard about LAB I initially cringed, look a pricy putter covered in “snake oil” and then I started reading about what they were about where the technology comes from and how these putters work. O man was this a rabbit hole, you can read a few of my thoughts here. From a Physics and engineering side this made sense to me there seemed like real benefit was being delivered to the customer. I was hooked.

Passion behind the brand. Be it Customer service, quality product, the passion Sam Hahn has about their products and technology goes a long way. They also have a Youtube channel with 45 videos on how to best use your putter. I mean what other company does that?

In Between

As mentioned in The Good the LAB DF2.1 is absolutely a premium product and with that comes a cost. The spec of model I tested came to $685 this is hefty and a hell of a pill to swallow. Although I consider myself to be a “budget conscious” individual (to my wife’s frustration). This is in line with many new drivers, and it is the club you hit most on course.

The other in between I can think of is pure size of the DF2.1, It is substantial, without a doubt the largest putter I have owned. If not placed correctly it can cover a 6 different clubs in my bag, this also has likely caused more wear to the cover since more often then not it rests outside the footprint of my bag which means risks of rubbing in a trunk, cart, or otherwise is prone to happen.

The key reason these fall into the in-between category is for the face that it is well known up front and didn’t impact the use of the putter

The Ugly

Th only real thing I can consider Ugly is the adjustment period. To me LAB has a learning curve. My experience seemed to be on the longer side of the testers. My biggest issue was speed control but not being a great putter caused that to take its toll and extended the amount of time needed to adjust.
 

Play it or Trade it? (7 out of 10)

It’s staying in the bag for now. I plan to keep it in at least till the end of season to really get accustomed to it. I may swap back and forth a few times throughout the year to see if my speed issues keep persisting.

Suffice it to say I probably would trade it if I didn’t see the fitting numbers, putting green numbers, and believe in the technology. I will not accept average 1.5 stroke worse for very long and if there isn’t clear progress throughout the rest of the year it will likely be gone for 2024.

 

Conclusion

The DF2.1 from LAB golf is an incredibly well-built putter customized to help you align and provide a more consistent delivery (with less) effort to the ball. Does it solve putting? Well No. The 2 other main pieces that come into play are speed and green reading. This putter outperformed 4 different putters at an independent fitting and was exactly the numbers the fitter would be looking for in a putter for me. But I struggles with pace control, I don’t know if it was the difference in feel, weight, or personal inconsistencies I just had such a hard time adapting to speed on course. I would encourage everyone to give it a try (if possible) and see what works for you. There is a learning curve (mentioned by other testers & LAB golf) but if you can adapt your speed well I believe this can help you start the ball off on the right direction.

Final Score (84 out of 100)
 

P.S. In case anyone was wondering, NO the DF2.1 cannot open a bottle of beer.

 

[Splatt]

G’day guys, I’m Splatt, or Sean Platt if you want to get official about it (see if you can put together where my nickname came from).
Firstly, I’d like to thanks MyGolfSpy and LAB golf for the opportunity to test this amazing putter.

About me

I’ve had an interest in golf for a long time starting back in the days of the PlayStation 1 and the early Tiger Woods video games.
However, I didn’t start playing golf until relatively recently.
My work held a corporate golf day and I was tasked with leading a 4-man ambrose team. Finally, I would get the chance to find out if the years of Tiger video games translated into real life, spoiler alert: They don’t!
I don’t think I actually hit the ball until the 3rd hole, I lost the 2 sleeves of the company-branded golf balls I was allocated by the 7th, and I accidentally let go of the driver on the 13th, but by the end of the day golf well and truly had its hooks into me. By the next weekend, I had a set of old clubs I had borrowed from a friend and I was back playing a full 18 at my now-local club; I shot 139 and I still have the scorecard. I’m going to frame it one day so I can see how far I’ve come.

My game

I’ve come a long way since the days of shooting a casual 139.
I’m currently a 21 handicap. I get regular lessons and my swing has improved a lot, most obviously in the last 12 months my swing with the driver has resulted in a lot more fairways.
However, a glaringly obvious shortfall in my game for a long time has been putting.

3-putts have been as common in my game as water-balls, chunked chip shots, and swear words. In fact, it’s a running joke amongst my friends that whatever ball I’m using is the 3-putt variety:
“What you got there? A Titleist? Must be the new Titleist 3-putt”
“Using Bridgstones now? I didn’t know they did a 3-putt model” etc etc

This is why when I saw MGS had a chance to test a LAB putter I jumped at the chance.
Over the last 12 months my putting has improved a lot, I switched to a mallet and moved to a straighter putting arc.
From all of the promos and advertising the LAB seems perfectly suited to me and what I want to get from a putter.

My plans and what I need from the putter

Prior to the LAB arriving, I’m going to get as much putting data from my existing putter as possible. I’ve already recorded the number of putts per round for the last few years, but I’m going to be going for some more in-depth data.
Once I have the LAB in my hands, I’m sure there’ll be a bit of a teething period where I get used to it, but from there I’ll try and get some data so I can see the differences straight from the get-go.
Moving forward from there, I plan on being quite regimented in testing the putting: multiple putts from varying set distances, plenty of time on my home putting matt, and as many real-life rounds as I can squeeze in.
And of course, as much data as I can get.
To stay in the bag after the testing period I’d want to see some improvement (putts per round dropping, less 3-putts, leaving longer putts closer ect), but more importantly I’m going to need to trust it.

Arrival and unboxing

The day finally arrived and my new LAB putter was delivered.
I happened to have the day off and I'm pretty sure I scared the crap out of the delivery man. He got about half a knock in before I ripped open the front door.


Some care instructions to follow.
I hadn't thought about oiling it. Might be a once a year job after the winter season:

 

The head cover game is strong.
It feels high quality and the fit is nice and tight.

For the putter I went with the Mezz.1 Max in a blue finish with a white shaft. 
I opted for 4 arrows for the alignment rather than the standard single line.
The money shots:

 

Previously I used an Odyssey Stroke Lab Mallet.
I was surprised at the size comparison between the 2. I assumed the Mezz.1 Max was going to be substantially larger than my Odyssey, but it's only slightly wider.
Some comparisons:

 

I love the colour and it only gets better outdoors and on a putting green:

 

I'll be back in a few days with my initial thoughts.

 

Initial thoughts

WOW!
Ok, that's my initial thoughts done....

More detailed initial thoughts

I was stunned by how the putter looked and felt when I first took it out of the box.
Let me tell you, the pictures I have above and the official promo ones from LAB don't do it justice. In real life, this is a seriously stunning looking putter.
The blue has the perfect metallic shade to it that pops without being obnoxious and paired with the white Accra shaft is just *chef's kiss*.

Now for the actual performance: this putter rocks!
Comparing it to my Odyssey Mallet is legitimately like night and day; and the Odyssey wasn't a low bar either, that putter fantastic in its own right.
From the easy set up, the feedback from the strike, to the weight of the putter, everything about the LAB is like a friendly helping hand assisting you to making the putt.

The first night it arrived I spent an hour or two on my indoor putting matt. The first half an hour or so was mainly admiring the looks and getting used to the different grip, putter weight, and setting up with the pre-built in shaft lean. After that, I was off and running hitting what felt like identical putt after putt.

The biggest thing I noticed that first night was after I few hours when I switched back to my Odyssey putter for a few putts.
I got into my putting stance and, holy crap, this putter is fighting against me!
It must be something you get used to pretty quickly and stop noticing, but when I switched back to the Odyssey it just felt like the face did not like being square to the target.
Then I went back to the LAB and the differance is outstanding, the face automatically wants to be square to the target.

When I putt I concentrate on three things: where to aim, start line, and pace. With the LAB I feel like I can forget about the starting line as the ball effortlessly rolls exactly where I'm aiming.

Speaking of the roll, the LAB not only aims exactly where I'm aiming, but the ball rolls so purely.
This may be more of an indictment of my putting skills rather than the qualities of the LAB (but probably a healthy mix of both), but I've never had a ball roll so smooth and pure. 
I use a line on a ball for alignment (seen above) and, let me tell you, that line just rolls over and over on itself without wavering, like a snake chasing its tail.

I've found a place in Perth that dials purely into putting stats called the Putt Lab, I'm going to try and get in there this week for a detailed comparison between the LAB and my old putter.

Stay tuned for that and more testing to come.


Rainy day testing

Australia is being very un-Australian right now and there's all this water falling from the sky. 
In fact, the only time it's not been raining is where I've been at work far away from my putter.

I have found a place near me that specialize in putting lessons and data. I've got some time booked there next week for an in-depth putter comparison.
Stay tuned for that.

In the meantime, I decided to do some at home tests using my Putt-Out matt and Putt-Out Pressure Trainer.



The matt has 6 stations at increasing distances from the hole.
I took 10 putts with the LAB and my old Odyssey putter at each station and counted how many perfect putts I could do. A perfect putt has the perfect line and pace and will finish in the small hole in the Pressure Trainer:

 

One thing I noticed while doing the test was the LAB had a certain 'dialed in' feel to it once I managed a perfect putt and subsequently led to more putts in a row with the LAB than the Odyssey.

Results from 60 shots

• Odyssey -  19 perfect putts with an average of 3.16 per station
• LAB - 20 perfect putts with an average of 3.3 per station

Not a huge difference, but I know I'll take an extra putt per round finding the centre rather than not.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS 20/20
As you can see from the pics above, I was nervous as hell when the premium package finally arrived. I had been tracking the box like the sycophantic golf nut I am and when it finally turned up at the door I literally broke out in a sweat when I saw what a beating the box had taken.
But, LAB Golf was fully prepared and had wrapped my baby in layers upon layers of the finest bubble wrap.

 

The box took a bit of a bashing in the long journey from American to Australia:

 

I'll admit I was a little worried about the condition of the putter inside, but LAB had that covered with ample additional packaging inside the box:

Once out of the protective packaging, I was very impressed.
The leather headcover feels ultra-premium and fits snuggly over the head of the putter. The material is a soft felt on the inside and is thick enough that when I slip it onto the putter it gives me confidence that it protects the precious cargo inside like a high-end motorcycle helmet.
The magnets which hold the headcover closed are strong and close firmly around the putter.

 

After admiring it from all angles for what felt like hours I set up my putting mat and gave it the first of many putts. The schtick from LAB Golf is that it’s all about Lie Angle Balance (L.A.B, get it), which basically means that the putter is balanced so that it doesn’t try to open or close the face during the swinging motion.
This is noticeable straight away during the backswing. My old putter would feel quite heavy in the takeaway, and when comparing it to the LAB I realised that this wasn’t the weight of the head, this was the putter fighting to close the face. In contrast, the LAB actually feels quite light during the swing.
 

Later that day I took it for a test drive on the putting green at my local driving range. I started with some shorter-range putts and then moved on to some longer-range ones.
The thing that stood out to me first was how the ball rolled off the face. Now, I stated above that I’m not the best putter of the ball, there are obviously some huge technical issues behind my technique, but when I strike a putt with the LAB the ball just seems to roll much more pure than I’m used to. Instantly the little hops and wobbles that I had become accustomed to were gone and replaced by a smooth roll towards the cup like I was hitting the putt on glass.


AESTHETICS 10/10

For the putter itself, I went with the Mezz 1 Max in a blue finish, arrow alignment aid, and a white Accra shaft. The contrast between the electric blue putter head and the white shaft really blew me away when I first took it out of the packaging.
The shaft has a texture on it which surprised me because my current putter has more of a glossy finish to it.



For me, it’s the perfect shade of blue, it’s not too bright nor too dull. It just pops against the grass and my golf ball, which has made alignment and aim direction much easier.

The sound off the face is crisp and powerful sounding on the longer hits, I’ve had putters before that have had a clicky sound which just ends up putting me off; luckily the LAB isn’t like that.
This is also the same for off-centre hits; strikes out of the toe and the heel still sound powerful, which also gives me confidence that I haven’t completely ruined the shot by not striking it in the centre.


THE NUMBERS 8/10

I took the LAB and my old Odyssey putter to a place near me called The Putt Lab to get some comparison data.
I did 30 shots with each on his tracking Capto system, this would give me the data for the comparison.
Firstly, David from The Putt Lab, took some measurements from both putters including lie angle and loft.
The LAB came back with 3.5 degree of loft and a lie angle of 69 degrees, exactly the specs as per the build, kudos to the guys over at LAB. The Odyssey, however, was a different story. The lie angle measured as 1.5 degrees, which means that at impact with a bit of shaft lean the putter is delivering zero loft, or potentially negative loft (more on that later).
This would help explain why I always struggled with longer putts and a funky, bumpy roll of the ball.

Some more data below.

 

ON-COURSE 19/20

Now we’re onto the good part, taking this bad boy onto the course.
I’m going to preface this by reminding you that I’m not a great putter, I generally average around 40 to 45 putts per round.
Terrible, I know.
My first round with the LAB was at one of the monthly games with my social club, I had told all of the boys the month prior that I had a LAB putter on the way, so when I turned up to the course with it, it was like I have turned up with a celebrity. Everyone had to get a look and a couple of practise putts.
This first round happened to be a great first test for the putter because I was having on of my famous terrible ball-striking days, so the LAB was up against it to try and salvage my round.
And, oh boy, did she save my bacon that day.
As soon as I got to the green I felt I could relax and let the LAB do the work, in fact, anything within 5 feet almost felt like cheating they were going in that easy.
My previous round before the arrival of the LAB I had recorded 43 putts, this first round with the LAB I dropped to 36 putts!

I really like the look of this putter at address, it has a certain squareness about it that gives me the confidence that the golf ball is going to roll exactly where I’m aiming. Whether I have my aim point correct is all up to me.

One of my new favourite things is when I’m paired up with random people and watching their expression on the first green when I whip out the blue, point, Mezz 1 Max. I have found it’s always a talking point and quite the ice breaker.

I’ve now had multiple rounds with the LAB and the only minor issue I have faced is pace control on medium to long range putts. The ball rolls so smoothly that it’s completely reversed my pace issue, I used to have a habit of leaving putts short (I’ve since learnt that’s because of the face loft), but now my misses are rolling way passed the hole. It’s even trickier on downhill short putts, it literally feels like a tiny tap is too much.

THE GOOD THE BAD AND THE INBETWEEN 17/20

This is a great putter, there’s no question about that. Before it arrived I was concerned about the centre-placed shaft, they’re definitely not for everyone and I wasn’t sure if I would like it or if it would put me off, but, luckily, I have not even noticed it.

The remote fitting process was a massive highlight. It’s as simple as filming yourself face-on doing a putting stroke with a vertical reference point behind you like a doorframe. And that’s it, LAB will take it from there and calculate the lie angle.
Mine came back at a very nice 69 degrees.

I have two criticisms.

The first is a very minor one about the putter itself. Along one edge of the putter grip it has written down it in bold white lettering ‘L.A.B GOLF Press No II 1.5’ and it’s just makes it look a little busy for my tastes. I would much prefer it didn’t have this and just had the tasteful centre line and LAB Golf logo on the front.
Is it make or break? Definitely not. I almost forget it’s there. Almost.

My second criticism is mainly because of how much I love this putter that I find it frustrating there are not more of them around in Australia. None of the golf stores here stock them, it’s an online-only item. For most people who would be interested in switching to a LAB it’s a pretty big leap of faith to just order without having a test putt, and I think that’s a real shame. Hopefully LAB can work on getting them into more Aussie stores.

PLAY IT OR TRADE IT 20/20

I honestly cannot imagine another putter coming along that would knock the LAB outta my bag. I think every other club in my bag is going to get upgraded and/or swapped out and the LAB putter will still be going strong.

It has reinvigorated my love for putting and I have noticed myself practising putting more just because I want to be using it all of the time. When I used to get to the green I use to take a deep breath and whisper a prayer that the worst is only a 3-putt, now I breathe a sigh of relief when it’s time to get the putter out of the bag.

I don’t think the putter is for everyone, I’ve had a couple of people hit some putts with it and can’t get past the uniqueness and the centre-mounted shaft, but I do honestly believe that most golfers would see a benefit from using a LAB putter.

 

TL/DR

The LAB Mezz 1 MAX is a unique beautiful putter that does what it says in the marketing hype.
Give it a go.

Final Score 94/100

 

 

Edited August 2 by Splatt

[Syks7]

[L.A.B. Golf Link 1 Review] – Official MGS Forum FINAL Review by [Syks7/Jonathan Gilliam]

TLDR/Synopsis:

I was really excited for this test and the Link did not disappoint.  I rolled and absurd number of putts over the last three months.  The short and skinny from all that putting is that the tech is legit.  It is probably even more legit with the more forgiving L.A.B. models, but the Link.1 performs every bit as well as it’s more interestingly shaped siblings. I put it through its paces running three tests and collecting a ton of data -- some of which I’m still sorting through, interpreting, and figuring out how to present in a cohesive way.  In almost every case in those tests the Link outperformed the other two putters I tested it against.  Sometimes it was by an absurd margin, sometimes it was by a little, but it always did well.  I think it only came in third a single time in one metric of one session of a test.  It was that good.  If you read nothing else in this review know that I highly recommend the Link.1.  If you want to find out why join me down in the weeds for the rest of the review.  If you are feeling crazy you can join me so far into the weeds that you’ll need a hatchet by clicking on the cross post links in the review. 

One last thing.  Several other testers have covered the fitting in detail and I don’t disagree with their assessment so I’ll not rehash their reviews info.  The only thing I will say is that it was excellent.

INTRO

About me

I'm a 40 year old architect in Southern California and as of this moment am currently a 11.7 handicap. (Down now to 10.9 in large part because of the Link)  I have a 3.5 year old little girl, two dogs, and a wonderful wife who tolerates my love of the game.  I am, to put it simply, completely obsessed with every aspect of Golf.  Its all I really want to talk about outside of my family and my profession and I spend an inordinate amount of time either researching golf related items, hitting golf balls, or thinking about how to improve my game.  Its to the point that I'm loosely planning to get some sort of club building and or fitting certification when I get to retirement (or before) and build clubs to keep myself busy/get my fix.

I gravitate toward any information that can teach me more about the game whether its on the equipment or playing side.  I also love testing/tweaking/rebuilding new or new to me equipment and I often can be found perusing used club bins for the 'next' thing to try out.  I love trying to figure out why a particular wedge or club built to my spec works better than another and my garage is starting to look suspiciously like I'm running a used wedge operation -- even after culling the herd a bit.    This test will be right up my alley and I have a small fleet of putters of varying toe hangs and balances that will be fun to compare to one of the LAB putters.

About my game

I took a series of lessons last year and my improvements come in bursts forward followed by frustrating stumbles backwards.  It's been both rewarding and frustrating but I've learned a ton about every aspect of my swing along the way.   I still text my instructor every now and then and joke that he should keep charging me when I discover something new in the very simple drill he had me do repeatedly.  I'm coming off a big regression (at least I hope so) and I'm still working my way to break 80 (Did it!) and crack into single digits (maybe).   The ability is there but I have to get over a mental hump to do it.  I'm curious as to whether a LAB putter will help with enough strokes to get me there (it has), but to be honest if it helps me feel more confident standing over a 6 footer to save par (it did) that's almost as good as holing putts.

Final Testing Methodology

Testing evolved along the way, but I ended up running three tests where I did my best to eliminate random variables to see how well the tech performed.  I think I was reasonably successful.  I chose not to tally results along the way and just focused on collecting the data.  I was trying not to be influenced by the results, but it was hard not to notice the performance of the Link.1 along the way.  Even then, it was a bit of a surprise how much of a runaway it was for the Link.1 when I started to sort through the data. The Link.1 was just better than the other two putters I put up against it --  The Bettinardi Innovai 6.0 CTR & Yes! Callie.  Both solid premium putters. 

Unboxing

For simplicity’s sake I just recorded me opening the box.  While I did not injure myself, my sharp object safety appears to have gone out the window in favor of excitement.  Do not draw sharp objects toward yourself.  No frills in the unboxing.  A putter, a card telling you not to mess with the weights, and a head cover. 

 

 

First Impressions & Aesthetics 10/10

Link.1 is pretty.  The shape, satin finish, milling, and graphics are just flat out sharp.    Even the custom alignment options blend well into the form.  Its a very nicely designed piece of equipment and everything on the putter, aside from very subtle badging, has a purpose.  There’s pretty much zero fat to trim.  Even the hosel, which I originally was on the fence about has turned out to be highly functional for me.  If I align the top of it with the sight line the putter sits is perfectly flat on its sole – meaning that I’m perfectly at the lie angle that I was fitted for.  Which also means that the putter is sitting exactly at the lie it’s balanced for.   That said I think the hosel is going to be love hate for some people.

First Impressions -- General & First Putts

A couple hours out of the box there's a couple things I've noticed.  It would seem pretty obvious given the name and the methodology of the company (L.ie A.ngle B.alance) but the putter is exceptionally well balanced.  It feels nice and light in hand during a stroke even though its clearly quite beefy when you're just carrying it.  True to my conversation with Sam Hahn (about the brain measuring torque as swing weight) it feels heavier outside of it's balance point. 

Update to this point:  If you can feel the balance, it’s a great way to check that you’ve properly soled the putter.  There’s been more than a few putts I’ve stopped mid backswing because the stability feels off.  I’ve even integrated a kind of rhythmic pendulum swing in my pre-putt routine to get the right feel before I take an actual stroke.

I ordered this putter with the simple rubber grip.  It’s nicely detailed and feels good, but I'm still not a huge fan.  In the end I swapped it out for my preferred Lamkin Skinny Pistol.  It’s not worth deducting points from the review but one of my few constructive criticisms would be that I’d like to see L.A.B. potentially add an option for grips outside their own stable to the custom build list.   

My initial feelings after the first few putts was one of promise and that feeling hasn’t gone away as I’ve gone along.  It was stable out of the box and is stable now.  I liked the feel off the face though it does have a somewhat harsher feel to me than the other two putters.   In regards to sound I only tend to notice the sound off the face when sounds get tingy or sound off.  Link does neither and has a nice muted thwock sound that’s neither clicky nor tingy.  If I wasn’t doing this review, I would not have noticed it at all.

One final thought:  Its hard to tell from photos, but this is a pretty wide (toe to heel) blade  It doesn't look like it when you're holding it, but it's quite a bit wider than everything in my stable.  Its as wide or more than my old TM Spyder spaceship putter and  makes the older Spyder, Callie, and Innovai look positively svelte in comparison.

Additional unboxing first images here.

First impressions after first grass session.  First Session

The numbers 10/10

As I mentioned before the Link was just better than the other putters.  This is true in all three of the tests I ran and in my on course metrics which I’ll discuss in the next session.  I’m going to talk through the relevant data for each of the tests.  This is the cliff notes version.  I’ll post the details and more data in another post at this Link. along with some other interesting things I’ve picked up from the data that aren’t as relevant to this test.    

Test 1: 

5’ Indoors on a Birdie Ball Mat.

 

I rolled 168 putts with each putter over four weeks one 21 ball shag tube at a time.  Link was hot out of the gate and never faltered.  My worst performance with it was in week 2 when I only made 38/42.  My best with it was 41/42.  It was absurdly consistent every time I rolled it and my final make percentage was 94.64%  which was 5% better than second place.  Speaking of 2nd and third place I think they are only as close as they are because my putting stroke got so much better using Link all the time that it pulled the make percentages up for the other 2 putters in the last couple of weeks.  Another thing of note was that with Link I did not have to remember a certain feel that I needed to concentrate on to make the putt.  I just had to make a stroke.

Test 2

Linear (Speed Dispersion) from 12’.  Flat putt uphill & downhill.

This was a relatively simple test taking a page from Scott Fawcett’s DECADE system.  The idea being that every golfer has dispersion patterns even on the putting green.  Properly accounting for that dispersion pattern by centering the pattern on the hole will make you more accurate.   In this test I rolled 21 straight putts with a start line toward a rubber target hole (flat with no cup) then recorded the resulting dispersion pattern.  There were two metrics that I felt were relevant to the test.  Dispersion pattern length, and made(rolled over the target cup) putts.  Link only faltered in the uphill dispersion length – which it only did because I fatted the last putt.  It is an outlier that skewed the statistics.  Despite that, Link still won the test because it made the most putts both downhill and uphill and had the smallest dispersion pattern on downhill putts.  There’s more metrics to look at and discuss at this link.

Test 3:  

Lag Dispersion from 40’.  Uphill & Downhill breaking putts

This was another simple test.  I set up two target circles of 6’ in diameter and 3’ in diameter with a target hole in the center and lagged toward the cup from 40’ – both uphill and downhill.  This one was a runaway, Link had more putts inside both 18”& 36” and had the smallest area of dispersion and the closest median distance to the hole.  There’s more I’m planning to look into with the data but this was enough for the test. 

Numbers conclusions

It’s hard to argue with the data on this.  Link was more accurate from short range, very accurate with decent speed control from 12’ and highly accurate for lagging from long range.  Speed is easy to control and a smooth stroke always puts the putt on line.  It’s fairly apparent from looking at the data to see that Link shows a pretty pronounced and tight linear pattern through the hole – even at distance.  This is particularly true when you start to dig into the data further and pull out the outliers.   -- particularly if you start to remove some of the bigger outliers.  I was genuinely surprised and impressed with it’s performance.  It’s quite clear that this is a result of the tech of Lie Angle Balancing.  I found that it made it easier to hit the center of the face with regularity and that even when I didn’t the putt stayed on line.  In fact the only time I ever had trouble with the Link was when I tried to ‘guide’ a putt with my hands.  Let me say that again.  The only trouble I ever had with Link was when I got too handsy.  It did equally well uphill, downhill, cross slope, from the fringe, and at every range.  There was no reason to deduct any points.

On Course 19/20

I’ll be honest, it’s hard to find fault with the putter I was rolling when I first broke 80.  That said I did struggle with it on course during the initial rounds.  When I first received the putter we were kneed deep into aeration season here in SoCal.  The big holes… not the micropunches.  The greens were slow and sandy and I had a terrible time controlling speed.  I still do when the greens are slow. 

I think this may be the single issue I’ve encountered with the Link.  IMHO it doesn’t like slow greens.  Part of this is me to be sure, but part of it is that you just have to take a bigger strokes when greens are slow and its hard to remain smooth through a bigger arc on those longer lags.   Any hand action you have is exacerbated in a bigger stroke and it can be hard to let the putter tech do its thing.  This can be tough when you’re a player like me that can hit a green but isn’t throwing darts. 

Which leads me to on course experience #2.  After a lot of work (and this L.A.B. Youtube video.  Link) I got the speed under control and found myself with a funny problem.  The ball always went where I aimed it.   That wouldn’t normally be a problem, but it exposed just how poorly I was aligning and aiming.  This is one of my favorite attributes of good equipment… feedback.  One of the reasons I was sure the Innovai was going to be in my bag forever is that the feedback is so good that I always know why I miss when I hit a putt with it.  The same is true with Link, but it goes one better in that its so good that it will tell you that there are flaws in your technique. 

I don’t think any of this is serious knock on Link or the rest of the L.A.B. putters but it’s something you should be aware if you decide to purchase a putter from them.  It is highly important to give yourself some time to adjust.  This is probably more important with Link since it is the least forgiving of the 4 current models. 

Now that the less positive is out of the way let’s talk about how its performing after the adjustment/break in period.  My last 6 rounds have been 84,81,81,85,82,79.  Prior to that my low was 83 (hot putter).  I’d been going through a major regression and was entering scores that ranged from my second worst in 3 years (101) to 87.  I wasn’t even coming close sniffing where I was last year.  The improvement isn’t all Link, but I think it has a large part in it.  To be clear, there are still three putts but those happen (a lot less) now because of poor reads instead of nervous hands. 

I have every putt I’ve made with the Link recorded and I will delve into the SG data eventually, but for now I’ve been focusing on a three other metrics that I think are showing a positive change in my game. 

The first is birdies.  I know bogey and three putt avoidance is key to getting better scores but I’ve made a whole mess of birdies with the Link.  I’m now on a 9 round streak of a single birdie or better for the round.  To put this in context I’ve gotten to my index by making par.  I rarely made birdies before.  How rare.  I had 4 over the previous 12 months before the Link showed up in the mail.  These mostly aren’t coming from tap in range either.  I have a weird affinity for 17.5 feet downhill.  4 of the recent ones have been from that distance.  Once has been from beyond 30’ and the rest are in the 5-15 ft. range.  It’s done wonders for my confidence on the green and overall calmness on course.  I can make a mistake and know that I might be able to recover that stroke.  Before I got the Link the strokes I lost were just gone and it felt like I had no margin for error.   

The second the 4-10 ft range.  I’m making a lot more of those and this has taken a lot of pressure of my chipping/game when I’m trying to get up and down.  Consequently, I stand over both the putts and the chips with much more confidence.  I know I’m going to get it on the green with the chip and I know that I’ll have a chance to get up and down without having to get to tap in range. 

The third is lag putting.  For the most part I’m pretty much assured of a two putt with the Link in the bag.  My high make percentage zone around the hole has expanded enough that there’s less pressure to make a perfect lag.  

Anyone seeing pattern here?  Having Link in the bag has taken a lot of pressure off of parts of my game that aren’t necessarily made to be leaned on.  The level of added confidence is hard to quantify but suffice it to say that it allows me to play calmer (better). 

A typical putting day with Link.  Lot's of little cleanups and a few longer ones.    

THE GOOD, THE BAD, THE INBETWEEN (18/20)

 

THE GOOD

The tech.  The putter works as advertised and it does so while maintaining a traditional aesthetic.  The more I look into how a putter is balanced to the lie angle and what the other L.A.B. models look like the more impressive the engineering that went into the Link looks. All you have to do is look at their previous blade iterations to understand why.  I’d love to see how they do it, but that’s their ‘secret’ sauce.  From what I can tell it took a lot of complicated calculations to figure out.

The customer service.  It’s a small company but they make you feel like you belong.  I recognize that this is a test and we’ve had more attention than the average joe, but I do see Sam Hahn & Bill Presse respond to people personally on facebook groups.   Even when they’re answering the same question for what must be the millionth time.  I’ve also heard nothing but good things about other personnel and their fitting crew. 

THE BAD

There isn’t really anything this front, but if you’re going to point a finger at anything it’s the price.  It’s a premium piece of equipment and the price reflects that.  I’m lucky enough to be in a position where it’s a doable purchase for me, but the younger much more broke version of me would have been up a creek without a paddle.   I say this as a believer in the equipment that thinks it’s worth every penny.

The only other bad would be that it’s hard to see or test one one in person.  PGA superstore has them which is great if you’re near one but the closest one to me is just outside of easy to go check out range – anywhere from 40 minutes to two hours away depending on traffic (which can change at any moment).  L.A.B. is a small company and I’m not expecting  them to be negotiating merchandise deals with whatever golf chain dominates a particular just yet,  but it would be nice to see more of them around and available to try in the future. 

THE IN BETWEEN

I can’t stress enough that you need to give yourself time to acclimatize to the putter.  It’s just different than you’re used to after playing a putter with torque since you first got into the game.  I think this is particularly true of the Link where it’s not as on rails feeling as the higher MOI models.  It’s balanced, but the shape and nature of the blade gives it a lower MOI than the others.  I guess I’m trying to say is that I feel like it’s a lot easier to accidentally fight the tech on Link than it is with the other models  I took a single stroke with @mygolfspy_sam ‘s DF 2.1 and it felt like it was on rails.  The Link doesn’t quite feel like that.  So give yourself some time to unlearn the hand action you’ve built into your putter stroke.

This is advice echoed by a friend of mine who also delved into the L.A.B. stable on the advice of a friend of his -- by buying all four models.  I was chatting with him about which one he liked best and he said that initially he didn’t get along with any of them.  He had a conversation with his friend who told him exactly what I’m saying here.  He needed to quiet his hands down and stop fighting the tech in the putter.  The person that told him this is someone that a large percentage of golfers would accept a swing tip from.  Keep that in mind.

PLAY IT OR TRADE IT (20/20)

If you’ve managed to read this far you probably know the answer to this section. Link is staying in the bag.  I thought I was relatively consistent with the Innovai, but Link is on another level.  The more I use it the better it seems to get.  I haven’t had a round in the last two months where I did not roll at least one putt that resulted in me thinking “I can’t believe that went in.”  While there are still some struggles (see the difference in dispersion from uphill to downhill lags) and occasional three putts my overall game on the green is in far better shape than it was before the test.  Link, beyond being a great putter, has also been a killer training tool.  I was never going to find out how mediocre my green reading and alignment were until I developed a consistent enough stroke to put a putt on line all the time.  I’ve sort of been able to build that stroke in tandem with working on alignment and start lines because of Link’s consistency.  The only thing that has the potential to knock the Link out of the bag is another product from L.A.B.....  The Innovai is on the chopping block. 

 

CONCLUSION

Full disclosure.  While I wasn’t opposed to writing a glowing review I wasn’t quite expecting to write one like this. Any deductions I made the point total were a reflection of some minor faults I found and some trickiness in the learning curve, but it easily could have been 100/100.  It was just good enough that it felt like it needed to be held to a slightly higher standard.  I was familiar with the product and tech before the test and I was genuinely interested in putting it through its paces.  I did my level best to remain objective and really test it right up until the point I started going through the data and it echoed what I’d been experiencing on course.  Link was just better.    I’d set up the tests thinking that it would be a much closer fight (and parts of the test were) but overall it was a runaway.   The only portion of the testing that the Link didn’t outright win was lost in large part to me fatting the last putt in the tube.  As much as I wanted to retake that putt it was more important to maintain the integrity of the test.  (Sort of like when you play golf)  The cool part about the way that I collected the data is that there’s additional statistics I’ll be able to pull out of it for future updates.  For now, here are the points that I’ll leave you with. 

• The looks are fantastic
• The tech is legit.  It functions as advertised.
• The putter is excellent after a breaking in period.
• The putter is wildly consistent.  Its always good without any hot and cold streaks.
• The more you trust in the putter – leaving thoughts about stroke at the door – the better it gets.   

 

FINAL SCORE 97/100

Edited August 2 by Syks7

[TSauer]

 

     Hello friends, and welcome to a review unlike any other (in my best Jim Nantz voice). My name is Tyler Sauer and I hail from a small mid-western town known as Belle, Missouri. I am a 32 year golf junkie that was introduced to the game back in 2015. Spoiler alert, I’ve been addicted ever since. I have been married to my lovely wife for 3 years and we have a 19 month old that keeps us on our toes each and every day. When I was younger, I was dedicated to basketball and nothing else. In fact, golf was never something that interested me. If you would have told me in my early twenties that I’d be this hooked on the game, I would have called you crazy. I joined MGS back in 2016, but I’ve been on a slight hiatus the past couple of years simply due to being busy with our little one and of course the whole winter thing that tends to roll around every eight months or so and forces me to put golf on the back burner. I’m only slightly envious of y’all that get year-round golf weather. Anyway, I’m back baby! Happy to see everyone and excited to interact with all the newcomers I’ve missed during my hibernation.

 

         

 

My hometown course is just a few minutes from my house, and since I work remote, it tends to soak up my lunch hour most days. It’s a relatively short 9-hole track with a couple holes that can really cause some trouble. Ask me how I know. I consider myself a pretty casual golfer, I try to get in 2-3 rounds a week along with some practice time squeezed in there somewhere. If you had to distribute skill points as if you were creating my character, it would look as follows: 

 

 

My putting is usually the one thing that remains pretty steady throughout the season. I would consider myself a good reader of the greens, but I still tend to have those slight misses on either side of the cup. Could that be the putter to blame? Could it be that maybe I’m not as good at reading as I thought? Well, that’s what we’re about to find out. L.A.B. has been in the lab creating something special, claiming you only need the correct line, good speed, and your natural stroke to sink more putts. No longer will you need to worry about returning a square face, as their tech should make it effortless to do so. I plan to put those claims to the test in a 1v1 battle where my Newport 2 squares up against the Link. The plan is to continue what I'm doing now, and that's playing lots of golf, all while paying more close attention to putting stats like SGP as well as recording distances and missed putt data. 

I am truly excited for this heavyweight bout, especially since I’ve never gamed a center shafted putter. And, since we’re on a bit of a scientific showdown I want to leave you all with my hypothesis…

IF the Link.1 face remains square throughout my stroke, THEN I will drop more putts and make the L.A.B. putter my primary, BECAUSE we all love one putts.  

 

(Bonus shot of my local course that I took with my drone)

 

 

I want to give a quick overview of the fitting experience I had with Sam. To begin with, L.A.B. offers remote fittings if you’re not able to make it to one of the locations that is able to fit you in person. Personally, I think that’s pretty rad! In order to complete the remote fitting, just throw on your golf shoes, record a DTL clip of you putting, and send it in. Of course there are a few other specifics, but that’s the gist of it. After the Facetime with Sam, I slipped on my kicks, busted out the tripod, and sank an imaginary 40 footer… a few times. Normally, you would email the video in and they would analyze it and get back with you. In this case, Sam wanted the video sent directly to him so we could expedite the process. Pretty cool… right?

After sending him the goods, he had a couple of concerns and wanted me to adjust some things. Unbeknownst to me, I was pretty crammed up and my sight line was a little far over the ball. I currently play a 36” putter, but luckily I had a 37” one lying around, as that’s what he wanted me to try out. Back to the tripod we went, relaxed the posture, and focused on keeping the sight line a little inside the hosel. Sam liked the second rendition much better… Now we’re cooking! He gave me the deets on what options he suggested and we rolled with it (ba dum tss). After recording both fittings, I took a look at things and put the images side by side, which made it pretty apparent that I was indeed a little crammed and in an extremely poor position. 

 

            

 

          

 

Of course, getting fit by the CEO of the company you’re getting the putter from is an awesome story. But, what made it extra special was Sam’s passion about the whole experience. He wanted to make sure he was doing everything he could to assure I am going to have the best possible outcome… which is just grand!

I will leave the custom details a mystery for now, at least until the unboxing. That way we're all waiting on the UPS man!

 

 CLICK HERE TO SEE WHAT'S IN THE BOX

 

If you would like to look at some early testing data, click the link below. This is still a work in progress and there will be more results posted later once I can get around to finishing those tests up!

>>> LET'S TALK NUMBERS <<<

 

 

First Impressions (19.5/20)

When you think of L.A.B. Golf, what comes to mind? Do you think less strokes at the cost of looks or is it hard to even see beyond the unorthodox design that is the Mezz or DF2.1? Before testing opened, I was aware of LAB as there are a few YouTube golfers I watch religiously that play both of those aforementioned models. So, I was already intrigued. But, what really grabbed my attention was their new Link.1 model, which mimics that of a blade. Now, there are some differences there with the center shafted head and the visible weights, but I think those things give it that LAB touch and I’m able to see past it for the most part. I thought getting used to looking down at a center shafted putter would take some time, but I adjusted pretty quickly. It really does feel like hitting your traditional blade putter. I love the laser etching of the logos and the sight line, I have never seen this done before, and it is an awesome touch! There are some slight imperfections/fuzziness on the logos, which I’m assuming comes with the laser method. You can only see that if you get REALLY up close and personal, but to the naked eye you will never even notice it.

 

Another nice touch is the color. It may go unnoticed by most, but  when you sit it next to what I would say is the normal or most common finish, you can see the difference. It has a slightly darker, brownish tint and no glare. Nothing crazy, but something I like.

 

If I had to choose one thing to gripe about with the Link, and this is a very, very nitpicky gripe, it would be the toe weights. I think it’s more of an OCD uniformity thing than anything else. Aside from that small complaint, the Link pleases my eye very much. I do like that it is a little different than most and tends to spark some putter talk with a lot of the people I play with.

 

 

Speaking of the weights, they aren’t just for show. We know that putters twist during your stroke, and in order to sink putts you need to make sure that face is square at impact so you can hit your line. That is where these weights and the LAB tech come into play, claiming to reduce putter torque (face rotation) and more consistently deliver a square face at impact, no matter how slow or fast your putter stroke is. That’s where the magic is! Imagine removing that factor from putting, now all you need to focus on is your line and pace. To visualize this a little more, give this short video a watch: Why Putting Is So Hard

 

 

I will be putting the Link up against my two most used putters, an Evnroll ER2 and a Newport 2. I have been using the Newport 2 most recently, but have been in between the two for the past year I would say. Unfortunately, I do not have any prior stats of either of them, but will be performing several tests to gather some numbers and determine which of the three will come out on top.

The Numbers (40/40)

To start with, I wanted to put the first claim to the test. Does the LAB truly reduce torque and help my face remain constant through impact? I tested indoors on a BirdieBall putting mat at distances of 3’, 5’, 8’, and 10’. I used a laser to make sure I was lined up correctly each time that way all I would need to do is hit my line. If I could keep my face square, then I should not have any issues with making these pretty straightforward putts. I rolled 100 balls with each putter and spaced the testing out over a couple of weeks. 

As you can tell, the Link was the clear winner here, with the Newport finishing last. The first couple distances were pretty simple putts, there was no break and all I needed to do was hit my line. Of those few I missed, I can safely say it was due to face issues. When it got to the longer putts at 8’ and 10’, there was a slight right to left break, so not only did I need to hit my line but I needed to make sure my pace was good as well. My BirdieBall is fairly quick compared to what I normally play on, so the main issue I had at first was hitting it too firm, but I was able to adjust on the later sessions. From this, I gathered that maybe I wasn’t as good of a putter as I thought I was. Maybe I have an issue with hitting my line and there’s a possibility for improvement.

Next up, I wanted to test out the longer putts from around 30’. There are days when my short game isn’t the best (more often than not) and lag putts are essential. So, I headed out to the course and tested proximity to the hole. I did those over multiple different greens with varying slopes and breaks to get the best results.

The hardest part of this test was getting used to the Link. I did play a few rounds before getting to this test, because I struggled with distance control. A lot of times I was coming up way short, which isn’t a typical miss for me. I believe the weight of the Link played a role in this, as it is a little heavier than what I am used to. But, as you can see, after getting the hang of its stroke and characteristics, it outperformed the others significantly. A whopping 52% difference!!

Aerial shot of my proximity test. Various shots from around the green from 30 feet.

 

On The Course (9/10)

When we take focus off the specific test and just look at using the Link during a normal round, it’s been amazing. Not only have I gained confidence in the putts inside the 10’ range, but my chances of making those longer putts have significantly increased. Before, when the putt was beyond 15’ or 20’ I felt like I was just making the stroke and hoping for some good luck that it ended up semi close to the hole, so I could tap it in. Now, there is a real possibility of me making these putts without any luck.

I know it may sound odd to say, but it seems impossible to miss your line. I played quite a few scramble rounds over the past couple of months and I made sure to putt last or second to last just so I could get a read. It is almost unreal how many long putts were made. You may have read it in a previous comment, but there has been much praise from my golfing partners ever since I put the Link in the bag.

There are times here and there where I struggle with distance control, but I believe that will come in time. As I mentioned, I was using the Evnroll and Scotty for a while and you saw what those proximity numbers looked like. I think a couple more months with the Link and that statistic may look even better.

The Good, The Bad, The In Between (19.5/20)

There are a lot of good things to talk about, but the first and most important thing is the free online fitting. The nearest PGA Tour Superstore for me is just over 5 hours away. There is a Golf Galaxy a little over an hour away, but from what I saw, they do not carry LAB putters. So, the ability to send a video into LAB to dissect your setup and fit you remotely is huge. They want to make sure the putter is fit perfectly for you!

Another good thing, and I cannot say this enough, is the headcover quality is out of this world. When you buy a premium putter, you expect a premium headcover. A lot of times that part gets overlooked or the companies just don’t care enough. LAB is different. From the magnetic closure to the stitching to the soft, pillowy inside… It's absolutely phenomenal. If I ever lose or damage mine, I’m buying another one directly from LAB.

One thing that may get frustrating to some is those who want to make grip adjustments to their Link. We know that changing the grip can throw off the swing weight on any club, but it also throws off the balancing ever so slightly on the LAB putters. So, if you are making a drastic change, it would be best to send it in to have it rebalanced. However, this is something that comes with purchasing a putter that is fit and balanced specifically for you.

I love that the Link is the same, but different. It’s a blade, but it’s a LAB blade. It has those touches that set it apart just enough to pique the interest of others.

One final thing, another good, is that you can always reach out to LAB with questions or concerns and Sam (CEO) or another member of his team will be happy to assist. Customer service is huge and I think LAB is right there at the top!

Play It or Trade It? (10/10)

Absolutely, without a shadow of a doubt, I will be playing this. My other putters are already nestled up inside on the rack, just waiting to gather dust. There is not much else to say here, I don’t see any reason to switch back to putters I’ve used in the past. Unless, I want to sandbag the front 9 and pull out the Link at the turn.

Closing Thoughts…

If you or someone you know has been diagnosed with mesothelioma the yips, I cannot urge you enough to give one of the putters from the LAB lineup a chance. I know you may find them a little bulky, somewhat alien-like, or just different… But, I think you will surprise yourself. I, for one, did not think my putting could improve without lots of practice sessions or maybe even a couple of lessons. However, I am already shaving strokes off of my game by doing neither of those things. There may be a small period early on where you may have some rough patches for a couple of rounds, but I guarantee once you and the new putter work things out, the relationship is going to be smooth sailing.

FINAL SCORE: 98

 

**Disclaimer, I have developed these weird habits since using the Link.1:

[GolfSpy_APH]

1 minute ago, TylorJudd said:

Congrats to @RoverRick @McGolf @pozzit @Splatt @Syks7 @TSauer !!!!! A lot of us are anxious to follow this one, myself included. These are truly special putters 

Sorry had to remove your post so I could get the placeholders in!

You are just took quick!

[pozzit]

Wow it is an honor to be chosen for this test. I'm really excited to see how L.A.B.s design methodology goes. Appreciate MGS and L.A.B. for setting up this opportunity.

 

Laying in bed asleep....ugh whys my phone buzzing so much.

[Ivanh2907]

Looking forward to seeing how this test goes. Congrats to all involved 

[Josh Ross]

Congrats testers! Hate that I missed out on this one but excited you guys get to experience the greatness of L.A.B. putters!

[Torden Golf]

Damn, had my fingers crossed on this one. LAB is one of the few innovations that I’m really interested to experience first hand.

[Fongle]

Looking forward to seeing the reviews on these. By all accounts they're incredibly stable and forgiving putters, which they'd kind of need to be to make up for looking like a spaceship

[GolfSpy_APH]

5 minutes ago, AndrewJensenNZ said:

Damn, had my fingers crossed on this one. LAB is one of the few innovations that I’m really interested to experience first hand.

Don't be too disheartened. With a near 13 thousand that signed up there are a lot in your same spot. 

Be sure to check out the Want To Be A Tester Thread! (if you haven't already)

It will help you get started and understand how we select our testers. 

I do need to do an official count back, however at last I checked we had now selected 27 brand new testers so far this season! 

[KC Golf]

Congrats Testers.  Looking forward to the reviews. 

[Peaksy68]

Congrats testers, @Splatt great to see a fellow Aussie get a chance to put (or putt) something really interesting through its paces.

[Nunfa0]

Congrats testers, this will be an interesting one to follow. I do have to admit that my putter is the one club that is safe in my bag till it wears out (or I do!!)

[Daniel Carrier]

Congratulations to all. And thanks to MGS and L.A.B. for the chance to follow this testing. I believe science and technology can help our golf (I am playing one length for that reason). Looking forward to see what the testers feel about those beauties.

[Philip_R]

Congratulations to all the testers, looking forward to read the reviews on these putters. 

[sirchunksalot]

Congratulations testers! It looks like we've got a good group here and I can't wait to see how you improve your putting with the L.A.B..