Edel Array Putters . 2024 Forum Review

[GolfSpy_APH]

Custom Fitting At Its Finest

At the heart of Edel's brand is custom fitting. This is especially true with their putters, as their fitting carts host most options with the available “modular” build. If you have not experienced an Edel putting fitting, it should be on your bucket list of golf things to do, as they offer a truly unique experience.

The new Edel Array brings another level of customization to putters and features several new options.

These include four different models, with all three mallet designs now being available for left-handed golfers. There is also a single right-handed only blade design available.

The other options include four different neck options, two alignment aids for the blade, and six for the mallets. As well as five sole weight options, four grip choices, and a Tour Lock Opti-Vibe Weighting system for internal shaft weighting options.

That is a lot of options in one putter!

What Edel Is Saying

Edel says their Array putters are “Machined to the tightest tolerances for exacting precision. Each putter features a striking surface forged and machine-milled from 1025 carbon steel, known for its superior sound and softer feel. In tandem, head shapes and multiple alignment plates offered by the Array Putter line create a very powerful solution to aim bias."

Please welcome and congratulate our testers!

@Bucky CC

@Parshooter36 

@Prodigal Duffer 

@Woodrow72

AND The one and only Beta Tester @GolfSpy AFG

[Bucky CC]

Hey everyone!  Bucky CC checking in from the great state of Wisconsin.  Before we get started I wanted to give a huge shout out and sincere thank you to MyGolfSpy, the MGS forum, fellow Spy’s big and small, and of course, Edel.  I’ve been lucky enough to do a few tests and every time they are the absolute highlight of my year.

Here I am about to die while my son has the time of his life.

I’ve been playing golf for more than 30 years now.  Started around age 10 in the backyard trying to be like my older brother and have been playing ever since.  I spent most of 2023 as a 4 handicap with all aspects of my game being fairly equal.  My home course has a lot of penalty areas off the tee, so when I keep the ball in play I tend to stay in the mid 70’s.

You can see from the graphic above putting is actually one of my stronger traits.  But if that’s true, why have I had 12 putters going back to the last real fitting I had in 2011?  In order (to the best of my memory):

Odyssey Dual Force 668, Odyssey Works #1 Wide Versa, Bettinardi Kuchar Model 1 (standard length), 2015 Ping Ketsch Mid, Evnroll ER2, Evnroll ER5

Odyssey Stroke Lab Black 7 S, Odyssey Stroke Lab Black 7, TaylorMade Spider SR, PXG Battle Ready Bat Attack, Evnroll ER5 (black this time), Odyssey White Hot OG Stroke Lab 7

As you can see, I’m a bit of a putter hoe (and have a things for Mallets in the #7 mold).  When I saw the testing opportunity for the Edel Array I thought I finally found the holy grail of tests for my game.  Not only would I be getting a new putter (lucky #13!), but I would have the opportunity to go through one of the most comprehensive fittings to build an extremely customized putter built to my exact specifications.

I plan to test the Edel (model # to be determined) against my current Odyssey White Hot OG #7 indoors on putts up to 10.  Once the weather warms up a bit I’ll take things outdoors for a head to head battle and a look against over 175 rounds of Arccos data.

    

My expectation is that the fitting will build an immediate trust level knowing the Array will be fit to my exact aiming tendencies, path bias, stroke type, etc.  I’m hoping to see immediate improvement on the greens from 10’ and in since I'll conceivably be lining up the putter correctly and have something that fits my exact stroke.

My biggest worry at the moment is how the milled face will feel against the soft White Hot OG insert I spent all last year getting used to.  Long putts could be an issue for a while.

And if everything falls apart and I stay the exact same I'll at least be able to prove that it’s not the putter, it’s the guy holding the club.

Not sure if my teenage daughter would be impressed or horrified that I used a Taylor Swift gif
 

The Fitting:

Before I get into my scoring I want to put a huge disclaimer out there.  I was not able to get fit for the Array before it had to be ordered for our testing.  Edel rolled out the Array to all corporate owned Golftec’s along with select other fitting studios a few months ago.  Unfortunately all of the Golftec’s in Wisconsin are franchise locations and did not receive their fitting kits before my order had to be placed.  The Club Champions in Wisconsin also chose not to carry the Array line so I did not have an option to get fit.

If you look at my previous history with putters you can see I’m pretty set on fang style mallet putters.  I ended up matching the specs of my gamer as best as I could for this test: 35" length, face balanced, dot alignment, standard loft and lie.

First Impressions (18 out of 20)

Out of the box I was immediately impressed with the Array F-2 putter.  Very clean lines, weight felt comfortable, and the headcover seemed to be well constructed rather than a throw-in afterthought.

          

I ended up choosing the F-2 with three dot alignment as it most closely resembles my current Odyssey White Hot OG #7 putter.  The styles are very similar, with the Odyssey coming in slightly larger while the Array is 10 grams heavier (563 vs 573 grams for the F-2).

I'm not sure what alignment plate would have been picked for me through an actual fitting.  While the dots are comfortable to me I wonder how things would have looked with the two line alignment or one of the other 5 options.

Technology-wise Edel really focuses on the customization available through the fitting process. Their website mentions things like aim/path bias, face rotation, optimizing weight to control your speed, and stroke type being key to finding the perfect putter.  Unfortunately most of those are dependent getting professionally fit for the club.

The face has a special milling pattern, but Edel doesn’t seem to explain on their site what exactly the pattern does.  I assume it helps with off center hits and is not just a fancy design for visual enjoyment.

Overall this is hard for me to grade as most of Edel’s claims about the putter are about the customization available through the fitting, and I was not able to be fit.  The putter is unquestionably well made and I have zero reservations about taking it out to the course.  It's familiar yet different enough to be distinguishable from the other five million fang style mallets out there.

Aesthetics (9 out of 10) 

I touched on the style a bit already, but if you’ve ever gamed a winged mallet putter you’ll have no problem feeling comfortable with the Array F-2.

All of the graphics and paint fill are done extremely well with tight tolerances.  You can tell just by looking at it that Edel makes a very high-end putter without being overly flashy about it.  No one in my regular foursome noticed I had a new putter until a few holes into our first round.  Once it was passed around they all remarked on how clean it looked and comfortable hitting a few practice putts.

Feel of the F-2 is hard to explain.  It’s a forged and machine milled face made out of 1025 carbon steel.  The impact feels more harsh than the white hot insert on my Odyssey, but somehow it also comes off at a slower/softer speed.  I found myself having to purposefully swing a bit harder with the F-2 to make sure I didn’t leave putts short.  The white hot insert seems to bounce/spring off the face while the F-2 is more of a concentrated swing effort to get it rolling the correct speed.

Big plus on the aethetic side is being able to pick up a ball with the back of the putter.  It may seem like a small detail but I like that they made sure the wings can pick up the ball even with the alignment plate taking up so much space.

The Numbers (7 out of 10) (indoors only so far)

In preparation for this test I went to my local home improvement store and purchased a 6’ wide by 21’ long strip of thin carpet.  A makeshift stimpmeter showed the mat rolls somewhere in the 10-11 range.

I set up a 9 hole course with a putt locations every two feet all the way up to 18’.  The Stack putting app helped me randomize the putt length and keep track of the head to head putter battle.  After the first 144 shots my gamer is a clear winner over the F-2.  As you can see from the table below I have no problem with straight putts less than 10’ but once you get past that mark I start having issues with the Array.

I’ve taken the F-2 out on the course a few times and so far my on-course experience has mirrored my indoor testing.  I have no doubt the putter has the potential to be great with a proper fitting, but will my off the rack specs show enough on the course to be able to knock the gamer out of my bag?

More to come soon!

Edited April 21 by Bucky CC

[Parshooter36]

Introduction:

Let's do this! I want to start by thanking Edel and MyGolfSpy for this amazing opportunity.  This will be my 2nd review for MGS, and I could not be more pumped! My name is Andy, and I live in Southern Illinois a little over an hour east of St. Louis. I am 49 years old (for a couple of more months) and have been playing golf off and on since I was 15. I have played regularly, trying to improve my game since 2010.  I have spent most of those years in the 12-15 handicap range for many years, and at this point in my life, I figured that was as good as I would get. Last year, something clicked mid-season, and I played the most consistent golf of my life. I had played that well at times, but never more than a few rounds, and then it would be back to reality. I finished the year on a heater and managed to win the men's division of my club championship, beating the 3 guys that had combined to win the last 10 championships.

 

 

I consider myself a good but not great putter, and my putting stats pretty much confirm that. I don't make a ton of birdies, but I also rarely 3 putt. Most of my 1 putts are due to the fact that I only hit around 45% GIR, and most of the time I am an above-average chipper. I currently have 6 or 7 putters in the garage and have tried everything from belly putters to broomsticks over the years to try and improve my putting.

 

 

I have been interested in Edel's fitting philosophy for a few years now. So much so that I put together my own laser and mirror setup in an attempt to mimic what they use in their fitting process to test my alignment on the putters I had in the stable at that time. I have been fit for putters a couple of times in the past, but I am looking forward to a completely different experience this time. I really like my current putter, but I am not married to any club in my bag.  I know going in that alignment is an issue with my putting, so if the Edel system proves to consistently improve that, I will switch in a heartbeat. I have an indoor putting area in my simulator to test on, and golf season is nearly here, so there will be plenty of opportunity to put this putter to the test. 

 

The Fitting:

I want to add a bonus section to this review as I feel the fitting process is key to Edel's overall landscape. I am not usually a big proponent of fittings as I have had wildly different results in my past fittings and feel like they are very dependent on the fitter you got that day. Even though I was the first fitting for the Array putters at the GolfTec I was fit at, the fitting was very scripted and structured which made me feel like you should have a similar experience wherever you get fit.

In the Edel Array fitting kit they have all of the weights and alingment plates as well as the laser and mirror setup that was very telling in my fitting. They also have one of each of the four putters, each with one of the four different hosel options. Since the Array line is completely modular, they can change the hosels between the putters to put together any combination they need.

 

We started with my height and  standard wrist to floor measurement to get a ballpark for the putter length. She then had me set up over a putting mirror to see where my eye line was, which turns out was quite a bit inside the ball line. In the past I had been fit into 36" putters, but at 34" my eye line matched up perfectly with the ball line.

We then moved to the part I was most excited about, and that was the laser alignment. For those that don't know, Edel uses a laser pointed at the ball. They place a mirror onto the face of the putter and have you address the ball. Once you feel like you are aimed at the puck, they remove the ball and the laser reflect back onto the wall showing if you are aimed correctly or not. My initial setup was well right of target. We tried several different alignment plates and for me the T-Bar was the clear winner.

 

Now that setup and alignment was settled we moved on to the stroke. GolfTec uses Blast Motion to measure your putting stroke. My gamer putter is face balanced and I alway tried to use a straight back straight through motion with it. The Blast Motion sensor showed I was actually coming outside to in with my stroke which I suppose kind of balanced out my aiming to the right. We tried all four heads and found that the blade was definitely not for me. The F-1 and F-3 were the finalists and the numbers were so close that it just came down to personal preference. Even though the F-1 was more in line size wise with putters I have used in the past, I just loved the look of the F-3 and went with it. We then tried all four hosels in the F-3 head and found that the slant neck balanced my stroke out the best.

The final test we did was some distance putting to dial in the weighting. My current gamer is extremely head heavy, so we started with the heaviest weights in the head and no counter-balance weight. I was lagging them up perfectly (I actually made the first putt) so we stopped there. 

I am usually a mid-pistol grip guy, but that wasn't one of the options so I decided to go all in on the Edel philosophy and went with the standard round Edel grip.

I have never come away from a fitting with such a positive feeling.  I am really excited to how much impact proper alignment can have on my game.

 

First Impressions (20 out of 20) :

My Edel Array F-3 showed up this week and it is stunning. I love the Edel script, there are multiple fonts in use here, but it doesn't bother me at all.

The milling is flawless and to me everything about this putter screams quality. The face has a unique milling pattern. It is not as soft as other milled putters I have tried, but in initial testing it gets the ball rolling nicely.

There are some obvious signs of the modular design, but I feel like Edel has done a good job of hiding them for the most part. At a glance, I'm not sure the average person would realise that the putter can be taken completely apart. Here is a shot of the undercairrage where the alingment plate and face plate attach.

I am coming from an insert putter which definitely has a softer feel the the Edel, but this is not a negative for me. The F-3 has a very solid feel and sound. The face is made of 1025 carbon steel, so you don't get the high pitched "ting" that I have heard from aluminum faced putter I have tried in the past.

The Edel putter is a bit smaller than I am use to, but I just love the look of it and it frames the ball nicely. 

I am also already a fan of the Edel round grip. I have never used a complety round putter grip before, but it is very comfortable in the hand and took zero time to get use to.

Finally, the headcover might be the most durable looking head cover I have ever seen.

It feels like it is made from some sort of canvas material that should hold up well to all of the flexing that comes removing the headcover over and over.

It has a nice strong magnet closure which I much prefer over velcro. I also like the black on black Edel emblem sewn onto the flap.

 

Edited March 28 by Parshooter36

[Prodigal Duffer]

A Duffer’s Review of the Edel Array Putter by Prodigal Duffer

Golf is stupid, so let’s make it fun.

Let’s Roll it Out

Hey there, MGS, my name is Steve a/k/a Prodigal Duffer. I am in my early 40s and live near Fort Worth, Texas. I have been playing golf for about two years. I used to play occasionally as a younger man, but gave it up for several reasons—mostly because I didn’t enjoy it. I had outsized expectations for my performance, which was especially comical given I had barely any coaching and I never practiced. I sold my clubs and didn’t give it a second thought.

Fast forward to 2021, and my son enrolled in First Tee, found that he enjoyed it, and then convinced me to come back to the game (hence my forum handle). Unlike my younger days, I now recognize that golf is (like any sport) stupid, which is why it needs to be fun. And, now I play to have fun with my kids:

 

 

I’ve been documenting the golf adventures with my kids over in The Prodigals. And, I’ve found golf to be quite fun, whether with my kids or with friends I’ve made through the game.

 

 

 

Before I gave up golf, I thought I was a good putter, and I loved my flat stick. But, the putter was long gone and I needed something. Because I wasn’t sure golf would stick with my son (or me), I bought a cheap Odyssey Stroke Lab R-ball mallet putter. It’s been okay, but I feel like I pull putts to the left and have trouble gauging speed. I started keeping stats, and it turns out, I stink at just about everything, including putts:

 

 

 

(This is limited data, but still, ouch).

 

 

 

 

I suspected that part of my problem putting may be the stick, and planned to get a putter fitting this spring. When MGS announced the Edel Array test, I knew I wanted to participate. It would give me an excuse to get my fitting now and maybe help me improve my putting. 

My testing will primarily have three components: on my Birdie Ball indoor green for testing alignment on less than 10’ putts; at the practice facility for lag putt/distance control (a strength of mine now); and, of course, on the golf course for scoring.

As you can see, I tend to leave my putts short, especially on distances of less than 10 feet:

   

I hope that the Edel Array helps me increase my make percentage on those putts and that my percentage of putts left short decreases substantially. On a more subjective note, I want to feel more confident in force of my stroke (I suspect that I leave putts short because the mallet looks heavy and I don’t want to blow past the hole). If the Edel can check these boxes, then there’s a high likelihood it becomes my gamer.

Thanks to MGS, Edel, and to you, my fellow spies, for trusting me to participate in this test. I look forward to rolling those putts.

Fitting

As I anxiously await the arrival of the Array, check out my fitting experience below:

First Impressions 19/20

TLDR: Secure premium packaging with branded inside liner, beautiful matte finish to the head and a gleaming steel shaft. Came with an oversized head cover that is simple yet sophisticated. Lost one point because of lack of communication about shipping.

Check out my full first impressions here:

The Numbers

Still in progress, but check out the results of my accuracy test:

 

Edited April 15 by Prodigal Duffer

[Woodrow72]

Hi everyone I’m Woodrow 72 , my name is Garen and I am very fortunate to have been chosen to test the Edel Fitting system . My goal is to honestly give feedback on this project that will benefit one and all . I have been playing golf since 1969 , am retired and play 4-5 days a week year round . We live in The Villages  Florida for 9 months , then summer bird to Ohio when it’s beastly here . I encourage you each to ask specific questions if my reviews aren’t covering anything that fills your needs .  I am super pumped for this review test as my putting has slipped recently  and this could be my value saving item ! 

Edited February 29 by Woodrow72

[GolfSpy AFG]

GolfSpy AFG's Review of the Edel Array Putter

Introduction

Hey everyone.  My name is Hayes, on the forum I go by GolfSpy AFG but only recently.  Prior to that my forum handle was:

Alas, I had to grow up.  When I'm not playing golf, hanging out on the forum or trying to do my behind-the-scene Forum Leader stuff, I'm a husband and father, and an Airman...I've been on Active Duty in the Air Force for the past 22 years.

 

My Golf and Putting Game

As a golfer, I'm a fanatic and am constantly tinkering with workouts, speed training, and training aids trying to get better, because I rarely have time to get to the range or play.  Between the job and being a Dad to 3 active kids, it gets hard to get out.  When I do get on the course, I play to a 7 handicap and do halfway decent off the tee, below average on approach shots, above average on green-side short game shots, and I'm not a very good putter.  My Strokes Gained from GolfShot is a little skewed for lack of rounds from last year, but it does paint the picture:

  

But, hope springs eternal for me and putting, thanks in large part to my selection to test an Edel Array Putter.  I'm going to save an in-depth fitting discussion for another post, but I should probably start with a confession that's near sacrilege on this forum: I've never actually been fit for a putter before! And, what I learned from the fitting above all was that my years-long insistence on a face-balanced putter was all wrong...I actually need 30-45 degrees of toe hang!  Here's a small peak at the SAM Lab fitting I got, wherein it showed I'm actually exceptionally consistent in my stroke, I just need a better fitting putter:

My Pending Review

Again, I'll post about my fitting experience soon in a thread update, but I'm planning to evaluate the Array on a number of fronts. The big 3 for me:

1) Quality of fit.  Edel really emphasizes the extent to which their putters have to be fit to be effective.  I'll be comparing it against 3 of my old gamers to see if the fit does improve my overall performance, primarily through the use of Stack putting.

2) Aim bias. Again, more on the fitting later, but the fitting diagnosed a left aim bias, which I do see on the course in what I've always interpreted as tendency to pull my putts.  According to Edel, I just need a better fit to correct or compensate for that aim bias, which is why they offer different alignment plates to help compensate for those biases.  I'll be tracking and comparing how well Edel's alignment plate concept actually results in corrected aim and alignment.

3) Speed control. Again, the fitting...mine showed some tendencies in how I deliver the putter from a loft standpoint that, if corrected, SHOULD significantly improve my distance control. If I can improve my speed control, my Strokes Gained Putting should improve dramatically.

But that's what's on my mind...you tell me, what do you want to know?  I'll be happy to answer any questions you might have as we go. Thread updates on what I'm currently gaming, how I intend to measure all of this, and oh yes, the fitting, are all coming in the next few days...

UPDATE:  The Fitting

Check out the Science & Motion Fitting details of my fitting via the link above!

Unboxing & First Impressions

My putter arrived Saturday, but with company in town I had to wait for my quiet solitude to hold my own private unveiling ceremony. The wait was worth it. This is my first custom fit putter so I've never had one shipped to me before, and I was impressed with how well Edel had secured this thing...no rolling around in the box during shipping possible here:

 

Visually the club was love at first sight for me; the putter (including the headcover) all scream premium. Behold, the Edel Array F-1, with a slant neck and 3-dot alignment plate.

The club also came with an Edel-branded torque wrench (I'll demonstrate the use of that one on this putter later) along with an additional alignment plate. Edel emphasizes in their fittings how the alignment plate impacts aim bias, so I hope to test that by changing out the plates and measuring results.

My gamer setup, and what the fitting recommended, is the 3-dot setup pictured above.

As to my first impressions after rolling some putts on the practice green, I'm in love, but is she the right one for me?  Visually it's a different look for me...I've always gravitated to a 3-line alignment aid that frames the ball, and I've also typically chosen a single-bend neck. But, as I've documented, my fitting said those were both wrong for me.

Additionally, I've been gaming an Odyssey with a White Hot insert for 2 years. Moving away from that to the milled face of the Array is a big change in sound and feel. Add to that the fact that the Edel is lofted down for my stroke, and this is going to be a bit of an adjustment.  I did my first Stack Putting practice with it last night, and I'll share those results soon, but I rolled it well for a first date especially.  My misses were a different miss than I've been seeing too.

More to come...

 

[sirchunksalot]

Congratulations testers! This is a great group and we know you'll do the forum proud. I can't wait to see how well the Edel putters perform for you!

[buckpillar]

Congratulations tp the testers. Have fun with it and cant wait to read your reviews!

[Splatt]

Congrats guys!!!

These putters certainly have the looks, let's see if they perform, too!!

[berkeleybob]

Woohoo! Congratulations all! This should be a fun one to read about!

[Michael.Sandoval33]

Congratulations testers! I am excited to follow along, such a great group!

[Cfhandyman]

Congratulations to the well chosen testers. Now the fun begins to getting dialed in with your new putters. I look forward to your results, observations, thoughts and insights. 

[MattF]

Congratulations all.

[Bobbers]

Looking forward to seeing your reviews and results, testers.  Enjoy the experience.

[Josh Parker]

Congrats Testers!

Really looking forward to seeing the fitting process and how these work out for everyone. 

[CFreddie]

Congrats Testers - can’t wait to follow this one along, especially with how the fitting process will play out!

[Bad Golfer]

Congratulations Testers! Looking forward to see how you go through the fitting process and how your putting improves. 

[rkj427]

Congrats. to this diverse group, looking forward to their comments and findings during this test.

[ParFore74x]

Congratulations to the testers!!

[Willie T]

3 hours ago, GolfSpy_APH said:

Custom Fitting At Its Finest

At the heart of Edel's brand is custom fitting. This is especially true with their putters, as their fitting carts host most options with the available “modular” build. If you have not experienced an Edel putting fitting, it should be on your bucket list of golf things to do, as they offer a truly unique experience.

The new Edel Array brings another level of customization to putters and features several new options.

These include four different models, with all three mallet designs now being available for left-handed golfers. There is also a single right-handed only blade design available.

The other options include four different neck options, two alignment aids for the blade, and six for the mallets. As well as five sole weight options, four grip choices, and a Tour Lock Opti-Vibe Weighting system for internal shaft weighting options.

That is a lot of options in one putter!

What Edel Is Saying

Edel says their Array putters are “Machined to the tightest tolerances for exacting precision. Each putter features a striking surface forged and machine-milled from 1025 carbon steel, known for its superior sound and softer feel. In tandem, head shapes and multiple alignment plates offered by the Array Putter line create a very powerful solution to aim bias."

Please welcome and congratulate our testers!

@Bucky CC

@Parshooter36 

@Prodigal Duffer 

@Woodrow72

AND The one and only Beta Tester @GolfSpy AFG

Congrats to all the testers - this will be a great testing season as you put these putters thru their paces.  I am looking forward to the comments, conclusions, declarations on the good, the bad, the ugly (well maybe not the last one) 

Have fun, test well!  

Edited February 20 by Willie T

[MGoBlue100]

Congrats, all! Looking forward to this one…

[Preeway]

Congrats Testers

Really intrigued to hear how the fitting process goes for you and hear how these unique putters perform. 

[GolfSpy BOS]

Congrats guys! There’s a certain level of jealously running through my veins on this one. Such great looking putters!!

 

[ScramblinMan]

Congratulations testers. Hope these putters perform as good as they. Look. Looking forward to your feedback.

[msanagustin]

Congratulations to all the testers, can't wait to read the results and evaluations

[Bucky CC]

Super excited about this one.  If the Edel Array putters and fitting process is half as good as predicted we should all be in for a real treat.

Edited February 20 by Bucky CC

[Parshooter36]

Thanks everybody! I am super pumped to be selected for this test as I have been interested in the Edel fitting philosophy for a few years now.  

[MDGolfHacker]

Congratulations!  Interested to hear your thoughts on these putters!

 

MDGolfHacker

[Dead Solid Bogey]

Congrats to those chosen as testers. As others have stated;  I am interested in how the fitting process is judged by the testers. 

[TJ Hall]

Congratulations testers…excited to see how your fitting goes with these.  Roll ‘em well!