RUNNER Golf Putters! 2024 Forum Review

[ToastedSoul]

The longer I look at this putter, the more I want one...

[Dweed]

Congratulations to all. Now the work(fun) begin. Looking forward to your thoughts and how you differentiated the data you collected. Good luck all and enjoy.

[William P]

Congrats testers! Looking forward to hearing what you all think about these putters.

[BKervin]

Congratulations!  Have fun with these putters

[TylorJudd]

11 hours ago, GolfSpy_APH said:

Testers Announced!

For this tester's wanted opportunity, we introduce you to RUNNER Golf, a small and up-and-coming putter company from France. Founded in 2021 by Simon Linot, the process of getting their putters to market took a little time. However, the time and hard work paid off when they won the “Best in Show” innovation prize at the 2022 PGA GOLF SHOW.

About RUNNER Golf Putters:

Available in three different models (RUNNER ORIGINAL, BLADE, and MALLET), this series of putters is packed with technology and RUNNER’s signature moving weights system at the back of each putter. All of the RUNNER golf putters are built in Normandy, France. 

They consist of a multi-material design with precision-milled 6061 aluminum, complete with various weight options and setups to help golfers make more putts. RUNNER Golf also has a comprehensive self-fitting guide on their website, which will help you choose which one of their putters is best for you. 

This AI configuration guide will consist of a handful of questions and only takes a few minutes to complete. The questions are thorough and cover everything from putter preferences to putting grip. At the end, it will give the best recommendation for putter style, weight setting, and more!

Please welcome and congratulate our testers! 

@Bobbers 

@Northern Monkey 

@RTH1 

@SDunne

Congrats Testers! @Bobbers @Northern Monkey @RTH1 @SDunne

Also, Hi Bob! Had to say it

[dback]

Kinda dig the compact but obviously full of tech style. Feels like the inverse of LAB a bit, how much tech can we make in a compact putter head rather than leaning into the massive size and shape. Good luck testers and hope they lead to the best putting season yet!

[jbern]

Congrats testers! Very interesting product! Hopefully it helps your games! Have fun and enjoy the testing!

[Glenmore5]

Excellent...look forward to the results...

[SDunne]

Thanks to all the well wishes on this one. As a newbie tester, I'm very excited about the process but also the brand given I'm a bit of an engineering geek. I had a call with the founder last night (Aussie time) for final checks before finishing calibration and sending out so the wait begins. Intro to come shortly where I'll be posting a bit more about me and the process I plan on taking. 

7 hours ago, tw1ns said:

Yea, but can you pick up a ball with it?  Very important for the 'older' crowd.  Congrats to the testers!  Looks like a very diverse group.  Looking forward to the results!  

I've gone with the mallet for mine so not sure if I'll be able to but I've always had a mallet or a 2-ball shape so never been able to! (Although I do quite like the LAB DF for being able to incorporate this into a mallet design.

[unccross]

Congratulations to those selected, look forward to reading the reviews!

[Northern Monkey]

Great intro Sean

[William P]

Great intros @Bobbers, @SDunne, and @Northern Monkey! 

[BreakfastBall15]

17 hours ago, Bobbers said:

 

Introduction

Hello. My name is Bob and I'm a golfer. (Audience replies, “Hi, Bob!”)

Player Profile

I've been golfing for about 60 years which should tell you something about my age. Lifelong resident of Wisconsin and have lived in the southeastern part of the state for the majority of my life with the exception of stints in Stevens Point, Eau Claire, and Green Bay.

 

Grew up playing municipal courses long before irrigation was a thing which makes me a “picker”. Trying to take a divot, particularly in the summer months, was literally a question of whether you were trying to sprain a wrist or break it. Golf balls were covered with balata until the glorious day that Surlyn was introduced. Finally, a chance to play a round without having to worry about how many “smiles” our bladed irons were going to inflict on the ball due to a less than perfect strike. We'd put our golf bags on our backs, bicycle an hour to the course, play 18, and head home. A round of golf, a Coke, and an Acushnet “Club Special” cost all of $2.00.

I'm left handed...except for golf. Only clubs I had access to were my mother's discarded set from long, long ago. Blades of course, a persimmon driver, a blade putter which was hard to differentiate from a 2 iron other than by the length of the club. Yeah, spent my first six years with a short set of “Miss America” hammer forged blades. Steel shafts, before chrome became a “thing” covered in an acetate sleeve to prevent surface rust from showing. Immediately below is a photo of my first putter. I recall vividly that my score for my first round was 150. Yet I persist to this day.

 

 

 

 

 

I play a mixture of courses here in the southeastern Wisconsin area. Our season is unpredictable but averages sometime in April until November/December depending on the year. I shoot anywhere between 85-98 depending on how the day goes. I'm a “driving range rat” and honestly enjoy hitting a bucket of balls as much as playing around. I'm the guy who flips to the “you generally hit the ball straight but a lack of distance puts pressure on your game” advice columns in a golf magazine. My short game is pretty good as, for the most part, is my putting.

 

For the past ten years or so I've used a mallet style putter of one sort or another, I find them more forgiving. I also tend to favor a somewhat heavier head. I have a pretty straight back and through stroke and favor face balanced putters versus those wth a lot of toe hang. I tend to point my left elbow toward the hole, something of a “chicken wing” position, to help keep my stroke straight.

 

I entered to test the Runner putter because I liked the futuristic look, my assumption was that the company having been recognized with a “Most Innovative Product” award at the PGA show reflected respect from the industry, and perhaps foremost the adjustable weights at the rear of the putter offering the ability to potentially “dial it in”. I'm hoping the Runner will become a “dependable, reliable friend”and can enjoy an extended stay in my golf bag.

 

My weekend round is generally early morning so I'll be testing my Runner mallet at various times when the dew is still on the green. My weekday rounds tend to be mid-morning to early afternoon so I'll also be testing during the heat of midday when things have firmed up.

 

I'll be comparing the Runner to my Cobra Nova. I've enjoyed the confidence the Sik face offers. I feel that variable face loft helps compensate any variations in the amount of forward press present in any particular putt.

 

I'll also be comparing the Runner to a LAB Golf Directed Force 2.1.

 

I enjoy a good one putt, as we all do. I can live with two putts. I absolutely abhor three putting. We can debate whether those three putt greens are caused by a poor first, second, or third putt. But for me it's missing that 3-6 foot second putt that lights my fuse.

 

I'm sure I'll be testing from close to distant from the hole. Predictable distance control is important to me. More subjectively the “feel” of the ball coming off the face is a big factor in how I relate to a putter. I have a preference for what I guess you'd call a softer face be that via the material, an insert, or milling magic.

 

Right or wrong I'm a golfer who uses a softer ball in the early and late stages of our season and a more typical compression ball during the height of the season. I intend to run tests using different balls (all of which will be yellow) to determine if I experience any noticeable difference.

 

 

Great intro and I’m really looking forward to the direct comparison to the Lab putter

[Rob Person]

Great intros @SDunne and @Bobbers !  Love the bit of history involved with both of your reveals!

[Bobbers]

14 minutes ago, Rob Person said:

Great intros @SDunne and @Bobbers !  Love the bit of history involved with both of your reveals!

The more you know about us the more "sense" our reviews will make.  Hopefully.  I think that's the general consensus among the testers.  Glad it's being received that way.

[SDunne]

1 hour ago, Bobbers said:

The more you know about us the more "sense" our reviews will make.  Hopefully.  I think that's the general consensus among the testers.  Glad it's being received that way.

100% - hopefully you'll get some insight into us, what we are looking for and who knows, a few of you may be in similar boats so it all hits home. One of the reasons I love the forum and the member reviews is that it's a bit more open and dare I say, human!

[tdroma98]

Congratulations Testers! Looking forward to reading about Runner Golf Putters! it will be an interesting testing! Enjoy! 

[Northern Monkey]

Well as it’s the last day of the week and Simon at Runner Golf said he was hoping to get the putters posted by the end of the week so I will be spending my day constantly refreshing my email feed in the hope of a despatched email

Edited March 28 by Northern Monkey

[Bobbers]

12 minutes ago, Northern Monkey said:

Well as it’s the last day of the week and Simon at Runner Golf said he was hoping to get the putters posted by the end of the week so I will be spending my day constantly refreshing my email feed in the hope of a despatched email

Umm, isn't it Thursday?  Didn't he say Friday?  

[Northern Monkey]

He said to me “end of the week” and guessing (hoping) that as tomorrow is Good Friday and a holiday that today will be end of the working week. 
At least that’s my thought process as it means it’ll be here sooner, ever the optimist

[Northern Monkey]

5 minutes ago, Bobbers said:

Umm, isn't it Thursday?  Didn't he say Friday?  

Plus as Sean is in Sydney it’ll be Friday in 3 hours for him so that’s definitely end of the week!!!

[Bobbers]

4 minutes ago, Northern Monkey said:

Plus as Sean is in Sydney it’ll be Friday in 3 hours for him so that’s definitely end of the week!!!

I get it, believe me I get it...heh heh.

[SDunne]

17 minutes ago, Northern Monkey said:

Plus as Sean is in Sydney it’ll be Friday in 3 hours for him so that’s definitely end of the week!!!

100%!!!

 

Played a round today and putting is in a decent spot in time for testing. 31 putts across the round (including one 3 putt which was due to being scared of the slope!). Fingers crossed for shipping confirmation soon!

[RTH1]

 Bon Dia, Minha mais sincera gratitde to The MGS staff and Runner Golf for selecting me for this testing opportunity. I will be reviewing the Runner Blade Style putter.
 A brief bit about me and my golfing abilities, or lack thereof, Getting close to 70 years old, golfing for 40 of them, (still aceless), clinging to a 14 hdcp. Presently, my #$%! driver has developed a rather defiant attitude and refuses to find a fairway, but in spite of that, I find I enjoy this game more than ever. My main competition these days is really just me, and that voice that says a 236-yard carry from a sidehill fairway lie, over a ravine, to a small tilted green is doable (it never was, and it surely isn't now). . My game has changed as the inevitable aging process marches on, seemingly unchecked. Regardless of my attempts to hold it at bay with stretching and exercise programs, I realize the short game has taken on even greater importance, so that is really the area I have been focused on improving.
 I am very excited about this opportunity to test the new Runner Blade, and I am especially hoping that with the adjustment features available, I can dial in the best configuration for my stroke. I thought of a few different methods of testing, contrast and comparing to my present putter, or going all in on the Runner putter, I've decided total immersion with the Runner putter would be best for me. I am not a putter collector, used only two in the last 20 years. I really want to be able to develop an honest appraisal of the feel, distance control, and consistency of this putter, and I believe that would be the best approach for me. Testing will include, of course, an indoor home mat, trying different weight positions, and analyzing the results. Hopefully, this will help to dial in the settings to fit me. Outdoor putting greens, one of which is relatively flat but large, good for distance control, also has a fringe area to putt from. The second one is larger with many undulations, which is good for testing speed control and your green reading abilities. Last but certainly not least, On course, green speed is usually between 8.5 and 10.

[StrokerAce]

UK and Australia in one test - that's awesome! Kudos to Runner for opening this up internationally. I'll def be following along. I wonder if @SDunne has played on any of those sand greens in Australia I read about?

[SDunne]

2 hours ago, StrokerAce said:

UK and Australia in one test - that's awesome! Kudos to Runner for opening this up internationally. I'll def be following along. I wonder if @SDunne has played on any of those sand greens in Australia I read about?

Haha! Thankfully/unfortunately not - although when some courses do off-season repair work it can feel like it. The local course was being mown yesterday as I went round so looked lovely

[Northern Monkey]

While I wait for my Runner putter to arrive I thought I’d post a bit of an update about Runner itself and the technology behind the product.
It does seem that these putters can be customised in pretty much every way possible and adjusted to suit your own personal set up, no matter what that may be. 
I must admit that I can’t wait for it to arrive and see how much effect the modifications have on how the product performs. 
 

Below is some of the info from Runner themselves:-
 

WHAT IF YOU COULD ADJUST YOUR PUTTER'S CENTER OF GRAVITY ? 

What if it can allow you to match YOUR daily natural PUTTING ARC & FACE OPENING ?

What if you could adjust your SMASH FACTOR, your putter's Inertia

AND your sense of touch ?

A new stunning & exclusive product designed in Normandy

A unique way to easily change your putter's balance through movable weights

More than 200 configurations & upgrade possibilities

ASSEMBLED IN NORMANDY FROM BEAUTIFULLY MACHINED 6061  GRADE ALUMINUM 

THE RUNNER
PUTTER SYSTEM 

1 - MULTIPLE SHAFT OPTIONS
Straight

Offset

33",34",35",36"

2 - 3D AIMING SIGHT

Other colors & styles coming soon

3 - INTERCHANGEABLE FACES

3°

4°

Curved

4 - RH / LH REVERSIBLE BASE

HEEL 70°

HEEL 72°

CENTER 71°

5 - RUNNER SLIDING WEIGHTS 

= 14g

= 18g

= 24g

= 32g

6 - INTERCHANGEABLE BACK STYLE

THE RUNNER ORIGINAL

THE RUNNER BLADE

THE RUNNER MALLET

 

[GolfSpy_APH]

https://www.instagram.com/stories/runner_golf/3334413433938735518?utm_source=ig_story_item_share&igsh=MWxpdDFkbGZmcWUxaQ==

Getting real!

[Northern Monkey]

That’s just gonna add to the already awesome look of this putter!!!!

[bama no 1]

I am interested on how many adjustments everyone makes.  would also like to know if a instruction manual comes with the putter, namely for not being a fitter I can see some tail chasing occurring.   good luck testers and congratulations.