L.A.B. DF3 Putters - 2024 Forum Review

[GolfSpy_APH]

It is no secret that L.A.B. Golf has taken off because of multiple wins on the PGA Tour and a greater professional presence overall. Its success in MyGolfSpy testing and the hype around the newly released L.A.B. DF3 has only increased its notoriety. 

What Is L.A.B.? 

L.A.B. stands for Lie Angle Balance. These putters, unlike other putters, are not toe-hang or face balanced. They are balanced to point at the target, meaning no twisting, no struggling to keep the face directed at the target—the putter does this naturally. 

As each golfer is unique in their putting stance and stroke, the fitting process for L.A.B. is crucial. L.A.B. has made this easy by way of their online submission. A simple step-by-step process is sent to L.A.B. and they use this video to dial in your specifications. 

L.A.B. is best known for their big and unique-looking DF 2.1, a putter that has many nicknames and certainly does not appeal to all golfers. This is where the DF3 comes in. 

Please welcome and congratulate our testers! 

@jbern 

@MattWillGolf 

@CFreddie 

@Cfhandyman 

@GolfSpy MPR 

@Steve F

 

[jbern]

Introduction

Thank you to L.A.B. Golf and the MGS Forum for this unbelievable opportunity to test the new L.A.B. DF3 putter!

As a husband and father of 3 young children (Ages are 6, 4 and 1.5 years old) my main job is reading children’s books in funny voices and expertly applying superglue and packaging tape to broken toys! I have a side gig in building creative (and mostly safe) obstacle courses for the kids to jump around on. As a family, we also like going on hikes and bike rides. The photo below is from a local hike that has a viewing/learning area about farms and crops and their various growth stages (my wife and I decided not to put our kids on any social media, so you’ll just get the backs of their heads )

We live in an area of Southern Michigan that is known for having a lot of lakes, so we try to spend a lot of time in and around the water (in the summertime) in this beautiful area. It's also a great area for golf and there are at least 12 golf courses within 20 minutes.

My day job is working as an electrical protection engineer for generating facilities throughout the state of Michigan, protecting the people and equipment within the facilities. It’s an incredibly interesting job and I’ve enjoyed it for the last 10 years!

As far as golfing goes, I started golf when I was 14 and played on the H.S. golf team. My peak handicap was 5 during that time. After high school I almost never golfed, playing 7 times over 15 years. I got hooked again in the fall of 2021 and haven’t looked back. I got my first ever fitting in the fall of ’22. I’m a proud member of the pushcart mafia and walk every chance I get (check out the Clicgear 4.0 review thread; in ‘23, I had lower scores when walking)!

I’ve put in quite a bit of practice to get my HCP from 17 in ’21 to my current HCP of 7.4. Putting has improved, but my golf game has traditionally gone as my driver goes and putting has always been my biggest weakness. Being a weak putter, L.A.B. golf putters have been of obvious interest to me, and there seems to be excitement around these putters in everyone from professionals to weekend warriors.  I love that they're using technology and engineering to try to make putting easier. I’ve had about 100 different combinations of L.A.B. putters in my cart over the past year or so! That being said, I have never rolled a single putt with a L.A.B. putter… yet!

I did a putter fitting in '22 and it was based on my static measurements and my putting stroke style. My putting stroke is straight-back straight-through so they recommended a mallet, face-balanced putter that is 33.25" long putter with a lie angle of 69*. We'll see what LAB recommends via their online fitting!

My current gamer putter is a Sub70 AL-6 armlock putter that is 39.5" long with a lie angle of 72*. I did an unofficial review last year of the putter and switching to armlock. You can see the review here. I had significant improvement switching to armlock!

VS.

Over the course of this test, I plan on putting the LAB DF3 through it’s paces in 3 main ways:

1. The key testing method is going to be on the course. Before switching to the AL-6 armlock, my average putts per round was 38.7 putts. With the armlock putter over the last 9 months my average putts per round is 34.1. Will the LAB DF3 improve my putts per round? I’m going to keep more detailed records on my putting than ever before (e.g. length of putt, make/miss, long/short, left/right, confidence over putt).
2. Tempo has been something that I’ve struggled with, so it’s what I practice most at home and so far that has consisted of rolling putts in my living room using a ruler to gauge my takeaway length and a mirror to keep setup consistent. This setup is easy, has worked and I’d like to see how quickly I establish a good tempo with the DF3.
   
3. I will also be using the EXputt putting simulator, which should be arriving any day now, to compare my armlock putter stroke to the DF3 and get data on face, path, and speed control.
   1. As a side test, I’m hoping to go to a true putter fitting experience and get their thoughts on the DF3 vs. my gamer armlock AL-6 putter.

I also want to answer the following questions:

• How long does it take to get used to the L.A.B. style of putting?
• Is going from armlock style to L.A.B. style more difficult than my transition from normal to armlock?
• Do I like the looks/feel/sound of the putter?
• How was the fitting and ordering process?

Thanks again to the MGS Forum staff and L.A.B. Golf! Let us know if you have any questions that you’d like answered throughout this test!

Fitting Experience

In order to be fit properly for a L.A.B. putter, length and lie angle are critical. LAB has a system on their website (with detailed instructions) to submit videos of a single putting stroke online (video should be 3-5 seconds). From there, they analyze the video and provide fitting results via email. Our fitting results were delayed because of a hiccup in the computer system where they lost all video submittals. My fitting results took 12 days to receive. Below is the video I submitted:

My fitting results came back with a length of 32.5" and a lie of 70*. At this point, I was able to respond back to the fitters at LAB with all of my questions. I had questions about the counterbalance option, alignment aids, shaft options, grip options, and the fact that 32.5" length is unusually short for someone 5'9". Their responses were quick and thorough! To sum up the replies, because my gamer putter is an armlock that has a putter head weight of 400g, they recommended the heavy head and the counterbalance option. The TPT shaft was recommended because it's the best at removing inconsistencies most golfers struggle with. For alignment lines, LAB replied that they are personal preference and can be combined if they don't overlap. I knew that I wanted lines from front to back, but also wanted something unique. See the final result below.

Unboxing/Initial Photos

The counterbalance option with the TPT shaft and Garsen Quad Tour 17 grip I spec’d out at 36.5" long and 70* lie angle. I decided on the blue DF3 color, with alignment lines: I (two lines), X (LAB logo), & G (line all the way to the back). This thing looks !!!

Below is the unboxing video I recorded as fast as possible after receiving the DF3 from FedEx! 

All of the testers decided to name their DF3 putters and I landed on 'Dory' because she's blue (like my DF3), has short term memory loss (necessary attribute for putting), and always finds a way to get things accomplished! Here are the initial photos of Dory right after the Unboxing!

I cannot wait to get this thing out on the course and put it to the test! First impressions coming soon...

Edited Friday at 05:08 PM by jbern
Added fitting/unboxing/initial photos sections

[MattWillGolf]

I would like to thank the My Golf Spy Forum and L.A.B. Golf for the opportunity to be a tester for the DF3 putter. This is my fourth testing opportunity for the Forum. I previously tested Paradym X Irons, Evnroll ER11v putter and the Shot Scope Pro LX+.  I have been an off and on golfer since my mid-20s, after getting out of the Army in the late 80s. I was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area and grew up across the street from Sharp Park Golf Course (an Alister MacKenzie design) in Pacifica, CA but I never played the game as a kid. The first course I ever played a full 18 holes on though was Harding Park, host to the 2020 PGA Championship. I attended the 2023 PGA Championship at Oak Hill Country Club in Rochester, NY. I had Saturday tickets and got absolutely soaked.

       

 

I live in Central New York with my wife of over 32 years. We bike, she swims (She swam the Alcatraz Race in 2016), and I now run. I never thought I’d start running again. Let alone doing so at age 59. I ran my first 5k shortly after turning 60. In the winter my wife and I like to snowshoe. (This winter was not cooperative in that regard.) I tried my hand at biathlon this past winter, but lack of snow slowed that as well. My professional life started in the U.S. Army where I was trained to maintain and repair medical equipment. Upon my discharge from the U.S. Army, I joined a medical imaging equipment manufacturer where I worked for 31 years specializing in Cardiovascular X-Ray. That company had moved me all over the U.S. My first move took me from California to Connecticut. Work then moved back across the country to the Seattle area. In 2018, my wife and I moved across the country once again to be closer to family, this time to Central New York, just outside of Syracuse. In April of last year, I joined the ranks of the fully retired. We have one son, a former Navy FMF Corpsman who is now a nurse working in Southern California. We were also excited to have a daughter in law join our family in February of this year. I was the officiant who performed the ceremony. It was a very proud day for me.

          

My current home course is Radisson Greens in Baldwinsville, NY. It is an 18-hole par 72 course measuring 6360 yards from the white tees. The course was designed by Robert Trent Jones, Sr. I have a Monday through Thursday membership there and I get out a couple of times a week. The course is very challenging, but I love the layout. It is tree lined and tight in spots with water that I have a real skill in finding. I play golf because I enjoy being out walking the course and if good scores come then it is a bonus. I am also an equipment junkie. Not that I have the budget to truly act upon this addiction, but I do enjoy the design and aesthetics of golf equipment. And if I ever won the lottery, I’d become a putter collector.

On the equipment front, my first set of clubs was a Wilson box set with wooden woods. A lot has changed in the equipment world since then. My 2024 bag has been gone through a bit of change in the last year. I was fitted for a PXG 0311 Black Ops driver last month and that is now at the top of my bag. It is an 8° driver set to 9° with a Mitsubishi Diamana S+ 60 regular flex. My 3 wood is a Gen 5 PXG 0311XF 16° set to 17° with a Mitsubishi Tensei Blue AV Raw regular flex, the hybrid is a PXG 0211 19° set to 20° with a Project X Even Flow Riptide regular flex. These clubs were "tweaked" at my PXG Long Game fitting. I have my “get out of trouble club” which is a Ping G410 Crossover 4 with a Mitsubishi Tensei Blue regular flex shaft. My irons are Callaway Paradym X 6 - 51° wedge. I put new wedges in the bag last year. Both are Vokey SM9 wedges. A 54°/12° D grind with a KBS Tour regular flex shaft and a 58°/12° D grind with a KBS Tour regular flex shaft. My putter is a 34” Evnroll ER11v. I use a Shot Scope H4 and all my clubs are tagged. (The H4 seems to have issues with my home course. It is easily confused around the greens. Which makes for spotty putt tracking.)

I am also a member of the “Pushcart Mafia” with a Clicgear 3.5+ pushcart. This is probably the single best golf accessory item I have ever owned. The Grooveit Brush ranks a very close second.

This will be my first experience with L.A.B. Golf putters. I have followed them and was considering a Mezz 1 Max before this opportunity arose. The number of L.A.B. Golf putters at The Masters is quite impressive. I will be comparing the L.A.B. Golf DF3 putter to the Evnroll ER11v I tested in 2021. During that test as with this test there will be a number of Strokes Gained putting sessions from 5, 10 and 20 feet. This test will also include a session at putting facility that offers either SAM PuttLab or Quintec putting analysis to compare the two putters.

 

The Test Match

    Vs.    

The Fitting

L.A.B. Golf through their website offers a Remote Fitting opportunity. The process is very straightforward. You simply take a video recording of your putting stroke. They ask that you wear your golf shows and that you have a vertical reference behind you in line with the putter head. The other piece of information that they need to perform the remote fitting is the length of the putter you used in the video submission. They are specific that the measurement be made from the bottom of the center of the putter face to the end of the grip. The measurement of the Evnroll ER11v putter I used was 34". 

On the L.A.B. Golf website I uploaded my video and filled out the online form with the needed information and clicked submit. I had my recommended specs the following day from a L.A.B Golf fitter. 

The Unboxing/First Impressions

I received my orange DF3 with alignment mark configuration I which is two alignment lines on the top front of the putter. Based on dialog I had with my fitter I also chose to go with the "Heavier" putter version which adds 15 grams of weight to the putter head. I game a mallet and my fitter stated that L.A.B. Golf putters are a bit lighter and that if I was used to heavier than go with that option. For the shaft I knew I want graphite. In doing research on the L.A.B. Golf website it became clear to me that graphite offered greater stability. The next point to consider was feel. My fitter highlighted the order of feel on their shaft options from softer to firmer as follows: ACCRA x L.A.B., Steel, BGT Stability ONE and L.A.B. Golf x TPT. I chose the graphite shaft will the feel in middle range of the options which was the BGT Stability ONE shaft. I had tried the various grip options at Golf Galaxy and chose the pistol grip with 2 degrees of forward press.

FedEx did not treat my shipment to kindly. But thankfully L.A.B. Golf packs their putters with ample protection.

 

I took the DF3 out onto the practice green and the feel was amazing to me. The putter feels so smooth, and I really prefer the feel and sound to the Evnroll ER11v which took some getting used to for me. The two putters do share a feature that I absolutely love. The putter has the ability to pick up a ball. It's so satisfying when a playing partner says, "That's good!"

 

Edited Friday at 04:09 PM by MattWillGolf

[CFreddie]

The Introduction

First off, massive thanks to MGS and L.A.B. Golf for this incredible opportunity - if you’ve been following me since the introduction of the DF3, I’ve had my eye on the DF3 for sometime!

My name is Chris, and I currently reside in Atlanta, Georgia, with my wife (of 9 years) and 2 children (5 and 1.5 years).  And while we do get (mostly) year-round golf, the busyness of my personal & professional life afford me those precious few rounds of golf during a typical month.   However, I hope that's changing in the coming years, as both my wife and oldest are picking up the sport I’ve known & loved for many years.  Crossing fingers it sticks!

Living in Atlanta, we have a number of “ok” options - mostly munis or semi-private tracks that aren’t maintained that well and / or way too busy.  If you get outside, you have better options, but you are looking at a full day of golf / travel, which isn’t the most conducive to having a young family.  Regardless, I make it work, and usually focus on planning my next golf trip (these are Tobacco Road & Bandon Dunes, respectively).

The Game

If you have followed a previous testing thread of mine (Cobra 50th Challenge & Member Test), I’ve been playing golf “most” of my life (most meaning once / year), but didn’t really take it seriously until the world shutdown in 2020 and it was basically the only thing you could do outside.  Since then, I’ve gotten the bug, and thrown myself headfirst into the game - first playing with hand me downs from my dad, then getting to build a fully fitted bag from Cobra (thanks again MGS - forever grateful).  

Currently, I carry a 13.1 handicap, thanks in large part to my recent performance at the end-of-season VCT Tournament (shoutout to my awesome partner @Javs).  I’ve been going through some distinct swing changes through an online swing coach / program, and have seen massive gains in my driver down to short irons (shoutout my most excellent collaborator @Preeway).  And for the most part, my putter has held its ground (although that’s pretty shaky ground at most times).  

My current gamer is a Scotty Cameron Phantom X 5.5 (similar head shape to JT / Homa / Cantlay’s putters), which I selected off the rack a couple years ago.   

The Setup

As an engineer (Go Jackets), I’ve been drawn to the L.A.B. concept for some time, and have been a huge fan of Sam / the business he’s built to this point.  Prior to being selected, I obsessed over the idea of gaming the DF3 - a putter which I believe combines some of the best aspects of their other models, particularly the stated forgiveness of the DF2.1.  And with the ability to create your own “virtual” putter on LAB’s website, I took many liberties in creating a multitude of designs - different color / shaft combinations, grips, and 33 (yes, 33) different alignment options.  Is this the one?  Stay tuned and see...  

As I think about this test, I’m planning to breakdown this process in a couple distinctive sections:

1) The Fitting - LAB offers a unique fitting experience that seems to have its  fans (and detractors).  Lets see what works well, what doesn’t, and how it could be a good option for others considering a LAB in their future.  

2) The Numbers - In order to capture the requisite data points, I’m planning to utilize Arccos as my on-course data capture tool, augmenting it with some old-school data capture techniques on my Perfect Practice mat at home and some LM time at a local Club Champion.  In addition, I’ll plan to sprinkle in some additional “mini-competitions” on a local putting green, and heck, maybe even another surprise or two (hint - anyone remember a certain Cobra test with flat-sticks last year? ).  

3) The Course - Most importantly, the DF3 will be put through its paces on the course - comparing to previously captured results from my Scotty and doing a couple head to head matches with friends of various putting prowess (maybe even a fellow MGS member perhaps?).

And with that…

The Fitting

A unique part of LAB’s model is a remote fitting process, which asks the player to create a short (3-5 second) video, using a door jamb as a reference point, and submit through their website.

Yes, its that simple - in a couple days, you get a response from your fitter who can then walk you through your measurements and answer any questions you may have.  And boy, did I have questions…

The Fitting (Part 2)

Unfortunately (or fortunately?), I had to wait a couple more days to get my measurements back from LAB.  It seems that my gamer was a bad fit (at least in the eyes of Calvin, LAB’s head fitter) for my height (6’4” gaming a 34” putter), so he asked if I could resend a video with a slightly longer putter.  Luckily, being in Atlanta, I have a number of big-box retailers close by - I headed over to my local Golf Galaxy to reshoot my video.  After finding a 35.5” Bettinardi to try, I awkwardly got a store associate to shoot a new fitting video (little did he know I would not be purchasing said Betti).  Regardless, Calvin was able to use this video to properly spec out my new putter - 35” length with a 68° lie angle (right below “stock”).

Speaking of Calvin, as part of this fitting process, I asked if he would be open to conducting a short video on the fitting process, which should hopefully give prospective buyers a (small) look the LAB magic.  More importantly, we were able to confirm final specifications for the build, including head color, headweight, shaft, and others.

Unboxing & Initial Impressions

“RRWWWGG” - Chewie

After a couple start & stops with FedEx, Chewie finally arrived this past week - notice me thanking the FedEx driver from afar.

As others have noted, LAB definitely goes a long way in protecting their putters - the box was heavily fortified with packing protection, including the actual putter, which shipped with the headcover ON (unfortunately, not every OEM does this, which is still baffling to me).  

Moving onto the club itself, the headcover has a very premium feel - thick & plush liner with two very strong magnets that enclose on both sides of the shaft.  And while the cover is quite tight, I’d imagine it will loosen up a bit over time & use.  Here's a comparison to my gamer's headcover - it may be hard to tell but the DF3s inside is much thicker (plus no horrible velcro enclosure).  One bummer, my favorite headcover (Seamus from Bandon) won't fit the DF3, which I suspected - given LAB & Seamus are Oregon companies, we need that collaboration to happen STAT.  

The two pieces of my selection that I went back and forth on was color and alignment aid.  And after seeing the putter outside the headcover, I immediately knew I made the right choice on both.  First off, the cappuccino color has a very unique finish - semi-matte but with a small bit of reflection and a deep brown color that I’m very drawn to.  Here me when I say this - the pictures on the LAB website do not do this color justice - just look at this finish!

Second, on the alignment aide - I know most / all of the other testers went with a line, multiple lines, or a combination of multiple aides, but I took a slightly different approach.  After conversing with Calvin, my left eye dominance led me to wanting a profile that had little to no distraction, hence ending up with a simple three-dot alignment aide.  At the end of the day, I realize these are VERY personal, and I’m super-stoked with my choice (along with the other testers it seems!).  

And a quick comparison to my gamer at address:

While I’m planning to get some course time this weekend, I was able to roll a couple putts on my putting mat.  As others have noted, there may be a bit of relearning the putting stroke with the DF3 - the first couple of putts were all pushed right as I was gripping the club in my typical strong grip.  However, upon lighting the grip (especially in my thumbs) and “letting the gravity do its thing”, I immediately saw a transition to a true roll from any distance.  Maybe the transition won’t take as long as I initially expected… 

Stay tuned!!!

 

 

Edited Friday at 12:45 AM by CFreddie

[Cfhandyman]

Who I am – MGS Tester Introduction

My name is Chris and welcome. I am a 65 year old male and I live with my artist wife Sue and two huskies in Oakville, in the greater Toronto area in Ontario, Canada. To put things into perspective the province of Ontario is 1.5 times larger than the state of Texas and 4 times the size of the U.K.    

 

Why I am testing: I am very grateful to MGS and L.A.B. and excited by this opportunity. I am keen to see if the L.A.B. DF3 and its lie angle balance approach to putter design works as claimed.  It was designed to eliminate torque and produce a repeatable swing. The DF3 is the smaller, sleeker version of its bigger brother, the directed force, DF2, but does it deliver the goods?  It has gained significant traction on tour and begs the question of how it stacks up to my fitted reference putter(s). 

    VERSUS    

But this is no ordinary Evnroll.  It has been fitted and modified with a stability tour shaft and an Evnroll gravity grip. For more information on this and my putting statistics, see,

What am I looking for in the L.A.B. DF3: I gave a lot of thought on how I would test this if given the opportunity before applying. I am a fairly decent putter averaging 31 to 32 putts per round based on my Arccos data.  If it proves to deliver the putter more consistently to the ball and results in more one putts, less three putts and overall, less putts per round, it will be a candidate to go in the bag permanently. I am particularly interested in how it performs from 10’ feet and in. Does it offer good value for the money?  My putter testing protocol including testing on Quintic to follow in a separate post.  Moreover, thorough testing of the L.A.B. DF3 will focus me on improving my putting and working on my putting drills. So thankyou MyGolfSpy.

   Making those short putts is critical.

Who I am: I am driven by challenges and the constant need to learn and improve and I’m passionate in what I do. I am also data driven and analytical in nature. Needless to say, I am a golf, data and equipment junkie. I have had many careers.  After graduate school, I did medical research looking at factors involved in preterm labour.  I then moved onto organ donation and transplantation, eventually running the organ donation program based out of Toronto General Hospital. Toronto General hospital (TGH) is one of the premier transplant centres and hospitals

  in the world.  They pioneered both successful single and double lung transplantation in the eighties. 

I had the distinct pleasure of working in multi organ transplant in the early days (80’s/90’s) and worked with many brilliant and incredibly smart people. Where the driving principle was you do what’s best for the patient and what does the data show.  What is the source of that data, is it evidence based, is it fair, balanced, and non promotional in nature.  You had to know your stuff and be prepared for anything.  Back then it was routine to work 24-36 hours straight procuring and transplanting organs.  Think of the guy getting off the Lear jet in OR greens with a cooler. I was that guy.  I’ve been in every teaching hospital and most ICU’s (intensive care units) across Canada and many in the US. 

  No frequent flyer miles

I’m driven by the need to learn, push myself and enjoy what I do. I then transitioned to career 3, moving to the “dark side” starting with Wyeth and then Pfizer in their Rare Disease group and the launch of Rapamycin for organ transplantation.  So, I stayed in transplant, interacted with all the people I worked with for many years, although now in a different capacity.  If you’re going to go to industry, it’s the best way to go.  Over time, bleeding disorders (hemophilia) and growth disorders were added to my portfolio but the same guiding principle of doing what’s best for the patient and what does the data actually show, guided me.  Career 4, presented itself during the pandemic and the opportunity to take early retirement with no more Zoom calls and the opportunity to be a full time golf aficionado and pickleball player was too irresistible to pass up.  My other passions are building, home renovation and cooking. When I was young, I bought a water access shell of a cottage as my first property.  Not being handy at the time, I proceeded to take courses in construction, carpentry, electrical and plumbing. I then proceeded to completely wire the cottage, plumb it, insulate it, drywall, install flooring, build the kitchen, bathroom, etc. I’ve built and rebuilt docks, decks, so hence the handyman moniker. There’s not much I can’t do, although with age comes wisdom.

   

Golf: I have been playing golf on and off for 40 plus years.  After not playing golf for 10+ years, I got back into golf at the age of 60.  I was inspired by a friend who once said, golf is the only game you can play for 30 years and never improve.  When I thought about it, it is rather true, so I was determined to do it right the second time around.   At the time I was about a 25ish handicap.  Hence lessons, fitted equipment and diligent practice. I was inspired again when I went to Tour Experience Golf (TXG) 5+ years ago and came out not only with expertly fitted and built clubs, but many new friends.  I now go at least twice a year to tweak my setup.  My current handicap is 6.3, but I have been as low as 4 or high as 8.5.  Most of my rounds are in the 78 - 82 range.  My home course is TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley featuring 3 courses all ranked within the top 60 courses in Canada and all 3 in the top 20 public courses in Canada.

      

TPC Sawgrass, I’m the guy in the middle in the blue and black. 

I love scenic, challenging courses, especially mountain or coastal courses. What drives me is hitting good shots and being consistent.  My philosophy is if you hit good shots the score will “usually” take care of itself.  If you don’t like the score, play better. I am competitive, however, I play more for the joy of the game.  I strive to improve each year and keep father time at bay.   Now, my day job is golf, pickleball and my two huskies.

  Myah (front) and Hazel (rear)

Thank you for your patience and understanding in reading my introduction.

Unboxing and Initial impressions of the L.A.B. DF3, aka the Lab Rat

 The L.A.B. DF3 putter has arrived and the blue Lab Rat is in the house.  

Overall:  An excellent opening start to testing of the L.A.B. DF3.  This is one seriously good putter.  Great weight, feel and balance.  Alignment and distance control were outstanding. Precision and accuracy are the two words that keep coming up when I think of this putter and the results convey that. Very similar putting stats versus my historical 50 round average, although with subtle and slight differences.  Where I have already seen a  difference is a slight positive trend in strokes gained as well as an slight increase in one putts and decrease in three putts.  Only one three putt after three rounds.  Two things stand out so far, how good it is inside 10 feet and its distance control.  Is it ready to replace my Evnroll in the bag?  Ah, not so fast. We’re still a long way, many more rounds and much testing from there.  However, an intriguing and impressive opening start with the L.A.B. DF3        Score 15/15

Initial impressions. This is a premium, very high quality and very well built putter. Great balance, weight and feel. It sits beautifully and feels very smooth.  The TPT shaft is premium and gorgeous.  Love the pistol grip. Overall, this putter is stunning and gorgeous. Very impressed with L.A.B. and this putter.  The looks of this putter are intoxicating. To get a custom hand built and balanced putter from the west coast in a week is insanely crazy and fast. 

Unboxing link 

 

First round and initial impressions link 

And without further ado a live unboxing of the L.A.B. Putter and initial reaction.  It’s short and only 90 seconds.

Looks:  the DF3 is noticeably sleeker and significantly smaller than the DF2.1  In person, the putter, while still unique looking, is gorgeous.  You grow to love its unique and intoxicating looks.  However, the DF3 is still a large putter.     It didn’t take long (first hole) for someone to say, what the hell is that. It’s a L.A.B.  A what?  But of course, they had to try it.  

Sound: Soft, but firm muted feel little higher in pitch than the Evnroll.  

Alignment: Exceptional alignment, very easy to align with line on my ball, Callaway Chrome soft X LS triple track 

Feel, weight and balance:  Great feel, weight and balance. Love how it’s sits and lies. The stroke is very smooth.  It provided great feedback and was very consistent, precise

Shaft/grip: Impressed by the feedback provided by LAB / TPT shaft. Very stable and instant feedback. Pistol grip felt super comfortable and felt great in my hands

Distance control:  excellent, almost made a 60’ missed by 3 inch phenomenal feel and control. Impressed from long distance.  It was very consistent, no 3 putts, 5 one putts in a round where I had 4 putts of 50’ or more  longish putts.

Stats:   Puttings stats (Arccos data) for round. Played TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley on the newly and extensively renovated North course.  In short, this is now a championship level course.  Overall, 31 putts, 5 single putts and 13 two putts.  No 3 putts.

VERSUS  (Evnroll/Stability/Gravity grip combination) - Historical Control

My putting statistics from Arccos over the last 50 rounds compared to a 0 handicap

Comments:   inside 5’ felt almost automatic,  within 10’ also very good.  As the round progressed, I felt more and more confident I could consistently make putts 10’ and less.  I made several long putts.  Another nice little touch, the hole in the putter makes it easy to pick up the ball, also known as the gimme getter.

The first few holes, I left putts uncharacteristically short by 3-4’. At this point, my wife commented you putt better with the Evnroll. Well the LAB heard that and then began to show its mettle.  I felt that once you get the proper read, set your alignment and then all you need to do is just get the ball rolling along its intended line.  Basically, take it back with your usual stroke and then let the putter do its thing.  Nice start to the testing of the DF3.

 

 

Edited Saturday at 12:28 PM by Cfhandyman
Introduction

[GolfSpy MPR]

Introduction:

I’m Michael. I like putters. My love of putters is almost certainly higher than my actual skill of putting. Putters are like quarterbacks: if your team has two, it probably doesn't have one. And if a golfer doesn’t have one putter, he’s likely not a great putter. And that’s true in my case: I have a rack of putters, a few of which typically see the course each season.

This will be my second putter review for the MyGolfSpy Forum. A couple of years ago, when I was still an active moderator, I participated in the Edel EAS review. My EAS 4.0 is, as I write this preview/introduction, still my main putter.

Summary of My Putting:

I’m not a bad putter, but I’m not an especially good putter either. My Arccos handicap is currently 9.8 (yes, that 0.2 matters a lot to me). If I tweak the comparison benchmark until it gets to 0.0 SG:Putting, I putt at the level of 13 handicap. So I’m just slightly worse than average for my current level.

But given that my goal as a golfer is to get to a solid single-figure index, I must improve my putting. What has been a lingering weakness for at least 5 years of stat tracking is my performance with “makeable” putts: those within 8’ (the 50/50 breakpoint for Tour players).

Me as a Golfer:

I’ll be 45 this summer; I am the pastor of a small church at the west end of Michigan's Upper Peninsula, where I’ve lived for the past 12 years. My wife and I have six children, ranging in ages from 13 to a few months.

Those who’ve followed me on this Forum know that my oldest son is an avid and skilled junior golfer; I play most of my golf with him and am delighted both at the time we get to spend together and the privilege of having a front-row seat to watch him play. My other son always plays on occasion, and my six-year-old daughter also enjoys playing. All three of them will participate in Drive, Chip, and Putt this year.

I play almost all my rounds every year at the one course that we have locally. They offer a clergy discount, so for $320 I can play as much golf as I wish during our six(ish) months without snow on the ground. Kirke plays for free. I never have to book a tee time; I just show up and start my round. I don’t take this privilege lightly.

The one factor of our course that will affect my testing: our greens are tiny. Pebble Beach is famous for (a lot of reasons, but relevant here) having the smallest greens on the PGA Tour. The average green at Pebble is around 3,500 sq. ft. The average green at Gogebic Country Club is 3,200 sq. ft.

This has a couple effects on this test:

• I almost never have a putt of 50’ or more.
• I miss a lot of greens relative to my handicap, despite having a relatively decent approach skill. The disparity is captured in this Arccos graphic, which shows that my total proximity is slightly better than a 10 handicap, while I hit 2 fewer greens per round than an average 10 handicap:

• Thus, I’m normally hitting my first putt from much closer than an average player of my skill level. My short game (as per Arccos) is the strongest part of my game, but this is why it’s so crucial to me that I improve in the makeable putts range. Compared to a scratch golfer, here is my current performance:

Testing procedure:

I love data and gadgets. These will play a significant role in my testing and reporting here.

In the time spent waiting for the fitting and arrival of my L.A.B. DF3, I’ll be establishing some baseline numbers with two putters from my collection: the Edel EAS 4.0 mentioned above and my Evnroll Midlock ER11v.

“What numbers?” you ask.

• I’ll be using the Putting Stability feature of the HackMotion wrist sensor to measure lead wrist stability through the stroke.
• I’ll likely use the Blast Motion sensor to track face opening/closing, loft/lie angle changes, tempo, stroke time, etc.
• I’ll also be using the ExPutt (arriving this week, according to FedEx!) to track all the club and ball data that it measures. My intention with the ExPutt is not only to track this club and ball data, but also to pit these putters against each other in matches using the practice features in the software.
• Now, on to the course! First, I’ll be using Stack Putting to compare the performance of these putters in putting comps. If the weather and time permit, I’d love to do at least three Stack Putting sessions with each putter, and then be able to compare the Strokes Gained putting numbers I’m getting with each of them.
• Once the L.A.B. arrives, I intend for that to be my exclusive gamer for the entire testing period. I’ll be collecting stats with Arccos, and I have my baseline here from Arccos with my last 20+ rounds with the Edel.

Fitting Expectations:

I will be using L.A.B.’s online remote fitting option. Until my Edel test, I had never been fitted for a putter. My Edel fitting was reassuring, because my fitter (the current owner of Edel!) more or less confirmed the things I had discovered about my putting using the “fitting by eBay” method.

I have settled on a 34” length for standard putters. I aim roughly 2° to the right on most putts and pull them. My stroke is ugly; having early on read Dave Pelz, I tried to ingrain a straight back/straight through stroke that ended up being “take it back outside the line and reroute to something useful.”

I don’t know what lie angle L.A.B. will recommend, but I suspect it will end up being fairly upright. I’m currently eyeing getting my DF3 in a counterbalanced setup, at 37”. My Edel is quite heavy, and I find a level of comfort in that. The fact that L.A.B. offers a Garsen Quad on the counterbalanced putter is awesome, because that’s currently what I’m using on my Edel.

Many of the clubs in my bag (and my whole bag and pushcart setup) have a red and black color scheme, so that’s where I’m intending to go with my DF3.

 

[Steve F]

Introduction: 

First I have to say thank you to MGS and L.A.B. golf for being selected for this incredible opportunity to test the new DF3 putter! 

My name is Steve Fradkin, I am a husband of 37 beautiful years to my wife Patti, father to three wonderful children and two grandchildren and one more on the way! My sons are both engineers and my daughter is in media sales. My children don't like their pictures on social media, so I unfortunately can's share that although I'd love to! The picture below is Patti and I enjoying a small crab feast, which is something we in Maryland love to do during the summer months! We've recently taken up Pickleball as well which is another great source of exercise! Oh, did I mention that Patti was also an extra in the film "Day of the Dead"? 

Yep... that's her with the wide open eyes! 

We live in Glyndon Maryland, a small town northwest of Baltimore. We love to get out and hike the local parks, visit the grandchildren New Jersey and just spend quality time with each other. 

My work is as an estimator at a local body shop. I owned and operated my own small body shop for 26 years, and it was a mutual decision for us to close it down when COVID hit. I am getting to "old" to be tearing cars apart and putting them back together, and COVID presented the opportunity to disengage! Now any body repairs I do are as a hobby only! 

As far as golf goes, I am clearly the newbie and honored to be included in this incredible group! This is the start of my third season golfing, and how I got in to it is a strange story. When Patti and I met, we went on a trip for American Honda to South Carolina. I was working then as a service manager, and it was one of those gatherings for obtaining information on new products and services. I was asked to golf, but had never done it before. I got talked into buying an inexpensive set of clubs, Pal Joey's. I used them once, in South Carolina. Don't ask me what I shot, it couldn't have been any good! Fast forward to 2022. My youngest son had come to stay with us, and he was looking for someone to golf with. I volunteered. I KNEW I had a set of really, really old clubs somewhere... and I found them. Pal Joey's! We got to the course, and I was hitting the ball everywhere. On a par 3, I pulled out my 7i, and proceeded to swing the head right off into the creek! Regardless, for some reason, I was hooked. I asked Patti if I could get a proper set of clubs, and I did at Second Swing, my (now) cherished Speedblades! Since that day with my son, I've been completely hooked. I try to get out at least twice a week on a course, I don't care what time or weather. As long as it's not lightning, I'll golf! Crack of dawn? Golf! Daylight after work? Golf. For the most part, Patti doesn't mind. As @jbern mentioned, I too am a proud member of the "pushcart mafia", I love walking the course!

My current gamer is a Taylormade Spider tour. 

I have a group that I have played almost every Sunday with, and one of them has the L.A.B. DF2, and he raves about it. When the opportunity came up to test, I had to throw my name in the hat. I have never been fit for a putter, so this is completely new to me. I've already started to do a baseline on with my Spider to compare with the L.A.B. DF3. 

Once the L.A.B. arrives, I am setting up time at Club Champion to get on their putting monitor to compare the two. Again, this is all new to me, and I'm ecstatic to be learning on the go! The L.A.B. recommendations came back last night, I'm going to go with their recommendations and build from there. 

My key testing is going to be on course and on the practice green. I can't say that putting is a strong suit, I averaged 2.4 putts/hole Wednesday night on 9 holes. I am curious to see the difference in the L.A.B. style of putting, and am anxious to see if it does help in lowering the average putts/hole. I currently use the GolfPad app and sensors to track my game and will be sharing that information as well. 

The questions I will be answering:

• How easy was the fitting and ordering process through L.A.B.?
• How does the DF3 feel/look/sound compared to the Spider?
• Like @jbern mentioned, How long will it take to get used to the L.A.B. style of putting?

Again, I am honored to be included with this fantastic group and thank MGS and L.A.B. for this incredible opportunity! Please let me know if you have any questions that I can answer throughout this test!

Unboxing and initial photos:
We have some serious videographers in this group, so I will apologize in advance for my unease in front of a camera! It's especially difficult when you're filming yourself!
Packaging and protection of the putter were flawless and we can also thank FedEx for their obvious careful handling of the package! Little did they know they were transporting a Black Mamba: a striker with deadly accuracy!

At first blush, the DF3 wreaks of "tech". It gives the impression of simplicity and effectiveness in a straightforward package: it's clear that a lot of thought went into the discovery, design and implementation of that design in this putter. Picking it up and comparing the feel/weight to my current gamer, TaylorMade Spider Tour, it immediately felt perceptibly lighter to me, so I of course had to go and weigh them. 

TaylorMade Spider Tour: 572g

L.A.B Golf DF3, aka "The Black Mamba": 561g

I knew that the Spider Tour felt heavy to me on the putter end in comparison to other putters I had tried, and I like that feel, so as per the recommendation of Calvin at L.A.B., I went with the heavier build on the DF3. While I have only had the opportunity as of this writing to swing the DF3 indoors on my carpet, I can safely say that the feel is completely different from the Spider: you can feel the Spider trying to twist in your hands and you don't get that sensation with the DF3. More will be revealed once I have the opportunity to get the Mamba out on course. Stay tuned! 

And apparently, there IS voodoo in these clubs! Even L.A.B. says so! Don't mess with the voodoo!

 

 

The weather has been cruddy here in Maryland of late, just received a putting matt that I ordered a few days ago, so the festivities are about to begin! I have compiled putting data through my GolfPad app that I use for scoring. I acquired the app when I decided that this was for real: I had become one of the proud addicted golfers in a relatively short time! I will upload all the data with a summary shortly for the time I've utilized the Spider. If you have any questions that I can answer, please fire away! 

The combatants: The competition to stay in the bag

Let the competition begin!

Building some indoor data for the L.A.B. DF3

 

First "official" round with the Black Mamba

 

While I'm finding the Mamba is taking some getting used to, I have found that lightening the grip with this club is proving helpful: I now understand what they mean by the "thumbless" feel. Loosen the grip and let the club help you work! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited 14 hours ago by Steve F

[GolfSpy_APH]

Let the chaos and craziness begin!

Congrats all!

[Knight017]

What an opportunity have fun guys

[garethlow]

Congrats to all the selected testers! Look forward to see some nice review for this exciting putter!

[Northern Monkey]

Congrats guys, looking forward to this one

[sirchunksalot]

Congratulations everyone! It looks like we have a great group of testers and I can't wait to hear how you all get along with these beauties. 

[IndyBonzo]

Big congratulations @jbern, @MattWillGolf, @CFreddie, @Cfhandyman, @GolfSpy MPR and @Steve F!  This is a great group, and a very intriguing test.  Best of luck.  Lots of eyes on this one!

 

 

Edited April 16 by IndyBonzo

[SDunne]

Big congratulations @jbern @MattWillGolf @CFreddie @Cfhandyman @GolfSpy MPR @Steve F - very intrigued by anything and everything LAB are doing so will be watching this one closely!

[StripeyGreenTV]

Congrats to all the testers. I’m really interested to see the results having just recently joined the LAB Golf world when I bought a 2.1 a couple of weeks ago. I tried the 3 at the same time but it didn’t give me as good results as the 2.1. I’ve already been asked how my wife does the ironing while I have this in my bag .

[JohnSmalls]

Congrats fellas.  After last year, this one will be a fun one to follow 

[Cleezemartin]

Congratulations! 

[Whiskeynick]

Congrats, I game a DF 2.1 and it’s the best thing Ive ever done for my golf game. 

[Bubba1985]

Congrats men..m curious about this one!

[ejgaudette]

Congrats everyone and looking forward to seeing how the testing goes! Also awesome intro @Cfhandyman and sounds like some fascinating working!

[Rob Person]

Congratulations all on the testing opportunity!!!

Crazy looking,  but will their be crazy results?

Good luck!!!

[Josh Parker]

Great group of testers!  Can't wait to see what everyone thinks!  Congrats!

[Bad Golfer]

Congratulations Testers!!! Looking forward to reading about how your putting performance improves with your new LAB putter.

[bens197]

Have fun!!!!

Congrats

[Swood1994]

What a group of testers! Congrats to you all, I am looking forward to your reviews! Let’s hope the DF3 ends those pesky 3 putts for all you!

[ParFore74x]

Congratulations testers! That’s a great group right there, already looking forward to your testing. 

[ajnord]

Congrats 

[Preeway]

What a great looking group of testers and congrats to all of you. Awesome intro post @Cfhandyman!

[unccross]

Congratulations those who were chosen. Look forward to reading your reviews 

[GolfSpy_BEN]

This is a fantastic group of testers! I, and the entire forum, will be following along. Without further ado… Now the fun begins