Evnroll NEO Classic Putters - 2024 Forum Review

[russtopherb]

I walked 9 last night with my son, at the local semi-private with quick greens. I had 15 putts total over the round, including 3 holes with just 1 putt.

The more I use the ER5, the more I am loving how easy it is to get the ball on the line I want. Distance control is still a bit of a struggle at times, but getting better. Part of that is simply where and how I play, going from very slow flat greens to fast, sloping ones over the course of a few dys. 

[ChitownM2]

Got out for a few more sessions with the ER8 in the last few days.  On Saturday I hit up the local 9 hole par 3 course but was running late and didn't get much time to warm up on the practice green.  This lead to a pretty egregious 3 putt on the first green but after that things were all good.  I had a couple ~10 footers that resulted in tap ins, then 2 more lags from 20' & 25' that left me with 1 foot putts.  In the end, Arccos listed my strokes gained as 0.1 strokes worse than I've been averaging 

Last night was league and I played my best 9 holes of the season.  Had some really tough lag putts and left a couple of them with more work to finish than I would have liked but managed to sink them all. Zero 3 putts on the night including a long downhill lag from 31ft and a pretty aggressive sidehill putt from 38' both of which I left within 3'.  Capped the evening off by draining a 40' putt for birdie on 18 to bring my total strokes gained for the night to +2.0 vs the 12 hdcp I've been comparing myself to.  That last put contributed +1.3 to that number but even without it I was still over a full stroke better than my recent average with the ER8 which itself is a full stroke better than what I was gaming previously.

Got a round of 18 scheduled for Thursday and another on Saturday so we'll see if I can keep this momentum going.  I've also been working on a little comparison of the ER8 vs. my gamer vs. my odyssey from several years ago and will share more on that in the future.  I need to get in at least one more session but will hopefully have something mid to late next week to share on that front.

[Marty2Shanks]

9 hours ago, ChitownM2 said:

Got out for a few more sessions with the ER8 in the last few days.  On Saturday I hit up the local 9 hole par 3 course but was running late and didn't get much time to warm up on the practice green.  This lead to a pretty egregious 3 putt on the first green but after that things were all good.  I had a couple ~10 footers that resulted in tap ins, then 2 more lags from 20' & 25' that left me with 1 foot putts.  In the end, Arccos listed my strokes gained as 0.1 strokes worse than I've been averaging 

Last night was league and I played my best 9 holes of the season.  Had some really tough lag putts and left a couple of them with more work to finish than I would have liked but managed to sink them all. Zero 3 putts on the night including a long downhill lag from 31ft and a pretty aggressive sidehill putt from 38' both of which I left within 3'.  Capped the evening off by draining a 40' putt for birdie on 18 to bring my total strokes gained for the night to +2.0 vs the 12 hdcp I've been comparing myself to.  That last put contributed +1.3 to that number but even without it I was still over a full stroke better than my recent average with the ER8 which itself is a full stroke better than what I was gaming previously.

Got a round of 18 scheduled for Thursday and another on Saturday so we'll see if I can keep this momentum going.  I've also been working on a little comparison of the ER8 vs. my gamer vs. my odyssey from several years ago and will share more on that in the future.  I need to get in at least one more session but will hopefully have something mid to late next week to share on that front.

Any overall thoughts on speed control on downhill putts - see you got one close in your update?  I am having a heck of a time taking energy off the putts and am knocking it way by the hole.  With my Scotty, I can hit it towards the toe and take 1-2 feet off without having to change my swing, but I can't seem to do this with the EVNROLL.

[ChitownM2]

I wouldn't say that I've had any issues with distance control on the downhill putts, although my thought process on those putts may be different.  I don't ever think about how much distance I'm trying to take off a putt, but instead I take into account how much slope there is and pick a spot on the near side of the hole and putt to that spot.  So I'm always approaching it thinking, This is about a 20' putt rather than looking at a 25 footer and trying to take 5 feet off.  Obviously we're doing the same thing but my approach is to just ignore where the hole is whether it's a downhill putt or a sidehill one and just focus on the spot I want to hit the ball to and then let gravity just go from there.

[russtopherb]

Hey gang, my final review of the Evnroll ER5 is up. Feel free to shoot over any questions you may have after reading!

 

[ChitownM2]

My final review is posted!  Please give it a read and let me know what follow up questions everyone has, I'd love to answer them.  As always I had a great time reviewing this putter and look forward to future reviews.  The reader reviews on clubs really are the best part of this site and I have to say MGS knocked it out of the park with the variety and quantity of them this season.

My review is probably already too long but there was one item I wanted to touch on that I couldn't squeeze in.  I know there are a lot of Arccos users on the forum so I figured I'd share a photo of how the putter sensor fits on the Evnroll TourTac grip.

 

As you can see it definitely overhangs a bit on the front and a very slight amount on the sides.  All of the TourTac grips are the same, just with a different design on them so you should have the same fit regardless of which one you choose.  It doesn't bother me as I grip further down but I know it drives some people nuts. 

 

Edited August 4 by ChitownM2

[Marty2Shanks]

On 6/11/2024 at 2:34 AM, ChitownM2 said:

Introduction

I wanted to start off with a big thank you to both Evnroll and MGS for giving me the opportunity to review the new Neo Classic ER8.  My name is Ryan and this will be my fifth product review for MGS since joining the forum.  Previously I was fortunate enough to review the Ben Hogan VKTR+ hybrid, the 2021 Maxfli Tour & Tour X, the Precision Pro NX10, and then the Edel SMS irons last season. I really enjoy doing the reviews for the site and want to give you all the best possible review I can so if there are any questions you have or something you want to see please reach out by tagging me in this thread or shoot me a PM.

I’ll be 44 years old next month and have been golfing since my teens; however most of that time I never really took the game that seriously and then had a long break from ~2010 until late 2019 when I picked the game back up.  Since 2019 I’ve made it a point to try and get out as often as possible for someone with a full time job and a son who is playing travel soccer for the entire golf season.  For me that works out to getting out once on the weekend and I’m currently playing my 3rd season in a casual 9 hole league on Monday nights.

I’ve always hovered just below a 20 handicap and have gotten it as low as 15 in the past but have been struggling off the tee this season and am back in the 17-19 range currently.  Without a doubt my driver and long clubs need work since I am very inconsistent with them.  My short game is the one thing that has actually been working for me the last couple of seasons.  Around and on the green have been somewhat of a bright spot and likely saved me from posting some really big numbers.    

I’m currently gaming the original Evnroll ER7 that I picked up used/like new 3 seasons ago.  This was my first fully milled putter and I immediately fell in love with the feel off the face.  Prior to the Evnroll I had played a couple different Odyssey models always with one of their face inserts and softer feel. Given my history with my current gamer, I am very familiar with Evnroll’s “sweet face” technology and have confidence that it works. So for me, this test is really going to be about the new face insert and how I feel about the shape of the putter vs. my current model.

Shortly after I put the Evnroll in the bag that first season I ended up going for a full bag fitting where I got on a SAM PuttLab and nothing they had in stock could beat it out.  Since then it hasn’t come out of the bag. I have ordered the Neo Classic ER8 in the same stock specs as were measured during that fitting (70° lie / 2° loft).

After I receive the putter my plan is to use my Birdieball putting mat at home to practice with the Neo Classic and get more comfortable with it and compare the feel of the new insert face vs. the solid milled face of my OG ER7. I’m very interested to see how it feels and whether it’s more like my current putter or closer to something like an Odyssey White Hot.

On that numbers side of the testing, I am an Arccos user and part of my plan is to use the data it captures to compare my strokes gained statistics with my old putter vs. the Neo Classic.  My current numbers over the last 20 rounds are as follows:

I also plan to take both putters to a local course and use their practice putting green to compare my putts and see if there are any discernible differences over various putting lengths such as 5’, 10’, and 20’ similar to how MGS does their most wanted testing.  

Ultimately I feel that a large part of putting is subjective and based on one’s confidence in the putter so whether or not the Neo Classic ER8 earns a spot in my bag is going to come down to 1) am I making more or better putts and 2) do I have that same or more confidence in the new model compared to my gamer.

First Impressions - 6/30/24 - 9 out of 10

I received my putter last week and life got in the way of me tearing the box open right away, but I’ve had some time now to get acquainted so here are my initial thoughts.

As others mentioned, Evnroll shipped the putter in a nice quality box befitting of a $400+ premium milled putter but I too was surprised to find the putter loose in the box.  For this reason I deducted a point, had the club shipped with some foam molds to hold the putter in place it's getting a perfect score here.

It was protected in a thick plastic bag with Evnroll branding and the headcover on and I could not find any damage so all's well that ends well I suppose.  In fact, I could not find a single mark on the putter.  The milling, the paint fill and the headcover all look perfect and I am a big fan of the black insert set against the satin steel finish.  I also opted for the headcover and grip from the black finish model and I think they both really help tie the look together.  My only complaint would be that the headcover is way too big for the putter and fits very loosely on the ER8 which is only a mid-mallet.  My guess is that Evnroll must only make one size headcover for mallets now as I know in the past the original ER8 model used to have a smaller version of the mallet cover (I accidentally bought one on Ebay when looking for a replacement for my ER7 back when I first got it).  

 

Standing over the putter the ER8 has a very similar look to my gamer ER7.  This was actually one of the primary reasons I chose to go with the ER8, I am a sucker for that long center alignment line as it helps me with my alignment.  I much prefer the long alignment line on my putter rather than putting a line on the ball and futzing with getting the ball aligned.  I’m sure many of my playing partners like that as well.  

For my first rolls of the new putter I set up my birdieball mat and putted some 9-10ft putts with both the ER8 and my gamer ER7 for about an hour.  I didn’t keep track of the exact numbers but my make percentage had to be close to equal with no discernible tendencies with one putter vs. the other.  Personally, I feel like my "muni" speed birdieball mat plays quite fast compared to most muni courses I play but on a green with this kind of speed my takeaway from these first putts was that from this short distance the two putters felt very similar. 

I next took the putters to my local muni for some practice on a real green.  I started off with some 20’ putts and immediately noticed the difference between the Neo Classic with the insert and my gamer without it.  The insert makes the feel noticeably softer.  There was definitely an adjustment period where I was leaving the first few short by a foot or more but it was a quick adjustment and after a half dozen or so warm-up putts I was rolling everything within 18” of the cup.  I did swap putters back and forth a few times and consistently had the same feeling that I Need to hit the putts harder with the Neo Classic.  After rolling 25 or so putts from 20’ I swapped over to 10’ putts and while I still felt I had to hit putts slightly harder it was not nearly as pronounced a difference.

Overall the softer feel is something I will have to get used to but shouldn’t be much of an issue.  Alignment and shape wise, the putter is very similar to what I was previously playing so I’m hoping the acclimation period will be short and easy.  I’ll be getting out for my first round with the putter this weekend and will have more to report!

Final Review - 8/4/24

Aesthetics - 10 out of 10

I touched on my thoughts regarding the putter’s looks in my first impressions but I can say that I love the appearance just as much today as I did when I first received it.   The black face, grip & cover pop against the matte steel finish of the head, it’s different and eye-catching without being flashy or obnoxious which is exactly what I prefer.  I will say that I would have liked a slightly bigger head but it’s not a significant departure from what I’m used to and I didn’t have much trouble adapting. 

Neo Classic ER8 on the left and ER7 on the right

Moving past the looks, the feel of the putter is where I noticed the biggest difference between this putter and my OG Evnroll.  Impact with the Neo-Classic is definitely softer than the solid milled putter.  It’s a little unique compared to anything I’ve ever played before.  The steel face feels firmer than either of my old Odyssey putters and still provides that click sound/feeling you get from a metal face which I prefer.  One thing I have noticed is the Neo-classic gives more feedback on long putts that I don’t strike at the center of the face compared to my ER7.  I haven’t been able to determine if this is due to the insert or if the head shape is just less forgiving due to being a mid-mallet vs. a more perimeter weighted mallet, the latter of which I assume has a higher MOI.  Regardless of the reason, I haven’t noticed any significant difference in distance on these mis-hit putts which is a credit to the Evnroll face doing what it’s advertised to do.  This is something that I had taken for granted with my previous putter since poorly struck putts were not as apparent as they are with the Neo-classic.

The Numbers - 17 out of 20

One thing I realized during this review is that testing putters does not exactly lend itself well to the objective kind of data gathering that one would do with a driver or set of irons.  We’re not testing with a launch monitor and looking at distance, ball speed or spin numbers, it’s much more subjective and based on self analysis.  For me it comes down to three things, did I start the putt on-line, how is my distance control and can I make a repeatable stroke.  

To address each of these I put in some time with the NC ER8 on my birdie ball mat in the evenings and also made several trips to my local course to make use of their practice greens.  As I stated above, there was an initial adjustment period getting used to the different feel off the face but after that the putter performed very well for me on the distance front.  The biggest thing I’ve noticed with the ER8 is that as my stroke gets longer I tend to push putts more often than I recall doing before.  I haven’t been able to figure out the reason for this as the NC ER8 actually has less toe hang than my ER7 (17° vs. 27° per my eyeball measurement using a printable Hireko Chart) which should translate to less pushes not more.

My untested theory is it has something to do with the grip.  My ER7 has my all time favorite grip I have ever found in a putter. It has a shape I love and a small amount of taper....it just works for me.  The TourTac grip on the NC ER8 appears to be a zero taper grip that flares out to a pistol at the top.  It feels good in your hand but it is not as deep from the top surface to the bottom surface in your fingers.

ER7 grip on top ER8 on the bottom

The other issue I’ve had is the putter just does not feel as stable in my hand as I would like.  Again this may be due to the grip but I’m not sure if that is all of the story.  I ordered this putter in the same specs as my ER7 (370g head, 34” length) but I swear that it feels lighter in my hand.  The baffling part is that the NC ER8 actually has a greater swing weight despite being lighter overall with a heavier grip.  At some point before the end of the season I will probably switch the grip as I bought a bunch of the grips I prefer after Evnroll discontinued them and were offering them on closeout.

ER8 club weight, swing weight & grip weight top to bottom on the left.  ER7 on the right

After all that it may seem like I had issues with the ER8 but that was not the case at all.  We’re talking about very fine margins here and what might be considered nit-picking.  To back that up I did attempt to do my own replica of MGS’ most wanted testing and compared the NC ER8 to my previous 2 putters (ER7 and Odyssey Marxman).  I tested over two different sessions and attempted putts from 5, 10 & 20 ft with each putter.  From each distance I attempted 4 putts with each putter and rotated through them all and then went to the next greater distance and repeated the process.  I rotated which putter went first each time to keep it fair and gave myself 2 “warm-up” putts with whatever putter was first from that distance.  I recorded the number of putts it took to hole out and then assigned a score of 10 points for a 1 putt, 5 points for a 2 putt and 0 points for a 3 putt for both the 5 & 20 ft distances.  Points were doubled for the 10 ft distance to weight that metric more heavily.  The results had the ER8 come out on top but in hindsight the sample size was probably not great enough and a couple of putts where the ball was left hanging over the cup made the difference.  Ultimately I'm comparing 3 putters that I already know worked for me, I’m betting there would have been more differentiation if I had tested the ER8 against a blade and a center shafted putter.

Marxman left, ER7 middle & ER8 right

On-Course - 20 out of 20

Cutting right to the chase, on the course is where this putter really performed for me.   No matter where I was on the green I believed that I was going to be able to leave the ball close to the hole.  Based on MGS’ testing and my previous experience with Evnroll, I knew the sweetface technology worked and it became even more apparent during this review.  Even when I could feel that I had missed a long putt out on the toe it still ended up getting to the hole.

My scores have backed up what my gut was already telling me.  This past month I’ve been playing some of my best golf of anytime in the last 12 months and while I’m sure it cannot all be attributed to the putter I’m a firm believer that confidence in one area of your game bleeds over into the rest.  As you know from some of my weekly updates, I’ve been using Arccos to track my rounds and provide some measurable way to assess the performance of the putter.  In total I played 10 rounds in the month allotted for the review which includes a mix of (5) 18 hole rounds, (4) 9 hole league nights and a lone outing to the 9 hole par 3 course.

Based on the data, Arccos has calculated a 4.4 strokes gained per round improvement in my game since I started using the Neo Classic ER8.  I’ve been comparing myself to a 12 handicap as that is a goal I’d like to achieve and while my driving and approach still needs a lot of work you can see that I’m nearly there with my putting.

Nearly half of this improvement occurred on the greens where I picked up 1.9 strokes per round compared to the 10 rounds prior to beginning the test.  That’s a 2 stroke per round improvement with the putter alone!!  I’m no expert on golf stats but that seems like a big jump for just making an equipment change.

Looking deeper into the data you can compare the stats I posted in my introduction with those below and see that I’ve cut down on my average number of 3 putts per round and significantly boosted my number of 1 putts.  You can also see that I’ve dramatically improved my putting within 10’ since that’s where you have the greatest chance to actually sink putts routinely.  For me that’s the difference between getting up and down for bogey or the occasional par vs. taking a double.  The only area I didn’t see a performance improvement was on the long to really long putts and I think this is where pushing those putts has hurt me and I’m hoping swapping the grip will improve that metric.

The Good, the Bad & the Inbetween - 18 out of 20

If you’ve read this far I think you can tell I’m pretty smitten with this putter so there is lots of good to go around.  The looks, the technology and the performance are all outstanding.  The build quality is also impeccable, Evnroll truly makes a premium product on par with any of the more popular milled brands out there like Scotty or Bettinardi.  The only negative I can come up with relates to the headcover.  I really like the design and it offers plenty of protection plus uses a magnetic closure (no velcro!) which is a personal must-have for me but I wish it was a bit smaller and fit more snugly onto the putter.  The one size fits all approach of offering their standard mallet cover for this mid-mallet putter kind of irks me a bit.

The inbetween for me isn’t a fault with the ER8 but with the head options Evnroll is offering with the Neo Classic line.  As someone who does not like fang style putters but has always played a mallet, my only choice was to go with this mid-mallet option.  I would have greatly preferred to get the face insert on the ER7 style or one of their “spyder” clones such as the ER10 or 12.  I think either would have provided more stability to the head which is something most mallet players are looking for.  Perhaps in the future they will expand the line-up since I believe there are others like me out there who would like the face insert technology in a few more head options.

Play it or Trade it? - 19 out of 20

Without a doubt the Neo Classic ER8 is staying in the bag!  The putter works well with my small arc stroke and I have confidence in it whenever I stand over the ball.  I’m proud to have it in my bag and love showing people the Sweetface and explaining how it works.  Overall it’s competitively priced against milled options from Scotty, Betti, and Toulon but provides more tech than any of them. 

Conclusion

Overall the Evnroll Neo Classic ER8 putter is a great option for someone looking for a new mallet or a blade player looking to transition.  The proprietary Sweetface technology really works well at maintaining consistent distance regardless of the strike location and can help anyone who isn’t making dead center contact on every stroke.  The putter looks great and has a few customization options for those who are willing to order it direct.  Personally, it has already cut 2 strokes off my game and I’m hoping I can improve on that figure slightly by switching to my preferred grip.  I don’t think there is much more anyone could ask for from a putter!

Final Score - 93 out of 100

Great review!  Two things jumped out - I am definitely going to do the MGS putter testing protocol you used and provide a future update on the ER2 to the forum thread; and that cover would irk me to no end if I just dropped $400 on the putter - UNSAT!!!!

[ChitownM2]

After re-reading my review this morning I realized I didn't do a great job of noting why I deducted points where I did so here is a little explainer:

First Impressions - 1 point deduction for the putter shipping loose in the box

The numbers - 1 point deduction because I'm pushing longer putts, 1 point deduction because the head doesn't feel as stable in the stroke as I would like and another 1 point deduction because I can't figure out what's going on with the club feeling lighter.  The clubs are the same length and supposed to be the same headweight, therefore the club with the heavier grip should have the lighter swingweight but it doesn't and is in fact a full SW point heavier.  The only logical conclusion is that the head is heavier than what it should be, but I did remove the weights and confirm they are 27.5g each which lines up with the available weight options vs. head options.  Based on my calculations the head weight without weights should be 315g and then they add 24g, 40g, 55g, 70g or 85g to get head weights of 340, 355, 370, 385 or 400g.

The good, bad & Inbetween - 1 point deduction for the fit of the headcover and 1 point deduction for the lack of mallet head options

Play it or trade it! - 1 point deduction because the numbers say I have gotten slightly worse at really long putts.  While I'm hoping a grip swap will fix this, I'll be switching to a grip that you can no longer get with the putter and is unavailable to everyone who isn't crazy like me and ordered 5 putter grips they didn't need at the time .  

Edited August 5 by ChitownM2

[AndySP]

On 6/11/2024 at 2:34 AM, AndySP said:

FINAL REVIEW

Hi everyone!  I just uploaded my final review on the front page.  Hope you get some insights from it.

[Marty2Shanks]

On 6/11/2024 at 2:34 AM, AndySP said:

Hey everyone, I’ve been selected to test the ER 2.2, (the wide blade plumbers neck), and I couldn’t be more psyched!

Preamble:

Before I talk about me I just want to praise the MyGolfSpy forum for being the one place on the internet where I can talk about golf and gear without all the…well…other stuff, on social media.  Every time I jump on I  learn something, and I love participating as a part of this group.  I was a tester of a Caley driving iron last year and thoroughly enjoyed it.  So, I’m honored to have been chosen here and I hope some of you can use my experience in the same way I’ve learned from yours. 

Bio:

Briefly, I’m a 36-year-old “young attorney” with a masters degree in philosophy.  I’m married and have a 5-year-old daughter.  Despite my degrees, I love diving into objective data.  I read the most wanted tests, comb through the graphs religiously and love the deep dives here on the forum and on the podcast. 

Im originally from Chicago, north shore (wonder if fellow tester  @ChitownM2 and I have played some of the same courses?).  I  moved to NYC for grad school and now live and play in north central New Jersey.  I get a reliable 9 holes every weekend, use a day to practice,  and find additional rounds here and there.  I consider this my 2nd act as a golfer. I learned how to play golf around age 6 with my dad and grew up without the benefit of launch monitors, strokes gained or independent testing.  I  played and fit my equipment by feel, using lead tape, lie boards and guessing.  Vestiges of my upbringing exist on my current putter: 

MyGolfGame:

When I played golf on my high school team, at 5’4” and 100 lbs (at best), I could not keep up off the tee, but did rely on my irons and short game to keep up.  After high school, I stopped playing to focus on my studies and spent more time rock climbing.  I’m still an active rock climber in the colder months. Because of it, I eventually put on some muscle and developed decent speed for my size and turned the tables on my game.  (I posted about my speed training in the Stack System discussion).  

Lately, my putting which is traditionally bad, has been embarrassingly bad.  Of course, I am capable my golf game includes both great moments and gaffs everywhere on the course as seen by my playing partner last week:

(Great look on a 2nd into a par 5….Not so great 2nd on the next par 5)

Normally, the most consistent par of my game is comparatively mediocre putting.  That said, I’m optimistic.  I believe I’m on the upslope, having spent some time practicing reading greens and dialing in my setup.  Nevertheless I am an unofficial 6 hcp, who sinks and swims by the putter:

Testing Goals:

My ultimate goal in this test is to determine whether the Evnroll technologies can save me a few strokes.  My putting weakness knows no bounds—lag putting distance control and the short ones frustrate me.  

I been using that Mizuno M-craft IV for 3 years.  I love the looks and feel despite the my lackluster results with it.  Interestingly, at the time I bought it, the Evnroll ER2 was my 2nd choice—and it took me about an hour to choose between the two.  I ended up choosing the Mizuno over the Evnroll for a three primary reasons:  (1) The Mizuno produced a calmer ‘tock’ sound compared to the slightly off putting “ting” sound in the Evnroll; (2) I didn’t like how double bend neck felt or looked, and (3) the grip on the Evnroll wasn’t right compared to the Mizuno. (I like a skinny rubber grip.) 

The Neo Classic ER2.2 with the new face, new grip choices and plumbers neck adresses all three points and has got me wondering big time.  Also, I’m really excited to be able to test them against each other on an actual putting green to see whether the tech manifests and a shot here and there. 

Despite all the lead tape on my clubs, I do appreciate aesthetics.  In fact, I owned a 2-ball putter after it won most wanted a few years ago…for about one month.  I couldn’t get over the look.  It now lives in an old bag in the basement.  It probably deserves a better home.

I love the classic-esqe look of the wide blade, and the balance between clean lines and forgiveness they seem to bring.   From middle school all through high school and when I more seriously re-started again around age 30, I used  this Scotty Cameron Studio design #1:

While you won’t see me with a L.A.B. putter anytime soon, or well, at least while I can keep my putts under 40, getting into something that brings back the magic (real or imagined) of that old thing is the real dream. 

I promise to do my best to evaluate this putter in a way that helps all of us, to be here to answer any questions, and try anything you guys think I may have missed. 

I can’t wait to get going for a proper test!

 

FINAL REVIEW

1a. First Impressions (8 out of 10)

When I picked my putter a few years ago, an Evnroll ER2 was my second pick. At the time I based my decision on feel, look and price. So now that I get to test this without the price consideration I feel like I can really give it an unbiased review. 

Going through the webpage to pick things out was easy enough. You can choose the loft, and lie and length, or choose a standard option that has a quicker ship time.  Being a tiny person with long arms, I’m living in the custom options no matter what.  I went with the length of my current putter, 31 5/8”, with the standard loft and lie. They have an enormous selection of grip and head-cover options. For the headcovers there were lots of fun upgrades with cool, fun designs like “Birdie Town” in the Vegas script and the “dancing El all-over logo print.   I went with the Neo script white cover in the end, maybe because they had cool pictures of it in the site.

As for grips, you can choose from Big and small, shapes, weighted and not, it’s all pretty cool.  I actually tried a gravity grip a few years ago, but I could never get used to the poly texture. So, I went with something familiar to me, a skinny 70g grip.

A few weeks later it arrived at my door!  

Sadly though, I can’t rate my first impressions 10/10 because my putter arrived in a suspect shipping container with no bubble wrap or other protection, just floating around lonely in the middle of a big box.

I immediately noticed when I picked up the box and felt a big “thud” when the putter shifted to the bottom of the box.  It made my heart sink a little. While I found no damage, it’s not hard to imagine how things could have gone wrong, and how an unluckier customer would be pretty disappointed. 

That aside, out of the box and in my hands, I could immediately tell Evnroll makes an undoubtedly well-crafted putter. I could find no flaws anywhere.  Whether or not it makes any performance differences, (probably not), this is not like the standard cast ping and odyssey putters that I have had in the past.  Perfect machining, immaculate milling on the face, and a sharp finish. I was smitten. These kinds of details aren’t really apparent to me when testing a club, but they shout at you when you finally have it at home:

The putter head came wrapped in a weighty, head-cover with smooth leather and cool embroidery.

The grip has a cool Evnroll embossed pattern and has a classic shape similar, but less aggressive to the contours than my beloved Lamkin Deep-Etched:

Before hitting my first few putts with it, I tried to recall the looks and feel of older model of the ER2.  On the first putt, the biggest difference I noticed was the softer feel off the face, and the lack of that ping-esq sound in the non-insert one.   This version, with the hybrid-insert face is definitely more muted, softer, but not plasticy…perhaps “refined?” Anyway….onto the looks.

 

1b. Aesthetics ( 10 out of 10)

So I’m no connoisseur of premium putters, but the sharp end of this thing is practically perfect.  The milling is pristine, the face insert is dead flush, the finish is immaculate and the paint is perfect:

The shape is a very balanced. I’d be shocked if something out there looked better off the shelf.  If you like the look of the double wide, then this putter should definitely be in your list to test.  

To my eye it’s a little more rounded tha the Mizuno, and as a result looks a little more compact heel to toe.  It frames the ball nicely, and the slightly thinner top line makes the Mizuno look chunky in comparison.

(Left to right is a Ping Anser, Evnroll ER2.2, and Mizuno Mcraft IV)

The double dot on the on the top also looks great and even helps with eye alignment. Centering the alignment line between the dots provides a nice double check that your eyes are over the ball (if that’s what you like).  I previously experimented with a sharpie dot on my other putters, but I like this refined version more. 

2. The Numbers (18 out of 20)

This section means a lot to me as a historically bad putter.  To avoid unintended bias, I used the Stack app to collect strokes gained numbers for my practice sessions and during rounds.  For those who don’t know, it’s an app that allows you to plug in your putting results (distance and break) for each putt, which is then sent through the strokes gained formula as well as other statistical comparisons.  Because I’m just pacing things out (based on a measurement of my stride), it’s not quite PGA tour level accurate, but I think it’s plenty good for me.  I also compared the numbers to the Mizuno periodically to make the comparisons understandable. Notably, I got some conflicting results. 

 

Practice:

For the practice sessions at home I set up a home brew start line test with a ruler and puttout. I decided on this method to test a claim I saw on the website, namely, that the grooves redirect the ball to be straighter.  

I was skeptical of this claim, so given that the only major differences between the Mizuno and the Evnroll are the grooves and the neck, I went to work.  I marked the putts as a make only if the ball rolled down the ruler and rolled back to me in the puttout.  Often the ball would roll the full length only to hit the devise and lip out. I found it easier to mark them missed there then accurately determine if the ball came off the center of the ruler.

I collected 200 attempts with each putter. I tried my best to address each putt carefully to avoid any bias and never hit more than 20 in a row with either.

So besides demonstrating terrible putting abilities, I think these numbers also suggest that I’m a little better at keeping the start line with the Mizuno.  That said, after all the putts, I only accumulated 6 more putts (3%) with it.  While I don’t know if my sample size is big enough to suggest a pattern, I don’t think the data is worthless either.  I want to keep doing the test a few more times to see if a more convincing pattern appears.  

I did uncover a notable difference that is not related to just made puts at least. I found a noticeable (28%-64%)  right bias with the Mizuno, compared to a more even (51%-47%) miss pattern with the Evnroll.  Not sure if that’s good or not, maybe someone here has an idea? Instinctively, a more even distribution sounds better…

Overall though, I’m not convinced the Evnroll grooves redirect the ball back to center.  I hit a lot of putts and I felt the biggest difference between the two was in how the face rotated through the impact area.  The difference between made and missed along the ruler is about .5 degrees on either side give or take.  The Evnroll, with its higher balance point felt slightly lighter, despite being the same overall weight to the gram. So, about out a week after the rest I added some lead tape to try to match the feel.  I have already started a round 2, and will provide an update as soon as I’m done to see if that helps.

 

Putting green:

Here the results are also mixed but trending better for the Evnroll.  I completed two of the premier sessions on the same practice green, which I provided here, but I plan to do more on other surfaces.  For those who have never see the test, the app makes you play “18 holes” that includes a variety of puts from 4 to 30 feet. The first two tests were done about a week in, and the last happened 6 weeks later. 

As you can see, the app grades them tied.  I see a noticeable difference on long putts though.  With the enroll, I gained about a stroke on putts longer than 7 feet.  I really struggled holing out the short ones with the Evnroll for some reason.  My hunch is that the putter’s swing weight affects the smaller stroke length for me.  As a nervous putter, I wonder whether the extra weight feels smoother and leads to more consistency.  As I noted above, I already began testing this theory. 

 

3. On Course (19 out of 20)

I also used the stack app to track strokes gained on the course. These numbers are compared to a 6 hcp, because that’s about as good as I play and it’s too painful to compare myself to a scratch golfer.  Here the edge belongs to the Evnroll:

 

The long putts make up the biggest difference. The data says I am about a stroke better per round with the Evnroll for putts 17 to 30 feet.  I think it’s no stretch to say that the sweet face tech is responsible at least to some degree.  I can’t say 100% that I notice the difference, but that’s why strokes gained is so important.  My game relies on getting a decent number of GIR, and so while I didn’t see any change in my scores, it’s probably because I’ve simultaneously wasted away shots with my wedges recently. I’m confident the putter is helping me out by about a half of a stroke and that I will see that born out as soon as I sort out my 50 yard and in game.

On a more subjective level, there a few other things that make me really like this putter. First, the way it lines up with the plumbers neck looks really square. It’s hard to explain, but I feel more confident lining up putts.  Getting confidence with the putter is something that I could really use, so I am very happy with this unexpected benefit. 

Second, it’s really easy to hear/feel the mishits.  I hear a noticeably lower pitch for off-center strikes.  My Mizuno does not provide the same kind of feel.  After living with it for a few weeks I’ve grown to really appreciate it.  It’s like having blade irons feedback without the corresponding result.  Having additional feel on the golf course has helped me diagnose the causes of missed putts.  Because I putt heads-up, it has been especially valuable.  In the shop, I think I would have passed on this putter because of the same feedback, but now that I’ve lived with it for a little, I am beginning to regret my decision…

 

4. The Good the Bad and the In-Between (17 out of 20)

So I’m using this section really to describe the only two things that bothered me. The first is that the grip was installed with a gap at the bottom. It’s kind of hard to get a good picture of, but the bottom 1/2 inch of the grip does not touch the shaft:

I know that it takes extra steps to get the bottom to fit right when you cut down a putter as short as I do, but I expected for the price, that they would have added the layers of tape to make it sit nice. The picture on the left shows what I did to build up the grip on my own.  I’m disappointed that I will have to remove the grip to fix it. 

I also came to dislike the magnetic opening for the headcover. It might sound silly, but the magnets are too strong. It’s hard to take off with one hand, and because they snap shut so tight all the along the edge, it’s annoying to slide it onto an alignment stick, like I usually do. It’s only an extra 2 seconds, but I notice it every time. As much as I really like the cover, I might ditch it for a velcro cover. 

I used to think of Evnroll as a bit gimmicky, but this test opened my eyes to their putters. While I didn’t find sweet face technology to be magic, it proved to me that it’s legitimate.  That’s the story of golf tech though—everything is a “breakthrough game changer” when it’s really just a little bit better.  I’m happy that it’s a little bit better—I wish sometimes the advertising would chill a little.  

Anyway, in my opinion, Evnroll putters belong in the same league as Scotty, Bettinardi, and Tulon. Their advantage is that they have added something that affects scores on top of making expertly crafted designs. 

 

5. Play it or Trade it (10 out of 20)

 

So I’m not the kind of person who changes gear easily.  I like to be 100% confident in everything I have. So that said, despite everything being pretty stellar, I’m still on the fence right now.  I like the putter, and I have gotten decent results with it, but I am more confident on the short putts with my Mizuno.  My next steps will be to  change the grip on the Evnroll, keep testing and then see where it shakes out.

I will provide regular updates, and update my review here as time passes.  

 

6. Conclusion

Evnroll achieved the almost impossible task of building a beautiful putter with demonstrable technology.  Whether the technology leads to performance gains is difficult to see in the data, but the putter’s craftmenship speaks for itself.  Regardless of the results, I immediately felt comfortable over the ball, which is worth a lot.  I had some minor issues with the assembly and the packaging, but overall, it’s a great product. 

Thinking about it a little more, If I could have everything in one putter, i think it would be cool to have this face with the defending loft tech from SIK. I think the two of those together would be remarkable.

 

Total score (82 out of 100)

 

Great points and I totally agree on the headcover magnets; its such a great headcover until you have to wrestle the thing open.  Still the nicest one I’ve ever owned but you definitely earn it taking it off/putting it on.  Also great point about the grip.  I tried the OEM rubber pistol as well and it just didn’t work on those 3-6 footers.  I replaced with the EVNROLL TourTac and it was much better; hopefully you will get similar results with a different grip.

[AndySP]

20 hours ago, Marty2Shanks said:

Great points and I totally agree on the headcover magnets; it’s such a great headcover until you have to wrestle the thing open.  Still the nicest one I’ve ever owned but you definitely earn it taking it off/putting it on.  Also great point about the grip.  I tried the OEM rubber pistol as well and it just didn’t work on those 3-6 footers.  I replaced with the EVNROLL TourTac and it was much better; hopefully you will get similar results with a different grip.

Thanks! Yeah I never imagined magnets  would have that issue, lol. 
 

I am torn with the grip. I actually bought a rip-off Pistolero grip because I remember liking it when testing some time ago. I think I will try it first. 
 

I did like the TourTac too, but for some reason I just don’t get along with the foam/poly grips…something about the texture bothers me. 

[AndySP]

On 6/11/2024 at 2:34 AM, ChitownM2 said:

The other issue I’ve had is the putter just does not feel as stable in my hand as I would like.  Again this may be due to the grip but I’m not sure if that is all of the story.  I ordered this putter in the same specs as my ER7 (370g head, 34” length) but I swear that it feels lighter in my hand.  The baffling part is that the NC ER8 actually has a greater swing weight despite being lighter overall with a heavier grip (playing lengths are identical).  At some point before the end of the season I will probably switch the grip as I bought a bunch of the grips I prefer after Evnroll discontinued them and were offering them on closeout.

Yo, I felt the  same way! I’ve added about 13g of tape and it still feels a bit light, even though it’s now the heaviest putter I own, haha. I’ve been wondering if it’s the neck style throwing me off, but it looks like you have the double bend on both.  Hmm. 

[ChitownM2]

23 hours ago, AndySP said:

Yo, I felt the  same way! I’ve added about 13g of tape and it still feels a bit light, even though it’s now the heaviest putter I own, haha. I’ve been wondering if it’s the neck style throwing me off, but it looks like you have the double bend on both.  Hmm. 

Yeah I don't know what it is. Like I said it may be the grip but I won't have time to do anything with it until next week at the earliest. 

Both putters have a single bend shaft fwiw, I believe that is why they have the toe hang that they do instead of being have balanced like most (all?) double bends are.

[fixyurdivot]

On 6/19/2024 at 5:49 PM, AndySP said:

I came home to a very exciting package tonight! My 5-year-old almost opened it up before me, haha.  Good thing it was taped up nicely!
 

I will put together my initial thoughts soon, (I have plenty),  but I figured I’d make a little teaser…

 

Flavor Flav on Evnroll putters...

Good reviews testers.  No big surprises that the NEO Classics rolled them very well.

Edited August 7 by fixyurdivot

[AndySP]

Quick update:  changed the grip on my ER2 from the 70g pistol to a Pistolero copy-cat. Here are some pictures of the grips I rotate between for those who are curious. 

top to bottom = Lamkin Deep etched, Fake Pistolero, Evnroll 70g, Golf Pride Tour Classic

The “ax handle” of the faux Pistolero grip is much more pronounced, and from what I under stand, beyond the feel change, promotes a more closed face at impact, see here:

https://ping.com/en-us/blogs/proving-grounds/pistol-grips

 

As soon as I get through some more start-line tests, I’ll post up the result. 

[ChitownM2]

First weekend with no golf in a while for me (was busy at the above for 2 afternoons/night) but will be back at it for league tonight and hope to get a chance to swap out the grip later this week and see how that works going forward.

[Marty2Shanks]

Good morning MGS community!  Back from a vacation with the family and finally drying out after Debby came through.  Wanted to get back to testing the putter and continuing to provide thoughts on the putter.  My review is up, but I got some inspiration from the other testers and wanted to expand the testing pool a bit.  First, you can read my initial review here:

For this test, I am stealing from @ChitownM2 and doing the modified MGS putt test.  I will test six other putters against the EVNROLL NC ER2 and see who comes out on top.  Here is the list of putters I am using:

My Cleveland HB Soft 14 is currently with my son's girlfriend and not available for this test.

Putters for left to right: EVNROLL Neo Classic ER2; Scotty Cameron Studio Select Fastback 1.0; Odyssey Black Series #2; Taylormade Burner Milled NC-3; Taylormade Burner Milled NC-0; Cleveland HB Soft 10.5; Nike Method Converge S1-12

For the test I am setting up six positions around a hole at 5-10-20 feet and hitting three putts from each position.  I am only testing three putters per session as my back starts to hurt after that many putts.  Also, I typically use an alignment line on the ball for all my putts, but for this test I am just rolling the ball into position and hitting it; no lining up the ball on my intended line.  I want to get an idea of how instinctual each putter is for me.  I didn't use any particular order, just grabbed the nearest grip and used that putter.

5-Foot Test Results

Well, the EVNROLL NC ER2 is the clear leader after the five foot test.  I admit there is some recency bias with this putter, so am not surprised with the results.  I also felt very comfortable with the Nike and the Taylormade Burner NC-0.  I am surprised at how bad I did with the Scotty Cameron.  That was my previous gamer and I just couldn't instinctively align that thing.  As noted earlier, I usually use a ball alignment line and align the putter alignment aide to the line; but not using any alignment aide really caused me issues with the Scotty Cameron.  Through the first three positions the Cleveland HB Soft 10.5 was leading, but then fell off pace with the downhill right-left putts.  I just couldn't get the pace or line.  I also had trouble with the Odyssey Black Series on the downhill putts - just couldn't find the speed.  The Taylormade Burner NC-3 was just bad all around.  That putter has a very slim grip and I don't like those, so am not surprised I went full dumpster fire. 

Scoring: 1 Putt = 10 points; 2 Putt = 5 Points; 3 Putt = 0 Points

Should have the 10 foot test done within the next two days, so will see if the EVNROLL can keep or extend the lead or if another putter will have an inspired performance and close the gap.

Edited August 14 by Marty2Shanks

[ChitownM2]

1 hour ago, Marty2Shanks said:

.... Also, I typically use an alignment line on the ball for all my putts, but for this test I am just rolling the ball into position and hitting it; no lining up the ball on my intended line.  I want to get an idea of how instinctual each putter is for me....

I always think this is important to be able to stand over the putter and be confident in where you are actually aimed.  It's why I prefer a long alignment line on my putters, in your case it' usually on the ball which works out to be the same generally.  I honestly have no idea how people who only get a site dot or bare putter align the thing if they don't use the line on the ball either.  I feel like just trying to visually check the face is square to the target is hard to do unless your starting line spot is in your field of view at address.

[Marty2Shanks]

33 minutes ago, ChitownM2 said:

I always think this is important to be able to stand over the putter and be confident in where you are actually aimed.  It's why I prefer a long alignment line on my putters, in your case it' usually on the ball which works out to be the same generally.  I honestly have no idea how people who only get a site dot or bare putter align the thing if they don't use the line on the ball either.  I feel like just trying to visually check the face is square to the target is hard to do unless your starting line spot is in your field of view at address.

As of a couple years ago, I didn't use alignment aides; I just tried to pick a spot a couple feet in front of the ball and hit over that spot.  I eventually found that trying to pick a spot and keep it in my sight was too difficult.  That's when I switched to using an alignment line on the ball and a putter that has an alignment line, so I can just line up the two and go.  I think that is a reason I get along so well with the EVNROLL...the alignment line is very pronounced and is basically the same width as I put on the ball.  Also, setting up the grip a couple degrees closed has really helped me take the right side miss out of my mind. 

[ChitownM2]

2 hours ago, Marty2Shanks said:

As of a couple years ago, I didn't use alignment aides; I just tried to pick a spot a couple feet in front of the ball and hit over that spot.  I eventually found that trying to pick a spot and keep it in my sight was too difficult.  That's when I switched to using an alignment line on the ball and a putter that has an alignment line, so I can just line up the two and go.  I think that is a reason I get along so well with the EVNROLL...the alignment line is very pronounced and is basically the same width as I put on the ball.  Also, setting up the grip a couple degrees closed has really helped me take the right side miss out of my mind. 

I'm kind of the same way.  I find my line and then follow it back to the ball and try to pick out something 12-30" in front of the ball that I can roll the ball to and then check the alignment line on my putter to make sure I am aimed properly.  I find it's much easier to mentally project the alignment line out no more than ~2' and make sure I'm set up correctly.  

More than likely if I can roll it over that spot or close enough to it then I'll end up with a make-able second putt since it all really comes down to distance control vs. perfect alignment once you get outside of say a 5' distance

Edited August 12 by ChitownM2

[Marty2Shanks]

On 8/12/2024 at 12:32 PM, Marty2Shanks said:

Good morning MGS community!  Back from a vacation with the family and finally drying out after Debby came through.  Wanted to get back to testing the putter and continuing to provide thoughts on the putter.  My review is up, but I got some inspiration from the other testers and wanted to expand the testing pool a bit.  First, you can read my initial review here:

For this test, I am stealing from @ChitownM2 and doing the modified MGS putt test.  I will test six other putters against the EVNROLL NC ER2 and see who comes out on top.  Here is the list of putters I am using:

My Cleveland HB Soft 14 is currently with my son's girlfriend and not available for this test.

Putters for left to right: EVNROLL Neo Classic ER2; Scotty Cameron Studio Select Fastback 1.0; Odyssey Black Series #2; Taylormade Burner Milled NC-3; Taylormade Burner Milled NC-0; Cleveland HB Soft 10.5; Nike Method Converge S1-12

For the test I am setting up six positions around a hole at 5-10-20 feet and hitting three putts from each position.  I am only testing three putters per session as my back starts to hurt after that many putts.  Also, I typically use an alignment line on the ball for all my putts, but for this test I am just rolling the ball into position and hitting it; no lining up the ball on my intended line.  I want to get an idea of how instinctual each putter is for me.  I didn't use any particular order, just grabbed the nearest grip and used that putter.

5-Foot Test Results

Well, the EVNROLL NC ER2 is the clear leader after the five foot test.  I admit there is some recency bias with this putter, so am not surprised with the results.  I also felt very comfortable with the Nike and the Taylormade Burner NC-0.  I am surprised at how bad I did with the Scotty Cameron.  That was my previous gamer and I just couldn't instinctively align that thing.  As noted earlier, I usually use a ball alignment line and align the putter alignment aide to the line; but not using any alignment aide really caused me issues with the Scotty Cameron.  Through the first three positions the Cleveland HB Soft 10.5 was leading, but then fell off pace with the downhill right-left putts.  I just couldn't get the pace or line.  I also had trouble with the Odyssey Black Series on the downhill putts - just couldn't find the speed.  The Taylormade Burner NC-3 was just bad all around.  That putter has a very slim grip and I don't like those, so am not surprised I went full dumpster fire. 

Scoring: 1 Putt = 10 points; 2 Putt = 5 Points; 3 Putt = 0 Points

Should have the 10 foot test done within the next two days, so will see if the EVNROLL can keep or extend the lead or if another putter will have an inspired performance and close the gap.

10-Foot Test Results

Got out there and finished up the 10-foot test...some interesting results.  Overall, the EVNROLL Neo Classic ER2 is still out in front, but there was a slight chink in the armor.  The Scotty Cameron and TM NC-3 had big comebacks. The Cleveland HB Soft and TM NC-0 dropped off.

I chose the most sloped practice hole at the Augustine Practice Green for the 10-foot test.  This really came into play on position 5 which was a downhill right-left putt.  Hitting it long above the hole resulted in a 4-5 foot severe breaking left-right comeback.  Each 3 putt below was that same putt, and I missed 4 of 6 of them....

As a reminder, I normally use a line on the ball to align the putt, but for this test I am just rolling the ball into position and hitting the putt.  For the results, the EVNROLL is still comfortably leading the pack.  It would have tied for the lead in the 10-foot test save for the 4 foot left-right comeback...I hit the ball too hard and missed on the high side.  Other than that, most of the misses were very close and I was able to better control the putter on the downhill putts.  The Scotty Cameron performed better as I tried to get the putt close instead of trying to make it, so it took pressure off trying to perfectly align the putter.  The big surprise was the TM Burner NC-3, which was terrible on the 5-foot test, but performed much better on the 10-foot test.  Since this putter has the very slim grip, which I don't like, I grinded very hard to get this putter close.  I would admit that I biased the results as I spent more time on this putter than the others; and it made me work way too hard to get the same results I got with the Scotty Cameron.  The Nike Method kept plodding along, and I had a big dropoff with the TM NC-0 and the Cleveland.  I just didn't feel comfortable with those putters.  Overall, I still feel most comfortable with the EVNROLL NC ER2, and save for a putt I missed with 3 other putters, would have tied for the lead in this test. 

Scoring: 1 Putt = 10 points; 2 Putt = 5 points; 3 Putt = 0 points

With one more test to go, the EVNROLL is looking very good and I do feel the most comfortable with this putter.  I should be able to finalize this test by the end of the weekend (pending some possible rain this weekend).

[ChitownM2]

Definitely some interesting results there.  Are you finding that you do better or worse with a given putter depending on the order you hit them?  When I was doing this testing I did feel like I got better with the big breaking ones as I got more looks but some of that benefit was counteracted by having to re-adjust the distance control changing between putters.  

Curious to see how it finishes up with the 20 footers

[Marty2Shanks]

7 hours ago, ChitownM2 said:

Definitely some interesting results there.  Are you finding that you do better or worse with a given putter depending on the order you hit them?  When I was doing this testing I did feel like I got better with the big breaking ones as I got more looks but some of that benefit was counteracted by having to re-adjust the distance control changing between putters.  

Curious to see how it finishes up with the 20 footers

Definitely worse.  I didn't have any expectations using the first putter, so was loose and just putted.  The other putters I knew the line so my anxiety went up thinking I should be making more putts, and I did worse.  I have not used the EVNROLL first so far, and actually will intentionally use it last in the final test to see if I can overcome my anxiety and still putt best with it. 

[Marty2Shanks]

Well, it was bound to happen.  Weekly league was a flaming dumpster getting hit by a septic tank pump truck right next to an Iowa pig farm.  The bad news was my putting sucked, the good news was that every other aspect of my game was just as tragic...2 of 7 fairways hit, smother-hooked 8-iron went further left than it did forward, shankapotomused a 56 degree wedge 30 yards right of the green from 102 yards out (guess that one could have been worse...), popped a mini-driver straight up and got maybe 100 yards (and that was a fairway hit...), dug a trench 2-inches behind the ball with my 60-degree deep enough to make a WWI British general proud.  Was praying Cheech Marin was going to show up and tell me to put my hat on sideways and move my loose change to a different pocket; and unfortunately I did hit a chili-dipper up Lee Janzen's a$$...and I didn't even know he was in our league.  I gotta tell ya, I really like this putter; but when your game is garbage all the EVNROLL tech ain't gonna save ya....

Edited August 18 by Marty2Shanks

[Marty2Shanks]

On 8/14/2024 at 9:02 AM, Marty2Shanks said:

10-Foot Test Results

Got out there and finished up the 10-foot test...some interesting results.  Overall, the EVNROLL Neo Classic ER2 is still out in front, but there was a slight chink in the armor.  The Scotty Cameron and TM NC-3 had big comebacks. The Cleveland HB Soft and TM NC-0 dropped off.

I chose the most sloped practice hole at the Augustine Practice Green for the 10-foot test.  This really came into play on position 5 which was a downhill right-left putt.  Hitting it long above the hole resulted in a 4-5 foot severe breaking left-right comeback.  Each 3 putt below was that same putt, and I missed 4 of 6 of them....

As a reminder, I normally use a line on the ball to align the putt, but for this test I am just rolling the ball into position and hitting the putt.  For the results, the EVNROLL is still comfortably leading the pack.  It would have tied for the lead in the 10-foot test save for the 4 foot left-right comeback...I hit the ball too hard and missed on the high side.  Other than that, most of the misses were very close and I was able to better control the putter on the downhill putts.  The Scotty Cameron performed better as I tried to get the putt close instead of trying to make it, so it took pressure off trying to perfectly align the putter.  The big surprise was the TM Burner NC-3, which was terrible on the 5-foot test, but performed much better on the 10-foot test.  Since this putter has the very slim grip, which I don't like, I grinded very hard to get this putter close.  I would admit that I biased the results as I spent more time on this putter than the others; and it made me work way too hard to get the same results I got with the Scotty Cameron.  The Nike Method kept plodding along, and I had a big dropoff with the TM NC-0 and the Cleveland.  I just didn't feel comfortable with those putters.  Overall, I still feel most comfortable with the EVNROLL NC ER2, and save for a putt I missed with 3 other putters, would have tied for the lead in this test. 

Scoring: 1 Putt = 10 points; 2 Putt = 5 points; 3 Putt = 0 points

With one more test to go, the EVNROLL is looking very good and I do feel the most comfortable with this putter.  I should be able to finalize this test by the end of the weekend (pending some possible rain this weekend).

20 Foot Test and Final Results

I was able to finish up the 20 foot portion of the test right before the deluge happened here in northern VA.  EVNROLL NC ER2 came out on top, but was limping in a bit.  Scotty Cameron staged a comeback and the Nike Method was solid throughout.  For this portion, I intentionally used the NC ER2 last to handicap it as much as possible.  I definitely got worse as the test went on, and my back was tightening up for the last three putters, but the EVNROLL held on to take the test by 15 points over the Nike mallet and 20 points over the Scotty Cameron.  For the misses, it was all the same putt, a 4-5 foot left to right breaking putt, and all but one miss was on the high side; I definitely need to work on that.  So, bottom line for me is that if I can get the ball close on the first putt, the EVNROLL gives me the best chance of making the short putt; whereas all the other putters struggled more in that 5 foot range; especially the Scotty Cameron. 

 

Edited August 18 by Marty2Shanks

[russtopherb]

1 hour ago, Marty2Shanks said:

20 Foot Test and Final Results

I was able to finish up the 20 foot portion of the test right before the deluge happened here in northern VA.  EVNROLL NC ER2 came out on top, but was limping in a bit.  Scotty Cameron staged a comeback and the Nike Method was solid throughout.  For this portion, I intentionally USED the NC ER2 last to handicap it as much as possible.  I definitely got worse as the test went on, and my back was tightening up for the last three putters, but the EVNROLL held on to take the test by 15 points over the Nike mallet and 20 points over the Scotty Cameron.  For the misses, it was all the same putt, a 4-5 foot left to right breaking putt, and all but one miss was on the high side; I definitely need to work on that.  So, bottom line for me is that if I can get the ball close on the first putt, the EVNROLL gives me the best chance of making the short putt; whereas all the other putters struggled more in that 5 foot range; especially the Scotty Cameron. 

 

Solid testing and data! I admittedly am not as deep into metrics as some of my fellow testers, so I really appreciate the work you put into these data sets. A lot of what you found mirrored my own experiences with the testing I did with the Evnroll vs the rest of my stable. 

Like I mentioned in my final review, the biggest test for me was my putting on the course. And the stats proved that the Evnroll was definitely better than my previous gamer for sure. 

[Marty2Shanks]

On 8/16/2024 at 1:41 PM, Marty2Shanks said:

Well, it was bound to happen.  Weekly league was a flaming dumpster getting hit by a septic tank pump truck right next to an Iowa pig farm.  The bad news was my putting sucked, the good news was that every other aspect of my game was just as tragic...2 of 7 fairways hit, smother-hooked 8-iron went further left than it did forward, shankapotomused a 56 degree wedge 30 yards right of the green from 102 yards out (guess that one could have been worse...), popped a mini-driver straight up and got maybe 100 yards (and that was a fairway hit...), dug a trench 2-inches behind the ball with my 60-degree deep enough to make a WWI British general proud.  Was praying Cheech Marin was going to show up and tell me to put my hat on sideways and move my loose change to a different pocket; and unfortunately I did hit a chili-dipper up Lee Janzen's a$$...and I didn't even know he was in our league.  I gotta tell ya, I really like this putter; but when your game is garbage all the EVNROLL tech ain't gonna save ya....

Bit of a bounce back from the previous week.  While I started strong, I lost my game three holes in...couldn't drive the ball, couldn't hit approaches, couldn't chip, couldn't putt...very frustrating.  Got it back by hole 7, and am okay with hole 9 since I putted through 5 feet of fringe then down slope to the hole to get the ball to 3.5 feet...I made the comeback putt.  Greens were faster this week and the putter did fine with the speed change.  Right now I am just fighting my overall game.  When things are on, it is on with all my gear, and when it is off, everything is off. 

 

 

[russtopherb]

The comfort level with the ER5 continues to be through the roof. Over 18 holes yesterday I didn't have a single 3 putt. Part of that was my wedge game being solid (it had to be to make up for how bad my irons were for 11 holes) but part of that was being able to start the ball on line and with good pace. One of my playing partners remarked how I wasn't shy about pace and didn't leave any putts short, I missed long on occasion because I had total faith in the ER5 getting the ball to the hole. When I missed it was almost always a bad read, vs a bad putt. 

[ChitownM2]

So long overdue for an update, but not a ton to report.  I finished out the league season finishing in second with the putter performing exactly the way it did over the majority of the season.  The arccos numbers are slightly down overall but not significantly different although I've only had a couple of rounds after my final review due to my son's soccer season getting into full swing.  Amazing how hard it is to get golf in with practice 3 nights a week and games with 2 teams on the weekend and the sun setting before 7.

I have worked on my putting a little more at home and have stopped pushing putts for the most part.  I have therefore not changed the grip yet and am still rolling with the original grip from Evnroll.  I'm into the 3rd week of simulator season and so far so good.  While it definitely isn't the same thing as real putting on real grass it does take out most of the element of having to read greens.  TThe one thing it does however is place a large emphasis on starting putts on line and repeatable distance control and so far the putter has been performing well.  I"ve been putting nearly all of the long lag putts inside 7', which for this simulator, results in a gimmie for the next stroke.  

Again, not the same as real golf but I do think these  fall/winter simulator sessions have helped my putting tremendously during the offseason when I would otherwise not be practicing with the same intensity.

[Marty2Shanks]

Finally able to post another update.  Unfortunately a bad sprain to my left hand and a boatload of rain had me sidelined for a bit.  Was able to get healed up in time for a charity scramble at Gettysburg National Golf Club in Fairfield PA.  While my full swing is still on the mend, the putter was red hot.  I typically putted third in the rotation, so I did get to see the line and pace; but the green speed was very inconsistent throughout the day which added to the challenge.  I had no problems getting the putt started on the intended line, and as you can see below my speed was excellent throughout.  Not having putted in over a month was no issue, just picked it back up and was even better than where I left off.  I said this was the best putter I have ever used and each time I play it just solidifies that opinion.  My only disappointing putt was Hole 14, which was a 3.5 foot left-right downhill break and I left it low of the hole.  That putt has been my nemesis with this putter (and fairly with all my other putters too) and it reared its ugly head once again.