Putter Portent – New Flatsticks from Bettinardi, Cobra and PXG

Could one of these recent launches herald a magical new era for you on the greens?

By Tony Dear

Bettinardi Inovai 6.0 and 7.0

Robert Bettinardi launched his company’s Inovai Series in 2015, perhaps its greatest moment coming just a few months ago when Jim Herman used an Inovai 5.0 mallet named ‘the Hermanator’ to shoot 61-63 on the weekend and win the Wyndham Championship – his third victory on the PGA Tour.
Bettinardi recently announced the addition of two new models to the family – the 6.0 and 7.0, both mallets that seek to increase Moment of Inertia (MoI) and thus prevent the head from twisting at impact should you fail to miss the sweetspot.

Both putters feature multi-material designs – the silver front milled from 303 Stainless Steel, the blue-colored back a much lighter 6062 aluminum which shifts the Center of Gravity (CG) lower and further back in the putterhead.

The 6.0 (pictured below) comes in Spud Neck, Center-Shaft, and Crescent Neck versions, while the 7.0 which closely resembles the Baby Ben putter that Jim Furyk used to win the 2003 US Open at Olympia Fields, comes in Spud Neck, Center-Shaft, and Slant Neck versions.  The Feel Impact Technology (FIT) grooved face pattern which Bettinardi first used in a range of putters he made for Mizuno around 2006/07 is milled directly into the steel and removes roughly 55% of the original face material – a design that is intended to soften the feel of impact and improve the ball’s roll.

Both $400
6.0 Standard length/loft/lie – 35”/2˚/70˚
7.0 Standard length/loft/lie – 35”/3˚/70˚
The 6.0 Crescent-neck and 7.0 Spud-neck are available in left hand.
Available – January 2021

Studio Stock

The Studio Stock line first appeared in 2011 and, for its tenth anniversary, will feature four new models – the SS7, SS17, SS18, and SS28. Each is built from a block of 303 Stainless Steel and three of them (SS17, SS18, SS28) have some toe-hang making them ideal for golfers who swing their putter on an arc. All four feature the manufacturer’s Roll Control face with grooves, like those of the FIT Groove putters, milled straight into the face. The top of each groove is soft while the bottom of the groove is cut sharp which Bettinardi says helps the putter ‘grab’ the ball and make it roll rather than skid.

Soft chrome finish and a single black alignment line.

All $450
All Standard length/loft/lie – 35”/3˚/70˚
SS28 available in Center-Shaft and Armlock versions
SS7 available in left hand.
Available – January 2021

Queen B Series

The slightly heavier (362g) Queen B putters debuted in 2012 and feature Bettinardi’s familiar Honeycomb face pattern which was first milled onto a Bettinardi putter in 1998. There are three new models for 2021 – QB6, QB11, and QB12 which all possess a little toe hang, a gold finish, and a single white alignment line.

All $400
All Standard length/loft/lie – 35”/3˚/70˚
QB6 available in left hand.
Available – January 2021
bettinardi.com

Cobra King Supersport-35

In an October story about Cobra’s new MIM King Tour irons, we highlighted the lengths Cobra is going to in producing highly innovative, hi-tech golf clubs. November’s launch of the limited edition

Supersport-35 putter continues the story as it was built in partnership with Parmatech and HP using 3D metal printing which enables Cobra to achieve extremely consistent results extremely quickly, and modify designs extremely easily. The Supersport-35 is ‘printed’ using 316 Stainless Steel and features an attractive lattice shape on the back that let Cobra engineers push weight to the heel and toe increasing the putter’s MoI. The face is created together with SIK whose descending loft design (4˚ at the top 1˚at the bottom) helps to ensure a smoother roll than most putters generate and which Bryson DeChambeau has used for three years. With 35˚ of toe-hang (hence the name) the Supersport-35 is suited to golfers whose putting stroke moves on an arc. Fitted with Arccos-enabled grip (free 90-day trial)

 

$400
Length/Loft/Lie – 34”/SIK/70˚
Right and left-hand
cobragolf.com

PXG One and Done

PXG released the first putter in its Battle Ready family – the Blackjack – in October. It followed up in November with the One and Done which uses a single ball-sized disc on the top of the putterhead and a pair of white lines to facilitate alignment – similarly to how Odyssey’s two-ball putter has for several years. The black part of the body is made from aerospace-grade aluminum and is much lighter than the tungsten bar wrapped around the back of the putter which moves the putterhead’s CG back and low which stabilizes the putterhead on poor strikes.

The face has densely-packed grooves toward the center which are designed to slow the ball down quicker than the loosely-packed grooves toward the toe and heel. Four weights in the sole allow fitters to alter the club’s swingweight to match the user’s preferences, and four hosel configurations are available – plumber’s neck, heel-shafted, double bend, and armlock.

$525
Standard Length/Loft/Lie – 34”/3˚/70˚
Hosels – Plumber’s Neck, Heel-Shafted, Double-Bend
Right and Left-hand
pxg.com

TaylorMade MyTP

On Tuesday, TaylorMade announced its new MyTP Program which allows recreational golfers to personalize either a TP Juno or TP Soto putter any which way. On the TaylorMade web site, golfers can first choose the head type, then the finish (chrome or jet black), the hosel style, and shaft length before adding custom-stamping (four characters) on the heel/toe bumpers. Then there are five sightline options (including no lines or dots), and nine face insert colors. And you can customize the sole weights, TP badge, shaft color, the TaylorMade, and Juno/Soto insignia on the sole, and the grip (SuperStroke, Golf Pride, or Lamkin).

$325
Standard Length/Loft/Lie – 34”/3.5˚/70˚
Hosels – Juno in ‘L’ and ‘Long’, Soto in ‘Flow’ or ‘Long’
Right-hand only
taylormadegolf.com

---

Want to read more gear articles like this one? Visit our GEAR page.

Colorado AvidGolfer Magazine is the state’s leading resource for golf and the lifestyle that surrounds it, publishing eight issues annually and proudly delivering daily content via coloradoavidgolfer.com.

Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram