Directed Force/LAB Golf Blade

MattM97 · February 19, 2020

The fitter I go to has the mallet but I'm not sure about the blade. And you're right about videos with the blade as well there are none but videos on the DF in general there are not much.

Seems like they are gaining popularity now so maybe more places will carry them and/or more videos be out there.

ace036 · February 19, 2020

Curious to know for those who've either been fitted remotely or fitted in person... Assuming your previous putter was properly fit to you-how much did your putter specs change going to a L.A.B. putter? Did your lie angle specs change or stay the same?

kenstl · February 19, 2020

Unfortunately I will not be a good barometer for you. I have never been fit for a putter even though I have gone through fittings for irons and drivers in the past with good results. I used the same putter for about 25 years and have been an around the world putter ho for the last 5+ years with many of it putting face on with various putters but have also played many rounds with a some Seemore putters. Looking forward to going back to standard putting and this will also be a little longer and more upright.

granata10 · February 20, 2020

Mine didn't change at all, pretty much spot on to what a previous fitting had been.

golfbuddy · February 24, 2020

I was personally fitted for a Kevin Burns putter at his shop/factory and then the DF mallet at an authorized dealer and both length and lie specs were the same.

Argieshark · February 25, 2020

I just picked up the 2.1 mallet. Just easier to hit the ball in the center (even against the blad1). My test in whether this putter truly allows you to putt wo hands steering / face angle changing off-arc was to get lined up for five footers ... close my eyes... take an easy stroke. Dead hands. Armpits putt. Doing this w the mallet is easy and u hit center BC the thing doesn’t want to open r close. It just goes back n thru along arc. Ball goes where aimed and I can’t believe how often I’m hitting center of face w eyes closed (and thus putts dropping)

Same drill w any of my standard style putter should over the years(Cameron’s, yes, ping, plumbers necks, center shaft. I’ve tried them all) and w my gamer and a sampling of others I rarely hit ball in middle of face w eyes closed. I did sometimes but certainly not majority. And thus missed hole a lot bc something is changing

when I had this experience I immediately thought I will be able to focus more on speed. And willing to take the gamble w this expensive putter..

my miss is left. Play(ed) a nearly face balanced futura 6m single bend single shaft offset Loved it for 3 yrs. am a 2 index. A plus2 I know says my miss is bc I get outside in my takeaway. all I can say is I don’t feel compelled to even thin about takeaway now. I only think about speed n target.

blad1.... I tried it just didn’t have the same effect w finding center of the putter over and over again coo pared to the df2.1.

Argieshark · March 11, 2020

part 2 of labgolf putter review:

had this now a month. couple things are different:

1) feels lighter in hands even though weight is similar to a regular putter. why? because there is no torque. as you draw it back, it doesn't want to naturally turn/open (as most putters do based on their facebalanced/toe hang weighting will do). it just goes back and forth without a lot of torque (rotational force). when you draw a regular putter back, their natural tendency to rotate equals an added force that your hands resist (the fact that the putter wants to twist OPEN as you draw it back... leads to INCREASED rotational torque and because torque is just a rotational FORCE... it FEELS heavier than it is.) basically ALL face balanced or toe hang putters OPEN on the takeaway wrt rotational torque.

Not sure about the Edel heel balanced (toe up) putters behave in this model. i'd assume they would behave similarly to the labgolf putter or at least a lot closer.

Short putts w this labgolf putter are just money. very simple. Where you have to definitely change your putting style is with lag putting... longer putting... why? because the putter feels so light bc you get no feeling of weight w drawing back a longer putt as you do w a traditional putter. it weighs what it weighs... no added sense of weight from rotational force/torque. so how does one learn how to lag w this? it's just a different feel... and one that SHOULD ultimately be more tied to distance you draw a putter back vs anything else. Removing the torque means removing a variable that influences/alters the stroke. removing variables equals more simple.

eventually i expect the lag putting to improve. but this is the main adjustment bc you have to use the LENGTH of your backstroke to primarily drive the lag putting distance precision.... definitely does require a change though.

kenstl · March 14, 2020

My putter has arrived! 37” at 76 Deg, dot for aim, and their stock grip. Looking forward to trying it out. Looking down on this grip, I guess I will have to check out if you should keep the grip or the shaft straight up and down (no angle) at address.

kenstl · March 15, 2020

scottaz · March 15, 2020

Just set it up the way you would any other putter.

kenstl · March 15, 2020

The forward press grip combined with a straight shaft in to the middle of the putter head kind of changes that a little bit.

With the DF Blad, if you put the ball in center position, in line with the grip with it straight up vertical and hands centered on body, the shaft angles to the right with the putter head set up behind the ball. The built in forward press just gives you a visual that is a little different that most putters as you look down on the ball.

The other alignment (that DF suggest with their 2.1 putter) is to put the shaft at the head in the center of my body, which puts the ball in a slightly forward position. It also moves your hands slightly forward of center of body so they don't just hang down at the middle of the body.

Probably overthinking this a bit, but I am believer in having a consistent set up, so I will be practicing a lot with the above two approaches and hopefully land on one before I start playing some rounds.

scottaz · March 15, 2020

I play the same putter. Put it down behind the ball so it sits flat. Pull trigger. Get the ball out of the hole.

kenstl · March 15, 2020

Perfect. K.I.S.S. principal

kenstl · March 24, 2020

Thought I would post an update on my thought of the B2 thus far since many of us are probably sitting / working at home during this time of quarantine. I have only been able to play 9 holes thus far, but I have had a number of opportunities to practice with it on both my basement practice area and out on a green on the course behind me. I know this is probably a honeymoon period, but I am really happy with results I have been seeing thus far.

Fitting - I am impressed with the video fitting. Having coming from many putting backgrounds over the past 5 years, I wanted together back to a traditional style putter but with me in a more upright stance with eyes closer to being over the ball. In doing so, that put me in a 37" putter at 76 deg of loft. The delivered putter is right on in what I was trying to accomplish. I grip it in my left palm so that the shaft is straight through the middle of my palm, my elbow slightly touching my core with forearms angled out to the grip. When I do this, the putter falls right in to place and is very stable at my requested lie angle. The putter is "hanging" at this point which really helps me get rid of picking up the head before the stroke or using any tension to keep the putter at that lie angle.

Weight - I have no idea of the head weight, shaft, grip etc, but the putter has a nice feel to it, you can definitely feel the head weight but it is not overdone. It feels like it will move on it's own but still has enough weight to where it won't get manipulated on the path too easy when starting your stroke.

Grip - Visually the Press grip took a little while to get used to only because the shaft and the grip both cannot be lined up perpendicular to the ground based on how the grip is set up. I have gotten used to that and I must say, the ball is rolling very cleanly off of the putter head, so maybe there is something to the forward press grip. Regarding feel, I have to say that could use some improvement. I ended up putting on a tennis racket grip wrap. They are extremely light weight as to not effect the club much in balance, and they soften up the feel on the grip.

Looks - purely subjective, but since I have rolled Seemore FGP in the past, I am ok with the very "block" look of the head. I ended up getting the "dot" instead of the aim line and I like that a lot. Lining up has been very easy for me, but I have normally rolled blade style putters in my past (outside of my face on years). It won't win any beauty contests but I think it is a very clean looking putter.

Performance - I am not sure if I can relate this to the Lie Angle Balanced or having it Fit to my set up, but I am really rolling the ball nicely off of the face and hitting my start lines. It is very easy lift the putter from the ground at address and have it hang there - very stable (probably due to the fitting), pull the trigger and the putter just seems to flow back and through the stroke with ease. It feels like it is a on a cloud, and I am putting with my thumbs off of the grip and very light grip pressure. I am really looking forward to getting some rounds in as it is nearly impossible to practice putting with the same "you only get one shot at this" like when you are playing, however my practice lag putting and making 10 in a row from 4' has been great so far. I am committed to having it in my bag for the year, so time will tell.