MEMBER REVIEWS: L.A.B. Golf Putters! Read What Members Are Saying Now!

[tlinnert]

I have a Mezz Max. Can I have it cut down 1 inch at local store or do I need to send to LAB to do that?

[Peter_b]

6 minutes ago, tlinnert said:

I have a Mezz Max. Can I have it cut down 1 inch at local store or do I need to send to LAB to do that?

 

You can grab it shorter, I asked them that one, that works. I think you should send it in for a cut as weight changes. Maybe ask them as the arc does not change much. As the LABs are all about the weighting, I would just grab it shorter. 

Edited July 10, 2023 by Peter_b

[tlinnert]

1 hour ago, Peter_b said:

 

You can grab it shorter, I asked them that one, that works. I think you should send it in for a cut as weight changes. Maybe ask them as the arc does not change much. As the LABs are all about the weighting, I would just grab it shorter. 

Their recommendation was just grip down on the grip? I assume taking 1 inch off messes up the weighting?

[dabohammer]

Got confirmation that my putter is being built... the wait is killing me.

 

For anyone else wondering, I did a SAM fitting earlier this year and bent my scotty to the recommended 71* lie angle @ 34". LAB customer service confirmed that these specs would be correct for the LINK as well.

[Barfolomew]

Do the different models roll different distances? 

 

Hit the DF quickly at a store a few years ago and thought it came up shorter then most... is that true?

[bladehunter]

12 minutes ago, Barfolomew said:

Do the different models roll different distances? 

 

Hit the DF quickly at a store a few years ago and thought it came up shorter then most... is that true?

It’s not hot off the face if that helps.  The mezz is a little  more “ normal “ in term of hotness.  But still not hot like a spider.  But they do give a true toll on a good stroke.  Truest I’ve seen. 

[Peter_b]

1 hour ago, tlinnert said:

Their recommendation was just grip down on the grip? I assume taking 1 inch off messes up the weighting?

No I asked if the putter is balanced no matter where I grip. It is. Had a 36 and gripped it 33. 

Putter could be still balanced if you cut it, ask them. Lie changes are bad for sure.

[Barfolomew]

50 minutes ago, bladehunter said:

It’s not hot off the face if that helps.  The mezz is a little  more “ normal “ in term of hotness.  But still not hot like a spider.  But they do give a true toll on a good stroke.  Truest I’ve seen. 

 

Thot I noticed that.... not hot kinda a softy

[tlinnert]

11 minutes ago, Barfolomew said:

 

Thot I noticed that.... not hot kinda a softy

I love the Mezz Max but have struggled with longer putts or putting from off the green. Came from a Spyder previously which had a “hot” face. I would almost describe my Mezz as soft. It’s a learning curve trying to dial in the distance putts

[Rbsiedsc]

I feel like an idiot. I have been struggling with my putting lately and today it hit me after watching some LAB videos. I was putting the face in the center of my stance, not the tip of the shaft. As well, my ball was positioned ahead of my big toe, so there was quite a gap between my putter head and the ball. Hit some putts with the shaft tip setup and the ball by the face it was so much easier. Only took me a little over a month to realize I was hurting myself.

[Bunkersarebigcups]

On 7/7/2023 at 11:35 PM, sheppick.dan said:

Will someone tell me how big the 2.1 is? I know it’s much bigger but what are the measurements?

 

what are your feeling of firmness off the face? I really like my white hot insert feeling. Is it a ton harder than that?

If you are willing to wait until the weekend, I can measure it up for you if you want. Its quite big, but in the end you get used to that very quickly. I used a Bettinardi Anser-style for 13 years and I got used to it very easily.

 

As for feel: it is certainly WAY different than a white hot. I never liked inserts very much and love the DF, so not sure how you will like it. As its aluminum and has some face-milling/grooves, it does feel "softer" or more quiet than a flat faced steel putter. If you center it, it makes a wonderful, solid "thud" kind of feeling. If you dont strike it well, the feel is a little hollow and it makes a little higher pitched tingy/pingy sound. I take that as a reminder to try and hit the center 😉

[rlb4]

21 hours ago, tlinnert said:

Their recommendation was just grip down on the grip? I assume taking 1 inch off messes up the weighting?

Cutting the shaft 1" will not mess up the lie angle balancing. Sam has posted this in the past both here and on the LAB Facebook group.

[Peter_b]

Same grip or any grip?

[rlb4]

1 minute ago, Peter_b said:

Same grip or any grip?

As long as the grip is the same weight.

[sheppick.dan]

7 hours ago, Bunkersarebigcups said:

If you are willing to wait until the weekend, I can measure it up for you if you want. Its quite big, but in the end you get used to that very quickly. I used a Bettinardi Anser-style for 13 years and I got used to it very easily.

 

As for feel: it is certainly WAY different than a white hot. I never liked inserts very much and love the DF, so not sure how you will like it. As its aluminum and has some face-milling/grooves, it does feel "softer" or more quiet than a flat faced steel putter. If you center it, it makes a wonderful, solid "thud" kind of feeling. If you dont strike it well, the feel is a little hollow and it makes a little higher pitched tingy/pingy sound. I take that as a reminder to try and hit the center 😉

 

That would be great! Thank you. From what I gathered from the picture posted with the driver it looks like the basic size of a driver which will be ok. At the end of the day, if I can drop a few strokes off my putting and be more confident then it will be well worth it!

 

Thanks for your feedback!

[Peter_b]

I think they can do a heel shafted Lab maybe not less than 69° or so lie but that would fit a large majority. They should try.  

[ThinkingPlus]

12 hours ago, Peter_b said:

I think they can do a heel shafted Lab maybe not less than 69° or so lie but that would fit a large majority. They should try.  

Pretty much impossible if you also want the CG in the center of the putter face. If you try, you end up with the Axis 1 approach with the funky hosel (patented) or the CG moves substantially heel side ala Edel. Both have zero torque about the gravity axis (vertical), but not about the lie angle axis.

 

Center shafted and face onset are the compromises required to get a zero torque putter about the lie angle axis. It's physics.

[Peter_b]

Aww damn you are right, did not think about the CG.

 

[soap1984]

Yeah you can try the edel if you haven't. The putters look good but even when looking down at address, the hosel bend makes them look center shafted anyway so I'd definitely recommend the lab over the edel for the reason mentioned - the cg is in the heel and it feels like it is in the heel, at least to me. 

Edited July 13, 2023 by soap1984

[Peter_b]

I have a DF2.1 und two BLAD versions. Can not play them as they have a lie angle I don't use anymore and as a non-forward-presser and tendency to deloft with right eye dominance, the forward pressed setting confuses me, so I wont send them in for bending for 200$ each plus postage to the US from the EU. That’s just the side story to explain, I know what torque free putting is. Does torque free putting matter? I don't think so much. My putting loop, have a long thread here on WRX about it, had a hundredfold worse impact on my face angle than 0.05* newton of torque force on my putter. But here is the problem, when I loop I am off the lie plane so the LAB will torque as any other putter on the lie plane. Then, torque is stronger on long putts, the free rolling device is always showed moving the device hard like 50 feet uphill putts. Even the tour pro statistically misses 50% of his putts from 8 feet, a 90-golfer will miss 50% from 5 feet already. But this is because of face angle greater or below 1.5 degrees and the pro getting out of the +- 0.8, not because of torque. I feel there is not much, even negligible torque with the putt distance it matters. Also long putts you hold the putter firmer and you will even more eliminate torque.

So does torque destroy your putting by getting your face angle off which is the biggest reason for a miss with correct speed and reading? I mean that is what LAB wants to make you think. No, that is not torque, you do that yourself.  Is a no torque putter better? Sure it is, just not as much as you think.   

 

*how much force is it, has it been measured at different speeds?

Edited July 13, 2023 by Peter_b

[picardyThird]

I just bought a used DF2.1 and took it for a spin on the practice green. It took a little while to get used to the stroke, but my lord this thing is silly at simplifying putting. I'm going to need some time to dial in distance control, but as long as I keep my head still and take my hands out of the stroke, it's simply point and shoot.

 

I will say that the feel is terrible compared to my M-Craft IV; I miss the satisfyingly full feel of hitting the sweet spot on my Mizuno. Also, as a right-eye dominant right-handed player, I find that if I don't trust the club I miss it quite far to the right (even putting the ball forward in my stance and centering the shaft between my feet). That said, it's hard to argue with the overall performance.

 

I had a lot of fun experimenting with heads-up putting as well. Picking a target and staring at it, willing the ball to go to that target, and then moving the putter and allowing it to send the ball along that line was really something special. I might keep this strategy for long lag putts.

[Bunkersarebigcups]

1 hour ago, Peter_b said:

I have a DF2.1 und two BLAD versions. Can not play them as they have a lie angle I don't use anymore and as a non-forward-presser and tendency to deloft with right eye dominance, the forward pressed setting confuses me, so I wont send them in for bending for 200$ each plus postage to the US from the EU. That’s just the side story to explain, I know what torque free putting is. Does torque free putting matter? I don't think so much. My putting loop, have a long thread here on WRX about it, had a hundredfold worse impact on my face angle than 0.05* newton of torque force on my putter. But here is the problem, when I loop I am off the lie plane so the LAB will torque as any other putter on the lie plane. Then, torque is stronger on long putts, the free rolling device is always showed moving the device hard like 50 feet uphill putts. Even the tour pro statistically misses 50% of his putts from 8 feet, a 90-golfer will miss 50% from 5 feet already. But this is because of face angle greater or below 1.5 degrees and the pro getting out of the +- 0.8, not because of torque. I feel there is not much, even negligible torque with the putt distance it matters. Also long putts you hold the putter firmer and you will even more eliminate torque.

So does torque destroy your putting by getting your face angle off which is the biggest reason for a miss with correct speed and reading? I mean that is what LAB wants to make you think. No, that is not torque, you do that yourself.  Is a no torque putter better? Sure it is, just not as much as you think.   

 

*how much force is it, has it been measured at different speeds?

 

While everything you said is right, that is exactly what all the tips and drills from L.A.B. are about. Two-ball and One-ball drills to smooth out thempo, thumbs-off and light grip to ensure you don't control the putter, but the other way round.

I won't say that I never push or pull one, but the whole purpose of L.A.B. putter is, to not control face angle, but let the putter do that for you. If you loop the putter, you are not using the L.A.B. the way it is intended and therefore it might not work for you as well as for others.

 

For me personally, when I grad a conventional putter, feeling the torque is so off-putting, it is unreal. So while this might not be true for you, no torque might not be making that much of a difference, but for me, it has single-handedly changed my putting from what I like to call close-to-a-yips to one of the stronger parts of my game.

 

PS: I am not paid, sponsored or employed by L.A.B. 😉

Edited July 13, 2023 by Bunkersarebigcups

[Peter_b]

33 minutes ago, Bunkersarebigcups said:

If you loop the putter, you are not using the L.A.B. the way it is intended and therefore it might not work for you as well as for others.

 

Looping is not what any putter will work with.

 

33 minutes ago, Bunkersarebigcups said:

to ensure you don't control the putter, but the other way round.

 

That wont happen in my opinion. It’s a nice thought but that is not happening. My swing fault opened the putter 1.5 degree no matter what putter, LABs included and no matter how soft I gripped. A LAB may make a good stroke even better but it will not make a bad stroke good. A bad putter will continue putting badly with a LAB. That should be made clear. The psychological effect may shape off a stroke or two on 18 but it will not make you putt 25 putts if you regularly putt 38. You wont get off at 18 without three putt if you make 4-5 regularly. It wont prevent you from leaving the lie plane and it will not help you bottom out before the ball and it wont help you not pronate or supinate your lower arms or use your shoulders and shoulder girdles unsynced. You will say LAB is not saying it does. It is not, but it wont overcome hard swing faults. Advertising suggests otherwise. You will putt better with a LAB. No you wont necessarily. 

 

33 minutes ago, Bunkersarebigcups said:

For me personally, when I grad a conventional putter, feeling the torque is so off-putting, it is unreal.

 

Now there you have something I can feel the torque too as a short force like someone would turn the shaft a bit with two fingers lightly. It could be the cause of the yips with regular putters. That pull could trigger an unwanted muscle reflex. Something LAB could and should advertise with after running tests how many of its users got yips compared to toe hang putters.

 

 

33 minutes ago, Bunkersarebigcups said:

PS: I am not paid, sponsored or employed by L.A.B.

 

Nor am I hahaha

 

I will get a link if I have my stroke under control but a down for me is the center shaft. It makes it harder for me to keep on the arc visually. You will say that happens automatically with a LAB. Well not in my world 😄

Edited July 13, 2023 by Peter_b

[Bunkersarebigcups]

3 hours ago, Peter_b said:

I will get a link if I have my stroke under control but a down for me is the center shaft. It makes it harder for me to keep on the arc visually. You will say that happens automatically with a LAB. Well not in my world 😄

 

Not automatically, but it happened to me naturally over time. But I understand, that the centershaft is something to get used to, and i had to get used to it as well. And I absolutely am not convinced that L.A.B. is better for everybody. If it was, it would get a lot more tour play. But pros are so used to managing torque (and obviously the good putters are good at doing it), that it might be even weirder for them.

 

As for getting stroke under control: For me, the DF 2.1 was what brought my stroke under control. FWIW, everything <10ft was not even a stroke before as I was so uncomfortable 😁

[Red4282]

12 hours ago, Peter_b said:

I have a DF2.1 und two BLAD versions. Can not play them as they have a lie angle I don't use anymore and as a non-forward-presser and tendency to deloft with right eye dominance, the forward pressed setting confuses me, so I wont send them in for bending for 200$ each plus postage to the US from the EU. That’s just the side story to explain, I know what torque free putting is. Does torque free putting matter? I don't think so much. My putting loop, have a long thread here on WRX about it, had a hundredfold worse impact on my face angle than 0.05* newton of torque force on my putter. But here is the problem, when I loop I am off the lie plane so the LAB will torque as any other putter on the lie plane. Then, torque is stronger on long putts, the free rolling device is always showed moving the device hard like 50 feet uphill putts. Even the tour pro statistically misses 50% of his putts from 8 feet, a 90-golfer will miss 50% from 5 feet already. But this is because of face angle greater or below 1.5 degrees and the pro getting out of the +- 0.8, not because of torque. I feel there is not much, even negligible torque with the putt distance it matters. Also long putts you hold the putter firmer and you will even more eliminate torque.

So does torque destroy your putting by getting your face angle off which is the biggest reason for a miss with correct speed and reading? I mean that is what LAB wants to make you think. No, that is not torque, you do that yourself.  Is a no torque putter better? Sure it is, just not as much as you think.   

 

*how much force is it, has it been measured at different speeds?

Ive been down that road and back a few times about torque and how important it is. Id say for some its huge, and others not so much. The putter and your stroke stroke are a marriage. The right putter can improve your stroke, and a good stroke can make a putter more successful. No one is claiming LAB is the answer end all be all. There are certainly drawbacks. But I, as many others have experienced, there is something real with it. Will it work for everyone? No. I will say the DF is one of the most stable heads ive ever tried, one of my faults is a slight loop. It doesnt happen all the time bit usually when I get quick, or I dont set up correctly. The DF really makes it hard to loop or get quick. The mezz for me wasnt as stable. I could feel it get squirly on me more often.

[golfnhack]

Anyone know of any active coupon codes that offer 15+% off?

[picardyThird]

Took the DF2.1 to the course today. Possibly a bad choice of course, since the greens were extremely slow; everyone in my group was having trouble figuring out pace, and all of us had several putts that were right on line but just died a foot from the pin. Combine this with learning the feel and distance control of a new putter, and well...

 

It was still valuable experience using the putter in a real round. I identified that I need to consciously weaken my lead hand or else my naturally strong grip will open the face. I also need to really unlearn a lot of habits from before, I can feel all sorts of unconscious body shifting that I've been doing to overcompensate for imperfections in my stroke.

 

I've found that thinking about launching the ball straight forward (parallel to the ground, as opposed to "launching" the ball) yields the best results in terms of springiness and consistency of roll off the face.

[Bunkersarebigcups]

5 hours ago, picardyThird said:

Took the DF2.1 to the course today. Possibly a bad choice of course, since the greens were extremely slow; everyone in my group was having trouble figuring out pace, and all of us had several putts that were right on line but just died a foot from the pin. Combine this with learning the feel and distance control of a new putter, and well...

 

It was still valuable experience using the putter in a real round. I identified that I need to consciously weaken my lead hand or else my naturally strong grip will open the face. I also need to really unlearn a lot of habits from before, I can feel all sorts of unconscious body shifting that I've been doing to overcompensate for imperfections in my stroke.

 

I've found that thinking about launching the ball straight forward (parallel to the ground, as opposed to "launching" the ball) yields the best results in terms of springiness and consistency of roll off the face.

 

Try gripping "under" the grip, as explained by Sam in some of their videos. So weak lead hand and strong trail hand. Sounds weird and counterintuitive, but takes some control away from you and helped me a lot when I started with this putter.

[picardyThird]

To DF2.1 users, where do you look at address? The ball? The bottom of the shaft? Are you a heads-up putter that looks at the target? I'm finding that I have some trouble settling on where my eyes should rest during the stroke.

[Red4282]

4 hours ago, picardyThird said:

To DF2.1 users, where do you look at address? The ball? The bottom of the shaft? Are you a heads-up putter that looks at the target? I'm finding that I have some trouble settling on where my eyes should rest during the stroke.

For me its the same as a normal putter. After i line it up, i dont even see the putter anymore (its in my peripheral but not in focus).