GolfWRX Review - PING Scottsdale Pickemup B

[golfware]

wonderful, face-balanced belly putter....

TESTED: PING Scottsdale Pickemup B, 43"

Introduction: From PING

The Scottsdale putters’ thermoplastic elastomer insert and face applique provide a consistent response for distance control with a soft yet solid feel at impact for making an assured stroke. Perimeter weighting in every model provides a high MOI to keep your putts on line. Aiming is further enhanced with high-contrast alignment aids, and a long sightline.

PROS: SUPER EASY to align the putter, with smooth lines framing the ball. The Pickemup B model, being a center-shafted model, puts me right over the line of the putt. :clapping:

CONS: You have to get use the audible "PING" at impact. It can take a little bit, especially coming from an Odyssey White HOT insert or other insert-type putter.

BOTTOM LINE: If you want your playing partner to tell you to "pickemup" with 6 footers, get this putter. It IS that easy to align and put a great stroke on the ball. Anything within 6 ft is practically a "gimmie".





TESTER Review:

Look: When you first set this putter down, it reminds me of my favorite putter, the Odyssey Sabertooth, except with even smoother, straighter lines to it. The fit and finish of this putter is just 1st class. PING makes great putters, and this one is no different. I wanted to try a center-shafted putter, as it theoretically should place me right over the line. And this putter does JUST that. The putter grip is also outstanding. Really outstanding in fact. I like the fact that the front of the grip is flat, as opposed to many of the completely round belly grips that are on the market. The flat grip really aids in additional alignment of the putter, and just makes everything look just right.





Performance/playability:

Okay, this is where this putter shines. It honestly does. Previous to this, my gamer was an Odyssey XG#7 Mid putter, at 43". LOVE the performance of that putter, and the easy of the stroke. The performance of this putter really shines because of three things in my mind: the grip, the alignment & the insert! Wow, this insert really gives this putter some pop off the ball, but no skidding. The ball comes off with a smooth roll, yet with "POP".



I have now taken to marking my ball again with an alignment line. I find the line that I want the ball to go on, setup properly (which to me is a snap with a belly putter), and VOILA.. the ball goes right down it's intended line. And you can tell it's a great putt as my alignment line goes end over end with very little waiver. Just that simple. It really is... JUST THAT SIMPLE.



For me, it's a pure pendulum stroke. Straight back and straight through. Plenty of pop, yet with a smoothness that allows the ball to fire right down it's intended line and track right into the hole. I've had the opportunity to use this putter over several types of greens, from SLOWER poa annua greens to LIGHTNING FAST bent grass. From greens that are pretty much "what you see is what you get" to greens that "MY LORD, there's 2 feet of break in that 4 foot putt!" And each time, I've been impressed with how this putter starts the ball on it's intended line and it tracks to the hole, and more often than not, INTO the hole. I think the biggest compliment I can give to this putter is that it gets the ball TO the hole, which I find is a struggle for most us amateurs. NOT so with this insert and this putter.

In addition, another great thing that PING has added to the putter fitting experience is the type of stroke that best "fits" you. I have come to find that I prefer "straight back, straight through" putters. It's SO easy to find models that match my putting-style type with PING's fitting system. If you're more of a "gate method", they have those easily highlighted for you as well. Just a great, visual, fitting system that at least points you in the right direction of models that may (or may not) work for you.

Feel:

So this is the one "aspect" of the putter that does take some getting use to. The audible "PING" at impact. The balance of this putter is first rate. It's so easy to putt a solid stroke on this putter, it's nearly like "cheating". :tongue:
Whereas with the White HOT insert which feels & sounds very, very soft, the insert is on the complete opposite of the spectrum. This putter provides a much more "crisp" feel off the putter face. Of course, you get the audible "PING", but you get a very solid crisp POP of the ball off the putter. The grip is fantastic. I could go on and on about the grip. Seriously. It just makes putting so much easier. It's like the grip helps put my hands in the proper position right from the get go, and VIOLA, I've made yet ANOTHER putt. I feel like I just can't miss from within 6 feet, provided I take the time to setup properly. As with any putter, if I don't setup properly, I'm toast. But the margin of error is VASTLY greater with this putter, than with anything else I've done.


Overall bottom line:

PING has a winner for the Belly Putter department. A serious winner. You cannot sleep on PING. With the easy of alignment, getting your eyes RIGHT over the line, and adjusting to using a belly putter, you'll be dropping more putts and lowering the score rather quickly. I've found that my dispersion with the belly putter has dramatically dropped since putting in in the bag. My putts track to the hole WAY more often than not. Putting a good stroke is a "sure fire" thing with this putter. And with this insert, getting the ball to the hole has improved as well. While it may not change the mind of the "ardent traditionalist" that would NEVER try a belly putter, those who are much more open to the idea should certainly put this putter on the short list. They would find that it would easily be in their top 3, if not the ONE that goes into the bag. The weight of the head, being so balanced and the outstanding grip make it a no-brainer for me. I'll include just a couple of more pics as well..... hope that enjoyed reading my review, and I definitley have enjoyed reviewing this putter and look forward to dropping some more putts with it!

[Dill Pickleson]

thanks for the review, i've been really interested in this putter for a while

[golfware]

[quote name='Wsc04forever' timestamp='1319665538' post='3722615']
thanks for the review, i've been really interested in this putter for a while
[/quote]

It's very good. Very, very good actually. Just line it up and it'll help you put a great stroke on the ball.

[minhjn]

nice review.

i picked one up last week and so far so good. 43 inches and orange dot. i pretty much agree with everything here. i really like the insert. it's nice and firm and provides solid feedback, as opposed to an odyssey white hot, where the insert feels pretty mushy in my opinion. i love the headweight on this belly putter. it's right at 390g which feels perfect for a belly putter, IMO. i will add that i noticed that this putter requires a bit of a forward press to align correctly.

the ball pick up mechanism flat out works too. it's a great ball retriever. Last week, I was able to get a ball from a creek with this thing, being 43 inches and all, so that's neat.

[natural_one]

[quote name='minhjn' timestamp='1319669197' post='3722901']
i will add that i noticed that this putter requires a bit of a forward press to align correctly.
[/quote]

Im not quite sure I understand this. How do you get forward press with a belly putter (anchored)? The only way I see doing this is putting the ball further back in your stance, which would promote an open face which would do the exact opposite of what is trying to be achieved....

This Scottsdale Pickemup Belly is my first belly putter and I only took it out once so far. After a 5 missed birdie on #2 and a 8' missed eagle putt on #4, I put it away. Im not done with it yet, but Im so used to a slight forward press with my regular length putters I have a hard time with this anchoring technique.

[Paully]

I've put the Pickemup belly in play the last three rounds and so far so good. I've heard about people having trouble lag putting with a belly putter but I haven't had that problem. I also agree that a slight forward press works best, which I achieve by anchoring the putter a little left of my navel with the ball in the center of my stance.

[golfware]

[quote name='Paully' timestamp='1319684910' post='3724347']
I've put the Pickemup belly in play the last three rounds and so far so good. I've heard about people having trouble lag putting with a belly putter but I haven't had that problem. I also agree that a slight forward press works best, which I achieve by anchoring the putter a little left of my navel with the ball in the center of my stance.
[/quote]

Yeah. Did that this afternoon. Really gets the ball on a truer roll. Very good.

[onafriday]

Ive been using the pickmeup long for about two months- my first go with a broomstick putter. Im quite happy.

It's currently with BOS getting the ghost treatment. Pretty excited - the only knock I have is it's harder to align than my old Corza.

Long, center shafted ghost ping pickmeup??? Yes please!

Awesome putters...those pickmeups.

[golfware]

LONG term update: After numerous rounds, and having friends also demo & give their feedback, this is one SOLID putter. My buddy played a great, tough golf course and had 28 putts with it. It was like 10 footers were gimmie's.

The one that I have noticed is that on short putts, being center-shafted, I'll tend to pull it a bit. But that's fixable.

Next up, a showdown with a 43" Odyssey Sabertooth!

Thx y'all!!

[TJCDAS]

Ping should have named the putter "the Batman"

[golfware]

[quote name='TJCDAS' timestamp='1322525019' post='3863531']
Ping should have named the putter "the Batman"
[/quote]

+1

Although I understand the thinking. Putting is so easy that you're playing partner will look at your impending 6 footer and say "pick'em up!" lol

[trackcoach13]

Played my first round with one today. I was playing with a good friend and another twosome. After a front nine at -2 (3 birdies) with 13 putts all of them said "I need to get one of them." Anything inside 10' was a gimme. Ball rolled very true and I felt like I was cheating.