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The Next Generation of Putters
by Kevin
Kossman
Years ago a putter was just a piece of metal on the end of a
shaft. They came in very few shapes & sizes and there was
little technology involved until heel-toe weighting was introduced
by Karsten Manufacturing in 1959. In the 1990's technology became
a huge part of putting as manufacturers furthered their
experiments by moving weight around in the putter head in the
never ending search for the "perfect roll".
Penneagle Golf thinks they have found it. The company is using
a technology they call OWS (Oppositional Weighting System) and
according to their web site:
"In order to optimize balance and accuracy, Penneagle TPD
putters are specially designed with a four-factor Oppositional
Weighting System™ (OWS). First, a high-density tungsten
backweight is strategically positioned on the center sole of the
flange back and away from the face of the putter. This
"oppositional" weighting creates a higher moment of
inertia (MOI) and lower center of gravity to optimize the launch
angle and keep the putter square at impact for increased
forgiveness. Second, high-density tungsten inserts are positioned
on the heel and toe of the putter for greater stability and
control. Third, an extremely low-density Polyurethane mid-sole
insert maximizes weight distribution to the heel and toe and most
importantly creates the flange as a third backweighted perimeter.
Fourth, a lightweight aluminum face insert distributes weight to
the three OWS perimeter points and provides a soft feel for
increased performance. OWS creates a unique combination of
heel-toe and lateral balance resulting in a higher moment of
inertia, increased topspin and a truer roll. I ran into Penneagle
at the 2004 PGA Merchandise Show and was immediately impressed by
the look and feel of their putters so I was delighted when they
invited to let me give them a trial on the course. Here are my
findings:"
Feel
I found the Penneagle's feel to be firm for an insert putter which
was nice compared to some of the "mushier" feeling
inserts on the market. I never actually noticed any "hot
spots" on the insert throughout my testing and it seemed that
no matter where the ball struck on the insert, the feel and
distance control was consistent.
Looks
Not "Classic" by any stretch but certainly not as
distracting as most of the putters being released today. The
I-ball & V-site alignment features compliment each other
nicely giving you not only a directional aiming line but allowing
you to make certain that your putter face is square at address. It
was almost training aid-esque when I first picked it up and
noticed that the V-site line that was supposed to be perpendicular
to the target line was actually pointing towards my left foot.
(They are lucky too… because I would have blamed the putter for
all of those pushes that I would have been hitting)
The finish is what you would expect from a high quality putter,
the model I received was absolutely flawless.
Playability
Since the alignment was so effective my line was usually very good
and after a few putts on the practice green I got the insert
dialed in and really started stroking it well. The higher MOI of
the Palisade made it more resistant to twisting than many of the
putters out there and I found the forgiveness to be very good. It
was perfectly face balanced which allowed me to put my normal
stroke on it and get excellent results.
 Anyone that has played with me knows that I will putt anytime I
get the opportunity (and often that opportunity is 30 feet off of
the green… yes, really). Since the sole design is slightly
rounded on the edges, it is conducive to stroking putts from off
of the green and weight of the Palisade makes it especially easy
to use, I never felt like I needed to kill it to make sure the
ball would get to the hole.
Value
At $169.99 these putters are priced equivalent to slightly higher
than many of the major OEM standard offerings, but certainly less
than their premium lines. Penneagle is a premium putter at a mid
range price (Think Escalade at a Yukon price). The quality is
fantastic and the putter just plain works.
In Summary:
I am amazed at the quality of this putter, especially coming from
such a small company. It looks great, it plays well, and it is
moderately priced. It's really only a matter of time until
Penneagle putters starts popping up on the PGA Tour, they are just
too good not to. Until then I will be watching their new product
offerings with great interest.
Equipment rolls in & out of my bag like the tide, with one
exception… the putter. I am usually pretty picky when it comes
to putters and when I find one that I like; I tend to stay with it
for a long time (at least relative to the rest of the gear in my
bag). Based on a few weeks of testing, as soon as they release the
mid length version, I can definitely see a Penneagle putter in my
future.
More information about the
Penneagle putters can be
found at:
http://www.penneagle.com
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