On a Roll: Several putters caught my eye, mostly for the right reasons. Yes has a new line of C-groove putters — that is, the faces have curved grooves designed to impart overspin. Yes is an underrated, underappreciated putter-maker. It doesn't have a huge marketing budget, but its putters are effective. The model I'm looking forward to trying is the Groove Tube, which has a tube located behind the clubface. There's a slit on top of the tube and a yellow line on the bottom. Look through the slit to line up with the yellow strip for consistent alignment. It's a mallet with nice heft.
Gel putters also tout grooves, but these, located on turquoise-colored inserts, are horizontal. Gel has a new line of four signature models by Paul Hurrion, a popular putting coach for European tour players, including the 2007 British Open champion, Padraig Harrington. The Gel putters have a remarkably large sweet spot. I intentionally hit putts near the toe and heel, and the ball still rolled nearly as far as a solid stroke. The Rego is a center-shafted mallet, the Scindo is a center-shafted blade, and the Sedo and Sedo II are heel-shafted versions of standard-looking putters.
The Nickel putter is ingenious. It's named after its inventor, not the metal. It's a mallet with a hollow, bell-shaped head that allows you to pick up the ball without bending down. Another mechanism deposits a ball marker. That's right, you can mark and pick up your ball without bending. It's illegal in competition, but the marking mechanism can be popped out for tournament play. The top of the grip also opens to release claws that will grab your ball out of the cup. The question is, will the geezers who need these innovations drop $295 for a Nickel?
The S Blade Arrowhead putter ($240) has a bulging face, curved like a sphere (that's what the S in S Blade stands for). Rounded both horizontally and vertically, it creates instant overspin.)
Potpourri for $100, Alex: The Big Daddy Driver ($44.95, BigDaddyGolf.com) isn't actually a driver. Flip open the sole and you've got a weed whacker. Happy Father's Day — you didn't really think you'd get you a golf club, did you?... Loud Mouth Golf (LoudMouthGolf.com) makes gaudy, preposterously colored slacks. Choose from patterns including Disco Balls, Bar Code, Rodney and Bushwood. But hey, they look good on you. ... For choppers, there's At Your Feet, an LCD unit that straps onto your shoe and displays up to 18 tips and swing reminders. ... How to spot an imminent recession? When someone comes out with a diamond-encrusted putter that costs $10,000, you know the economy must have peaked. (See Jim Cramer for the doomsday details.) Thanks a lot, Gemspot (GemspotPutters.com), whose least expensive models start at $395.
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