L.A.B. DF3 putter

Gear: L.A.B. DF3 putterWorth: $449 (inventory) and $559 (Customized)Specs: 6061 aluminum with metal weights. 69-degree lie angle

Who It’s For: Golfers who battle to sq. their putter face at affect or begin putts on their meant goal line.

The Skinny: Utilizing a novel weighting and steadiness system, the DF3 putter is designed to maintain the face sq. to the arc you create whenever you set as much as putt and assist you begin your putts in your meant line extra simply.

The Deep Dive: Anybody who has ever seen a L.A.B. Golf putter has heard the snickers and jokes like, “Even Stevie Marvel thinks that’s an unpleasant putter,” and “Hey, what’s with the potato masher on a stick?”

The putter corral at your native professional store could also be full of choices that mimic the elegant Ping Anser, the timeless Wilson 8802 blade and the trend-setting TaylorMade Spider, however L.A.B. Golf has by no means provided something like these putters. As a substitute, the Creswell, Oregon-based model asks golfers to look previous the aesthetics and permit the shape to observe operate.

Just a few years in the past, you might have noticed Adam Scott utilizing a Directed Pressure mallet putter, a large mallet with a round form within the again that L.A.B. Golf nonetheless affords at this time. The corporate’s new DF3 putter for 2024 is equally formed however smaller. Whereas which may make it extra interesting to some golfers, it retains the important know-how that began L.A.B. Golf’s cult following — lie angle steadiness.

The LAB Golf DF3 putter has eight screw-in weights within the sole to push extra mass towards the hitting space. (David Dusek/Golfweek)

The traditional knowledge states that golfers who create a robust arc of their placing stroke will profit from a putter that has vital toe dangle, whereas golfers who create extra of a straight-back, straight-through stroke profit from putters which are face-balanced.

The L.A.B. Golf DF3 is designed solely in another way. After you sole the putter behind the ball, the DF3’s weighting encourages the face of the putter to stay sq. to the arc you identify within the tackle place. 

To be clear, this isn’t face-balanced. That is lie angle balanced (L.A.B. stands for lie angle steadiness).

To make this impact occur, every DF3 putter, which is comprised of 6061 aluminum, is center-shafted and has eight weights positioned in particular areas within the entrance of the only real. The weights range based mostly on the putter’s size, and they’re all measured and put in by hand.

The angled shaft entry into the grip creates this ahead press. (David Dusek/Golfweek)

The opposite distinctive factor concerning the DF3 putter is that it comes commonplace with a Press Pistol 2 Diploma grip that holds the shaft asymmetrically. The shaft enters the grip on an angle that suggestions away out of your goal and creates a forward-press in your tackle place. Consequently, the hitting space and a lot of the DF3’s weight are consistent with your palms on the tackle, whereas the ring portion of the putter, which has a golf ball-grabbing gap, is ready again.

Some may even see the DF3 and different lie angle steadiness putters as a gimmick, however Grayson Murray gained the 2024 Sony Open in Hawaii utilizing a L.A.B. Golf Hyperlink.1 putter and Lucas Glover gained back-to-back PGA Tour occasions (the 2023 Wyndham Championship and FedEx St. Jude Championship) utilizing a L.A.B. Mezz.1 Max, signaling that elite gamers are taking discover of what the small model is doing.

L.A.B. sells black DF3 on to golfers on its web site in 34 and 35-inch lengths, however custom-fitting is extremely inspired and permits golfers to combine and match colours, lengths, shafts and alignment options.

Beneath are a number of close-up photographs of the L.A.B. Golf DF3 putter.