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 impression or begin putts on their meant goal line.

The Skinny: Utilizing a singular weighting and stability system, the DF3 putter is designed to maintain the face sq. to the arc you create while you set as much as putt and allow you to 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 Surprise thinks that’s an unsightly 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 comply with operate.

Just a few years in the past, you’ll have noticed Adam Scott utilizing a Directed Drive mallet putter, an enormous mallet with a round form within the again that L.A.B. Golf nonetheless presents 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 vital know-how that began L.A.B. Golf’s cult following — lie angle stability.

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 powerful arc of their placing stroke will profit from a putter that has important toe hold, whereas golfers who create extra of a straight-back, straight-through stroke profit from putters which can be face-balanced.

The L.A.B. Golf DF3 is designed fully otherwise. 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 determine within the handle place. 

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

To make this impact occur, every DF3 putter, which is made out of 6061 aluminum, is center-shafted and has eight weights positioned in particular areas within the entrance of the only. The weights fluctuate 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 in regards to the DF3 putter is that it comes customary 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 handle place. Consequently, the hitting space and many of the DF3’s weight are in step with your palms on the handle, whereas the ring portion of the putter, which has a golf ball-grabbing gap, is about again.

Some might even see the DF3 and different lie angle stability 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 very 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.