FIELDREPORT Onthe S
ome of you will be familiar with Bettinardi putters, others not. Bettinardi Golf began in 1991 when Robert Bettinardi began
using his C.N.C (computerised milling equipment) to craſt putters. Between 1991 and 1999, as well as being
recognised as the ‘go to’ for the best in milled putters, Bettinardi began putting together a portfolio of his own putter designs, all highly craſted out of a solid block of the highest quality steel and produced on his C.N.C equipment. In 1999, Robert took some of his designs to the Greensboro Open in North Carolina. One Jesper Parnevik picked one up, loved it, and his tournament record 23 under par score sealed the future for Bettinardi Putters. They have gone on to win over 70 other Tour titles, not least their first major, the 2003 US Open won by Jim Furyk using a design known as the ‘Baby Ben’. Bettinardi continued to cement their reputation for highly engineered, highly craſted precision products which also brought beauty to the world of putting.
Range This month Richard Punyer reviews Bettinardi’s Studio Stock 2 putter Most recently Matt
Kuchar has had great success with his particular models, which he designed in conjunction with Bettinardi. I have been very fortunate
to obtain one of Robert Bettinardi’s putters, the Studio Stock 2. The design is similar to a number of putters on the market which follow the original Ping Anser design but my, how different it is from that starting point! Precision milled from a block of pure,
faultless carbon steel and finished in Olympic bronze, it has a classic blade look and really is a thing of beauty. It weighs in at 358 grams which is slightly heavier than I’m used to, but the balance is sublime. The quality of engineering is superb and you
can tell it has been meticulously put together. It comes with a Blue Pure grip of standard or midsize – I chose standard and have to say it fits my hands superbly. It is very comfortable, with the grip moulding fitting snugly in the hands with a reverse overlap grip. I chose the 34” length shaſt out of the options from 33 to 35” with half inch increments within those lengths. So how does it putt? When I had got used to the slightly heavier feel I was extremely impressed. Balance is perfect on both long and short putts. The look of it sitting behind the ball instils confidence and it is very easy to line up. Frankly it just looks gorgeous.
Off the face, feedback is instant and
complete, thanks to the evolution of Bettinardi’s Super Fly Milled face. The feel is both soſt and at the same time reassuring both on short and long
-GARY FIRKINS, LANDMARK MEDIA
putts. Forward ball rotation is almost instant, ensuring a smooth forward movement with negligible skidding aſter the strike. Dispersion is exceptionally tight, with
distance control seemingly effortlessly controlled. The result – it is a joy to putt with – instilling confidence from looks, feel, balance and engineering that is of such a high standard it screams at you “I can hole anything, from anywhere”!
Verdict Bettinardi putters are by no means cheap and
very much top end, but it’s the view of this reviewer that they can make good putters better, and offer the hope of better putting to those less able with the flat stick looking for the answer to their putting woes. And when you look down at your chosen model sat behind the ball, it screams class, and more importantly it screams ‘We can hole this’! A great range to offer members of all abilities, I
would recommend stocking them as an option to other high end putters on the market.
If you would like your product reviewed please contact
afordham@datateam.co.uk 40 SGBGOLF
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