Alright, so I dug out that old Mizuno Bettinardi putter today. It’s been sitting in the corner gathering dust for a while, honestly. Remembered picking it up ages ago, thought it looked cool. Decided today was the day to actually see what it felt like on the green again.
First thing, just holding it. It’s got that milled face, looks pretty neat. Bit heavier than my current gamer, which isn’t always a bad thing. The grip felt okay, maybe a little worn, but serviceable. Took it out to the practice green behind the clubhouse. Grabbed about twenty balls, just dumped ’em down.
Getting Started
Started with some short ones, like tap-in range, maybe three to four feet. Just wanted to get the feel of the ball coming off the face. It felt… solid. Definitely a different sound than my usual putter. More of a muted ‘click’. First few went in, felt pretty smooth. Okay, not bad.
Then I backed up. Moved to maybe ten, fifteen feet. This is where things got a bit more interesting. My first couple of putts, I really had to focus on the speed. That extra weight? Yeah, you feel it here. Sent the first one sailing past the hole. Oops. Okay, dial it back.
Finding the Touch
Took a few more practice strokes just feeling the weight of the head swing. Tried to just let it flow. It took a minute. The alignment line is pretty simple, just a straight line on the back flange. Easy enough to point where you want to go. After maybe five or six balls from that distance, I started getting the pace better. Dropped one or two. The misses weren’t wild anymore, mostly just burning the edge.
- Short Putts: Felt really stable, easy to start online.
- Mid-Range Putts: Took time to adjust to the weight for speed control.
- Feel: Solid, maybe a touch firm off the face compared to inserts.
Spent a good hour out there. Moved around, tried some breaking putts. The heavier head felt like it helped keep the face square on the stroke, especially when I got a bit nervy. But, man, you really have to commit to the stroke. If you decelerate, that weight feels like it works against you, ball comes up short and often offline.
Wrapping Up
So, what’s the verdict? It’s not bad. Actually, better than I remembered. That solid feel is quite satisfying when you hit the sweet spot. The weight is something I’d need to get used to, especially on longer putts. It’s definitely different. Not sure if it’ll kick my current putter out of the bag just yet. Need more time with it, maybe play a full round. But yeah, glad I pulled it out. It’s got potential. We’ll see.
