Changing Trends in Golfing

As of recently, manufacturers of golf balls have started making the cover softer than before in an attempt to enhance spin; a measure that is increasingly necessary seeing the drastic changes being made in golf clubs with club manufacturers preferring the introduction of grooves in wedges. Not all golf club manufacturing companies have adapted to the changing standard of golf balls and this has resulted in a compromise in performance in the golfing arena.

Some Key Features of the White Ice 2

Odyssey has really shown promising signs of development and research with the new White Ice moniker technology. The fine-tuned improvisations made in the face insert have helped in enhancing sound, and resilience. The new insert has also improved response rate and consistency. The core of the insert is 20% firmer to give better feel while the face has been deliberately roughened to create a brushed surface effect. This improves performance of the golfers when they are using softer golf balls that are more common today.

The prominent features of the Odyssey White Ice 2 Putter are:

• The insert – The feature that has unmistakably taken the most planning, the face insert of the Odyssey White Ice 2 Putter has been tweaked to perfection with the years of experience that Callaway has in manufacturing golfing products. The insert promises greater responsiveness, consistency, resilience and sound.

• Adjustable Weighting – The White Ice 2 is designed with adjustable weighting technology which allows the golfer to optimize it with three settings.

• White Ice 2 is made of dark-nickel with a rich finish which is enough to boost the confidence level of the golfer.

• It is used on international tours by many golf players which proves the style quotient it holds compared to other putters.

• Callaway has really done its math right in developing the core focusing on both resiliency and feel. The inner core is made 19.6% firmer enhancing the feel of the White Ice 2. It also offers improved resiliency with 92% more stiffness.

• With its light weight, the White Ice 2 offers perfect balance, enhancing feel and control and providing greater accuracy.

Callaway has always been one step ahead of its competitors with Odyssey range of products that has been planned to perfection with a custom designed insert patented under the company name. The introduction of the evolved face insert for the new White Ice Putter series compensates for the varying designs of golf balls.

The most obvious and unmistakable change introduced in the White Ice 2 Putter is the 2-ball part. In general, it is the golf-ball shaped white alignment aids that decorate the top of the putter. The addition of this aid in the Odyssey range is very useful for amateur golfing enthusiasts who need practice with their putt shots. Looking down at the ball, the golfer can distinguish a line created by the series of golf balls that point toward the trail you intend to follow. It is an innovative way of helping golfers in successfully guiding the golf ball towards the putt.

Testing the Odyssey White Ice 2

Testing this artistically designed putter is a treat for anyone who wants to try it. It has a pleasant feel about it and gives confidence to the golfer. The classy look with the dark-nickel finish also adds to the overall effect and look. It has a decent weight which is distributed evenly across the body to provide balance and stability. Having tested countless putters before, the White Ice 2 offers incredible responsiveness and adaptability. It is also available for left-handed golfers.

For the skeptic ones, it becomes evident what purpose the golf-ball shaped alignments marked down the shaft are intended to serve. “Putt-ing” the ball becomes considerably easy with the help of these aids. The white Ice 2 is a must-buy for amateur golf enthusiasts who need practice with putt-ing shots. Also, the face insert feels great offering a cracking sound upon impact. It also has a wider “sweet spot which enhances accuracy of shots. It is amazing how effortlessly it guides the golf ball into the putt.

Comes With a 2-year Warranty

Last but not the least, Odyssey offers a 2-year money back guarantee for dissatisfied customers. That being said, odyssey products have seldom found their way back to the manufacturers seeing the fine build-quality that the company offers. Odyssey putters have been known for their high resistance to wear-and-tear and weather and this is signified by the Odyssey assurance of quality. Sp for those people who are having difficulty putting their shots and who think that they golf coaching lessons are going to waste, Odyssey White Ice 2 can help them to catch the road to success. However, this does not in any way imply that the White Ice 2 is meant just for amateur golfers; with the high build quality and classy finish, it is the dream club of any international golf player.

Want to see what we have to think? Check out our Golf Club Reviews page to see if we’ve take the club you’re interested in for a test drive.

MxVGolf recently announced the the pending release of their new MxV1 Putter. It’s due out mid-December and they’re now accepting pre-orders.

It’s a putter with an uncommon design and according to the MxV1′s inventor, Brian Wittman, it’s concept is based on the principals of Newton’s Cradle.

Newton’s Cradle, which is named after Sir Isaac Newton, is a series of touching, identically sized metal balls suspended from a cradle by two equal lengths of wire.

This contraption demonstrates the conservation of momentum and energy whereby when one of the end spheres is lifted and released, the resulting force travels through the line and launches the last one upward. This process is repeated when the launched sphere returns to it’s original position.

The patent pending MxV1 Putter has been pre-approved by the governing standards of the game and can be allowed in all the professional tournaments throughout the world.

The putter’s name MxV stands for MASS x VELOCITY and the proprietary technology in the putter is called their Center Strike Technology. This technology will allow the MxV1 to create a truer roll and a more accurate strike towards the center of gravity.

Each putter is precision milled from brass and finished in a powder coated deep black. The putter features a ball alignment marking in orange on the leading edge of the club face radius and a cut out ball profile on the back edge. The back edge profile can also be used to lift the ball off the green.

A straight tapered steel shaft is mounted in the center of the putter head for complete “pendulum control” and features a composite rubber grip with a flat paddle front, promoting a controlled confident stroke that produces an improved alignment and true roll. A custom leather head cover is included and features a magnetic closure, a soft plush interior and full embroidered logo graphics.

According to Wittman, “Our heavyweight (400 grams) MxV1 is at the crossroads of evolution and revolution. There is simply no other viable putter on the market today that approaches the center of gravity the way we do. By essentially striking a ball with another ball, you almost can’t miss the center of gravity. The radius of our putter face is exactly that of a standard US Golf Ball and even with a minor tolerance we have found more accurate strikes and optimal roll, time after time.”

The MxV1 Putter is available in both left and right hand versions with either a long or belly putter configuration. The MSRP is $249.

What do you think? Clever marketing or a solid concept?

Have a custom club fitting question? Visit our Ask the Fitter page, post your question and you’ll be entered to win a free custom club fitting from the TaylorMade Performance Lab!

Earlier this year, TaylorMade announced a new line of Ghost putters, following the success of the original “golf ball” white Rossa Corza Ghost, which secures two wins on the PGA Tour in 2010. This new lineup consists of three new models, the TM-110 (blade style), the TM-770 (mid-mallet) and the TM-880 (small mallet).

TaylorMade sent me the TM-Tour 110 model to review which is very similar to the Rossa Daytona Ghost Putter, used by Paula Creamer to secure the 2010 U.S. Women’s Open (perhaps she should’ve wielded it for the 2011 Solheim Cup.. )

The new Ghost TM-Tour models each come equipped with TaylorMade’s proprietary PURE ROLL titallium face insert, which is designed to reduce skidding, promoting precise line and optimum speed control.

According to the company, the patented PURE ROLL face inserts solve two common problems with standard putter launch performance. The first pertains to the loft of the putter face at impact, which is typically 4°. This lifts the ball off the ground and imparts backspin which, when the ball lands, it skids and bounces before forward roll and constant ground contact begin. During this transition, from linear movement to rotational movement, the unpredictable nature of the skid phase of the putt can easily throw the ball off the intended line. Bouncing causes lateral deviation, which leads to missed putts.

Secondly, when effective loft is too low, the putter cannot launch the ball cleanly from the depression it rests in on the green. This results in the ball being driven forward or downward into the grass sitting immediately in front of the ball, causing the ball to bounce. This reduces momentum which results in the ball rolling shorter than intended.

The composition and construction of the PURE ROLL insert is specially engineered to bring the grooves into direct and active contact with the ball during impact, even on short putts. They also serve in part to strategically soften the insert’s structure which make the insert deform at impact, putting the grooves into direct contact with the cover of the ball.

The TM-Tour 110 Ghost, like the others features Taylormade’s golf-white finish, which is designed to stand out against the green grass and eliminate hot spots, which are reflections on the putter head caused by direct sunlight. These reflections, also known as “glare” can be distracting and can cause you to miss a crucial putt.

They’ve also incorporated the three black “easy-to-see” alignment lines to the top of the putter, which contrast with the white finish, designed to simplify the aiming process.

Finally, on the TaylorMade TM-Tour 110 Ghost Putter, they’ve added adjustable weights to the back of the putter, allowing golfers to customize the feel of the putter by increasing or decreasing the weight of the clubhead. Off the shelf, it comes with four 3.3 gram steel weights already installed and you can purchase separately, a weight kit that comes with two 1.3 gram titanium weights and four 7-gram tungsten weights.

Review

The TaylorMade TM-Tour 110 Ghost putter is a classic blade style putter that feels very soft and unlike it’s predecessor you do not have to muscle the putter to get the ball where you want it to go. TaylorMade has come out with something great with the PURE ROLL technology. It feels like the putter face compresses when it makes contact with the ball and then it launches it down your intended target line. It does not jump off the club face like other putters and to the extent I am able to direct it, stays true on the target line.

The aiming lines are helpful when aligning your putt, but these aren’t exclusive to TaylorMade and in my opinion, aren’t really a decision making feature.

I like the idea of having interchangeable weights, it allows those players who like a heaver weight achieve the desired result without having to apply gaudy lead tape to the putter, ruining the aesthetics. It’s also a benefit for those who go through a custom club fitting, they can achieve their optimal weight distribution without having to order a customer putter or replace their existing one.

Overall, the TaylorMade TM-Tour 110 Ghost is a great putter and rivals many of the custom milled more expensive brands on the market today.

Interested in Purchasing? Check out GlobalGolf.com where you can buy it new for buy it new for $159 or pre-owned for ONLY $69.99!

The Heavy Putter is the flagship product from Boccieri Golf. The concept behind the product is pretty ingenious. It’s a golf training aid that is designed to be used on the golf course.

The Heavy Putter has a 75% higher balance point than most putters and the theory is that this higher balance point leads to a more consistent release through impact. This eliminates excessive hand and wrist action, and promotes a smoother stroke, more solid contact, and better distance control.

The Heavy Putter also features a back weighting system that adds additional weight into the grip end of the putter. This serves as a counter balance and allows Boccieri to add more weight to the head of the putter. The end result is a heavier putter that has an overall weight necessary to engage the larger muscles in the arms, shoulders and chest resulting in a more stable pendulum putting stroke.

Engaging the larger muscles in the body and the putters higher center of gravity, reduces the force on the wrists, leading to passive wrists resulting in a smooth, fluid putting stroke.

For the review, I requested the Mid-Weight C2-M because at the 2011 PGA Merchandise Show, I swear I sank five in a row from twenty feet. I’ve spent a good bit of time reviewing with this putter on the range and on the course. The Heavy Putter does indeed produce a consistent putting stroke. The weighting of the club makes it easy to repeat the same putting stroke and the only aspect left for you to figure out is distance control.

Because of the heavier club weight, the same putting speed you use with your current putter will result in greater distance with a Heavy Putter.

The downside to the Heavy Putter is the lack of feel it provides. The golf ball, regardless of which you use feels clunky off the putter face. It makes an awkward sound when striking the ball and the feel on long putts remind me of a hammer striking a nail.

The putter head cover needs some perfecting as well. It has two large magnets designed to cling to the putter shaft, but it ends up catching on the putter head as well as other clubs in the bag. It can be quite an annoyance.

Overall, I am very impressed with the results the Heavy Putter produces but the feel needs some refinement. Since it is a training aid as well as a club, you can groove a solid, consistent putting stroke by using it which will benefit your game if you decide to use a different putter.

They offer a wide variety of putters in the heavy, medium and light categories. The MSRP on the C2-M is $119.99 and is available online at Golfsmith.com.

Have a custom club fitting question? Visit our Ask the Fitter page, post your question and you’ll be entered to win a free custom club fitting from the TaylorMade Performance Lab!

TaylorMade Introduces New Ghost Series Putters with PURE ROLL® Technology

Re-Branded Corza Ghost and Four New TaylorMade Models Making Noise on Tour and Available Now at Retail

Following the success of the original Corza Ghost Putter, a “golf ball” white colored mallet which was used two to capture two wins on the PGA Tour in 2010, TaylorMade Golf is proud to introduce the all-new Ghost series putters.

The new lineup consists of three models – TM-110 (blade style), TM-770 (mid -mallet) and the TM-880 (small-mallet) – each equipped with our PURE ROLL titallium face insert.

The new TaylorMade Ghost series putters were inspired by the incredible success achieved by the Corza Ghost and TM-110 Tour models in the past 12 months, as the products combined to win multiple events worldwide including twice on the PGA Tour.

The Ghost TM-110 Tour, in particular, gained vast notoriety and adoption following TaylorMade-adidas Tour Staff professional Paula Creamer’s victory at the 2010 U.S. Women’s Open. All new Ghost series models were engineered under the advisement of PGA Tour coach and TaylorMade Tour Staff professional Dave Stockton.

“The new TaylorMade Ghost series brings the technology and science behind the white color and alignment cues from previous models to a wider audience then ever before,” said Stockton. “I’ve never seen a series of putters that are so easy to aim.”

The TaylorMade Ghost series has already experienced validation from the game’s elite in 2011. Just last week at the 2011 Masters, 10 players used Ghost model putters, including TaylorMade-adidas Golf Tour Staff professional Jason Day, who tied for second using a new Ghost Spider prototype.

PURE ROLL Solves Common Problems with Putter Launch Performance

TaylorMade’s patented PURE ROLL face inserts solve two common problems with standard putter launch performance. The first pertains to the loft of the putter face at impact. At impact, the loft of the putter face (typically 4°) lifts the ball off the ground and imparts backspin. When the ball lands, it skids and bounces before forward roll and constant ground contact begin. During this transition, from linear movement to rotational movement, the unpredictable nature of the skid phase of the putt can easily throw the ball off the intended line. Bouncing causes lateral deviation, which leads to missed putts.

Secondly, when effective loft is too low, the putter cannot sufficiently launch the ball cleanly from the depression it rests in on the green. The ball is driven forward or downward into the grass sitting immediately in front of the ball, causing the ball to bounce. Bounce steals momentum, so the ball rolls shorter than intended. Bounce can also cause the ball to deviate from the intended target line, especially if the ball should hit small imperfections on the green.

The composition and construction of the PURE ROLL insert is specially engineered to bring the grooves into direct and active contact with the ball during impact, even on short putts.

The grooves in the face also serve in part to strategically soften the insert’s structure. Together, these factors make the insert deform at impact, putting the grooves into direct contact with the cover of the ball.

To summarize, PURE ROLL inserts help to reduce skidding, promoting precise line and optimum speed control. The result is a smoother roll and better overall performance on the greens.

New TaylorMade Ghost Series Putters

Corza Ghost

• Mallet sized putter with circular hole creates a vivid secondary alignment aid

• Golf ball white finish stands out against green grass

• Three black, easy-to-see alignment lines

• New PURE ROLL Titallium insert promotes forwardspin and smooth roll

• Tour-proven, winner of multiple worldwide events.

• Also available in belly, center and long styles

Ghost TM-Tour 110

• Classic blade-style

• Used to win 2010 Women’s U.S. Open

• Golf ball white finish stands out against green grass

• Three black, easy-to-see alignment lines

• New PURE ROLL Titallium insert promotes forwardspin and smooth roll

• Adjustable weight technology to customize feel

Ghost TM-Tour 770

• Mid-mallet putter used by Rory Sabbatini to win 2011 Honda Classic

• Golf ball white finish stands out against green grass

• Three black, easy-to-see alignment lines

• New PURE ROLL Titallium insert promotes forwardspin and smooth roll

• Micro-weight ports to adjust swingweight for custom lengths

Ghost TM-Tour 880

• Small mallet putter

• Golf ball white finish stands out against green grass

• Three black, easy-to-see alignment lines

• New PURE ROLL Titallium insert promotes forwardspin and smooth roll

• Micro-weight ports to adjust swingweight for custom lengths

TaylorMade Ghost series putters are available now at a street price of $159.

Which of these do you think most suits your game? I’m a fan of the classic blade style and will be reviewing the TM Tour 110 in a couple weeks.

Have a custom club fitting question? Visit our Ask the Fitter page, post your question and you’ll be entered to win a free custom club fitting from the TaylorMade Performance Lab!

TaylorMade Golf to Launch Newest Model in Ghost Series of Putters

Tour-Proven Rossa Daytona Ghost Features White-Colored Head and High-Contrast Alignment Cues in a Heel-Toe Weighted Blade

TaylorMade Golf is proud to announce the release of the putter that so many golfers have been asking for, the Rossa Daytona Ghost, a tour-proven blade that offers the familiar calming white color and high-contrast alignment cues of the now-famous Rossa Corza Ghost mallet putter. Like the Corza Ghost, the Rossa Daytona  was developed with significant input from the world’s most sought-after putting instructor, TaylorMade Tour Staff professional Dave Stockton.

Tour pros who have put a prototype similar to the Rossa Daytona Ghost in play include Paula Creamer, who used it to win the U.S. Women’s Open, as well as Scott Verplank, Martin Laird, Jason Day, Peter Hanson, Darren Clarke, Andres Romero and Sean O’Hair.

The first model in the series, the Corza Ghost, has proven an instant success with consumers and Tour professionals worldwide, building massive momentum in the retail marketplace. In four months, the putter’s key achievements already include two PGA Tour victories by TMaG Tour Staff professional Justin Rose, first at the Memorial and again at the AT&T National. It has also fueled record-breaking growth for TaylorMade in the putter category; the brand’s 13.1% putter dollar marketshare in July 2010 is the highest total in company history.*

The Rossa Daytona also has the advantage of Rossa’s renowned and tour-proven AGSI®+ (Anti-skid Groove System Insert) Technology. The AGSI+ insert features 14 polymer-filled grooves in the face that “hold” the ball briefly at impact to negate backspin and promote forwardspin for a smoother roll and more accurate results. The AGSI+ insert also delivers superior consistency in forward roll on off-center hits, something not shown in tests of other popular putters.

The Rossa Daytona Ghost becomes available on Friday, October 1, at a street price of $129.

*Source: Golf DataTech July 2010.

Back on April 26th, 2010, TaylorMade announced the newest addition to their putter line, the TaylorMade Rossa Corza Ghost. I was able to get my hands on one for a review and, although contested by some, to my knowledge, I was the first non-professional to add a left-handed Ghost to my bag. Of course, this has no bearing on anything relevant, it’s just a proud moment in my blogging career.. sad, isn’t it?

I’ve been rolling with the TaylorMade Rossa Corza Ghost putter for a couple months now, to give myself adequate time to truly gauge the effectiveness of TaylorMade’s new ghostly short stick. Well, that and a combination of a new addition to the family, work and the laziness inherent in my nature.

But, I digress.. on to the review!

The standard loft on the Rossa Corza Ghost Putter is 4.0 degrees, the lie 70 degrees and the offset is 3/4 shaft. It’s available in both right and left handed versions.

Features:

The Contrast of White Against Dark Makes Aiming Easier

According to Dr. Steven A. Hitzeman, a professor at the Indiana School of Optometry, “Corza Ghost’s white putter head stands out so clearly against its background — the putting surface – because of the high contrast between white and green, That high contrast maximizes stimulation to the retina and highlights the head’s shape and features. White creates the biggest difference in luminance, hence maximizing contrast and promoting focus.”

I don’t think it’s the contrast from the green to the white that assists in aiming as much as the three black lines on the putter head. These lines are evenly spaced apart with the middle line residing over the center of the club face. The two outer lines are the width of a golf ball and the contrasting black lines over the white background make aiming your putt much simpler.

I chalked up the color white promoting focus as marketing hype, but decided to do some research anyway. I couldn’t find anything concrete to support the claim, but I found this on more than one site and thought it completely fit putting. You should use white in your life if you want to:

• to clear clutter and obstacles from your path
• to start a new beginning
• to bring about mental clarity
• purify thoughts or actions

I’ll let you derive your own meaning from each bullet, but you have to agree that on some level, each one could be applied to putting!

In addition, the TaylorMade Rossa Corza Ghost Putter has a circular hole in the back of the putter head, giving you a different option to focus on to lock in your putt. “You can focus on the topline to aim Ghost,” said Bret Wahl, senior director of iron, wedge and putter development, “or you can focus on the alignment lines to visually connect the circular hole and your ball to lock in your aim. The point is that you’ve got options, each one highly effective.”

The hole in the back of the putter is slightly smaller than a golf ball and I found it helpful in aligning putts. It reminds me of the ghost ring rear site on a rifle that you check against to confirm that your aiming correctly. The front three lines are the v-notch site on the front of the barrel. Lining these up with the ball & cup respectively is a great aid to those like me who are alignment challenged..

Eliminating Hot Spots

Hot Spots are reflections of direct sunlight from the top of the putter into the golfer’s eye, and distract the player’s attention from the task at hand, which is to focus on the putter head, the alignment system, and aiming the putter squarely down the target-line.

The TaylorMade Rossa Corza Ghost’s white finish is supposed to help keep hot spots from standing out, allowing you to focus your attention on seeing the whole form of the putter head and the alignment system, so you can aim without distraction.

I agree that you never have to worry about a flash coming from the putter head when the sunlight hits it a certain way, but instead, you have to contend with having the entire putter head image burned into your eyes. I’ve experienced this on more than one occasion, putting without my sunglasses on a sunny afternoon staring at the white putter head, contrasting with the green and when I close my eyes, the image lingers.

Large, Solid-Feeling, High-MOI Mallet

Being a mallet, Corza Ghost’s high-MOI head is very stable on off-center hits and feels extremely solid at impact. The feel of the putter, is by far my favorite part of the TaylorMade Rossa Corza Ghost.

It’s very touchy and not in a “wife’s monthly visitor, stay away from me” kind of way, but in a good vibe, zen kind of way. The feel of the putter striking the ball is ethereal and lends validity to naming the “ghost.” As a matter of fact, two of my playing partners nicked named the putter “Casper” and constantly jibe, that he’s scared the ball past the hole..

AGSI®+ to Promote Better Roll

Corza Ghost also has the advantage of Rossa’s renowned and tour-proven AGSI®+ (Anti-skid Groove System Insert) Technology. AGSI+ features 14 polymer-filled grooves in the face that “hold” the ball briefly at impact to promote forwardspin for a smoother roll and more accurate results. The AGSI+ insert, in concert with the putterhead’s extremely high MOI, also delivers superior consistency in forward roll on off-center hits, something not shown in tests of other popular putters.

The Ghost does indeed have a “truer” roll than many of the putters I’ve used, there isn’t any noticeable backspin, and I haven’t experienced any of those putts that have the stuttering ball hops off the club face. However, it comes at a small price. The longer putts, ones that are over twenty feet, I find myself having to really muscle the putter to reach the target, more-so than is expected, which throws off the accuracy of the putt.

This could be caused by the increased duration of contact between the ball and the putter face with the club absorbing more energy as a result. Whatever the reason, this isn’t a big issue, since the strategy of longer putts is to stop it within three feet with the occasional show stopping roll-in. As an alternative, you could just land your approach shots closer to the mark.

Conclusion:

I love this putter. It’s solid, has a soft feel with plenty of feedback, rolls like a dream and simplifies aiming your putts. The only flaw I’ve found in the putter is what I mentioned previously regarding the glare from the putter head and even that isn’t a constant issue. I recommend heading out to your local golf retailer and rolling a few with the ghost, you might be scared at the number of putts you sink (baddump chiiiiii)!

The MSRP for the Taylormade Rossa Corza Ghost Putter is $159.99 and it’s available at golfsmith.com. Below is a link for free shipping.

What are your thoughts on the putter? I tried a slightly different style on the club review and I’m curious what your thoughts are, did you love it or hate it? If you have a minute, leave some feedback.

Book your next Discount Orlando Tee Times through our new online tee times booking engine.

UPDATE: Full Review is now live – TaylorMade Rossa Corza Ghost Putter Review

The TaylorMade Rossa Corza Ghost Putter is the newest weapon in the TaylorMade short stick arsenal and it’s sure to scare some strokes off your score…. (haha!! Get it??)

This is the putter that Justin Rose used last week to break his PGA Tour non-winning streak by clenching the first place spot in the Memorial tournament by three strokes.

During the post-round interviews on Sunday, he had this to say about the Rossa Corza Ghost Putter:

“It’s a bit of a pun, but I putted scary good with my new Ghost putter. I couldn’t resist that one.”

“I’ve got to be honest, putting is one part of my game where, you know, I’ve had some slight doubts. Today [Sunday] was fantastic because I felt like I putted my best under pressure. You know, once again, that’s something that I can really take or now dispatch out of my mind and really take positives going forward.”

It warms my heart to see another golfer who appreciates the subtleties  of the pun! But, I digress…

As you can see by the image above, TaylorMade was kind enough to send me a Rossa Corza Ghost Putter to review and write about, which I shall do in good time… It’s time for some bragging (sorry, but it’s an awesome story!). When I initially contacted TM about reviewing the putter, they said couldn’t send one because they didn’t have any lefty parts. But after some conversations and a lot of luck on my part, they went to the tour van and had me a lefty built. I confirmed it with the TaylorMade folks, I am the first non-professional golfer to possess a Left Handed Ghost putter.. Many thanks to TaylorMade for making this happen!

From the Company:

The Contrast of White Against Dark Makes Aiming Easier

“Corza Ghost’s white putterhead stands out so clearly against its background — the putting surface – because of the high contrast between white and green,” says Dr. Steven A. Hitzeman, a professor at the Indiana School of Optometry. “That high contrast maximizes stimulation to the retina and highlights the head’s shape and features. White creates the biggest difference in luminance, hence maximizing contrast and promoting focus.”

Also, the lines on the top of the putter are painted black to achieve maximum contrast against the white surface of the putter. All of these high-contrast alignment elements give the golfer the best possible chance of accurately aiming the putter.

To make it even easier to aim the Corza Ghost, Rossa engineers put three black alignment lines on the crown and a circular hole in the back of the putterhead, giving you different options to focus on to lock in your aim. “You can focus on the topline to aim Ghost,” said Bret Wahl, senior director of iron, wedge and putter development, “or you can focus on the alignment lines to visually connect the circular hole and your ball to lock in your aim. The point is that you’ve got options, each one highly effective.”

Eliminating Hot Spots

Hot Spots are reflections of direct sunlight from the top of the putter into the golfer’s eye, and distract the player’s attention from the task at hand, which is to focus on the putterhead, the alignment system, and aiming the putter squarely down the target-line.

The Corza Ghost’s white finish helps keep hot spots from standing out, allowing you to focus your attention on seeing the whole form of the putterhead and the alignment system, so you can aim without distraction.

Large, Solid-Feeling, High-MOI Mallet

Being a mallet, Corza Ghost’s high-MOI head is extremely stable on off-center hits and feels extremely solid at impact. Its three alignment lines on the crown function not only to help aim the face accurately, but also to frame the ball in the middle of the face, which promotes solid, center-face contact on every stroke.

AGSI®+ to Promote Better Roll

Corza Ghost also has the advantage of Rossa’s renowned and tour-proven AGSI®+ (Anti-skid Groove System Insert) Technology. AGSI+ features 14 polymer-filled grooves in the face that “hold” the ball briefly at impact to promote forwardspin for a smoother roll and more accurate results. The AGSI+ insert, in concert with the putterhead’s extremely high MOI, also delivers superior consistency in forward roll on off-center hits, something not shown in tests of other popular putters.

First Impressions:

I brought the TaylorMade Rossa Corza Ghost Putter out for the first time last Sunday with the hope of beating down Mr. John Duval writer of intothegrain.com. Although this didn’t happen, we can rule out bad putting as the cause..

Living up to the hype, this putter greatly improved my aiming and in my opinion it did it all at a subconscious level.. What I mean is that I never intentionally lined up the putter according to the aiming lines or the putter-hole (teehee) it just ended up locked on to the cup without much effort on my part.

This putter has a very soft touch and the ball bounces off the putterface and results in greater greater roll and distance for less effort. I didn’t spend any time on the practice green with the TaylorMade Rossa Corza Ghost putter so I kept flying them past the hole, which while frustrating, can’t be blamed on the putter.

I’ll be posting up a more comprehensive review in a few days, once I’ve had time to fully explore this spooky shortstick.

UPDATE: Full Review is now live – TaylorMade Rossa Corza Ghost Putter Review

Introducing the new TaylorMade Rossa Corza Ghost Putter

TaylorMade Golf, maker of Rossa® putters, has unveiled Corza Ghost, a mallet specially designed to be exceptionally easy to aim, and exceptionally easy to use to roll the ball down your intended line. It was designed with significant input from the hottest putting instructor in the world, Rossa Tour Staff professional Dave Stockton.

“We started with the intention of designing a putter that’s easier to aim than any other,” said Bill Price, Rossa senior director. “That led us to experiment with a white finish. We consulted Dr. Steven A. Hitzeman, a professor at the Indiana School of Optometry and he felt we were onto something.”

The Contrast of White Against Dark Makes Aiming Easier

“Corza Ghost’s white putterhead stands out so clearly against its background — the putting surface – because of the high contrast between white and green,” said Dr. Hitzeman, who is also a past president of the Indiana Optometric Association and a past chairman of the American Optometric Association’s Sports Vision Section. “That high contrast maximizes stimulation to the retina and highlights the head’s shape and features. The contrast would be lower if the putter were black or gray because these colors are closer in luminance to the color of the putting green than white. White creates the biggest difference in luminance, hence maximizing contrast and promoting focus. Many golfers use the leading edge of the putter as part of their alignment strategy (by positioning the edge perpendicular to the imagined target line). So, this high contrast for the leading edge gives the golfer the best chance of squaring up the putterface at address. Also, the lines on the top of the putter are painted black to achieve maximum contrast against the white surface of the putter. All of these high-contrast alignment elements give the golfer the best possible chance of accurately aiming the putter.”

To make it even easier to aim the Corza Ghost, Rossa engineers put three black alignment lines on the crown and a circular hole in the back of the putterhead, giving you different options to focus on to lock in your aim. “You can focus on the topline to aim Ghost,” said Bret Wahl, senior director of iron, wedge and putter development, “or you can focus on the alignment lines to visually connect the circular hole and your ball to lock in your aim. The point is that you’ve got options, each one highly effective.”

Because Corza Ghost’s putterhead is white, its three alignment options are easier to focus on and use, according to Dr. Hitzeman. “The Corza Ghost putter’s three alignment elements all have high contrast against their backgrounds. This high contrast maximizes stimulation to the retina, which helps the golfer to focus and use these aiming features effectively.”

Eliminating “Hot Spots”

“Hot Spots” are reflections of direct sunlight from the top of the putter into the golfer’s eye, and distract the player’s attention from the task at hand, which is to focus on the putterhead, the alignment system, and aiming the putter squarely down the target-line.

“When I started playing on tour in the 1960s, I used a silver mallet,” said Stockton. “Nicks and marks would form on the crown from normal use. They lit up when sunlight hit them at address, which I found extremely distracting, so much that I would have the crown sandblasted frequently to erase the hot spots. Because when you look down at the putter you don’t want anything disturbing your focus, which should be on the putterhead and the features of it that you use to align the putterface squarely down the target-line.”

The Corza Ghost’s white finish helps keep hot spots from standing out, allowing you to focus your attention on seeing the whole form of the putterhead and the alignment system, so you can aim without distraction.

Large, Solid-Feeling, High-MOI Mallet

Being a mallet, Corza Ghost’s high-MOI head is extremely stable on off-center hits and feels extremely solid at impact. Its three alignment lines on the crown function not only to help aim the face accurately, but also to frame the ball in the middle of the face, which promotes solid, center-face contact on every stroke.

AGSI®+ to Promote Better Roll

Corza Ghost also has the advantage of Rossa’s renowned and tour-proven AGSI®+ (Anti-skid Groove System Insert) Technology. AGSI+ features 14 polymer-filled grooves in the face that “hold” the ball briefly at impact to promote forwardspin for a smoother roll and more accurate results. The AGSI+ insert, in concert with the putterhead’s extremely high MOI, also delivers superior consistency in forward roll on off-center hits, something not shown in tests of other popular putters.

Two More Ghost Models in the Pipeline

Corza Ghost is scheduled to appear at retail starting in June, at a manufacturer’s suggested retail price of $159. Two more Ghost models – a blade and a mid-mallet – also with white finish and black alignment lines, are scheduled to become available in July.

UPDATE: See TaylorMade Rossa Corza Ghost Putter – First Glance

See also TaylorMade Burner Irons – Review

While at the 2010 PGA Merchandise Show, I visited the Bettinardi booth and had the awesome opportunity to have a chat with Bob Bettinardi to discuss the company and their new 2010 series putters. Prior to the show, they sent me one of their 2010 Bettinardi BB1 Putters to try out and review. You can read the review here…

2010 Bettinardi BB1 Putter Review

On with the Interview!

OGB: Tell us about the company.
BB: Bettinardi first opened 1999 and in 2001 we signed a deal with Ben Hogan to make putters for them under the Bettinardi/Ben Hogan name. The contract ended when Spalding (who owned Ben Hogan) went into a Chapter 11 in 2004. In 2005, we signed a contract with Mizuno, dual branding  with Bettinardi/Mizuno. In 2009 our contract was up for renewal and I decided to opt out and go out on my own again. That’s how Bettinardi got to where it is now.

It’s been a great six months since I’ve been on my own and I’m very excited about it. Overwhelmingly, it’s been a huge success for Bettinardi because I’m able to do the things I want to do, being that it’s my own company again. We have a great distribution channel in the overseas markets and domestic, we just hired 15-18 sales reps, so it’s going very very well.

OGB: What was your motivation for getting into designing putters?
BB: Well, probably  just like you, I’m an avid golfer. I saw something, an opportunity,  I already had the machines at my disposal, I own a manufacturing machine shop. One of the things that you’re going to find different about Bettinardi that no other putter manufacturer can claim, is the fact that I do own my own shop. Most, if not all the other putter manufacturers have to go outside to another company to get their product made. Bettinardi owns their own shop, my office is 20 feet from the manufacturing floor, it’s very important. It helps with quality control because everything is made onsight, not six thousand miles away.

OGB: Are there any putter designers that influenced you as you were getting into the business?
BB: I don’t think there has been any one designer that influenced me, there’s been some designs, such as the Karsten Solheim design with the Ping answer, I think that’s affected almost every designer. The thing that separates Bettinardi from all the putter designers is the way our product is made. We designed and patented the one piece technology, where by, you start out with a block of steel and everything is milled. There is no welding, no investment castings, everything in the way we make our product is what separates us from all the rest.

OGB: What’s your philosophy behind designing putters?
BB: My philosophy behind designing putters? I go to the PGA Tour, go to where the best putters in the world are playing. I work with the tour players, listen to the tour players and then go back and design, construct, mill, shape and grind what they want. From there I end up getting my production series lines that I then sign to the general public.

OGB: What are the attributes to a good putter?
BB: Aesthetics, flat face, heel toe weighting, balance, feel. The feel is unsurpassed in a Bettinardi because of the way it’s made. Processes that other manufacturers use, can cause air pockets (porosity) hard spots, chill spots, etc… When you have a Bettinardi in your hand, we’re talking about a truly custom made, milled from one piece of metal, which is going to give you the best feel because there’s no disconnect.

OGB: How important are the aesthetics of a putter?
BB: Aesthetics are the most important part for Bob Bettinardi, because aesthetics is something that I want the golfer to be able to look down at that putter and think that I can make a putt with it. That’s how I want golfers to perceive my product. I’m not sure this is one of your questions, but when the general public picks up a putter, he should be looking at a putter that looks good to his eye and not everyone’s eye is the same. There are golfers who like putters that are over-sized, the MOI putters, there are golfers who play the little blade, the 8802 style putter, it’s all a matter of personal preference and we’ve tried to accommodate for that.

OGB: Now the putter face, tell me about that, the honeycomb design?
BB: It came out of a need to make the face flatter, in my old ways of machining, I used to just mill horizontally across the face with a skim mill and I found that it left a little concaveness in the face. So, we developed a vertical mill, and we come down almost like a sewing machine and use a small jewelers bit to come down flat on the face. I was able to measure that and the face had no more concaveness and was perfectly flat.

OGB: I read somewhere that the actual honeycomb was not the intent of the milling, it was an aftereffect that became sort of a trademark for you, is that true?
BB: Are you talking about the honeycomb? Yeah, absolutely, like I just said it was more a need to say, lets try something new to get this face flatter.

OGB: I was talking to some guys and I was saying that I didn’t understand the reasoning that it makes it flatter, but they brought up a good point about the dimples in the ball fit to the honeycomb face better, any truth to that?
BB: Well, I don’t think there’s any…. well, you know what? I’m not going to deny somebody for saying that, but I don’t see any of that in my testing, that has an effect on the ball, even with grooves, I don’t personally feel that the grooves gets the ball rolling faster. I think if there’s anything to get the ball rolling faster, it’s the perfect loft on a putter, whether it’s 2-3-4 degrees. Again, it’s all personal how you hold the putter. It’s not necessarily the face of the club, the face of the club needs to be flat, the honeycomb, for me at least, produces a very flat face.

OGB: Why did you decide to go green grass and selected club fitters?
BB: I think the reasoning behind that is that it’s a high end product. I think we have a better chance for the assistant or the head pro to show the product to their members. I also think the club fitters are going to be selective on who they show the putters to and explain to them that this product is made the right way, this product is made in America, this product is awesome and these are the reasons why. I think we’ll have more traction than going mass retail.

OGB: What’s your favorite putter out of the 2010 series?
BB: The BB8, the same putter that Brian Gay is using this year.

OGB: Tell me why you selected Brian Gay to sponsor?
BB: Very simple, he won twice last year with my putter. He’s fourth in putting last year in total stats, he’s a great guy, a great putter and most importantly, he loves our product.

OGB: Tell me a little bit about the Bettinardi Belt Buckles
BB: The buckles were started about two years ago. When I would go to tour events, I saw a lot of customization on the buckles and I started thinking to myself, maybe we should be doing some belt buckles because really a belt buckle is made out of steel. I started coming up with a concept and about two years ago, we designed it and the buckles are really going crazy now because we’re able to customize it for green grass establishments and corporations.

OGB: Any prominent players currently wearing a Bettinardi Buckle?
BB: Angel Cabrera, last year, won the masters wearing a Bettinardi Buckle.

OGB: Are you still an avid golfer?
BB: Absolutely.

OGB: Whats your handicap?
BB: I’m a seven.

OGB: If you could pick a foursome to play golf with out of anybody in the world, who would you pick?
BB: That’s a good question, I would probably pick the general who’s running the whole war in Iraq and Afghanistan, I’m a real big military guy, I love the fact that the guys do what they do, while receiving little or no credit. Even though my nationality is Italian, I was born in America and I’m supporter of the military. I would also choose one of the top business leaders, maybe a Bill Gates or a Steve Jobs and the third would be a guy like Billy Graham. So you have a prominent Religious guy, a military guy and a business leader. I think being able to talk to those guys about their expertises would be an invaluable experience.

OGB: Awesome! Bob, thanks very much for your time today.
BB: Anytime.