Gear: TaylorMade TP Reserve Milled putters
Price: $399 each with KBS 120 Chrome stepless shaft and Lamkin Deep Etched grip
Specs: Milled 303 stainless steel. Right- and left-hand versions in 33-inch, 34-inch and 35-inch lengths with 3 degrees of loft and 70-degree lie angle.
Available: NOW
Who They’re For: Golfers who demand classic looks and emphasize sound and feel.
The Skinny: With an emphasis on craftsmanship and attention to detail, TaylorMade reenters the premium milled putter market with three blades and three mallets in the TP Reserve line.
The Deep Dive: TaylorMade has enjoyed tremendous success in the putter category by combining multiple materials such as stainless steel, aluminum and tungsten with high-tech designs. Over the past 15 years, the Spider family has featured large and small mallets popular with tour pros and recreational golfers because their perimeter-weighed designs boost forgiveness. At the same time, their unique face inserts encourage the ball to roll instead of skid. Jason Day, Rory McIlroy and Dustin Johnson have each won majors with Spider putters.
However, there has been a hole in TaylorMade’s putter lineup that the brand has tried to fill over the years with mixed success: the premium milled category. While Spider mallets remain popular, many elite golfers and tradition-loving amateurs still prefer all-steel putters that blend craftsmanship and quality with timeless design. These golfers understand the science of putting, but they also see it as an art – they want a tool that can help them paint masterpieces on the greens.
TaylorMade’s new TP Signature line, comprised of three blades and two mid-size mallets, is designed for these golfers.
TaylorMade TP Reserve B11 (David Dusek/Golfweek)
While there is a TaylorMade logo on the heel portion of the face, golfers will notice a new logo on the back, a green R, which symbolizes the new line. The new logo signifies TaylorMade’s commitment to differentiating this line from the cast putters it offers. It wants the Reserve family to be aspirational, rare and something that golfers see as the highest level of quality and craftsmanship that TaylorMade produces.
To that end, the B1, B2, B3, M1 and M2 heads are precision-milled using 303 stainless steel, a soft material that amplifies feel and allows golfers to gain a better sense of precisely where they hit the ball on the face. While milled areas have been polished smooth, golfers will see the tiny milling grooves in other areas. The advantage of milling is the manufacturing tolerances are tighter, so edges are sharper and the intended designs are produced more accurately.
The grooved face of the TaylorMade TP Reserve B11 putter. (David Dusek/Golfweek)
TaylorMade has designed a series of grooves in the hitting area. In the Spider putters, the grooves enhance the roll, but in the Reserve putters, the grooves help with acoustics. Using higher-compression, urethane-covered balls (which discerning golfers tend to use), TaylorMade tested 15 different types of grooves with various depths and pattern tightnesses before opting for this specific pattern because it creates the sound that company research showed elite golfers want to hear at impact.
There are weights in the heel and toe areas of the sole that fitters can change to adjust the putter’s swing weight based on length or a golfer’s preferences. All the TP Reserve putters also feature a single black alignment line.
The TP Reserve B1 is a classic heel-toe-weighted blade with a thin topline and straight rear bumpers, while the similarly shaped B2 has a shorter blade length and curved rear bumpers. The B3 blade has an extended back flange for a more solid look.
The TP Reserve M2 is a fang-style mallet with extensions in the heel and toe areas, while the M3 is a semi-circular mallet. The TP Reserve M5, the most compact mallet, blends the B3 and M2, having a curved back section that ends in a straightened portion.
After each putter’s name, TaylorMade adds a second number to designate the hosel or neck configuration of the club. Clubs with an L-neck (or plumber’s neck) have a 1 at the end, while small slant necks get a 3, single-bend hosels get a 7, and the long flow neck adds a 9 at the end of the putter’s name.
Shop all TM TP Reserve puttersTake a close-up look at the TP Reserve putters below.
Source: Golfweek https://ift.tt/19tqKzk