Staying Power Award: Heavy Putter

Heavy Putter earns PutterZone.com’s Staying Power award for a young putter company that, despite tough competitive odds, is clearly here to stay.

This award is the latest in PutterZone.com’s 2007 Midyear Putter Awards, which began Monday with the Next Level Award, followed by the Comeback Award and Heritage Award. Stay tuned tomorrow for the Anticipation Award.

The Staying Power Award was a very close call between Heavy Putter and Rife Putters. Both are young, nimble putter companies with big ideas and, more important, terrific execution. The nod here goes to Heavy Putter, mainly because it represents the more radical concept, and is thus meeting the steeper challenge.

The Heavy Putter ($199) is comprised of six models (three blades and three mallets) in two different finishes. The Heavy Putter is made by Boccieri Golf and was invented by founder Stephen Boccieri. You might call Heavy Putter a brand instead of a company, but Heavy Putter and Boccieri Golf are, for now, essentially one and the same.

Some are under the impression that the Heavy Putter is simply a putter that is, well, heavier. But it’s much more than that. It’s heavier not only in the head, but also in the shaft, which raises the balance point for more control. The Heavy Putter also boasts a customizable weighting kit, a unique alignment concept and high MOI.

The bottom line is that we’re not talking about some slight technological nudge. We’re talking about a paradigm shift, which is immediately evident when you handle a Heavy Putter for the first time. In the words of Boccieri Golf: “The heavier mass of the putter head disengages a golfer‘s small wrist muscles and engages the larger shoulder muscles of the upper body. This promotes a pendulum stroke and leads to a more consistent swing path.”

Boccieri Golf views its Heavy Putter as the successor to the original Ping Anser putter (1966) and the groundbreaking Odyssey 2-Ball putter (2001), in terms of being a departure point in putter technology and design. This remains to be seen, and, to date, the Heavy Putter hasn’t matched the runaway success of the Odyssey 2-Ball or Ping Anser.

On the other hand, Heavy Putter wasn’t just a new idea when it was launched in 2005. It was a brand new company. They’ll have to run the race before they can win the sprint.

Heavy Putter has already enjoyed international tour success, including a win by Troy Matteson on the PGA Tour, which bodes well for a bright future. The Heavy Putter may not ultimately be for everyone, but it appears poised to change the game for many.

Runner Up
Rife Putters hit the ground running in 2005 with the launch of its innovative Rife Two Bar putter, which one observer characterized as “an odd-looking gizmo.” Odd looking perhaps, but certainly no gizmo. In fact, the Rife Two Bar putter is a serious flatstick loaded with meaningful features that put the ball in the hole. At $179, it still manages to offer tremendous value. This year, Rife Putters launched its more traditional line of Island Series putters, which are as artful as the Two Bar is distinctive. The Island Series is enjoying tour success and proves that Rife Putters is not a one-hit wonder, but rather a force to be reckoned with.