The Putter Buzz for 3/31

Yes! Golf continues to get bagged by big names, the TaylorMade Spider spins a web of success, and the Heavy Putter is back in black…

Here’s the latest Putter Buzz on the PGA Tour and beyond:

1. Yes! Golf, already a leader on the LPGA Tour, is gaining ground on the PGA Tour as well. At the recent Arnold Palmer Invitational, Colin Montgomerie used a Yes! Victoria II model putter, while Stephen Ames wielded a Valerie model (pictured here), the same putter with which he won the Skins Game in November. Meanwhile, Retief Goosen returned to his old Tracy model, the putter that helped him win the U.S. Open. Click here for PutterZone.com’s earlier interview with Yes! Golf’s CEO Francis Ricci.

2. The new TaylorMade Spider putter has already racked up some remarkable stats on the professional circuit: 12 PGA Tour events, 83 times in play, 32 different players have used it, 15 top-25 finishes, 10 top-10 finishes and two victories already in 2008. If there has ever been a new putter introduction that was as sweeping and successful right out of the gates on the PGA Tour, PutterZone.com can’t recall it. Click here for PutterZone.com’s review of the TaylorMade Spider.

3. The Putting Arc reports that “the professional win total for known Putting Arc users in 2008 now stands at 20,” inclusive of the international circuits. The Putting Arc is a training aid designed to instill the feel of the optimal arc-type stroke. According to the company, “The modern putting stroke of the successful touring pro is the inside-to-inside or arc-type stroke. This is the stroke used by 95 percent of successful touring pros.” Click here for PutterZone.com’s earlier interview with the Putting Arc’s V.J. Trolio.

4. Heavy Putter just released its C2-DF Tour model putter, the production version of its C2-DF Limited Edition putter, of which only 500 were made. The C2-DF Tour belongs to Heavy Putter’s new Deep Face (DF) series, and features the same Anser-style head as the regular C2-DF model. The Tour version, however, is forged and milled from 303 stainless steel, and features a durable PVD (for “physical vapor deposition”) finish for a rich black profile with gold lettering. This is a seriously sharp-looking Heavy Putter. Click here for PutterZone.com’s review of the Heavy Putter DF series.

5. Tom Conway, a golf equipment representative based in Indianapolis and a contributor to PutterZone.com’s Drill Bits series, reports good news from Ashdon Golf—a newer producer of putters designed by Ronnie Pritchett. The company’s Bermuda Triangle model divides the putter into three equal segments to connect at the center of the heel and toe, resulting in a generous sweet spot. “These putters really boil down to stability and balance, which will help you make more putts,” Tom says.