PutterZone – Best Putter Reviews
Forget LeBron James—the real “decision” this week was Tiger Woods’ bombshell that he is switching from his trusty Scotty Cameron putter to the Nike Method 001 putter, at least for this week’s British Open, and possibly beyond.
Needless to say, there’s suddenly lot of buzz circulating around the Nike Method putter line, including considerable chatter about its features and benefits. Some of the chatter is accurate, but a lot of it is incomplete or downright erroneous.
On that note, PutterZone.com is inspired to give you the detailed lowdown on Tiger Woods’ new putter, the Nike Method 001 model.
Design
When we first got our hands on the Nike Method 001 putter, we knew that it was built for Tiger Woods. For starters, it is very similar in shape and style to Woods’ Scotty Cameron Newport 2 putter—but then again, so are a lot of putters (the design is a riff on the classic PING Anser).
But the real “tell” to us was the sight dot on the crown of the putter, which echoes the dot on Woods’ Cameron putter. Sight dots are rare at the retail level. The typical alignment aid on an Anser-style putter is not a sight dot, but a sightline along the flange. To us, the sight dot confirmed that this was a putter gunning for Tiger Woods’ attention.
The origins of the Nike Method 001 putter’s design are rooted, as mentioned, in the original Anser putter developed by PING founder Karsten Solheim. Legend has it that Solheim initially sketched his idea for the “answer” on the sleeve of a vinyl record album. The design featured a rear cavity with weight redistributed to the heel and toe, as well as an offset “plumber’s neck” hosel. At the suggestion of his wife, he removed the ‘w’ from “answer” because the full word was too tight of a fit.
Today, the Anser is the most-copied design in the putter market, a testament to its timeless genius. The Scotty Cameron Newport 2 and Nike Method 001 feature sharper corners and bevels compared to the classic Anser design, but they definitely belong to the extended Anser family.
It makes sense that Woods, if he was going to make a putter switch, would stay in his visual comfort zone—which is exactly what the 001 offers. He is seeking an edge, but he’s not going to dive off the cliff into some crazy oversized mallet, either.
Technology
The core feature of the Nike Method line is its “polymetal” face groove technology. This technology combines milled steel with polymer, as seen in the distinctive black polymer pattern on the face.
The polymer is “ported” through the sole, creating a solid polymer layer behind the face, through which the groove pattern is extruded (see the black line along the sole in the above photo; that is the entry point of the polymer). These polymer grooves, when striking the ball, give way to secondary steel grooves that aim to ensure “controlled forward roll.” Meanwhile, the polymer layer also aims to dampen vibration upon impact.
The ported polymer design also allows for 30 grams of head weight to be redistributed from the front and center to the rear perimeters of the putter for enhanced Moment of Inertia (MOI). In simple terms, MOI is the measurement of a putter’s head weight properties. The higher the MOI, the more resistant the putter is to twisting and turning on miss-hits, resulting in added forgiveness and improved consistency.
What It Means
So what does it all mean to Tiger’s (and your) game? We recently visited the Nike Golf tour van at the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach, where we got added insight into the Method’s polymetal groove technology.
There, Nike representative Rob Burbick shared the story of one PGA Tour professional who, before trying the Method putter, asked for the loft to be bent from the stock loft of 2.5 degrees to four degrees (to match the pro’s existing putter). But he was persuaded to roll some balls first under the watchful eye of a high-speed camera, which revealed that he was achieving the same launch angle with less loft while reducing ball skid from four inches to one inch.
Reports confirm that Woods’ Method putter features the same stock loft of 2.5 degrees, which is one degree lower than the loft of his Cameron putter.
It’s no secret that most grooved putters feature lower lofts, to ensure that the ball gets rolling quickly (and to thus enhance the intended efficacy of the grooves). A potential issue with a lower loft, however, is that it can drive the ball into the ground, especially on softer greens, causing the ball to bounce toward the target. Conversely, too much loft for the playing conditions can result in the ball being launched and skidding toward the target. When the loft and launch angle are optimized, the ball will achieve quick topspin and true forward roll for improved consistency and accuracy.
And therein lies the core benefit of the Method putter, according to Nike Golf. The lower loft gets the ball rolling quickly, but the rebounding qualities of the polymer elevate the launch angle. Most grooved putters with lower lofts, Burbick said, “sacrifice launch angle to achieve quicker forward roll.” But with the Method, he said, “we get correct launch and faster roll. We get both.”
A side note to the polymetal groove technology is the fact that the Method putter is milled from a block of stainless steel. Most putters are produced by one of two processes: casting or milling. Milling is the process of cutting the head from a block of metal, while casting is the process of pouring molten metal into a mold. Milling is considered to be superior to casting, as milled putters are prized for having better feel and higher quality compared to cast putters. The milling process and base materials are more costly than casting, hence the heftier price tags on milled putters (the Method sells for $249).
So there you have it, Tiger Woods’ Nike Method putter explained. Now the question is, how will it perform for him at St. Andrews? Regardless, it’s shaping up to be nothing less than the biggest putter drama in the history of golf.
P.S. Check out PutterZone.com’s Putter Buyer’s Guide for crucial insights into putter fitting basics, and how the right fit can shave strokes off your score.
You should see the Method commercial that compared it to a (thinly disguised) TM putter. The Method rolled better of course because it looked like the TM putter they used had been bent to 7-8 degrees loft!
The thing about that is usually on slower greens more loft is better, yet TW went to a supposedly lower lofted putter because the greens are slower??
You should see the Method commercial that compared it to a (thinly disguised) TM putter. The Method rolled better of course because it looked like the TM putter they used had been bent to 7-8 degrees loft!
The thing about that is usually on slower greens more loft is better, yet TW went to a supposedly lower lofted putter because the greens are slower??
Yes, that is interesting about Tiger, and it lends credence to Nike's claims about the Method putter.
They say that with their groove technology, you get a higher launch angle at a lower loft. That would explain why Tiger did't raise the loft on his Method to match his Cameron (which was one degree higher according to reports).
Tiger also said the ball came of the face more quickly with the Method, which would compensate for slower greens.
Yes, that is interesting about Tiger, and it lends credence to Nike's claims about the Method putter.
They say that with their groove technology, you get a higher launch angle at a lower loft. That would explain why Tiger did't raise the loft on his Method to match his Cameron (which was one degree higher according to reports).
Tiger also said the ball came of the face more quickly with the Method, which would compensate for slower greens.
Great article. However, two inaccurate points.
1) According to Nike's website, the Method 001 comes standard at 2 degrees of loft, not 2.5 as stated in the article.
2)It also shows on TW's website that he is using the putter with "standard loft," and that he has adjusted the lie a half degree.
3) Lastly, for the longest time, Tiger's specs on his Scotty was standard through and through. They come standard with 4 degrees of loft, not 3.5 stated above. Therefore, he has delofted his putter by 2 whole degrees. Since he seems to be rolling it great, and good on ESPN for having some good camera slo mo views of it during the first round, this is good evidence that grooves matter!
Great article. However, two inaccurate points.
1) According to Nike's website, the Method 001 comes standard at 2 degrees of loft, not 2.5 as stated in the article.
2)It also shows on TW's website that he is using the putter with "standard loft," and that he has adjusted the lie a half degree.
3) Lastly, for the longest time, Tiger's specs on his Scotty was standard through and through. They come standard with 4 degrees of loft, not 3.5 stated above. Therefore, he has delofted his putter by 2 whole degrees. Since he seems to be rolling it great, and good on ESPN for having some good camera slo mo views of it during the first round, this is good evidence that grooves matter!
Thanks for the info, Adam!
When I visited the Nike Tour van in June, they stated the stock loft as 2.5 degrees. A Golf Magazine story from St. Andrews on Tuesday stated the Method's stock loft as 2.5 degrees, too. So it could be that the tour "stock" is a half degree higher than the retail stock? I will try to get to the bottom of that.
As for the Cameron loft, I was reporting what was being reported from St. Andrews (that 2.5 on the Method was one degree lower than the loft on his Cameron).
Regardless, as you note, Tiger is using a putter with lower loft on a course with softer greens with the same mechanics and stroke, so it lends credence to Nike's claims about its groove technology.
Thanks for the info, Adam!
When I visited the Nike Tour van in June, they stated the stock loft as 2.5 degrees. A Golf Magazine story from St. Andrews on Tuesday stated the Method's stock loft as 2.5 degrees, too. So it could be that the tour "stock" is a half degree higher than the retail stock? I will try to get to the bottom of that.
As for the Cameron loft, I was reporting what was being reported from St. Andrews (that 2.5 on the Method was one degree lower than the loft on his Cameron).
Regardless, as you note, Tiger is using a putter with lower loft on a course with softer greens with the same mechanics and stroke, so it lends credence to Nike's claims about its groove technology.
Got it! Good work. See if you can figure out if there is a different "stock" loft for tour issued putters vs retail. That would be interesting to me…Since I compete at a high level, no sense in getting something non-tour if that is where I am trying to be! Love the site. I'll be coming back
Got it! Good work. See if you can figure out if there is a different "stock" loft for tour issued putters vs retail. That would be interesting to me…Since I compete at a high level, no sense in getting something non-tour if that is where I am trying to be! Love the site. I'll be coming back
Is Tiger still using the Ping grip?
Is Tiger still using the Ping grip?
Harv, I just don't know…I do know the grip is black, so it's not the stock red Method grip. Anyone out there with a good Tiger freeze frame on Tivo who can make the grip out?
Harv, I just don't know…I do know the grip is black, so it's not the stock red Method grip. Anyone out there with a good Tiger freeze frame on Tivo who can make the grip out?