Center Cut mod. 14 ion putter

I can’t putt. I get nervous when there’s a putter in the room. I really need modern putter design to help me out with a bit of stability.

So credit card in hand, I popped over last month to my usual clone golf supplier (GigaGolf) and ordered a couple of their new Center Cut putters. The first out of the box is the Center Cut mod 14. It’s not a traditional design by any means. A soft dark metal finish, hollow ring shape, and two 4g weights in the rear give it a very modern look.

But does it perform?

The theory sounds good. The shape and rear weights give it the perimeter weighting for stability. And there’s a two-layer insert with complex grooves (see left) to give the ball the right push off the club face.

It didn’t feel stable compared to my 3-ball mallet and more conventional weighted blade putter. Nor is there a strong alignment aid. Just a raised bar running perpendicular up the middle of the head. Not confidence inspiring. And yet it had a certain something.

I can’t explain that in terms of physics.

The putter felt nicer resting on the ground before taking the shot. And the ball seemed to travel more smoothly towards its end destination. It took a few strokes to get comfortable with the weight and alignment, but then it had a nice smooth feel to it.

My putting style is perhaps too irregular to fit this particular putter. But I could imagine those with a little bit more skill appreciating the help given by the insert and the smoother address.

My advice: the price starts at under $30 with a generic grip. So for the cost of a brand putter, you can get three different design styles from the Center Cut range and see whether you’re more at home with the classic blade, a heavy mallet with serious alignment features, or a more extravagant design like the Center Cut 14 ion. Available from GigaGolf.