WWelcome to Fully Equipped’s weekly travel gear report. Every Friday of PGA Tour week (and other times, when news warrants), GOLF content editor Jack Hirsh runs some of the biggest news surrounding golf clubs on Tour, including changes, renovations and launches.
As the PGA Tour’s Florida Swing begins at PGA National, many of the game’s top pros have been taking a week off before next week’s Arnold Palmer Invitational. But that didn’t stop companies from attacking us with putter prototypes.
If you’re a fan of low torque (also known as zero-torque), this week was sure to please you.
First up is the introduction of the new LAB Link 2.1 Tour and 2.2, the next generation of the Link 1, currently the only LAB blade in their matrix.
The 2.1 is a more traditional modern blade shape, while the 2.2 is a shorter heel to wider toe. But the good news is that both putters have the new LAB HS pipe that was introduced in the OZ.1i HS last summer.
Additionally, they have a deep new face. I would be very interested in this, as all LAB faces so far have been too soft or too firm for me.
But LAB wasn’t the only company offering new heel-shafted, low-torque options. Bettinardi presented several new “Hexpiramental” Prototypes at the Cogninzant Classic, and each one appears to have a new low-torque hosel from the company.
Bettinardi currently has four cases in its Antidote low-torque line, and all are center-shafted. But it looks like the company has come up with a new pipe that looks like a traditional long plumber’s neck, but with a hole towards the center of the putter.
Like I said, these Bettinardi Hexperimentals are low torque protos I really care about.
It looks like a very similar concept to LAB’s riser hosel or Odyssey’s S2S Tri-Hot SB used by Max Greyserman, where the axis point of the shaft is raised to align with the CG of the putter to provide toe placement.
Bettinardi’s take on it looks as conventional as an attempt as we’ve seen so far.
So far, we’ve only seen two shapes: the SS9 with a wide toe leg and a new mid-mallet option like the Odyssey Jailbird or the Scotty Cameron Fastback with a rear window.
But it also looks like there are more options for face milling already, with images showing Bettinardi’s new VFT milling pattern and FIT faces currently in their Antidote line.
Finally, Scotty Cameron also presented a new prototype to the pros this week with the new T12 mallet.
We don’t know much about this one, and you’ll have to check out the photos on GolfWRX for yourself, but we’ll address the elephant in the room and admit that it’s pretty obvious what kind of look and performance Cameron is going for here. But before anyone starts complaining, know that almost every OEM has putters and technology that are exactly the same as each other. People like to do well, so there is no point in trying to do things that are too different from what works.
What’s interesting here is that we last saw the Scotty “12” mallet in the Phantom X line, which also had gaps between the fins and the center of the putter. But that putter seems big and focused on delivering a very high MOI.
We don’t know when this will come out because we haven’t heard any details about the T3 mallets (played by Ryan Gerard) since last summer! I wouldn’t expect anything too soon, as the T12 we saw at GolfWRX doesn’t seem to have the new SCS or chain-link face milling that the rest of the 2026 Phantom line has.
Two works of art are played
Chris Kirk also added this new Prototype Odyssey Damascus Milled #7 Single Bend.
Seeing a Damascus steel putter on the PGA Tour is rare, but it usually produces a nice soft feel, unlike carbon steel as it is often based on that.
While all of those new prototypes look amazing, the only new prototype putter that debuted this week was the Odyssey Damascus Milled No. Two 7s.
Yes, you read that right! Damascus!
Damascus steel is one of those materials that is commonly used in high-end boutique putters to make it stand out. The materials used are usually based on carbon steel and then welded, rolled or welded together to create a unique look that only that piece has.
It’s considered more art than a piece of functionality, but both Chris Kirk and Kevin Yu put the new Odyssey Damascus rods in the bag this week at Cognizant. Kirk played the single-bend version, while Yu had a Crank Hosel.
check this out
This section is dedicated to the great photos we recently took on Tour, but didn’t have a reason to share until now. This week, check out Joel Dahmen’s Ping Anser hybrid, which is still kicking in his wallet more than 14 years after its release.
Joel Dahmen’s Anser mix may not leave the bag.
Jack Hirsh/GOLF
Odds and ends
Some gear changes and notes we’re tracking this week.
Keith Mitchell added a new (yes, new!) Scotty Cameron Kombi S after testing the Kombi he brought home … Matthieu Pavon has a Scottsdale Tec Ketsch Onset, same platform as Tony Finau’s new wand and in the same configuration, just a different headshape … 84 … Danny Walker and Hoatong Li both added a TaylorMade R7 Quad Mini driver … Chandler Phillips added a driver of 10.5 Qi4D, the 16th Qi4D driver in play this week and the 17th TaylorMade driver … Brandt Snedeker, Davis Thompson and Li all got Spidered this week, the Spidered Tour reported that the XSpider Tour is still XsNeck on the Titleist Pro V1x golf ball … Alejandro Tosti added a 25˚ Qi4D Rescue… Garrick Higgo added a different set of TaylorMade P7CB (4-5) and P7MB (6-PW) irons … Chris Kirk and Rasmus Hojgaard both moved to the Quantum TD Max driver.
3 things you should read/watch
A selection of GOLF content from the past week that you may be interested in.
Tony Finau’s new putter is not his only equipment change | Bag Spy – Take a deep dive into the bag of Tony Finau, who has made a few more changes than usual this season, including the new Ping prototype Scottsdale Tec putter.
PING G440 LST Driver Custom
The G440 family of drivers (MAX, LST, SFT) is designed to deliver more ball speed with a number of improvements, including PING’s deepest CG in a driver to date and a thin, narrow face, while continuing to ensure the game-changing forgiveness expected of a PING driver. The G440 LST (Low Spin) design appeals to players with faster swing speeds, providing lower spin and more control at 9° and 10.5° lofts with a three-position back weight. EXTREMELY FORGIVING Lighter head weight allows for heavier rear weight. FAST FACE Shallow, thin, face increases ball speed for more distance, higher launch. SOUND DESIGN New shape, carbon crown and inner ribs produce a muted feeling of impact. FREE-HOSEL DESIGN Saves weight to lower CG, increasing forgiveness. It allows the face to expand on the heel side for constant ball speed on the face.
View Product
TaylorMade Qi4D is equal to one of the world’s best – Check out Johnny’s TaylorMade Qi4D featuring Adrian Rietveld, perfect for Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy and Tommy Fleetwood.
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TaylorMade Qi4D Custom Driver
EFFECTIVELY DESIGNED The redesigned head profile increases ball speed thanks to improved aerodynamics created by advanced simulation. FACE FOR DISTANCE The 60x Carbon Twist Face™ is a technological cornerstone that offers weight savings, incredible ball speed and more consistency compared to titanium faces. ADJUSTABLE OPERATION 4° loft sleeve can be used to adjust loft, lie and face angle for improved flight. TOUR PROVEN TECHNOLOGIES The new and improved Speed Pocket™ cutter protects ball speed and reduces spin on low-face shots. Advanced CAD modeling creates a clean and powerful sounding design, the foundation of TaylorMade driver performance. Multi-Material Construction allows engineers to place weight in the head areas which maximizes performance, speed, and stability.
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Bryson DeChambeau and LA Golf are parting ways. Here is the why failed – GOLF’s Michael Bamberger looks at where things turned sour between one of the world’s best-selling stars and one of the world’s leading equipment companies.
The author welcomes your comments at Jack.Hirsh@golf.com.
