It’s fair to say that L.A.B. Golf has truly shaken up the golf industry over the past few years since the inception of the DF3 and MEZZ.1 MAX putters. Subsequently, other brands have attempted to create their own version of zero torque, or at least very low torque putters, such as Odyssey with the Square 2 Square range as well as Evnroll and Bettinardi.
While the tech story behind L.A.B. Golf is sound, many golfers struggle to buy into them because of how they look. However, thanks to the introduction of the compact mid-mallet OZ.1i putter, designed in collaboration with Adam Scott, I have a feeling we’re about to see more L.A.B. Golf putters on golf courses than ever before.
As someone who tests some of the best putters in the world, I’ve become fairly picky when it comes to choosing a gamer - a putter that blends style, alignment cues and feel. While I have to admit I was impressed with the Mezz.1 Max putter upon initial testing and how stable the head felt through the stroke, I just felt the all-aluminum face didn’t offer me the sensation that I wanted. When I found out the new OZ model was going to be offered with a milled insert I couldn’t have been more excited to get my hands on one and put it to the test.
While the OZ.1i model is a completely different head shape from anything the brand has created before, it’s also the first time a fly-milled, medium-depth stainless steel insert has been incorporated into the lineup. This enhances the impact experience for me but there will still be the option of the standard full aluminum face for those who prefer a slightly softer feel.
I found the insert provides a lot more feedback than the standard aluminum face. My pace control improved dramatically when using the new OZ.1i, however, this could be largely due to the fact I have used a milled putter face for as long as I can remember and have become accustomed to the ball speed they offer. I tested this putter with my current ball of choice - the Titleist Pro V1x and loved the clicky acoustics and feel this club and ball combination produced. It reminded me of the likes of a Scotty Cameron Phantom or Odyssey Ai-One Milled putter - widely considered some of the best putters on the market.
It’s not just the face and beautiful half-moon, solid body construction that is new with the L.A.B. Golf OZ.1i putter but also the fact it will be available in a new 0° shaft lean option that helps give golfers a vertical view of the shaft at address. The same 2° shaft lean option with forward press grip that has been available in previous L.A.B. Golf designs remains but if you’re new to the low torque putter game, you may find the 0° option a little more comfortable on the eye. For those unfamiliar with L.A.B. Golf, the shaft enters the head of the putter heads in a way that reduces torque and helps keep the putter face square to the path throughout the stroke.
When first testing putters with built-in shaft lean I found the face appeared fairly closed, which caused me to manipulate my stroke in order to try and hit the target. As soon as I got used to how this looked at address and trusted the design, my stroke became more free and my performance on the greens was better than it had been in a long time.
As always with the best mallet putters, the OZ.1i putter felt extremely well balanced. A big reason behind that is that every L.A.B. Golf putter is meticulously hand-balanced at its HQ in Oregon, so you can rest assured that your putter is being made to the tightest tolerances. This does create a slightly longer lead time than when ordering a stock putter from anywhere else but the precise craftsmanship is worth the wait.
Stock L.A.B. OZ.1i putters are available to purchase via the L.A.B. Golf website for $499. If you want to spice up your putter and add some custom features such as head color, sight lines and aftermarket putter shafts, the starting price for custom orders rises to $599.
