Equipment

L.A.B. Golf DF3 putter review – Club Junkie Reviews

Published

1 min ago

Feb 15, 2024

I know a lot of golfers haven’t heard of L.A.B. Golf, but they are a putter company making some serious waves in the golf space. Their Lie Angle Balanced putters have been a hit with amateur golfers for years, and we are now seeing more and more showing up in the bags of professional players. Lie Angle Balanced putters are built so that when you rest the putter horizontally, the face points at the target.

L.A.B. Describes Lie Angle Balance: “Lie Angle Balance (L.A.B.) Technology makes it effortless for golfers to deliver a square putter face at impact because, unlike other putters, it keeps the putter face square to the arc throughout the stroke. It makes putting as easy as picking the right line, the right speed, and making your natural stroke.”

I will admit that the DF3 is not the first L.A.B. Golf putter that I have owned or reviewed. I have had the pleasure of rolling the original Mezz.1 and the larger Mezz.1 Max putters as well. But the new DF3 looks very good when you take it out of the box. The Platinum finish has enough texture to ensure you won’t have to worry about glare from the sun but also has a depth to it that looks luxurious. I think L.A.B. nailed the size of the DF3 as it is compact but has some thickness to it that is very proportionate. Picking up a ball is also so easy and simple, just set the hole in the rear of the putter down on the ball. With almost zero pressure the ball sticks to the putter and you effortlessly bring it up.

I rolled the DF3 initially indoors for about 4-5 days and the first thing I noticed was the softer feel and very muted sound. Across the entire face you get a slightly softer feel than the Mezz.1 Max but it isn’t mushy or unresponsive. You can still tell when you mishit the ball or strike it dead center on the face.

When you get the DF3 on a real green, you can see how the horizontal grooves on the face produce a smooth roll with plenty of topspin and very little skid or hop. L.A.B.’s lie angle balance does just work and it has proven in every putter head they make. The face stays pointed at the target through the whole stroke without any need for you to manipulate it. I found that for me very light grip pressure allows the putter to move straight back and straight through the ball, getting it started on line easily and consistently.

Confidence on short putts is through the roof as you know you just have to aim the putter correctly in order to make a short and straight putt. Greens here in Michigan are far from smooth in February, but I never once felt like I didn’t start my putt on the intended line. Longer putts for me took a little more practice to get used to as you don’t have to try and guide the face back to square on a bigger backswing. Trusting that the DF3 will be square to your target is all you have to do, then just pull the putter back and let it go. Lag putts are very accurate and after a little while you start to imagine that you should make a few more than you statistically should. Once you get comfortable with a L.A.B. putter, it all comes down to your read and the speed you hit the putt.

The DF3 does have a little different feel than my Mezz.1 Max, and I have to think that’s due to the added stability of the DF3. The new putter also has a new grip that feels a little more familiar in your hands, a pistol version of the Press grip. Press grips are designed where the shaft installs on an angle, vertically through it, to work with the forward press in the shaft angle. This new pistol option is immediately comfortable and sits in the pads of your fingers really well. The pistol shape feels more traditional compared to the more oval shape of the Press II that I have on my Mezz.1 Max. L.A.B. also added some texture to the grip and that should provide some added tackiness when the hot and humid summer days roll in.

Overall, I think L.A.B. Golf did a wonderful job with the new DF3 putter. They were able to enhance the shape of the head, increase stability, and keep the same Lie Angle Balance technology working in harmony together. Add these up, and I think golfers who were turned off by the looks of the DF2.1 will be excited to try the DF3.

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Equipment

Details on the new 2024 TaylorMade TP5, TP5x golf balls (plus new Pix)

Published

37 mins ago

Feb 15, 2024

GolfWRX Staff

TaylorMade has enhanced and updated its tour golf balls for 2024, launching the first TP5 and TP5x balls since 2021. The Carlsbad-based company is also releasing a new generation of its TP5/X Pix line of balls.

The centerpiece technology of the new TP5 and TP5 is TaylorMade’s Speed Wrapped Core. According to the company, this innovation allowed engineers to create, with TP5x, the fastest ball and, with TP5, the softest ball in company history.

2024 TaylorMade TP5, TP5x golf balls

At the center of TaylorMade’s five-layer construction, the Speed Wrapped Core “optimizes variable stiffness between the core and mantle layers,” according to the company, contributing to reduced spin on longer clubs and more spin control on wedge shots. TaylorMade notes a softer sound and better feel in this iteration of its cast urethane golf balls.

“Our learnings from countless player and Tour tests show that golfers, unsurprisingly, favor a softer more muted sound with added distance,” said Michael Fox, TaylorMade’s Senior Director of Product Creation, Golf Balls. “Historically, the challenge has been the inability to improve one without negatively impacting the other. With this understanding, we’ve evolved our golf ball design process by uniquely decoupling feel and speed through material advancement, a complete departure from the conventional. The material-level advancement positions our TP5/TP5x family as having the best feel in the industry with faster constructions.”

TP5 vs. TP5x

TP5

TaylorMade’s softest tour ball (particularly notable around the green)
More spin than TP5x, particularly on wedge shots
Lower driver spin than previous generation
Best for golfers who preference short game feel

TP5x

TaylorMade’s fastest tour ball
Less spin than TP5
Lower driver spin than the previous generation.
Best for golfers who preference distance on driver and iron shots
Flatter trajectory than TP5

2024 TP5/TP5x Pix

Pix’s ClearPath Alignment gets an upgrade for 2024. The balls feature a longer centerline and more color contrast for greater ease of alignment and more visual feedback.

In addition, based on tour and consumer feedback, the shape of the Pix graphic was changed from a triangle to a diamond shape. A tweak to the color palette moves the black portions of the designs further from the centerline for better visibility and ease of alignment.

The company is expanding its lineup of both stock and limited-edition offerings for 2024. Stay tuned on both fronts, including “MySymbol” wherein TaylorMade athletes craft unique Pix designs.

Pricing, specs, and availability

Colorways: White, yellow

Price: $54.99/dozen

At retail: Now

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19th Hole

Behind the similarly marked ‘CH’ Titleist Pro V1x golf balls of the Phoenix Open playoff contenders

Published

1 hour ago

Feb 15, 2024

GolfWRX Staff

As Nick Taylor and Charley Hoffman faced off in the playoff at the WM Phoenix Open, there was no doubt that a Titleist golf ball player was going to win for the sixth straight week to start the 2024 PGA TOUR season.

What made it more interesting for the duo, however, was the way they marked their Pro V1x’s.

Both men’s golf balls featured the initials C and H, with Charlie Hoffman’s ball marked with a red Sharpie for his initials.

Nick Taylor’s ball also featured the initials C and H, with the Canadian’s being either side of the play number and representing his children Charlie and Harper.

Taylor prevailed in a playoff in Phoenix, but it wasn’t all bad news for Charley Hoffman, whose runner-up finish earned him a spot in this week’s Genesis Invitational.

Coolest thing for sale in the GolfWRX Classifieds (2/15/24): New Mizuno Pro 245 irons

Published

2 hours ago

Feb 15, 2024

Gianni Magliocco

At GolfWRX, we are a community of like-minded individuals that all experience and express our enjoyment of the game in many ways.

It’s that sense of community that drives day-to-day interactions in the forums on topics that range from best driver to what marker you use to mark your ball. It even allows us to share another thing we all love – buying and selling equipment.

Currently, in our GolfWRX buy/sell/trade (BST) forum, there is a listing for a set of new Mizuno Pro 245 irons.

From the seller: (@KGGolf): “NEW Mizuno Pro 245 4-PW. $1,050 OBO – 4-PW – STD L/L/L – TT Dynamic Gold Mid 115 Shafts – GP MMC Black and Grey Grips. Bought these and hit them indoors 1x. They don’t work for me. Pictured taken outdoors for better lighting. Quite literally the only time they’ve seen the sun.”

To check out the full listing in our BST forum, head through the link: New Mizuno Pro 245 irons

This is the most impressive current listing from the GolfWRX BST, and if you are curious about the rules to participate in the BST Forum you can check them out here: GolfWRX BST Rules