EVNROLL: A Revolutionary Putter Design

For a golf geek, scratch that, a golf equipment pervert, I’m not actually one for changing putters very often. I could happily take a new driver out every time I play in the search for more yards. Someday someone will make an iron that looks like a blade but plays like a Big Bertha, and I’ll put them in the bag straight away (PXG have come closest). 

But when it comes to putters, I’ve only used two in the last ten years. In that time I must have picked up and rolled putts with over 500 different putters. And for the majority of that time, the Rife Barbados was the putter in my bag. It looked great, lined up perfectly, it felt soft, and it got the ball rolling end-over-end better than anything I had ever putted with before or since. 

So to interview the designer of that putter, Guerin Rife was an honour. But to then be told that his new EVNROLL putter design could be the most revolutionary putter design since the Ping Anser? I was like a giddy school boy after his first kiss behind the bike shed.

Watch the video and Guerin will explain the science behind his new putters, but essentially he’s built a self correcting putter. Now that is the holy grail of golf club design. Hit the ball out of the middle of the face and it will go towards the hole. Hit it towards the toe, and not only will it travel the same distance as if it was a centre strike, it’ll self correct and use gear effect to travel back towards the hole. Same goes for heel strikes.

What EVNROLL promises to do...

Essentially wherever you hit the putt from on the putter face it will try and track towards the hole. It sounds mental, but we’ve seen video footage that blew us away. He's done this using grooves on the face that vary in width across the putter face; thicker in the centre, and thinner towards the heel and toe. The thinner grooves transmit more energy to the putt, balancing out the fact it's not been struck from the sweetspot. It's no longer a sweet spot you need to find, Guerin says the putter has "a sweet face!" 

A close up of the grooves and how they transmit energy

The putters are 100% milled in Carlsbad, California, and there are four to choose from; two blades, and two mallets. They aren't cheap, at £249 for the blades, and £275 for the mallets, but who wouldn't pay more for more holed putts?

ER1

ER2

ERF Hatchback

ER6 iROll

Putters are going to start being made available from the beginning of April, and don't be surprised to see these pick up some steam on the PGA Tour. It might be a new name, but Guerin is a designer the tour players trust. Expect to see a video review soon.

www.evnroll.com

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