June 6, 2013 – Do not waste this opportunity! Just when we announced the new distribution of Bettinardi Golf in Spain and Portugal through the Holiday Golf company, we found out that one of its DemoDay teams was in the Barcelona (Spain) area with the first samples of putters, recently arrived in our market.

So what is Bettinardi? It is a well-known brand of handcrafted putters, beautifully manufactured and of the highest quality, very well regarded among Tour professionals and which you can distinguish by the honeycomb pattern on the face. Its founder, Robert Bettinardi, comes from a long family tradition of engineering and the art of quality metal craft. In fact, his masterpieces have served to win two Majors (without contract), the 2003 U.S. Open (Jim Furik) and the 2004 PGA Championship (Vijay Singh), and now his name is gaining strength again thanks to the tournaments that Matt Kuchar is winning on the 2013 PGA Tour. To date he has taken two, the WGC Accenture Match Play and the Memorial Tournament. In addition, in recent seasons he has been commissioned with the production of Mizuno Golf putters.

Finally a sample has fall into my hands, with which I’ve been able to see if the legendary reputation surrounding this brand of putters is true. I’ve got the BB1, of the BB Series, with a head designed and constructed in the classic style of previous models. According to the manufacturer, the new element of 2013 is a slightly lower profile and a shallower face, which helps to frame the golf ball with absolute perfection at address, thus allowing the putter to sit comfortably below the ball.

Viewed from above, the footprint of the BB1 is wider from front to toe, which leads to a more stable putter. With the evolution of tooling and machining Bettinardi has been able to enlarge the diameter of the honeycomb pattern and still maintain the flatness of the classic honeycomb face. The Hyper Honeycomb provides an extreme crispness at impact that any golfer will love.

It’s a great pleasure to trace the pattern of the face with a thumb, and you really have to do it to become aware of its quality, its feel and its function. The BB1 ​​has the typical form of the putter with the weight distributed towards the heel and the toe, to make it more permissive, assembled with a steel stepped shaft. The main differences we can see are the highlighted circles and hexagons of the face, a flange which is wider than usual, and of course the one-piece metal head.

A centred white line helps to align yourself behind the ball. On the putting green we shot several rounds of balls, the first from 1 yard, the second from 3 yards, and the third from 6,5 yards. My distance control was good. I find it a very solid club, well balanced and easy to move, with a performance not that different from any other great heel-toe putter.

Of course, when you hit it well, the feeling is different, firm but incredibly smooth, like you’ve hit a perfect shot with a forged iron, the best you can find in a putter. The ball grips enough to the face and quick goes off forward, and rolls without skidding, under control.

To see what happens the few times you might hit the ball off-centre, I tried out a mistaken shot, and the golf ball went off straight. You lose a little distance, but not direction. It’s OK, although the feeling is not as great as when you hit it perfectly centred. And the grip is pretty firm, which forces you to hold it consciously at first, which helped me to concentrate better on the movement of the club.

I liked the Bettinardi BB1. Its a shame that I have to return it! I really recommend it to all players, but especially those looking for a solid putter with great sensitivity to impact, without resorting to modern inserts.

PUTTER BETTINARDI GOLF BB1

• Club reviewed: BB1, steel stepped shaft, Lamkin grip.
• Tester: Miguel Angel Buil (50). Editor of MyGolfWay.com.

DESIGN	[rating: level=”5″]
DISTANCE CONTROL	[rating: level=”4.5″]
ACCURACY	[rating: level=”4.5″]
FORGIVENESS	[rating: level=”4.5″]
FEELING	[rating: level=”5″]
OPTIONS	[rating: level=”4″]
VALUE	[rating: level=”4″]
FOR…	All, specially medium-low Handicaps and experts.
AVERAGE	[rating: level=”4.5″]

 A putter of excellent workmanship, very pleasant, solid and balanced, which you get used to quickly. Its sensitivity helps you to know that you are putting really well.

 The craft production places it in the higher range of prices, and it will be difficult to seduce golfers already convinced by the modern face inserts and multi-material putters.

FEATURES

• Lower Profile and Narrower Face: Frames the golf ball absolutely perfectly at address and allows the putter to sit below the golf ball.
• Hyper Honeycomb Face: The hyper honeycomb provides an extreme crispness at impact.
• Pewter PVD Finish: Durability of the PVD finish allows for an excellent feel on the mild carbon steel.
• Weight: 353g.
• Material: Mild Carbon Steel.
• Finish: Pewter PVD.
• Grip: Blue Lamkin (Standard or Midsize).
• Headcover: Standard BB Series Blue.
• Dexterity: Right and Left Handed.
• RRP: 299 €.
• Versions BB Series: BB1, BB 34, BB 37, BB54 (Heel, Center, Belly).

Bettinardi Golf is a brand distributed by Holiday Golf in Spain and Portugal.
More information at tel. (+34) 952 789 108 and www.holgolf.com.

Pictures: ©MyGolfWay.com and Bettinardi Golf.

Por REDACCIÓN