Dear Mark,
Please excuse the delay -- I was in Ireland and had to take some time working out with the Reeso putter after returning.
My basic opinion of the Reeso putter is pretty positive. I like and appreciate the many design features incorporated into this putter, including those listed in the Table on the
Reeso website comparing the Reeso with the Futura, Bobby Grace, Odyssey, and Bettinardi putters:
Center-shafted
Straight Shaft
Face balanced
Heel-Toe balanced
High Weight (580 grams vs. 510-520 for others)
High Swing Weight (H-5 vs D-5 to D-6 for others)
High % Back Weight
High Moment Of Inertia
The Futura and Odyssey putters come off worst in this comparison.
I like the high-contrast red-orange color and the sense of aiming assistance I get from the two parallel rods around the central brass-colored rod. I like the semi-circular shape of the brass-colored weight at the back that is partly half a ball in shape and half a putting cup in shape and size. I like the broad flat base the soles the putter perfectly. I like the clean lines of the slab that serves as the putter face. I like the heavier weighting of the putter head. I like the balancing.
My only caveat is that I'm personally not too fond of the shaft hoseling being back off the putter face with a gap between the front end of the center rod where the shaft attaches and the back of the putter face slab of about 1/2 an inch. The thickness of the face slab means that the shaft is back from the striking face of the putter by about 1 inch.
The website describes this feature as the key innovation:
"With the REESO™ Putter you don't have to be concerned with "releasing" the putter head [to keep the face moving square thru impact] because it happens naturally due to the unique design.
It is easier to keep an item on line if it is moved forward with one continuous motion rather than with a forced release motion that must change right at the critical point of impact with the ball.
The "One Continuous Motion Putting Stroke" with the REESO Putter™ is possible due to the rear mounted center shaft and the back weight distribution. The face balanced putter will stay square to the hole before, during and after impact because its special weighting and balance will let it release itself."
To me, it is a little discomfiting to see a gap between the hosel and the putter face slab, even though the parallel red rods connect the face to the back and the center rod is connected to the back as well. It just makes me wonder whether there is a difference between hitting with the putter face and swinging the hosel. I prefer my attention on the putter face untroubled by such an issue. I suppose I can get over this, and also I doubt that many others would have this experience. Even so, the other thing about this design feature is how it plays when I time the transition of the stroke from down to the bottom to up into the ball. I have spent a lot of time timing the transition with the front edge of the face right at the bottom of the stroke, and the hosel with most putters is either right there also or very near behind, so the shaft of the putter straightens to vertical right when the shoulders level and the putter face reaches the bottom. With the Reeso putter, the front edge or face of the slab reaches the bottom before the shaft straightens to vertical and the hosel comes along behind. This creates a choice of whether to time the upstroke with the putter face or with the hosel and the shaft. I'm sure this issue will dissipate with time, but currently it bothers my stroke. In this respect, it is the same as with a Futura putter, so it is probably me and my style rather than the putter that is the problem.
I'm not sure what people mean when they say "release" the putter. Tiger Wood talks about the putter head going ahead of the handle thru impact. Well, crickey, it always does that unless you're a contortionist. To me, it is more a matter of keeping the pivot securely in place, returning the shaft to vertical, and transitioning up into the back of the ball with the putter face. So hoseling and ball placement and putter-face-to-hosel arrangement are issues.
That said, I still like the Reeso putter because it gets a lot right. It could use a sweetspot marker on top of the putter face slab -- perhaps a line or triangle pointing into the back of the ball.
Cheers!
Geoff Mangum
Putting Theorist and Instructor
Geoff Mangum's PuttingZone
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