It would be fair to say that LAB Golf has experienced a meteoric rise in the putter industry over the past two or three years, with a growing presence both on global tours and at retail. Now very much among the conversation as some of the best putters in the game, players such as Adam Scott, Lucas Glover, Will Zalatoris, and Richard Bland are just a few of the high-profile names that have decided to “un-torque” themselves and experience the benefits of a truly lie-angle-balanced putter.
The success has been so great in fact, that a number of large, established equipment manufacturers have felt the need to react and respond with their own versions or interpretations of the L.A.B. Golf range. Odyssey Golf has recently released its Square-To-Square range, PXG has produced the Allan putter, and both Evnroll and Bettinardi have dipped their toe into the world of zero-torque putters amongst others.
Today sees the launch of two new L.A.B. models to sit alongside popular putters such as the DF3, LINK.1, and MEZZ.1, designed with significant input from 32-time tour-winner Adam Scott. The OZ.1 collection will be available in two models, OZ.1 and OZ.1i, which features the company’s first ever face insert.
The OZ.1 design process started over a drink with Scott, where he offered two important pieces of feedback about the look he was seeking. He has a fondness for the back end of a certain 2021 high-performance German sports car, and that was where L.A.B Golf started with the back of the putter design. On the front side of the putter, Scott asked L.A.B Golf to reimagine one of the most famous mallet putters of all time (you'll have to use your imagination here).
Both putters feature a half-moon, mid-mallet style head that some may find somewhat more digestible than other less traditional offerings within the range, however the ‘i’ of the OZ.1i stands for insert. It features an aluminum body that is mechanically bonded to a fly-milled, medium-depth stainless steel insert to offer a firmer feel and faster ball speeds. Those preferring a softer feel may want to opt for the one-piece, all-aluminum OZ.1
An interesting development is that L.A.B. Golf has introduced a custom option of a 0-degree shaft lean option, which will please many. A number of the current L.A.B. Golf models are only available with a slight forward shaft lean which realistically limits consumers to the company's proprietary ‘Press’ grips that angle back the other way to still facilitate a neutral hand positioning.
Along with the shaft lean, L.A.B. continues to offer an exceptional range of customizable options from the obvious length and lie angle choices, to head weight, color, and alignment markings, making it one of the most genuinely customizable putters on the market.
In honor of Adam Scott’s contributions to L.A.B. Golf, the company has also launched an OZ.1 Special Edition. This limited-edition release features L.A.B. Golf’s exclusive POLY ROO graphic on the sole, a tribute to Scott’s Australian heritage.
The green putters include a custom L.A.B. Golf x TPT Golf putter shaft with cream-colored graphics, a Seamus Golf headcover with a sheep wool interior, and packaging adorned with 32 L.A.B. Golf logos to celebrate Scott’s tour victories. This release is extremely limited however, so you will need to act fast if you want to get your hands on one.
