Gear: Scotty Cameron Long putters
Price: $499 each
Specs: 303 milled stainless steel with adjustable sole weights (Super Select Squareback 2) and 17-inch grip; 303 stainless steel and 6061 aluminum with adjustable sole weights (Phantom 11) and 17-inch grip.
Who They’re For: Golfers who want to reduce the hand and wrist action in their putting stroke while also gaining extra stability.
The Skinny: Each of the Scotty Cameron Long putters comes standard at 38 inches in length with a 17-inch grip and an extra-heavy head, creating a slightly counterbalanced putter that should reduce the hand and wrist involvement in the putting stroke and increase consistency.
The Deep Dive: Last season, two of the most prestigious events in men’s golf—the U.S. Open and FedEx Cup—were won by players using extended-length putters fitted with extra-long grips. Just as recreational golfers notice what gear the pros use, other elite players see what winners use and decide to experiment with clubs built this way, too.
The vast majority of Scotty Cameron putters that have been used on tour and sold at retail over the last two decades have measured between 33 and 35 inches in length and been fitted with conventional-length grips, but Cameron has now released two extended-length putters to complement the previously released Super Select and Phantom lineups.
The new Super Select Squareback 2 Long and Phantom 11 Long both come with 25-gram tungsten sole weights in the heel and toe areas, which increases the head weight of the putters. They also both come standard at 38 inches long, although they can be purchased through custom orders at different lengths. Finally, both putters have a 135-gram, 17-inch grip.
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That setup – combining a heavier putter head with a longer, heavier grip – not only increases the overall weight of the club but also creates a counterbalance effect. When a player addresses a ball and puts his or her hands in their normal position, a portion of the extra-long grip will protrude above their hands. This mass helps counterbalance the heavier head, reducing the use of hand and wrist muscles in the putting stroke for most players. This reduction can lead to more consistent putting strokes and improved performance.
Unlike the ultra-heavy counterbalanced putters that were released immediately after the USGA and R&A outlawed anchored putters in 2016, which many players struggled with on long putts, the Super Select Squareback 2 Long and Phantom 11 Long have a subtle counterbalancing effect. On short putts, these putters encourage players to rock their shoulders to make the stroke. However, on longer putts, when some wrist and hand usage can help generate power and get the ball to the hole, the extended-length shaft and grip do not impede the stroke.
The putter heads are identical to the previously released versions, except they are heavier and affixed to a stiffer steel shaft.
The Super Select Squareback 2 Long is milled from 303 stainless steel and is a heel-toe-weighted design that blade-style putter lovers will like. Compared to a Newport or Newport 2, the back flange is larger. Like the other Super Select putters, it features a dual-milled face. The first milling pass makes a deep cut into the hitting area and creates a circular pattern that softens the sound and feel before a second milling shaves off the points produced in the first milling. According to Scotty Cameron, flattening the milling points puts more surface area of the face in contact with the ball, amplifying the feel.
Shop Super Select Squareback 2-LongThe steel in a small portion of the sole was removed before it was covered by an aluminum plate, which increases the perimeter weighting and helps the Super Select Squareback 2 Long resist twisting on off-center hits. The putter has a black alignment line and a plumber’s neck hosel that creates about 30 degrees of toe hang, so the putter should be ideal for golfers who have a slightly arced putting stroke.
The Phantom 11 is a high-MOI mallet that has silver-toned 303 stainless steel and black-finished 6061 aluminum. It also has the same dual-milled face design found on the Super Select Squareback 2 Long for enhanced sound and feel.
The Phantom 11 has a single-bend shaft that creates a face-balanced head, making it well-suited for golfers who make a straight-back, straight-through putting stroke.
The Phantom 11 also has several design elements to help players aim the face more easily, including a two-piece arrow that extends from the back of the head to the face and comes to a point in the ideal hitting spot.
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