I’ve never used a wooden headed putter before so I did not know what to expect from the Greenwood Putter, but I was certainly excited to try it. I have tested and reviewed some of the best putters out there but it’s always nice to get my hands on something a little different. One of the most fun putters I’ve tested recently was the weird and whacky IB Putter Sweet Spot, so a wooden putter is right up my street.
That said, my expectations of performance weren’t especially high, as in the last couple of months I’ve reviewed the new TaylorMade Spider Tour putter that’s in the bag of Rory McIlroy as well as Jon Rahm's Odyssey Ai One Rossie C, which is as high end as you’re likely to get when it comes to technology.
So I’d set a low bar for the Greenwood Putter. After all, how was a block of wood going to compete with Rahmbo’s putter? There's no face insert, no milling, no perimeter weighting or MOI technology to prevent twisting... it's just a block of wood on a stick. A beautifully crafted block of wood, but a block of wood nonetheless. Perhaps it’s because I wasn’t expecting much that I was so surprised at how the Greenwood performed. I’ll get to that shortly...
Usually, whether it’s reviewing the best putters or the best drivers one of the first things we do is talk about the new tech developments from the previous model. There’s no tech story to speak of here though, the Greenwood putter is all about the craftsmanship. The head is a rectangular block of wood (North American Black Walnut to be precise) with a small curve removed from the top. There's a little bit of onset and 90 degrees of toe hang.
The sole plate and metal ferrule give it a premium, high end look but it’s the quality of the woodworking that immediately catches the eye. My first thought was that I had no idea if it would hole putts, but it sure looked nice. The model I had was the steel shaft and standard grip / head cover but you can upgrade on all of those for an extra cost, while you can also personalise the sole plate if you wish.
Greenwood do not market this putter solely on the craft aspect though, it insists that it brings significant performance benefits too. On its website Greenwood says:
“Putting is all about feel. Unlike metal, which amplifies the power of your stroke, wood absorbs impact allowing for a more precise transfer of force. No more compensating or second guessing. Your stroke becomes truer, more sensitive and accurate.”
Let's see if they're right!
I tested the putter extensively at home on my artificial turf putting green as well as on my home course, Hurlston Hall in West Lancashire.
First off, the feel was genuinely fantastic regardless of which golf balls I used. In fact, it might be the nicest feeling putter I’ve ever used. Feel is a subjective thing of course and not everybody is looking for the same thing, but I was blown away by how this putter felt and I absolutely love the sound too. There’s something hugely appealing about the sound and feel of wood hitting a golf ball.
I tested it with various different types of balls, from premium golf balls to cheap golf balls, and I loved how it felt with all of them. It's also highly responsive. You can certainly feel in your hands when you haven’t found the sweet spot, which is a good thing in terms of honing your stroke but not so great when it comes to forgiveness. Heel and toe strikes felt a lot different to center strikes but they were not coming up too far short.
I’m sure if I were to take this putter along to a professional fitting and run the data alongside some of the most forgiving putters from the bigger brands then there would be a noticeable difference, but just from the eye and feel test the Greenwood putter was not especially penal.
As for negatives, well the grip is not to my personal taste and having the best grip is quite important when choosing a putter. The grip is fine, it's just not to my preference. The plain orange head cover doesn’t do it for me either but that’s far less important.
This is something of a niche product because you can’t just go and pick one up in your local pro shop to try it out. If they were more widely available I could see more golfers giving them a try, but the idea of spending a couple of hundred bucks on a putter you haven’t tried and seems a bit gimmicky is going to put a lot of people off.
As for who it will appeal to, it’s a fairly selective group I would imagine. Possibly the same type of golfer who carries a vintage pencil bag and a set of original Wilson Dynapower blades. You won’t see many of these putters at your home course so anyone who likes to stand out as being a bit unconventional should consider one of these unique putters. They’re ideal for the pleasure golfer who isn’t driven by lowering their handicap and just wants an enjoyable golfing experience, because striking putts with the Greenwood offers a pleasant sensation, there’s no question about that.
