L.A.B. Golf OZ.1, OZ.1i putters

L.A.B. Golf teamed with Australia’s Adam Scott to create a mallet-style putter.

[anyclip-media thumbnail=”https://cdn5-fstl-tf.geniusplus.ai/ko1l2ZIB-9AXyVJDorAu/1730224665983_248x140_thumbnail.jpg” playlistId=”undefined” content=”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”][/anyclip-media]

Gear: L.A.B. Golf OZ.1, OZ.1i putters 
Price: Starting at $599.99 each
Specs: 100% aluminum (OZ.1); aluminum body with stainless steel face insert (OZ.1i), with customizable lie angle, head weight, alignment markings, and grip options.
Available: December (OZ.1i), January (OZ.1) 

Who it’s for: Golfers who want the benefits of zero torque and more consistency on the greens combined with a more traditional putter shape. 

What you need to know: L.A.B. Golf teamed with Australia’s Adam Scott to create a mallet-style putter, the OZ.1, that retains the company’s Lie Angle Balance benefits while offering a more conventional shape. The OZ.1i has the same shape but features a milled face insert. 

The deep dive: Zero-torque putters have become one of the hottest trends in golf equipment in 2024. While traditional blades and mallets encourage the opening and closing of the putter face during the stroke, zero-torque putters greatly reduce or eliminate face rotation. L.A.B. Golf, based in Creswell, Oregon, has been at the forefront of this trend. The company’s DF 2.1 and Mezz putters introduced golfers to Lie Angle Balance, followed by the DS3 earlier this year. Now, with input from Adam Scott, L.A.B. has released two new putters: the OZ.1 and OZ.1i. 

Like L.A.B.’s previous putters, the OZ.1 and OZ.1i feature Lie Angle Balance. When the putter is in the address position, the weighting and balance are designed to keep the face square to the golfer’s stroke path. Whether your stroke is straight, arcing slightly, or features a strong arc, these putters aim to make it easier to return the face square to the ball and roll putts more consistently along your target line. 

L.A.B OZ.1 putter
The OZ.1 and OZ.1i putters have on-set, so the shaft enters the putter behind the face. (L.A.B Golf)

Both the OZ.1 and OZ.1i are milled from aluminum and feature a more conventional, semi-circular mallet shape developed with input from Scott, the 2013 Masters champion and longtime L.A.B. Golf user. 

Another distinctive feature of the OZ Series putters is the new zero-degree Shaft Lean option. Zero-torque putters typically require on-set shafts, where the shaft enters the head behind the hitting area rather than on the target side. This usually results in a forward press that some golfers find visually distracting. However, the shaft in the OZ Series putters is vertical, creating a cleaner look while maintaining on-set characteristics. This design is also compatible with standard grips. 

For golfers who prefer a forward press, both models are available with a 2-degree Shaft Lean option and L.A.B.’s Press Grip. 

L.A.B OZ.1 putter
The L.A.B OZ.1 and OZ.1i are available in a rainbow of custom colors. (L.A.B Golf)

Both putters use weights in the sole to achieve Lie Angle Balance, but there is a key difference between them. The OZ.1 has an aluminum face that is part of the putter’s chassis, offering a softer feel at impact. In contrast, the OZ.1i features a stainless steel face insert (“i” stands for insert), which creates a firmer feel and a higher-pitched sound at impact, a preference for many golfers. 

Customization remains a hallmark of L.A.B. Golf, and the OZ Series putters are no exception. Through the company’s website, golfers can tailor nearly every aspect of the putter, from lie angle to grip type, ensuring a fit that matches their unique putting style. 

 

Will Zalatoris bought a broomstick putter online and now he’s a convert: ‘It’s just the best way’

He paid for it like a regular customer, but someone recognized the name on the order and comped him.

HONOLULU, Hawaii – Will Zalatoris put his seven-month layoff due to back surgery to good use – he found a putter he loves.

Add Zalatoris to the list of converts that have adopted a broomstick putter to their arsenal. He’s using the same L.A.B. putter popularized by Adam Scott and Lucas Glover, the Mezz.1 MAX.

“If I had known about this thing 10 years ago, I would have gone to it (then),” he said on Tuesday ahead of the Sony Open in Hawaii.

Zalatoris had a college teammate who used one and tinkered with his from time to time but never understood how to use it. But after being sidelined to repair his back he had several months to figure out the right weight, loft and shaft.

“I love it,” Zalatoris said. “You rock your shoulders and that’s it. It takes the hands out of it completely. I’ve always been very linear. It feels way more straight back-straight through as opposed to trying to work on an arc. It’s just the best way.”

Zalatoris said that putting wizard Brad Faxon suggested he try it as did a friend he plays with frequently at home in Dallas. So, he ordered an arm-lock model online and paid for it like a regular customer. Someone at L.A.B. recognized the name on the order, comped him, and sent him a couple broomsticks too. Even before he could start hitting shots again after his surgery, he would go out and watch the guys at his club play and used the broomstick putter on the greens.

“Shoot, dude, you need to putt with this,” they told him.

Will Zalatoris of the United States putts with a broomstick putter on the third green during the first round of the Hero World Challenge at Albany Golf Course on November 30, 2023, in Nassau, Bahamas. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)

Zalatoris ranked No. 103 in Strokes Gained: Putting in 2021-22, his last full season before his injury, good enough for him to climb to No. 8 in the world (he’s No. 43 now) and notch his first Tour title at the 2022 FedEx St. Jude Invitational, but he’s had some struggles on the greens, especially with short putts, switching to the arm-lock style before he made his way on Tour.

He used the broomstick for all four rounds at the Hero World Challenge, his first foray back inside the ropes at the December unofficial event. He finished last in the field of 20, including an opening-round 81, comparing playing in the Bahamas to cramming for a test the night before an exam compared to feeling prepared for his new season to get underway on Thursday. It wasn’t his putting that held him back in the Bahamas.

“I knew it was going to be a lot of trial and error,” he said. “But it was really good to get one competitive rep under my belt.”

[lawrence-auto-related count=1 tag=451189051]