Gear: SIK Flo M putter
Price: $449
Specs: Milled 303 stainless steel with a grooved, variable-loft face.
Who it’s for: Golfers looking for a more consistent roll.
The Skinny: The Flo M is a small, tour-inspired version of the original Flo putter that features grooves in the hitting area and a unique, variable-loft face designed to help golfers create a more consistent roll.
The Deep Dive: SIK (which stands for “study in kinematics”, a branch of science that deals with the motion of objects), has been making high-quality putters for years, and has been the putter brand of choice for Bryson DeChambeau. The company’s latest release, the Flo M, provides golfers with options for customizations along with interesting technologies to improve performance.
Forged from a block of 303 stainless steel, the Flo M is 10 percent smaller and 70 grams lighter than the original Flo putter. With a pair of wing-like extensions in the heel and toe area, it creates a boxy look at address. Golfers may notice that the topline is relatively thick, but what really stands out is the compact blade length. It is only about 3.25 inches, so when the single black alignment line is behind the middle of the ball, there is not a lot of extra hitting area on either side.
At impact, the sound is solid but soft, and so is the feel. However, while you can see the grooves milled into the center of the hitting area, it’s what you can’t see that makes SIK putters different. SIK calls this Descending Loft technology, and essentially it creates different lofts in different areas of the face.
The top quarter of the face is designed with 4 degrees of loft, but each quarter of the face below that gets 1 degree stronger, with the lowest part of the hitting area having just 1 degree of loft. This is designed to normalize the loft and launch conditions. If the shaft is slightly forward at impact, which delofts the putter, you will hit the ball in the top section, where the extra loft can counteract the forward press. Conversely, if the putter is rising into impact and thin contact occurs, the reduced loft helps to minimize lift and keep the ball down.
To ensure the Flo M matches the stroke style of a wide range of players, it is available in four different hosel configurations, with the head weight changing slightly for each setup. The double-bend version (345 grams) is ideal for golfers who want a straight back, straight through stroke, with the plumber’s neck (370 grams) is better suited for golfers who make a moderate arc with their swing. The swept (365 grams) and slant (360 grams) necks have the most toe hang could be better options for players who make a significant arc with their putting stroke.