When Lucas Glover won the U.S. Open with a Nike prototype putter with a unique face, people became curious. But the golf world really took notice when Stewart Cink won the British Open with one the following month. People wanted to know, “What's the story with that putter and where can I get one?”
It’s called the Method and it came out in limited release on November 1 (the official launch is February 1). What makes it different is the “polymetal” face. Putters with inserts provide a nice soft touch but lack aural feedback to help with distance control, while the opposite tends to be true of putters without inserts. By combining steel and polymer into a proprietary configuration, the Method offers the best of both worlds.
The polymetal groove technology also gets the ball rolling faster after impact than a standard steel-face putter or one with just a polymer insert, Nike says. The multi-material face imparts more forward spin to help minimize bounce right after the strike and keep putts on line. It also freed up 30 grams of weight that was relocated to the perimeter for a higher moment of inertia or stability.
In addition to Glover and Cink's victories, Paul Casey picked up his first PGA Tour win this year using the putter. Clearly, there's a madness to the Method.
$250 (four blade styles and one mallet), nikegolf.com
