The best putter I’ve ever had in the bag: L.A.B. Golf DF 2.1 Putter Review

L.A.B. Golf putters are taking the world by storm and since being custom fitted for my very own it’s clear to see why!

I would never class myself as a brilliant putter, in fact, it’s probably been one of the worst parts of my game for the past two to three seasons. In my quest to find the best putter for my game, it led me to book a fitting at Scottsdale Golf’s L.A.B. Golf Centre of Excellence to discover whether I’m a lost cause on the putting green or if a L.A.B. Golf putter could help me out in the same way it did Lucas Glover.

I’m like every other golfer in the world when I start struggling on the greens. I instantly blame the putter and I reassure myself that I’m most definitely not the issue. However, after cycling through what felt like about 50,000 putters in the space of 18 months I started to fall out of the illusion that I was a saint and every putter was the problem.

Before I got fit for my L.A.B. Golf putter I had played with some of the best blade putters on the market which aren’t my usual preference, but I was desperate to find a flat stick that worked for me. I’ve pretty much always had some form of mallet putter in the bag and I’m a real sucker for a high MOI putter because (trust me when I say this) I need the forgiveness.

The putter I took along with me to my fitting was the Odyssey Ai-One Jailbird Cruiser putter (which I thoroughly enjoy) because it’s the one I found myself most confident with and I felt as though it helped me produce a solid stroke that transferred into a positive roll. As you can see from the Quintec Ball Roll data below the Jailbird was working fairly well in my hands – I just felt like I could do better.

If you look at the color of the numbers like a score to par on a hole, red is a bogey, orange is a par, green is a birdie, and blue is an eagle. Like I said before, the Odyssey was working quite well for me but there was definitely room for improvement.

Now, step up to the plate the L.A.B. Golf DF 2.1 putter. This is one of the best L.A.B. Golf putters because it’s incredibly forgiving and stable. Plus, it’s hugely successful on the professional circuit – Richard Bland won both of his Senior Major Championships and maiden LIV Golf title in 2024 with a L.A.B. Golf DF 2.1 putter in the bag.

I would be lying if I said the DF 2.1 was hands down the best L.A.B. Golf putter I tested on the day of my custom fitting. Liam Hunt, L.A.B. Golf Tour Fitter and Builder, narrowed down my options to this model and the Mezz.1 Max Putter. We both came to the conclusion that the DF 2.1 was the superior model for me. Here’s the data.

It still isn’t perfect, but at the end of the day, I’m not a robot and I don’t have the ideal putting stroke. However, there’s a lot less red than what there was with the Odyssey putter. One thing I was massively lacking with the Jailbird – that won’t show up in any data – was confidence, something I instantly felt with the DF 2.1 in my hands.

It’s probably hard not to have confidence in a putter head that’s just shy of five inches in width and depth, but confidence plays a huge role in putting so why not find a putter that gives you the utmost confidence you’ll at least have a chance of leaving every hole with no worse than a two-putt.

I can’t say that I’ve never three-putted with the DF 2.1, but that’s definitely user error as opposed to any issue with the putter. Where my confidence has grown on the putting surface is with distance control. My biggest issue has always been getting the ball to the hole, but with the DF 2.1, that fear has almost disappeared.

One aspect that’s certainly helped me reach the hole more often is that the ball rolls much more positively off the face of the L.A.B. Golf putter than any other putter I’ve owned and it’s backed up by the following data.

The red numbers on the left-hand side are the putts with the Jailbird and the blue numbers are the putts with the DF 2.1. As you can quite clearly see, the biggest difference is that, on average, I produced backspin with the Odyssey, but forward spin with the L.A.B. which is miles better for delivering a more positive and aggressive roll. As the saying goes… never hit never home.

Forgiveness and Stability

Considering I’m not the greatest putter, stability and forgiveness is massive for me in a flat stick. The DF 2.1 has both of these in abundance. L.A.B. Golf prides itself on its “Lie Angle Balance” (hence where the company gets its name) which features in every head they offer. This technology helps to reduce head rotation and deliver a more stable stroke.

Having watched videos of my putting stroke with both the Jailbird and DF 2.1 I’ve been able to see that I have a much more stable stroke with the L.A.B. Golf putter than I do with the Odyssey putter. This inevitably helps deliver the putter square at impact with more contact out of the center of the putter face.

I have the heavier head – the DF 2.1 T7 – which helps me in my mission to never leave a putt short again. Also, the added weights stabilize the putter even more with my stroke. I’ve found this putter to be incredibly forgiving, it feels as though I could hit the ball anywhere on the face and never be punished with a bad roll.

Probably the biggest plus I’ve found with the DF 2.1 is the torque-free balancing which is designed to help golfers keep the putter face square throughout the arc. I can’t say that I consistently putt with the same stroke every time but I know that my stroke has got more consistent and I’m a lot squarer at impact since putting this L.A.B. model in the bag.

Distance Control and Roll

As I’ve already mentioned (and you’re probably sick of hearing), you get such a positive roll from the putter face of a L.A.B. Golf putter. The putter head is crafted from 6061 aircraft aluminum that is 100% CNC milled. The sound off the face isn’t the sweetest and my playing partners were incredibly shocked to hear how tinny it sounds, but even they can’t deny that the ball rolls off the face extremely well.

During my custom fitting, I discovered that the DF 2.1 helped me generate more forward spin than any other model. By increasing the amount of topspin in the putter head it assists me in getting the ball to the hole and producing a better roll because there isn’t that initial grab and there’s less skid.

Looks, Sound, and Feedback

While I’ve had this putter in the bag I’ve received a lot of comments – I can’t lie there’s been more negative than positive. Purely based on how the putter looks. I’d be lying if I said the DF 2.1 is my favorite design, but it works, and ultimately that matters more to me.

I don’t think anyone would look at the DF 2.1 on the shelf and instantly fall in love with it, and even L.A.B. Golf are aware of this, “Yes, it’s crazy looking. And there is a legion of golfers around the world who think the Directed Force is the Mona Lisa of mallets. But they didn’t think that until they started making putt after putt with it.”

This quote sums up the DF 2.1 perfectly, and I can’t believe how much I resonate with it now I own one. Shelf appeal is massive for a lot of golfers, but if you can look past the design of this specific model I guarantee you won’t be disappointed.

Technology and Components

Lie Angle Balance Technology is the major selling point for L.A.B. Golf Putters. This piece of technology is what makes it a zero-torque putter. Unlike most putters that are either face balanced or have a degree of to hang, when you hang the DF 2.1 in your hands the putter face is perpendicular to the ground.

L.A.B. Golf putters are torque-free because the putter head doesn’t rotate around the axis of the shaft. Putters that aren’t torque-free rotate in this way depending on certain factors like the head weight, balance, the hosel mechanism, and where the center of mass is located.

Every single component that goes into building any L.A.B. Golf putter is extremely premium. With steel and graphite shafts to choose from, multiple head colors, and multiple grips you can customize your L.A.B. Golf putter however which way you choose. A privilege you don’t get with most putters.

Final Verdict

If you’re in the market for one of the best mallet putters then I can’t see why you wouldn’t consider the L.A.B. Golf DF 2.1 putter. No one can argue that this is undoubtedly one of the best putters L.A.B. Golf offers. I find it very hard to pick a fault with this putter, and the only one I can come up with is the aesthetics, but that has no negative impact on the performance of the putter whatsoever.

The DF 2.1 is super stable and really forgiving which will help any golfer putt better. If you enjoy playing with a blade putter, it might be a stretch to say that you should jump from a blade to a mallet of this size, but if you can bring yourself to make that leap then you should.

I had never realized until I went for my fitting that I produced backspin with a putter. Thankfully, now I have the DF 2.1 I generate forward spin which helps to deliver a more positive roll. The most important learning I’ve had from my experience with a L.A.B. Golf putter is that being custom fitted is incredibly important and I’d thoroughly recommend you to book your L.A.B. Golf putter fitting at Scottsdale Golf.

About the author

James Hogg – Golf Equipment Writer

James has a degree in English Language from Newcastle University and an MA in Journalism from Kingston University.

He spent seven years working for American Golf as part of the sales and fitting team alongside his studies and is a specialist in putters, golf balls, and apparel.

James took up golf as a teenager and, thanks largely to his length and consistency off the tee, he plays off a handicap of 4.7 at Cleveland Golf Club.

You can contact James via email for loads more golf equipment insight.

L.A.B. Golf DF 2.1 Putter

RRP: $399.99 / £389.00

Loft: 3.5 degrees static loft (0.5 degrees effective loft)

Lie Angle: 63° - 79.5°

Length Options: 28" - 38" (Standard) | 38" - 46" inches" (ArmLock) | 40" - 50 (Broomstick)

Shaft Options: Matte Black Premium Steel | ACCRA x L.A.B. Golf | L.A.B. Golf x TPT

Head Color Options: Eight

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