PING Nome putter Review

When reviewing a putter you probably shouldn’t take much notice of what the best players in the world are using – they could probably putt effectively with a stick and tin can. But it’s hard to ignore the effect the Nome has had on the fortunes of Hunter Mahan. The American put it in his bag at the Accenture World Matchplay and won. He has tasted victory again since, lead the FedEx Cup standings, recorded a top 12 finish at the Masters and climbed to No.4 in the world.

After testing the Nome it’s easy to see why it had such a dramatic effect. The large mallet head sits brilliantly square at address and the alignment bar on the crown makes it extremely easy to line up. But where the Nome really excels is its forgiveness. It feels very similar when the ball is hit offcentre compared to a perfect strike and the result is pretty similar. That is a tribute to the weighting in the head that prevents the club from twisting on a mishit.

They’ve also fitted a midsize Winn Pistol grip, which feels bigger and spongier in the fingers. Although this won’t suit everyone, it can increase confidence because it gave the impression of taking the hands and wrists out of the stroke.

According to Ping’s stroke fitting system, which is labelled on the shaft, the Nome is designed to suit a straight putting stroke rather than a curved stroke. However, unless you have a severe arc it’s still worth testing and even if you haven’t been a mallet putter fan before this is definitely worth consideration. Mahan had used heel-toe weighted blades throughout his career but the change certainly worked for him.

The Ping Nome putter has a large mallet head that sits brilliantly square at address and the alignment bar on the crown makes it extremely easy to line up. The Nome is fitted with a midsize Winn Pistol grip. It is designed to suit a straight putting stroke rather than a curved stroke which is reflective of Ping's stroke fitting system.

Contact: www.ping.com