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Bettinardi 2024 INOVAI Putters
Those who follow Bettinardi’s two-year release cycles expected an INOVAI release in 2024. With that, it was a bit surprising Bettinardi did not announce any new INOVAI releases when they released the 2024 BB putter models last November. Typically, the BB and the INOVAI arrive together.
Being that the 2024 BB line included only a single mallet model, the lack of any mallets from the typically co-released INOVAI line made Bettinardi’s 2024 release plan very blade-heavy.
As it turned out, there is a new INOVAI mallet line coming from Bettinardi. It just lagged a bit behind the BB release. I’m not sure why it came later but my guess is that it got its own release … because it deserved its own release.
Was it worth the wait?
One answer to this question is to look at how different the new INOVAI line is from the previous INOVAI line that was released back in 2022. Some of the aspects of the INOVAI putters have remained the same such as the multi-material construction and the Roll Control
Face.
However, these INOVAI feature a new modular construction theme and new shapes that are different from their predecessors.
Bettinardi 2024 INOVAI Putter Technology: Modular Multi-Material Mallets
Overall, the metal distribution plan has remained the same with the new 2024 Bettinardi INOVAI line. The front is milled from billets of 303 stainless steel and the rear is milled from 6061 military-grade aluminum. The first INOVAI models had these two metals in the reverse configuration but Bettinardi moved the stainless steel to the face a few releases back to allow for more neck and face options.
The big difference this time is that all of the steel pieces now fit all of the aluminum pieces. In the past, an INOVAI 6.0 steel face would only couple with an INOVAI 6.0 aluminum back piece. This limited the possible configurations of the heads.
Now all of the faces fit with all of the rear pieces.
As a result, you can now pick the face and neck that you want and pair it with any of the aluminum back pieces. As such, rather than this being just a four-model release, it essentially becomes a 16-model release.
The other big change with the new 2024 INOVAI line is that the aluminum sections are way more chonky. Yes, I realize that “chonky” is typically used to describe pleasantly plump orange cats but it describes these INOVAI putters as well.
The aluminum sections are blockier. All of the metal is finished and milled with the expected Bettinardi precision but, as you will see when you look at the models, thin is not in this year.
I’m not going to go as far as to say these could have been designed in Minecraft rather than CAD. They are not that blocky. They just look more like cut gems rather than honed blades.
Not a judgment in any way. Just an observation.
Bettinardi 2024 INOVAI Putter Technology: Roll Control Face
The story of the 2024 Bettinardi INOVAI line is not just one of new aesthetics. The ideal putter is one that you like to look at and one that you also putt well with.
The new INOVAI line helps your on-the-green game in a couple of different ways. First, the broad geometries and multi-material construction help boost the moment of inertia (MOI). High MOI values help the putters to remain stable, including on off-center strikes.
The other piece of assistive technology is the incorporation of Bettinardi’s patented Roll Control Face grooves. These grooves are designed to promote forward roll faster, reducing skidding and sidespin.
The interesting thing about the Roll Control Face is that it still feels soft at impact. Pairing “crisp” and “soft” may seem unlikely but that is how these putters feel and perform.
Bettinardi 2024 INOVAI Putter Technology: Subtle Strangeness
Overall, the new Bettinardi INOVAI line consists of four face/neck options and four rear aluminum options. Specifically, you can pick from a face with a spud neck, a slant neck, a plumber’s neck or center-shafted.
While all of these are standard options in the putterverse, Bettinardi made some subtle alterations from the standard neck designs and, in doing so, changed how the necks will play.
I am talking about the slant and the plumber’s necks. Convention says the slant neck should produce more toe hang than the plumber’s neck. That’s the case with nearly every other putter.
For the INOVAI, the reverse is true. The slant neck is a bit closer to the center of the putter and the plumber’s neck is shorter than the usual plumber’s neck. These alterations reduce the toe hang for the slant neck and increase the toe hang for the plumber’s.
Keep this in mind when fitting a given neck to your stroke. If you need more arc, the plumber’s neck would be the choice. If you need something just past face-balanced, go with the slant neck.
Bettinardi 2024 INOVAI Putter Models
The 2024 Bettinardi INOVAI line is interesting. On one hand, they are all very similar. They share the same construction plan as well as the Midnight Armor (black) and Titan Gray color scheme.
On the other hand, the rear aluminum components are unique. From the fangs of the 6.0 to the “pack of smokes” boxiness of the 10.0, these are different-looking. Having the shapes so different means the metal is in very different positions as you move from head to head. This means the weight distribution differs from head to head, so feel will vary as well.
Before we get too overwhelmed by the possible options, let’s take a look at the new models. Remember, each can be ordered with any of the necks shown in the photos.
(Descriptions in italics are from Bettinardi.)
Bettinardi 2024 Inovai 6.0 – Spud Neck
Completely redesigned for 2024, the new INOVAI 6.0 offers a refreshingly clean and modern aesthetic with a stepless wing design for improved optics at address. The sole has been meticulously crafted with Variable Depth Ports to improve COG (Center of Gravity) placement up to a remarkable 27% relative to the center of the face, enhancing stability and performance. The 303 Stainless Steel front piece is milled with our proprietary Roll Control face milling, a groove design that promotes forward roll at impact to get the ball into a true roll faster. The optimized weighting of the 6061 Military Grade Aluminum back piece gives the INOVAI 6.0 improved feel and control to match the new look.
The INOVAI 6.0 has become the perennial INOVAI model. Bettinardi has released more iterations of the 6.0 than any other INOVAI design. Since the 6.0 is always a fang-shaped design, the new version is.
The fangs are fascinating this time around. As I mentioned, they are thick. The edges are more beveled than tapered. The new shape really brings my eyes to the center of the putter at address. The short cavity sight lines help as well but the edges of the fangs draw the eyes to the center rather than to the rounded perimeter.
Material has been removed from the underside of the fangs. While this gives the bottom of the putter a cool look, the more important thing is that the removal of material allowed Bettinardi to change the CG and MOI values. If the fangs were thin, the potential for removing material would be decreased.
(Yes, the thick fangs will still scoop a ball but it will take you some practice to be able to do so.)
Bettinardi 2024 Inovai 6.5 – Center-shafted Neck
Previously seen only as a limited-run putter, Sam Bettinardi took the INOVAI 6.5 and gave it a sleeker, more compact design while preserving the immaculate fangs that form its signature hexagonal cutout. The fangs are shaped to optimize the putter’s MOI (Moment of Inertia), with triangular vents that distribute additional weight to the perimeter. The sleek lines of the 6061 Aluminum back piece and triple sightline offer perfect visual cues for simple setup and effortless alignment. The 303 Stainless Steel front piece features our Roll Control face milling, our proprietary groove design which offers a soft feel and is designed to get the ball into a true roll faster.
The INOVAI 6.5 is my favorite. Maybe not with the center-shafted hosel, since we don’t usually get along, but the body has the perfect blend of fang and squareness. It sweeps from front to back but still lines everything up toward the target line.
Naturally, the long cavity lines help a great deal with alignment but the interior edges of the cavity help as well. The overall visuals flow from front to back but those interior triangles on the edge of the cavity push the eyes back toward the front. I don’t know I’d go as far as saying that scheme makes the alignment “effortless”, but it does work.
Bettinardi 2024 Inovai 9.0 – Slant Neck
The all-new INOVAI 9.0 was designed by Bob Bettinardi to bring a full-body high-MOI mallet to the INOVAI Series. The wide body creates ideal visual cues with long sightlines, a tapered shape, and innovative stability wings for added control. Precision machining techniques create a seamless connection between the body and the face, which features a wide topline for ease of alignment. The sole was designed with a Fixed Depth Port which maximizes MOI by distributing weight to the perimeter, while also improving the Center of Gravity, resulting in a mallet with a remarkable balance of stability and control. The 303 Stainless Steel front piece with Roll Control face milling offers our softest feel and audible feedback preferred by Tour players with our proprietary groove design that promotes forward roll at impact, reducing skid and sidespin.
Turtle Power! The 2024 Bettinardi INOVAI 9.0 has all kinds of interesting elements. First of all, it consists primarily of a hollow shell. I went with a “turtle shell” initially but it is more of an abalone shell. Unfortunately, there are no cool catchphrases for Teenage Mutant Ninja Abalone.
The shellular design gives you a wonderfully uniform look at address. The full-length dual sightlines are only possible with this continuous body style. I also like that the aluminum section interfaces with the steel front at the same height. This makes the transition from front to rear seamless and boosts the effectiveness of the alignment scheme.
Naturally, this putter needed to be hollowed out or it would have weighed too much to be usable. Bettinardi removed a great deal of the material from the bottom but left a ring of metal at the perimeter. This ring-weighted design boosts the MOI and makes the INOVAI 9.0 feel like a Spider when swung. At least to me.
The INOVAI 9.0 has small wings at the rear corners, squaring off the overall shape. Adding these wings puts more weight in the back corners as well. As far as wings go, I don’t know that these are large enough to be called “wings.” Fins, maybe, but not wings—unless we are referencing Heimlich’s wings when he turned into a butterfly in A Bug’s Life.
Bettinardi 2024 Inovai 10.0 – Short Plumber’s Neck
The INOVAI 10.0 combines the best of blade and mallet in a sleek, compact head that offers a brand-new look to the INOVAI Series. While resembling a wide-body blade, the two-piece construction of 303 Stainless Steel and 6061 Military-Grade Aluminum was engineered to shift weight toward the rear and perimeter of the putter, to give it the high MOI that players seek in a mallet. The simple shape of the body creates ideal visual cues at address, and the smooth flange is detailed with double sightlines for ease of setup and alignment. The 10.0 is perfect for players seeking to transition from a blade putter to a high-performance MOI mallet or players looking for a mallet with a more compact profile.
The Bettinardi BB-1W is a wide-body blade. The brand-new Bettinardi INOVAI 10.0 is a wider-body blade. My initial impression of the 10.0 was that it was “brick on a stick” thick. I may need to retract my previous statement about these not being built in Minecraft.
The INOVAI 10.0 is full of right angles. Top to bottom, front to back—this putter is all squared off. I love it since I like straight lines that run parallel to the target at address. Of all of the new models, I think the alignment scheme of the INOVAI 10.0 is the most straightforward. Put the top line behind the ball, line up the two cavity lines, and you are ready to fire.
One thing I did not expect from the INOVAI 10.0 is that it feels like a much more delicate putter when rolling the ball. I suppose this is because of the forward stainless steel positioning. Most of the mass of the INOVAI 10.0 is forward, like you would find on a blade putter. It may look like a big, chunky mallet but it doesn’t play like one.
I was very skeptical about the INOVAI 10.0 when I first saw it but I changed my mind after rolling balls with it.
Alternative Putting Possibilities with the Bettinardi 2024 INOVAI Putters
In addition to the standard models, the 2024 Bettinardi INOVAI line has a couple of models for those who use non-standard designs. The INOVAI 6.0 and the 9.0 are available in armlock and counterbalanced configurations.
How do these versions differ from the standard models?
The short answer is that the counterbalanced and armlock versions of the putters are longer and heavier. How they made them longer is (hopefully) easy to understand. As for making them heavier, Bettinardi redesigned the flange. For example,when you look at the photo comparing the standard INOVAI 6.0 to the counterbalanced version, you see the extra material between the fangs.
This extra material makes the head heavier and balances out the additional weight of the longer shaft.
The same plan holds true for the armlock version. The shaft is longer and the head is heavier. Additionally, the armlock face is higher-lofted so it will have the correct dynamic loft at address when locked on to the arm.
Of the two, I suspect the counterbalanced version will get most of the attention. Last weekend, Wyndham Clark won at Pebble Beach with a counterbalanced putter.
Final Thoughts on the Bettinardi 2024 INOVAI Putters
We had to wait a little longer than usual for the INOVAI release but it was worth it. This was not a tweak. It was an overhaul.
The 2024 Bettinardi INOVAI line is amazingly diverse when compared to the previous INOVAI offerings. You have four faces and four rear sections to choose from. Lefties even get some choices. That’s not something we see every time.
Naturally, you will need to figure out which configuration best suits your stroke. It could even be a counterbalanced or armlock version. Even with those styles, you have head options. The diversity of the line is remarkable.
Are they worth $400? After reading about them and seeing them in person, I expected the price to be higher. Just a reminder that the new Scotty Cameron Phantom mallets are $449.
Find out more about the Bettinardi 2024 INOVAI putter line at Bettinardi.com
FAQ: Bettinardi 2024 INOVAI Putter Line
Why are the faces stainless and the backs aluminum and not the other way around?
The stainless steel face provides more production options than aluminum. Though not part of this release, a neck can be welded onto a stainless steel face which is not possible with aluminum
If I buy a couple of these, can I just unscrew it and swap components?
I asked Bettinardi this question. I had visions of hot swaps between all of the backs and necks to figure out the perfect build. Alas, these are designed to be assembled at the factory so taking one apart would void the warranty.
How do I know what my proper build should be?
That’s the problem with having lots of options—you have to choose one. Ideally, you could get fitted at Studio B. I want to go back there and just do an INOVAI fitting with their fancy fitting gear. Outside of that, I would recommend you get the neck that fits your stroke and the body that fits your eye.
Who makes Bettinardi’s headcovers?
Bettinardi. They have their own little textile mill set up next door to the metal mills. LOTS of threads in these headcovers. Fun fact: The headcover for the INOVAI 10.0 is slightly smaller than the one for the other three. If you work at a Bettinardi retailer, double check this as the 10.0 version of the cover is a bit too small for the other models.
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