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Bettinardi 25th Anniversary Minovai 2.0 Limited Edition Putter Review
And just like that, we are at the 12th and final putter of Bettinardi’s 25th anniversary limited-edition putter run. For the past 12 months, I’ve wondered what the last putter would look like. They had to close the run with something booming, right? I expected it to be another classic Bettinardi design, maybe a BB0 or half-moon mallet, perhaps featuring some iconic Bettinardi elements like copper plugs and a hex-milled face.
I was wrong.
To cap the series that celebrates their past, Bettinardi created something completely new. Plot twist! Granted, the Minovai 2.0 shares some elements with its similarly named Inovai kin but this wee beasty is truly unique. Like I said, my nostalgia-based design prediction was way off.
What’s an Inovai again?
Those of you who keep up with Bettinardi’s two-year release cycles know that when the BB 2024 update was announced last month, the new Inovai putter models would have typically been announced as well. By the way, the new BB models should be showing up in your local shops soon or they may already be there.
We didn’t get an announcement of an Inovai release for 2024 (yet?) but now we have this new Minovai. Since some of you may not be familiar with Bettinardi’s Inovai line, let’s take a quick moment and rehash the elements of Bettinardi’s Inovai putters.
If memory serves, the first Inovai putter released in 2015. That initial mallet featured aluminum and steel construction and was a reflection of Bettinardi’s continued goal of “innovation” in the putter field. Now you see where the name comes from. Thankfully for all of us who type out the name, along the way the iNOVAi name was changed to the more reasonable-to-type “Inovai.”
In 2019, Bettinardi flipped Inovai’s metal script. Previously, stainless steel was used for weight distribution. Now the stainless steel moved to the face with the aluminum elements bringing up the rear and influencing the weight. This move allowed Bettinardi to dramatically increase the neck and face options and the new metal scheme has continued through the subsequent releases.
It’s an Inovai clone, just one eighth its size.
Like the name implies, the Minovai 2.0 is a mini version of a Bettinardi Inovai putter—sort of. Now that you are familiar with the Inovai design, you can see where the Minovai behaves like an Inovai and where it deviates from the plan.
One major difference is that the Minovai 2.0 is not a multi-material head. This head is milled from a solid billet of 303 stainless steel. The only aluminum found near this head is in that cooler that you snuck into the course. It’s a mono-material head rather than a multi-material one.
The progressive theme of the Minovai 2.0 continues with the face milling. While I expected the original hex milling, the Minovai instead has Bettinardi’s brand-new Perpetual Flymill face. This new face pattern improves consistency and sound across the face. This is the same face milling found in the new 2024 Bettinardi BB putter line.
The Minovai features some interesting angles. While fang-shaped, the Minovai’s fangs are atypical in shape. Most fang putters, the normal Inovai included, feature wings that are smooth and continuous from the face to the rear.
The tips of the Minovai’s wings are angular rather than uniform. I’d not be mad if you called them faceted like a cut gemstone. No, I don’t have an answer as to why they look this way. Perhaps it is just aesthetic or maybe those angles provide the Minovai with ideal weight distribution.
Specifications: Bettinardi XXV Limited-Edition Minovai 2.0 Limited-Edition Putter
Material: 303 stainless steel Construction: CNC milled Finish: Golf Flame Face: Perpetual Flymill Neck: Mini Plumber’s Toe Hang: 1/4 (4:00) Weight: 362 grams Shaft: Stepless steel Grip: Navy leather perforated Gripmaster with gold stitching Production run: 250 MSRP: $900One other small thing about the Minovai 2.0
The most interesting thing about the Minovai is that it is a mini-Inovai. I was shocked when I saw how small it was, even compared to its own headcover. This putter only shops in the petite section. It wants to be a big putter but it can’t. Poor little bugger.
At address, the ball and the putter are not that different in size. OK, that’s an exaggeration but you can see for yourself how small the putter looks sitting behind the ball. The top line of the Minovai 2.0 barely scratches the middle of the golf ball..
Truth be told, the measurements are only small in two of the three dimensions. The Minovai 2.0 has a fairly standard width. It is just smaller from face to tail and from top to bottom. Look at how its width compares to one of the new TaylorMade Spider Tour models.
Why is the Bettinardi Anniversary XXV Minovai 2.0 so small?
Because it was born that way, baby.
The Bettinardi Anniversary XXV Minovai 2.0 is small because it has to be. Sorry, that’s a bit vague. The Minovai needs to be of miniature proportions because it is made of only stainless steel. This itsy-bitsy Inovai incarnation does not have the aluminum components that allow other Inovai models to have larger profiles without excessive headweights.
The Minovai has a putter-friendly weight of 362 grams. If it was as large as a normal Inovai, that weight would be much higher. I’d wager well above 400. Stainless steel construction mandates that the Minovai be a small putter.
Final Thoughts on the Bettinardi XXV Limited-Edition MInovai 2.0 Putter
The Bettinardi XXV Anniversary Limited-Edition Minovai 2.0 is not the putter I expected to see as the Anniversary Series closer. I love that. Truthfully, the more historical Bettinardi design that I had envisioned would have been amazing but kind of mundane compared to the Minovai 2.0. This little putter is just so cool.
Did you check out the tiny plumber’s neck? It gives all of the toe hang of a regular plumber’s neck but in a much more dainty fashion. I love that there are interesting design elements like this all over the Minovai 2.0.
The leather Gripmaster grip complements the aesthetic. The hex-themed headcover will keep the little guy safe and it even has some extra room should a Windy City wizard cause the Minovai to grow into a full-sized Inovai.
Most importantly, this putter is a blast to putt with. You get over the small size in a hurry. The feel is way more solid than I expected with the traditional 362-gram weight producing expected (and consistent) distance results. One of the pros at the course said “it almost swings itself.”
For those of you wondering, it is also quite adept at scooping up the gimmie.
Producing 12 limited-edition putters in a year’s time is quite a feat. However, Bettinardi’s ability to produce precision milled putters for 25 years is the real reason to celebrate. Back when the years still started with a 19, Bob Bettinardi began milling putters, first for other companies and then for himself.
Two and a half decades later, Bob and his son Sam carry on the Bettinardi tradition. You’ll be hard-pressed to find a milled putter with tighter tolerances or a company that takes more pride in their Made in the USA motto than Bettinardi. Happy anniversary to everyone at Bettinardi. Looking forward to the next 25 years.
Find out more about the Bettinardi XXV limited-edition Minovai 2.0 and the rest of the XXV Anniversary series at Bettinardi.com
FAQ: Bettinardi 25th Anniversary Putter Line.
Where can I learn more about Bettinardi Golf?
For the last time, go read this piece written by John “The MGS Methuselah” Barba.
Is this really a new head shape?
It is. I’m not saying that it is the first Minovai. There have been a few of those released through The Hive at Bettinardi. This one is unique and priced at about half of what a Hive Minovai would have cost.
Will this one go up in value?
I appreciate your tenacity, Sir Flipsalot. This time, I’m going to say the MInovai 2.0 scores a maybe on the appreciation scale. It is unique and will be sought after by collectors. I would not expect to see a Minovai in a stock line in the future. That could drive up the price of this one.
Is that it for limited-edition putters from Bettinardi?
Were 12 putters not enough for you? High five! It wasn’t enough for me, either. I think it is safe to say the Bettinardi folks may take a bit of a break from the “limiteds” and focus on milling the new BB line for a bit. Fret not, though, there will be more limited runs in 2024. We should see a Tiki putter from them in January.
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