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Customizing And Comparing The L.A.B. Golf OZ.1i And The New OZ.1
When L.A.B. Golf released their new OZ.1i mallet in December, it made quite a stir. Not only was the mallet created through a collaboration with Adam Scott but it was the first L.A.B. Golf putter to feature a stainless steel face insert.
Additionally, the OZ.1i was the first L.A.B. Golf putter to have a zero-degree shaft lean option. All previous L.A.B. Golf putters had built-in forward press in the shaft, requiring a special L.A.B. Golf Press Grip to complete the build. The zero-degree option allows any grip to be used and should make the putter feel familiar to a traditional mallet player.
Naturally, the OZ.1i is still Lie Angle Balanced regardless of face or shaft options.
L.A.B Golf said an insert-free version of the OZ would be coming in the future. Well, the future is now. The OZ.1 with its all-aluminum face now is available.
Naturally, I had to check out this latest L.A.B. putter and, oh boy, do I have stuff to share. First, we are going to check out the custom build programs for the OZ.1i and the OZ.1. Does what you see on the computer screen match the delivered product?
After that, I’ll get to the question that many of you have about the two models: How does the type of face affect the play?
Creating the custom OZ.1i and OZ.1 putters
Of all of the things I investigate here at MyGolfSpy, one of my favorites is online golf club building. I enjoy spending time running the various configurations through the computer interfaces.
With each design tweak, I envision how the various build options will influence my putting success. Admittedly, I also just test out options to make the putter look cool.
The second part of the design process is satisfying as well. No, not the time spent waiting for the box to arrive but rather the opening of the box.
Nothing beats opening the box and discovering how the real life putter compares to the one I built on the computer.
Based upon my experiences, L.A.B. Golf’s custom track record is perfect. I’ve ordered five custom L.A.B. putters and all five have crushed any computer-generated expectations.
Needless to say, the bar was high when I submitted my custom builds for the L.A.B. Golf OZ.1i and OZ.1.
What are the custom L.A.B. Golf OZ options?
Going custom is going to cost you a minimum of $100. If you add a custom shaft, the price rises from there. Considering that the stock putter is already $499, that baseline extra hundred bucks pushes the price of a custom L.A.B. Golf putter above that of most of the putters in your local shop.
Is it worth it?
The short answer is yes. For the extra cost, you now have control over a broad suite of build options such as:
dexterity (right or left) head color (8 color options) head weight (standard. heavier, lighter) putting style (standard or counterbalanced) length (28″-36″ for standard build) lie (63°-79.5°) shaft lean (0° or 2°) grip (7 Press Grip options) alignment scheme (31 front and 21 rear alignment graphics) putter shaft (steel, ACCRA, GEARS, or TPT)That extra $100 allows you to build the exact L.A.B. putter that not only fits your eye but also your play needs.
New GEARS x L.A.B. Golf shaft option
In addition to the new face, the OZ.1 and OZ.1i also have a new shaft option: L.A.B.’s new GEARS putter shaft. L.A.B. Golf believes you should play a very stiff shaft in your putter to minimize any influence of shaft flex on your stroke.
However, they recognize that if a putter shaft is too stiff, it will feel harsh and negatively impact feedback.
As such, L.A.B. Golf has partnered with shaft manufacturers to produce graphite shafts of various stiffness. They are all stiff but some are stiffer than others.
This new GEARS x L.A.B. Golf shaft is not as stiff as their stiffest TPT shaft but it is stiffer than their ACCRA shaft. The GEARS option is a bit of a Goldilocks in terms of stiffness.
When building your custom, upgrading the shaft is the priciest option. Ideally, you can find a fitter with the various shafts to demo. If not, L.A.B. has a solid explanation of the shafts in their L.A.B. 101 section.
Dave’s OZ.1i and OZ.1 builds
This time around, I went conservative with my putter designs. OK, so that is a half truth.
For the OZ.1i, I chose a cappuccino brown finish and the new black GEARS shaft. I am a big fan of the ACCRA shaft but I had to see how stiff the new shaft played, especially since my stock OZ.1i has a TPT shaft.
Admittedly, I got a little more out there with the L.A.B. Golf OZ.1 build. Yes, it’s pink. Sometimes I get distracted by shiny things. The white version of the GEARS shaft seemed like a natural complement to the aesthetic.
This look makes it a perfect Valentine’s Day gift …
Outside of the colors, all of the other build specs were the same for the two putters. By minimizing variables, I hoped to better understand how the stainless steel insert of the OZ.1i rolled the ball compared to the all-aluminum face of the new OZ.1.
L.A.B. Golf is now 7-0
L.A.B. Golf’s “crushing the computer rendering” streak continues. Both putters looked way better in person than on the monitor.
The cappuccino L.A.B. Golf OZ.1i was a richer brown than I expected. I thought it would be flat brown for some reason. In person, the finish is very rich, especially in full sun where it radiates.
Depending upon the angle of the sun, I did occasionally notice the edge of the toe end screw hole at address. I could see the little scalloped edge at the bottom of the screw.
I don’t remember my eyes being drawn to that area with the black stock version. Obviously, since there is no insert to screw into, these holes are not present in the new OZ.1.
The hot pink is a dynamic finish. The shade of pink sits more toward the red side of pink than the whiter pink of the computer rendering.
This finish really pops in the sun, becoming ruby-hued from some angles. I love the way the white shaft and alignment lines complement the color as well.
The influence of the insert
Ultimately, the purpose of a putter is to get the ball in the hole. As much as I like building customs and seeing them for the first time, what I really like is making putts.
Prior to the OZ.1i, every L.A.B. Golf putter that has spent time in my bag has had an aluminum face with horizontal grooves. Not only is the stainless steel insert not aluminum but its milling pattern is completely different. It looks like a traditional milled face.
The story from L.A.B. Golf is that the stainless steel face of the OZ.1i gives it more pop and a firmer feel than the aluminum face of the OZ.1.
After rolling them head to head, I completely agree.
On average, the putts I made with the OZ.1i rolled further than putts from the same distance with the OZ.1. This was true for short putts as well as lags across the practice green. The insert makes the OZ.1i the hotter of the two versions.
Speed is not the whole story, though. I found the feel of the aluminum to be far more pleasing than the stainless steel. Perhaps I am biased because of my time spent playing the all-aluminum L.A.B DF3.
Regardless, you should expect the stainless steel face to feel significantly firmer than the aluminum face.
The princess and the pea
While rolling the two OZ variations, an intrusive thought crept into my head. Not only did the OZ.1i feel firmer than the OZ.1 but I also felt the head was heavier.
All of the build options were the same for the two putters but the OZ.1i seemed to have a heavier swing weight. I tried to ignore that idea as being ridiculous but it persisted so I went into the shop to measure the swing weights.
Sure enough, the swing weight of the OZ.1i was marginally higher than the OZ.1. What does that mean? First of all, it means I am overly sensitive to putter nuance. It also means that the extra weights on the OZ.1 don’t quite replace the mass of the insert and the OZ.1i.
This is not a knock on the OZ.1i, just something to consider when choosing the face for your OZ.
Which OZ should you buy?
Valid question. I’ll answer that with two questions of my own. First, what is your typical miss in terms of distance? Are you always short of the cup? If so, go with the stainless steel insert and the OZ.1i.
Do you frequently blast the ball past the hole or play on very fast greens? In that case, the extra pop-pop of stainless steel may aggravate your situation. Choose the softer aluminum face of the L.A.B. Golf OZ.1.
Once you determine the face that is right for you, then you can move on to all of the other build options. The GEARS shaft did seem to play softer than the TPT but I think my favorite shaft is still the ACCRA. As with the face feel, I prefer the softer feel of that still very stiff shaft. However, there are legions of L.A.B. Rats that swear by the TPT.
When you head over to the L.A.B. Golf site to check out the custom options, you’ll be impressed, and perhaps intimidated, by the alignment options. As per usual, there are some conventional ones, like my long T scheme, and some more exotic options. Have fun trying them out. I’m curious what you want to see on your putter when you address the ball.
If all of the options are overwhelming, reach out to L.A.B. Golf. They are known for their excellent customer service. I bet someone at L.A.B. HQ has the answer to your build questions. Don’t forget: You can get the whole custom process started with a Remote Fitting.
See all of the build options and design your L.A.B. Golf OZ.1 or OZ.1i at labgolf.com
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