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First Look: Bettinardi 2021 Putter Lines
Keeping with their November tradition, Bettinardi Golf has unveiled the Bettinardi 2021 putter lines. This means a couple of things. First, Bettinardi is staying with their two-year model cycle, meaning that this time around we will see new Studio Stock and Queen B putters. Second, the 2020 BB and iNOVAi lines will continue for another year, with maybe just a little something-something coming to the iNOVAi cohort in 2021.
Most importantly, the 2021 lines are getting pretty significant overhauls this time around. Not only will we see new models and aesthetics in the Bettinardi 2021 offerings but Bettinardi has also unveiled a completely new face design. We have a bevy of Bettis to get through today, so let’s pull off those headcovers and take a look.
First up, the new Queen B line.
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Bettinardi 2021: Queen B
Let’s get the Bettinardi 2021 party started with some royalty. Carbon-steel lovers will rejoice the reign of these three new metal monarchs. OK, so the QB6 is a lingering lady, but the other two models are as new as they come. Like in years past, Queen B line putters are all made from soft carbon steel. Though that steel is supple, when naked it can be prone to rusting. Never you fret, these queens are attired in rose gold PVD armor, keeping all moisture away from the delicately soft steel.
These Queens will rule the roll with a firm hand thanks to the Bettinardi Micro Honeycomb face. As someone who likes the feel of carbon steel, I was initially cautious about a milling pattern that firms up the face. Now, I see this carbon-honeycomb combination as a favorite. The feel at impact rules.
Let’s dive a little deeper into the three queens of Bettinardi 2021.
Queen B 6
The Queen B 6 holds the record for being the model that has sat on the throne most often. I believe the QB6 has appeared in every Queen B lineup with the exception of 2017. The QB8 in 2017 was like a QB6 notchback so, even when missing, the QB6 was there in spirit.
The QB6 is a big square blade/mallet and it is the model you can find in both left- and right-handed configurations. The QB6 can also be ordered completely custom. In case you missed it, take a look back at this phenomenal QB6 that Bettinardi built for me last year. It’s amazing!
Queen B 11
Like its predecessors, the 2021 Queen B line will feature a flow-necked round mallet, a shape present in some incarnation in each Queen B line. The QB7, QB9, QB10 and the current QB11 all fit the flow-necked round mallet description. Unlike the QB6 where the same model continues with minimal modification, these round mallets have had significant changes to their body shapes. Take a look at the 2019 QB10 versus the 2021 QB11.
The overall flavor is similar between these two but the differences are significant. I love the look of the QB10. Truth be told, it may be my favorite interpretation of the shape to date. While I roll the ball well with the QB11, the change in the bumper design is not as pleasing to my eye. That’s just my preference. Naturally, you may go the complete opposite direction. Maybe you wanted to play the QB10 but the step-less edges looked off to you. Now, after seeing the QB11, you are smitten.
Queen B 12
Bettinardi does a nice job of throwing new models, like the QB12, into their new lines. Yes, the QB11 is new too but, as I said, it has a lineage. The QB12 is its own ancestor, debuting in the putter corral fresh in 2021. It’s pretty unique. The rounded corners of the QB12 remind me a bit of the 2013 BB37 but that similarity is gossamer at best.
Ultimately, the QB12 is the putter that people who normally game blades will probably check out first. It’s got the familiar heel-toe weighted style. From there, it gets a little thicker and inches a bit closer to Malletville. The toe hang from the plumber’s neck should make this comfortable for blade players who should enjoy how the heavier-than-a-blade 362-gram head weight imparts mallet-like stability.
Bettinardi 2021: iNOVAi Rev 7.0
So back at the start, I applauded Bettinardi for sticking to their two-year release cycles. Truth be told, they bent that rule a little by releasing a new iNOVAi. Really, though, the Rev 7.0 is more of an extension of the current line than a new line. At the end of the day, who cares? I’m not the guy who will be upset about seeing more putters.
The Bettinardi iNOVAi Rev 7.0 is a putter that lots of people hoped would be released after seeing their limited edition Hexperimental prototype version of the putter last summer. The “come to retail” wishes have been granted. Now you can get your own version of that prototype. Deep pockets or Tour card no longer required.
A Marriage of Metal
The iNOVAi Rev 7.0 features the same 303 stainless steel and 6061 aluminum construction of the 2020 iNOVAi line. Remember that now the stainless is used to make the front end of the putter, a departure from previous aluminum-forward iNOVAi incarnations.
Three different neck options are available for the Rev 7. Traditional mallet players can go with the minimal toe-hang spud neck and double-bend shaft version. Do you need more arc? The slant-neck version will give you more arc. If you like to complain about how nobody makes center-shafted putters, then perhaps you should choose the center-shafted model.
Just how close these putters are to the Hexperimental version? Pretty close. Obviously, there is a color difference. The alignment is different, too, though I did see Tour versions with the “T” alignment graphic. My Hexperimental prototype has a fly-milled face and plays a bit firmer than the Rev 7 with the F.I.T. face. Other than that, you are getting a very similar putter at retail. If you must have a black one, Bettinardi typically releases limited-edition blacked-out versions of their new putters on Black Friday.
Bettinardi 2021: Studio Stock
The 2021 Studio Stock line is where we see Bettinardi push the design envelope. Not just with new models but with a whole new face. As a putter maker with signature faces like the F.I.T. and honeycomb, it is a big risk for Bettinardi to forsake what the consumer expects for something new. The only way they would do this is if they knew the new face was a winner. Based upon the excitement I have seen from Camp Bettinardi about the Roll Control (RC) face, this is exactly what they are feeling.
Bettinardi’s New Groove
Tour-inspired Roll Control Face Milling, a scientifically engineered groove profile designed to get the ball into a true roll faster, while still maintaining exceptional feel and audible feedback in every putt.
Yes, we have heard similar things from other companies. The first putter with a similar rolling intention that comes to mind is the Nike Method 001 that Tiger played circa 2009. That means that after a decade, companies are still trying to come up with ways to get the ball rolling true to target quicker. Let’s look at how Bettinardi has designed their Roll Control grooves to reach this goal.
The scuttlebutt is that Bettinardi worked closely with a PGA TOUR player to develop these grooves. Asking which player is elicits silence from Bettinardi, possibly because said player is not under contract with them. Those who speculate about such things have proposed that the mystery Tour player is Matthew Fitzpatrick. That’s not a bad guess, remembering that Bettinardi built him a uniquely grooved putter to play last March. Maybe the relationship got groovier from there. Regardless of who the player was, we do know that there was a Tour component in the design process.
Controlling the Roll
This photo shows the new RC grooves on the top and the traditional Bettinardi F.I.T. grooves on the bottom. Cursory perusal could lead one to thinking that they are the basically the same. I see that. Both are sets of parallel straight grooves cut into the face. If you really look, though, you can see that they are not the same.
Not only are there more grooves on the RC face but the grooves are different. The grooves are actually asymmetrical with the bottom edge of the groove being closer to a right angle than the top. No, you probably can’t see that in the photo. My take on the difference is that by making the lower edge a bit sharper, that edge becomes “ball-stickier.” When that face contacts the ball, the grooves will bite and, with that increased interaction, impart more spin as the ball releases. You likely won’t feel any of this and my description probably distracted you when I said “sticky balls” but that is essentially how I perceive these grooves working.
Grooves for Roll, Not Feel
While the F.I.T. grooves are more about feel, the RC grooves are about roll. My “cohort of one” test results confirm that the stainless F.I.T. face of the Rev 7 feels way softer than the Studio Stock RC face. The RC face has more pop. Obviously, since the actual putter heads with the different faces were also different, it’s not a controlled experiment. Maybe down the road we can get a lab test going on this, along with a high-speed video camera to measure roll characteristics. I’d love to see if my impressions are supported by data or not.
With the Bettinardi 2021 Studio Stock line, you get a 303 stainless steel putter with a new, potentially better-rolling face. All you need to do next is to pick your model.
Studio Stock 7
HMM in the house! The Studio Stock 7, more affectionately known as the Half Moon Mallet, is a beloved Bettinardi design. It has been a while since we have had this handsomely compact mallet in any Bettinardi line. The last time we saw one of these in the retail habitat was in 2015 when it existed as the No. 9 in the now-retired Bettinardi Signature line. Sig 9 was some sweet DASS.
Well, the SS7 is back! If you have not had the chance to roll one of these, you are in for a treat. This is almost the perfect little mallet. To improve it and bring it into the modern mallet modality, it just needs one additional option: a slant neck. I know you want that, too.
Don’t worry, I got this…
Dear Sam Bettinardi,
Hi, Sam, it’s Dave. I am excited to see the Half-Moon Mallet is back in the Studio Stock stable. When you get the chance, can you mill up a batch with slant necks and 40-degree toe hang? Lots of us have spent the past few seasons getting used to mallets that play like blades. We would like to continue this plan with a SS7-slant. Mill the magic, Sam.
Much appreciated,
Dave
That should take care of it.
Studio Stock 17
One of my favorite things about the annual releases of new putters is finding surprise gamers. Many times, there is a putter that I dismiss when I see it but love it when I roll it. Last time around it was the QB10 as I knew that I don’t putt well with round putters. The surprise putter in this Bettinardi 2021 batch was the SS17.
The SS17 has a dash of 3-Step JAM, a short stack of slant neck, a rarely seen tri-sole and the smallest cavity on any putter produced in Illinois or elsewhere. The most interesting thing about the design to me is how it looks very small at address. The neck is positioned toward the cavity and the heel just falls away. To my eye, it makes it look like the body is just from the cavity forward. The “small” head was so easy to aim and felt so good rolling balls that it immediately became my favorite of the Studio Stocks, perhaps even ousting the SS7. The moral of the story is: Roll every putter.
Studio Stock 18
The SS18 is the traditional blade-looking putter in the batch and it’s probably the one that will seem the most familiar to folks new to Bettinardi. At first pass, you could mistake the SS18 for the SS2. Both are heel/toe-weighted blades that feature the traditional Anser geometries. However, the metal has moved. The SS18 has a more squared-off design compared to the SS2. More significantly, the plumber’s neck in the SS18 attaches more toward the heel of the putter. This changes the toe hang to a deeper 1/2 value compared to the 1/4 found in the SS2. You should expect the SS18 to arc more than the SS2.
Studio Stock 28
The SS28 is like the QB6 in that it is a model that makes the cut year after year. I’m not going to say that is totally because of Matt Kuchar playing the SS28 but do you see any other putters in the class with an armlock option? I can see Mr. Kuchar being interested in this new RC face version.
The SS28 is the Swiss Army putter of the Studio Stock line. There is a tool for everyone. Here you have your choice of a spud-neck version, a center-shafted version and the aforementioned armlock varietal. Though I popped off earlier and drove away the center-shafters, they’ll be interested to know that this shaft is a bit heel-ward of center, promoting a deeper toe hang than the CS Rev 7.
New Bettinardi Putters in 2021
Obviously, the drawback about seeing the Bettinardi 2021 putters in November is that you will need to wait until Jan. 15, 2021, to get your hands on them. I know, waiting is annoying. Certainly, if 2020 has taught us anything, it has taught us how to be patient when things are annoying. The two months will fly by.
If you just can’t wait, there is one avenue to get one a bit faster.
I mentioned that Bettinardi has a Black Friday release every year. This year, the release will be on Nov. 27 at 10 a.m. CST in the Bettinardi Hive. These limited-run putters will be all blacked out with a True Black PVD finish, a black headcover and black grip. This version will likely cost more than the retail one but, on the other hand, you won’t need to wait until January. They will sell out quickly. I’m still bent that I missed the black QB10 in 2019.
To find out more about the new 2021 putters, The Hive and all things Bettinardi, visit Bettinardi.com.
The post First Look: Bettinardi 2021 Putter Lines appeared first on MyGolfSpy.
