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Mizuno Adds Three New Putters to their M.Craft Omoi Putter Line.
Mizuno is extending their M.Craft Omoi putter line with three new models. This brings the total number of Omoi putters up to six, consisting of a now balanced set of three blades and three mallets. There are some sure-to-be crowd favorites in this new cohort.
Not to give away the ending, but you center-shafted lefties may need a second pair of underpants today.
Anyway, before we get to the new models, let’s rehash the Mizuno M.Craft Omoi story.
Mizuno M.Craft Omoi: Heavy Thoughts for Heavy Heads
In 2022, Mizuno released the original three Omoi putters as the latest incarnation of their popular M.Craft putter lines. Though known for their irons, the M.Craft putters clearly demonstrated that Mizuno could mold their metal into putters as well.
No other putter in the shop caught the eye like those blue ion Mizuno M.Craft.
With the Omoi, Mizuno tweaked the M.Craft formula by shifting the putter weight distribution toward the head. Not only did they make the heads heavier, but they also went with lighter grips and shafts.
Mizuno’s motivation for the Omoi weight shift was two-fold. First, the MOI of the putters improved with the new weight distribution, making the putters more stable.
Second, Mizuno discovered that consumers rarely swapped out the sole weights for lighter weights. Instead, the people playing the M.Craft putters went in the heavier direction. If that’s what people want, why not start heavier in the first place?
By the way, each Mizuno M.Craft Omoi putter still comes with a free weight kit. Those of us who like to tinker appreciate this inclusion. High five!
Did the Omoi design work?
Like I said, the origin of the Omoi was bi-directional. Providing the consumers with the desired heavier heads was the easy part of the plan. All Mizuno had to do was make heavy putters. Achieving the performance side of the plan would require testing.
As it turns out, there is a group of dedicated professionals out there who test putter performance. High five to you as well, MyGolfSpy HQ testing folk. So how did the Mizuno Omoi putters fare in 2022 Most Wanted putter testing?
In the mallet trials, the Omoi 03 finished second to last. Obviously, that’s not so great. From 10’ and 20’ the Omoi 03 struggled, but it crushed it at 5’. Perhaps the 383g head weight kept things stable in close, but was too much to swing at distance.
On the other hand, the two Omoi blades were solid performers. The Omoi 02 was the top putter from 5’ and the Omoi 01 was the number 4 putter overall. Unlike the 03 mallet, the 01 blade put up exceptional scores at distance.
Overall, I’d say that while the Omoi design plan was not a success with the 03 mallet, it proved successful with the blades. When it comes to a new putter plan, two out of three ain’t bad.
Enough musing on the past, let’s check out the new putters.
The Mizuno M.Craft Omoi 04
The Omoi 04 is the new blade in the Omoi line. Purists are raging that I said that, as the 04 is a thick blade. At 370g, the 04 fights in a class usually reserved for mallet putters. I expect that it will land some solid punches, though as both of the other Omoi blades weighed 370g as well.
Remember that the putter comes with the weight kit. Making the putter head lighter, or even heavier will take you all of two minutes. My Squareback 2 has some real concerns about a blue ion 04 heading to my house.
The Mizuno M.Craft Omoi 05
Why are there never center-shafted putters? What about us lefties? I can’t count how often these questions come up in the comments. Trust me, I feel your pain. I wear a size 8 hat. I’ve lost track of how many times my mega-dome fits not a single hat in the shop.
Well, the Omoi 05 is a center-shafted, face-balanced putter, and it is available is both right-handed and left-handed orientations. In the decade-plus that I’ve been writing about putters, I don’t know that I’ve written “lefty center-shaft” too many times.
The Mizuno M.Craft Omoi 06
Rounding out the new cohort is what should be another fan favorite. The Omoi 06 is a fang-shaped mallet. While the weight plan of the Omoi putter boosts MOI already, the metal-at-the-edges-and-empty-space-in-the-middle plan kicks the MOI even higher.
To be fair, the back third of the putter is empty space. This allows the Omoi 06 to have a nice central alignment line and a somewhat distracting reversed half-ball engraved element. These elements are not possible if the center is removed, and they could prove to be the key alignment features you are looking for.
Mizuno M.Craft Omoi Putters: A Half-Dozen Heavy Hitters
What are your (heavy) thoughts about these three new Mizuno M.Craft Omoi putters? Do you have a must-try model?
For me, it is the 04. I can’t wait to see how it stacks up against my Cameron. The first decision will be do I go with the double nickel, black ion, or blue ion finish. Kidding again. My fancy self is going blue ion, of course. However, the blacked-out black ion scheme is compelling as well.
For decades, Mizuno irons have been player favorites. The phrase “bad Mizuno irons” sounds just as ridiculous as “disgusting chocolate cupcake.” Obviously, Mizuno’s putters are not revered to the same level as their irons, but the M.Craft Omoi line shows that they are heading in the right direction. We’ve got a bit of a wait to see how these perform in the 2024 Most Wanted trials, and I am very curious to see how they do.
Find out more at mizunogolf.com
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