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The Logan Olson Craft Batch No. 3 Putter: The Milled Putter is Alive and Well.
A couple of days ago, TaylorMade announced that they would be partnering with Logan Olson. Together, they will develop a Tour Matrix fitting program for TaylorMade tour professionals. Being familiar with Olson’s work, I am excited about the collaboration. Those of you not familiar with Olson’s putters may not be as excited.
Today we are going to boost your Olson brand knowledge by getting up close and personal with Logan Olson’s latest putter offering: the Craft Batch No.3.
Once you see Olson’s fresh spin on the classic blade design, you’ll better understand why the pairing of Olson’s vision with TaylorMade’s resources is going to be a big deal.
Specifications: Logan Olson Craft Batch No. 3 Putter
Material: 303 stainless steel Construction: CNC-milled Finish: Satin silica blast Face: Horizontal groove milling Neck: flumber’s neck Toe Hang: ~5:00 Offset: One shaft Loft: 2.5° Lie: 70° Weight: 338 grams Shaft: KBS CT Chrome putter shaft Grip: Gripmaster leather or Golf Pride Pro Only Red Star MSRP: $850Isn’t the Craft Batch No. 3 just another Anser?
The cynic may glance at these photos and dismiss the Craft Batch No. 3 as yet another Anser copy. That would be a mistake. There is no question there are Anser bones in this beast but the way Olson has manipulated the metal is anything but the same-old, same-old.
The Flumber’s Neck
As the name implies, the flumber’s neck is a combination of a flow neck and a plumber’s neck. The flumber’s neck has a full-shaft offset and a 90-degree bend at the top like a plumber’s neck paired with the smooth contours and transitions of a flow neck.
The neck attaches rearward from the face and bends out of the way at address so you can see the ball in its entirety. Toe hang is a bit beyond that of a traditional plumber’s neck but not as deep as you would find in a heel-positioned flow neck.
Like the rest of the putter, the flumber’s neck is a great new take on a classic design. The only other neck it reminds me of was the tweaked plumber’s neck on the Bettinardi BB1.1, but the flumber’s has more flow than that one.
Tuned acoustics
During the design process for the Craft Batch No. 3, Olson paid close attention to the tones created by the putter at impact. Unpleasant sounds and vibrations at impact are not something golfers are looking for in a putter.
You may recall TaylorMade also paid close attention to sound when designing their TP Reserve milled line of putters. One could say that the topic resonated with both.
Regardless, Olson moved mass around and adjusted the contours of the Craft Batch No. 3 until the frequencies became harmoniously harmonic.
Balance from the channel in your sole
The sole of the Craft Batch No. 3 seems to be missing a section. Why did Olson carve out this channel and why does it extend only part of the way across the bottom?
A good guess would be that only going part way leaves room for that cool Logan Olson circular logo. You are not wrong but that’s not the reason. (But it is a cool logo nonetheless.)
The reason for the removal of the material is obvious: to change the weight distribution in the head. The specific weight shift goal was to move the location of the center of gravity so it would sit directly behind the center of the face. Without the channel, the extra mass of the neck pushes the CG toward the heel.
I’ve don’t have any tools to measure the center of gravity position but I know what a balanced putter feels like and the balance of the Craft Batch No. 3 is spectacular.
The combination of the atypical neck with the atypical sole produces remarkable balance and feel. That’s not just my opinion, either. I had a few other folks on the green roll the putter, saying nothing other than “check this one out.”
To a person, the others who rolled putts with the Craft Batch No. 3 commented about its exceptional balance and feel. It’s a wonder I was able to get it back from a couple of them.
Why this putter matters
Logan Olson’s Craft Batch No. 3 putter is a significant creation for a couple of reasons. First, it shows people who are unfamiliar with his work what he can do in terms of looks and performance.
The Craft Batch No. 3 is a looker. In addition to the major elements, I love how Olson added smaller milled cosmetic elements all over the putter.
He could have left the neck and sole channels smooth but instead chose to enhance the aesthetic with milled accents. The horizontal face grooves are milled to improve roll but the rest of the face milling is there to make it look amazing.
The concentric rings around the face logo are a delightful contrast to the rest of the face. Chef’s kiss for that one, Logan.
The Craft Batch No. 3 demonstrates that the milled putter is a long way from being obsolete. Olson has produced a better-performing blade putter by exploring the nuances of shape. Balance was achieved through the repositioning of the steel, not by the addition of other metals or extra weights.
In a word, that is craftsmanship.
There are no guarantees that the work that Olson does with the TaylorMade tour players and the Tour Matrix program will ever translate to the consumer level. After seeing what he has done with this putter, I would be very excited to see what a TaylorMade/Logan Olson production putter line would look like.
Those hypothetical retail putters would probably lack some of the small details of the Craft Batch No. 3 but would still likely be some of the freshest takes on putters in the corral.
Find out more and grab your Craft Batch No. 3 at LoganOlsonPutters.com
The post The Logan Olson Craft Batch No. 3 Putter: The Milled Putter is Alive and Well. appeared first on MyGolfSpy.
