L.A.B Golf Link.1 Putter Review: "A traditional blade with a massive twist"
Renowned for its futuristic and unique putter designs, L.A.B Golf has looked to blend modern performance with a classic Anser profile with the new LINK.1.
L.A.B Link.1: Key Features
- Lie Angle Balance: Face remains square to arc without manipulation from the hands
- 100% CNC Milled from 303 stainless steel: provides a soft feel and muted noise at impact
- Virtual online fitting: allows golfers from around the world to get custom fit without visiting America
L.A.B Golf has quickly become one of the most recognisable putter brands in the world thanks to its array of unique designs that feature Lie Angle Balance technology.
Fans of Adam Scott will have no doubt seen him using the futuristic-looking Mezz.1 putter that has proven popular on Tour since its introduction and even managed to cure Lucas Glover's putting woes, with the American having recently stated that it's one of the "weapons in his bag". Equipment Editor Alex Lodge has been gaming the L.A.B LINK.1 and has loved it so much that it's gone straight into our best putters guide.
While fans of the brand and testers alike have always held the performance of the putters in high regard, the lack of classic head shapes on offer has perhaps held the brand back from reaching a wider audience. However, the introduction of the LINK.1 putter looks to change all that, offering a more traditional Anser-like profile that has long been one of the most popular head shapes in the game.
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Before we get into the review of the putter, though, we should discuss the virtual putter fitting that L.A.B Golf offers.
The brand offers in-person fittings in the US, where it's based, but for those of us in the UK or elsewhere in the world, an online fitting is offered to ensure your putter is set up to suit your shape and stroke.
The process is very straightforward and remarkably accurate, with only a 30-second video needed of you using your current putter, the fitters at L.A.B Golf can ascertain your correct length and lie angle.
With grip, shaft, weights and alignment aides all fully customisable too, there is an excellent array of choices on offer to ensure your putter suits you.
While this is undoubtedly not as detailed and accurate as an in-person fitting, it's an excellent touch from the brand and one that we thought helped justify the hefty price tag.
So with the fitting complete and the putter arriving safely from America, we took it out on the course to see how it performed.
Let's get into it...
L.A.B Golf Link.1: Looks and Feel
The shape of this putter will undoubtedly appeal to a lot of golfers. The heel and toe weighted design, made famous by PING with the Anser putter, has been one of the most recognisable shapes since its launch, and L.A.B Golf has utilised that with the LINK.1.
While the blade shape is traditional in some respects, look a little closer, and you will see a host of modern details that set it apart from your standard profile.
Sat behind the ball, the first thing you will notice is the centre line shaft. Falling just behind the alignment aid, the shaft goes directly into the base of the putter, which is an unusual look that may divide opinion, but we actually really liked it.
Due to the shaft being centre aligned and also quite far forward on the face, the topline also appears quite thin. While perhaps not the most confidence-inspiring, it does allow for a very clear path of alignment from the putter to the ball.
Two weights round out the top of the putter for what we think is a really well-crafted design that looks sleek and modern without being too in your face.
Flip the putter over, and the sole has quite an industrial yet modern aesthetic. The six exposed weights are configured with four at the two and two at the heel. While L.A.B Golf is an American brand, the sole of this putter really reminded us of a more Scandinavian style of design with minimalist detailing and a reserved approach to branding.
The brand has opted to use laser engraving for both the L.A.B Golf logo on the sole and the LINK.1 branding, which gives the surface of the steel a very clean and smooth look and feel.
The cavity of the putter also features an array of laser-engraved L.A.B Golf logos in different shapes and sizes, which, although being slightly at odds with the rest of the aesthetic, works nicely to give the design a unique look.
In terms of feel, this putter was nice and soft while producing a muted ping sound at impact. Thanks to the use of 303 steel and the grooves on the centre of the face, the feel is undeniably premium and one that we would certainly hope for considering the price.
Typically with a blade putter, you might expect a slightly diminished feel from toe or heel strikes, but we were amazed at how good this putter felt anywhere off the face.
L.A.B LINK.1: Forgiveness and Performance
While looks are always subjective, performance is much easier to measure. The LINK.1 features a host of technology designed to help deliver a solid stroke on the ball and we've found that it's remarkably good at doing just that.
We mentioned Lie Angle Balance technology earlier, but when talking about performance, this is where it really makes sense to delve into it a little deeper.
The tech is engineered to allow the face of the putter to stay square through the putting stroke without any need for manipulation from the hands. This means a simple rock of the shoulders is all that's needed in order to deliver a straight, smooth putting stroke. But does it work for us? The answer is primarily yes.
No putter is perfect. There are always going to be times when you miss a putt that you think you should have made, but the LINK.1 does a fantastic job of giving you as much help as possible to limit that number of misses.
We found that the LINK.1 allowed us to keep a very consistent roll on the ball, and even when struck slightly out of the toe or heel, the ball still managed to hold its line nicely.
Thanks to the aforementioned Lie Angle Balance of the club, the head remained incredibly square on take back allowing for a smooth and easily repeatable stroke.
We found time and time again that if we had picked the right line and weight, then the clubhead would happily take care of the rest.
While this particular feature of the club was useful on putts of all lengths, from 6 feet and in, we felt like we couldn't miss.
We really couldn't fault the putter's performance and particularly its forgiveness. Typically we find blade putters less forgiving than their higher MOI counterparts but with the LINK.1 you truly get the looks of a blade with the forgiveness of a putter with a much larger head.
All in all, the team at L.A.B Golf has done a fantastic job creating a putter that features all of the brand's innovative technology and incorporating it into a recognisable shape that will undoubtedly prove popular with a broad range of golfers.
Should you buy the L.A.B Golf LINK.1?
If you want to invest in your putting, then the LINK.1 is an excellent, be it expensive, way to do so.
With good looks and excellent performance, the LINK.1 would make an excellent addition to any golfer's bag. The blade design will undoubtedly appeal to a broad audience, and once you have experienced the feel and forgiveness on offer, it's a hard purchase to say no to.
The price is certainly high for this putter, coming in at £479, but if you take your golf seriously and want to really bring those numbers down on the greens, then this putter could certainly be the way to do so.
