Editor’s note: Below is an excerpt from an article our Andrew Tursky contributed to the PGATour.com Gear Report as part of our ongoing partnership. Go to the website to read the full excerpt.
…now it looks like Rose is returning to the Axis1 putter, except this time it’s a brand new prototype head that he helped co-design.
“This has been coming for a while,” Rose told GolfWRX.com on Tuesday at Torrey Pines. “Of course you know that I have had a great relationship with Axis1 for many, many years and love their concept, technology and putters. Of course, they always had a unique look thanks to the hose design.
“Midway through last year, I just wanted to look at something different after five years had passed. I felt like scratching that itch. In the process, you learn certain things about why you like a different look or a certain look. I have passed all these comments on to the team and we are working on something that I would say looks a lot more conventional but still has all the performance benefits of the Axis1. That’s really what we have here.”
Rose’s previous Axis1 putter had what he calls a “gooseneck” snake design, but this new prototype now has a slightly more “traditional” look.
“You’ll find that we’ve gotten rid of all the heel that we had in the past,” Rose said. “There used to be a big piece here (points to the hose) where the putter rested on a gooseneck so it could swing around. This one is… a much more traditional package.”
Axis1 showed him the new prototype options for the first time this week, and Rose spent Monday and Tuesday refining details like weight, feel and sound. Come competition time on Wednesday, it looks like Rose will officially switch to the new Axis1 center hammer prototype.
“Along with Luis (Pedraza) and Phil (Long), I worked really hard on this movie,” Rose said. “So yeah, obviously a little more motivation to play when you’re part of the putter’s journey, I guess, but it’s still got to work. There were a few things going on this week, like trying to get the right swing weight, feel and sound right. Those little things you don’t know about the CAD drawing that comes as part. And then you have to refine it as you play.
“That’s why I love the feeling of the stroke flowing with axis 1. I actually felt very comfortable with the setup, which is one of the reasons I moved away from the axis in the first place, because I wasn’t very comfortable with my setup. This one I think I just put it down and it squares off so it’s very nice.
According to Axis1 founder Luis Pedraza, the new models feature tungsten weights in the toe and heel areas, allowing the Axis1 to achieve the same torque-free performance throughout the stroke as the company’s previous designs.
For more information, visit PGATour.com.
Check out Justin Rose’s WITB here.
