PRODUCT REVIEW

	Traditional Blade

C-Groove Putter
Model CG100 - Traditional Blade

By Jason Scott,
Senior Writer

Finding the right putter for your game is serious business. After all, what other club do you use on nearly every hole?

Putters can make or break any round. That's why officials at C-Groove Putters have put so much time and effort into designing a putter they say "delivers better roll and fewer putts."

Consistency is the key to good putting. A straight backstroke, a firm Strike, and a consistent follow through are all needed, but the inventor of C-Groove putters, Harold Swash, contends that even those qualities aren't good enough if you have the wrong equipment.

C-Groove doesn't have a long history of success to rely on, but it could work for you. Swash invented the beginnings of the C-Groove design in 1995. Swish, a European putting coach who has worked with stars like Paul Azinger, Darren Clarke, Nancy Lopez, Bernhard Langer, Nick Faldo, Ian Woosman, and Sandy Lyle, realized while working with these pros that even when they made a good stroke, sometimes even the best putters would start the ball skidding toward the hole before it actually started to roll.

• Product Review: C-Groove Model II-Face Balanced Blade • Past TravelGolf.com product reviews

After experimenting, Swash added concentric grooves to a putter face at 20 degree angles, creating what he called "dwell time" - that the ball would be held on the face a millisecond longer than on a flat-faced putter. That millisecond would result in immediate and pure roll of the ball, which he contended would keep it on line toward the hole.

Swash took his idea to Pro Gear, a golf equipment manufacturer, formerly based in Houston, in 1996. This company patented the design and built several versions of C-Groove - the mallet (model PG 100), the face balanced-blade (model II) and the traditional blade (model CG 100). Two new models, the high precision center shaft and the high precision insert, have been introduced for 2000.

The company says its research shows that C-Groove products roll 600 % faster than the Ping Answer, 500% faster than the Titleist Bullseye, 450% faster than the Wilson 882, and 60% faster than the Odyssey R-2.

	Traditional Blade

There is no doubt that C-Groove putters roll better than most, but there are a few reasons the product draws mixed reviews. People with perfect putting strokes are apt to love the C-Groove. When the ball is struck properly, it does just what Swash says -- it rolls true. But how many amateurs do you know with a perfect stroke? When players miss-hit puts, the grooves in the putter face aren't forgiving enough to keep a putt from going astray. It is hard to judge distance when a putter will roll true one time and another time duff off the face.

One other point worth mentioning: the look and feel of a putter are paramount to the golfer's confidence in the club. When staring down at the putter face, if players aren't used to seeing the grooves, that might make them uncomfortable.

Don't take this wrong -- the C-Groove putter can be a weapon in your bag, but just make sure you test it and feel comfortable before you buy one. All of the models run from $120 to $140. To place an order, visit Pro Gear's Website at www.bestputter.com or call the company at 1-800-845-4327.