L.A.B. Golf’s new VZN.1i putter continues a recent trend for their putters that I don’t support.
No, I’m not talking about precision craftsmanship or the Lie Angle Balancing process. I definitely support L.A.B. Golf’s continued commitment in both of those areas.
I also support their undaunted drive to innovate. As with the OZ.1i HS and both of the new Link.2 models, this new VZN.1i putter demonstrates that L.A.B. Golf is not a laurel-resting putter company.
All of that stuff is good stuff. It is the stuff that has compelled that other companies to enter and, ultimately, chase L.A.B. Golf in the zero-torque putter marketplace.
(Remember, Lie Angle Balancing does not actually make L.A.B. putters zero-torque.)
The bees flew into my bonnet when I saw that the new VZN.1i looked more normal than I expected. In my mind, L.A.B. putters should look odd. For a long time, L.A.B. Golf embraced a F*** the looks, it makes putts attitude.
(That’s not an official L.A.B. Golf slogan by the way. But maybe it should be.)
Is the VZN.1i L.A.B. Golf’s glow-up?
If we look at the putters L.A.B. Golf has released in the past year, their appearance has shifted from outsider art-class girl to glow-up girl at prom.
Sure, the DF3i still had the wacky original DF3 shape but the aforementioned OZ.1i HS and Link.2 models looked stunningly normal when they walked into the dance on Freddy Prince Jr.’s arm.
Inane tangent aside, the L.A.B. Golf VZN.1i shows customers and competitors that L.A.B. can incorporate their game-changing Lie Angle Balance design into more traditional-looking putters.
That should make customers excited and competitors nervous.
The new L.A.B. Golf VZN.1 is all about looks
The lies I tell! Obviously, the VZN.1i is all about making putts. I don’t see L.A.B. Golf ever deviating from that central dogma. Their putters are for making putts.
“The Look” I was referring to above is the emphasis that L.A.B. Golf has placed on “optimizing alignment.”
The VZN.1i was designed so the lines of the putter body would assist with targeting. While you may not immediately see this in the overall diamond shape, look a little closer and you will see the visual plan.
The perimeter angles of the front side of the putter draw the eye to the front edge. To my eye, this shrinks the overall profile of the putter to be the width of the face. I don’t recall ever even looking at the toe or heel corners when using the putter.
My eyes stayed in the center of the head.
Once you focus on the center, you’ll see that the equatorial region of the putter is a rectangle that runs from the face to the rear.
The VZN.1i I tested had sight lines on the cavity edges but those just accentuate the straight lines of the body.
Overall, the contours of the VZN1.i are there to help you aim.
VZN.1i vs. DF3
When you compare the VZN.1i to the DF3, the influence of the body shape on targeting becomes even more apparent.
As much as I love my custom DF3, only the face really points at the target. The hole in the rear helps, too, but the edges of the putter are pointed in numerous directions.
The curved rear section of the DF3 points everywhere.
If you remember your trigonometry, you know you can draw infinite tangent lines from the edge of a curve. Even if math was not your strength, you’ll likely agree that infinite targeting paths is not a putt-making recipe.
The VZN.1i has more of a “hey, guys, we’re going this way” body plan. Side by side, the VZN.1i is far more effective at directing your eyes to the target than the DF3.
For my DF3 builds through the years, the targeting effectiveness was largely tied to the alignment scheme I selected. For the VZN.1i, I don’t believe the lines that are added to the putter will be quite as influential.
Even without additional lines, the VZN.1i points at the target.
On the course with the L.A.B. Golf VZN.1i
As is often the case, I took the VZN.1i straight from FedEx to the first tee. Sometimes, this is a recipe for putting disaster. Since I’ve played lots of rounds with L.A.B. Golf putters, I had a feeling I’d feel pretty comfortable with VZN.1i.
“Comfortable” was a perfect description of my experience.
Occasionally, I need to spend some time with a new putter to attune myself to what the putter is all about. That was not the case with the VZN.1i.
During that first round, it felt like I had already played multiple rounds with the putter.
In all new putter situations, I do recommend some practice green time before playing.
Don’t be like Dave. Take the time to dial it in, especially folks new to L.A.B. Golf putters.
It is not uncommon for there to be a break-in period while the player gets comfortable with the L.A.B. putter feel and torque.
Thankfully, I didn’t need a break-in period. I’m not saying I made everything. What I am saying is that misses came from “casual round” misreads, not errant strikes. Even then, misses were typically very close.
Also, it’s worth noting that the insert feels different. Although tough to describe quantitatively, I found the stainless-steel insert in the VZN.1i feels better at impact than the same stainless-steel insert in the DF3i or OZ.1i.
The feel is a little softer and the tone more pleasing.
One final observation: After rolling the VZN.1i head-to-head with my DF3, I did realize there was one change that I would make. OK, two if you include the obligatory green to purple color change.
The VZN.1i is available in both zero-degree and 1.5-degree shaft lean configurations. My DF3 has the forward shaft lean and I think I prefer that.
Were I to order a custom VZN.1i down the road (foreshadowing?), I would add the forward lean and a 1.5-degree Press Grip.
“Seasoned” golfer sidebar
Hey, fellow “old” folks. Let’s ditch the young and flexible folks and head over to the edge of the green for a quick chat.
Do you find the ground gets farther and farther away as the round progresses? Does bending over to pick up the ball up from the green take more effort than hitting the ball?
If so, you’ll appreciate the assistive ball-plucking technologies of the VZN.1i.
Not only does the back of the putter scoop better than the punk kid at Baskin-Robbins but the square hole in the head lets the VZN.1i pick up the ball as well.
Never again will you need to bend over to pick up a putt. The L.A.B. Golf VZN.1i brings relief, with redundancy, to your back.
Is the VZN.1i the best L.A.B. Golf putter ever?
One of the guys in the shop called my VZN.1i the “Green Goblin” and now I can’t unsee it. I’d tell you that it now talks to me in a Willem Dafoe voice but I’m not listening to what Mr. Osborn says anyway.
“No one says no to me!”
As I said before, the L.A.B. Golf VZN.1i should make other companies concerned. The little company outside of Eugene, Ore., that started a putter revolution is not going away any time soon.
The VZN.1i is the best L.A.B. Golf putter to date. I’ll say that on the official record without hesitation. I see this putter as being more of a game-changer for L.A.B. than the DF3.
L.A.B. putter pricing has remained the same but also become competitive. The stock VZN.1i is $499 with custom models starting at $599. Not too long ago, this price point would have been viewed as more expensive than L.A.B. Golf’s competitors.
Now many of the OEM zero-torque putters are priced the same as L.A.B. putters. Because of this, the choice has become buying an OEM putter off the rack or ordering a L.A.B. putter that fits your specs.
Don’t forget that L.A.B. Golf offers free (and accurate) video fittings for length and lie angle. If you can get a fitted L.A.B. Golf VZN.1i for the same price as a big-brand putter, I’d say that bodes well for L.A.B. Golf.
The VZN.1i will be in shops on June 9 but can be ordered today.
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