<div>Good Value</div>
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<a href="https://globalgolf.pxf.io/c/35585/1251723/15291?prodsku=1072419-AAB&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.globalgolf.com%2Fgolf-clubs%2F1072419-cleveland-hb-soft-2-11s-putter%2F%3Fopt%3Daab%26ccode%3Dusd%26utm_campaign%3Dprodfeed%26utm_medium%3Daffiliate%26utm_source%3Dimpact%26utm_term%3DNew-HB-Soft-2-11S&intsrc=APIG_9474" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank"> <div>
<img alt="Cleveland HB Soft 2 Putters" src="https://image.globalgolf.com/dynamic/1072419/aab/putter-back-view/cleveland-hb-soft-2-11s-putter.jpg?s=620" /> </div>
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<h1>Cleveland HB Soft 2 Putters</h1>
<div>Cleveland takes HB Soft 2 to an entirely new level of feel and performance. Their unique Speed Optimized Face Technology features a dynamic groove milling pattern that normalizes ball speed over a greater striking area on the face.</div>
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<a href="https://globalgolf.pxf.io/c/35585/1251723/15291?prodsku=1072419-AAB&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.globalgolf.com%2Fgolf-clubs%2F1072419-cleveland-hb-soft-2-11s-putter%2F%3Fopt%3Daab%26ccode%3Dusd%26utm_campaign%3Dprodfeed%26utm_medium%3Daffiliate%26utm_source%3Dimpact%26utm_term%3DNew-HB-Soft-2-11S&intsrc=APIG_9474" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">$149.99 at Globalgolf.com</a> </div>
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It’s easy to overlook the Cleveland HB SOFT 2 putter lineup.
After all, it’s way more fun to wail, moan and gnash our teeth at the latest big-ticket putter from Scotty Cameron, Bettinardi or whomever. Cleveland, meanwhile, continues to release flatsticks under $200 that flat-out perform.
That’s why we’re taking a long – and I do mean looooong – look at three new additions to the Cleveland HB SOFT 2 family of putters. Specifically, Cleveland is adding two 38-inch counterbalanced models to the lineup, along with a 48-inch “broom-style” putter.
In case you’re wondering, Cleveland is closing in on 40 putter models in its stable ranging in price from $149.99 to $249.99. I don’t care who you are, that’s a lot.
So why add long putters to the mix? Well, if you’re Cleveland Golf, why the hell not?
Cleveland HB SOFT 2 long putters
Let’s get the technical details out of the way first.
All three long putters are existing Cleveland head shapes made, well, long. The two counterbalanced models are the #11 mini-fang head and the kinda-sorta unique RETREVE head shape. The broom style is a center-shafted #11 head.
To make these head shapes work in a long configuration, Cleveland made each head heavier. Each of the CB heads weighs in at 380 grams, compared to the standard models at 365. To make the broom-style #11 work, that head has to weigh 470 grams.
The idea behind a counterbalanced style putter is that the longer shaft puts a certain amount of weight above your hands. In theory, that can create a slower, more consistent stroke. If you have tempo issues or if your stroke is wobbly, a counterbalanced putter could help.
Thanks to the world of trademarks, neither Cleveland nor anyone else that’s not Odyssey can refer to a broom-style putter as a “broomstick” anymore. “Broom-style”, however, is still very much legal. These 46- to 48-inch-long beasts have been around for years but are regaining limited popularity on Tour. The long shaft promotes a deliberate straight-back/straight-through stroke while minimizing arc and virtually eliminating wrist movement.
Seriously, try moving your wrists when you use one – you can’t.
Is a counterbalanced putter right for you?
Wow, is that ever a loaded question. Like any other style of putter you can imagine, the answer is yes for some and no for others.
As mentioned, if you have tempo or stability issues, these styles could help. Or they couldn’t.
The grips on the Cleveland HB SOFT 2 putters are heavier than those on a standard-length putter. Again, the idea is to get more mass above the golfer’s hands to counteract the heavier putter head. Without that extra weight, the putter head would feel too heavy in relation to the rest of the club, making distance control difficult.
A counterbalanced putter will react differently depending on how high or low you place your hands. Obviously, the lower your hands, the more weight you’ll have above your hands. It’ll take plenty of experimentation to find the right spot for your hands. That spot might even be different on shorter putts compared to longer ones. The only way to know is to try it.
If you’re a tinkerer, any putter can be made counterbalanced. Weights in the butt end can accomplish that. However, if the head weight doesn’t match up, you could run the risk of undermining the stability you’re hoping to achieve.
Lots of Tour pros have gone counterbalanced to cure their putting woes and have done very well with them. Wyndham Clark won a U.S. Open with one and Rickie Fowler almost did, although Fowler has recently gamed a standard length L.A.B. 3.0. Keegan Bradley has also gone counterbalanced.
Cleveland HB SOFT 2 BROOM
Broom-style putters are legal as long as you don’t anchor them to your chest. They’re good for golfers with back problems as you don’t bend over very much thanks to a 78-degree lie angle. The club’s length encourages a sweeping type of stroke by eliminating any up-and-down motion of the putter and completely taking the wrists out of the picture.
The Cleveland HB SOFT 2 BROOM putter is available in 46-inch or 48-inch models, each with the two-piece split grip common to broom-style putters. Broom-style is a completely different way to putt and how you grip the club with your bottom hand is key. A claw grip tends to be the most common, at least initially.
The idea is to simplify the stroke with a straight-back/straight-through motion with minimal arc. As mentioned, the wrists are totally out of the process. The stroke is initiated with your shoulders and distance control depends on how far you rock them back and forth.
Some golfers will cite a loss of feel when using a broom-style putter (or a counterbalanced putter, for that matter) due to the longer disconnect between the putter face and your hands. As mentioned, you’re very upright with both styles of putter. That can create a learning curve, especially if you’ve spent a lifetime in a Jack Nicklaus-style crouch.
Lucas Glover went on his famous tear two years ago after switching to a L.A.B. broom-style putter. Adam Scott won the Masters with a Scotty Cameron version and Bernhard Langer has won everything in sight on the Champions Tour with his Odyssey White Hot 2-Ball.
Whether you go broom-style or counterbalanced, it’s a commitment. It will probably help some golfers but it certainly isn’t a cure-all for everyone.
Specs, price and availability
The SOFT in the Cleveland HB SOFT 2 putters stands for “Speed Optimized Face Technology.” It’s Cleveland’s take on face milling to equalized distance no matter where you strike the ball on the face. Each head in the SOFT line features a model-specific face-milling pattern.
That pattern relates to each head’s MOI and leaves wider grooves and less face material in the center and narrower grooves and more face material as you move away from the center. If you miss the center, as we all do from time to time, the extra material normalizes ball speed compared to a center strike, making it more likely you’ll get those slight mishits to the hole.
As mentioned, Cleveland is adding two counterbalanced models to the HB SOFT 2 line: the RETREVE CB and the fang-toothed 11CB. Both putters are face-balanced with three alignment lines to frame the ball. Both are 38 inches long.
The center shafted 11C BROOM is also face-balanced. Like the counterbalanced models, it also features three alignment lines and is available in 46- and 48-inch lengths.
All three putters are available in right-handed models only.
The CB models will retail for $169.99. The BROOM will retail for $199.99.
They’re available starting today.
For more information, visit the Cleveland Golf website.
The post Cleveland Goes Long With New HB SOFT 2 Putters appeared first on MyGolfSpy.
Article Link: https://mygolfspy.com/news-opinion/cleveland-goes-long-with-new-hb-soft-2-putters/