Devil Ball Proving Ground: Boccieri Golf’s Heavy Putter

Welcome to Devil Ball's Proving Ground, where we put the latest golf equipment through its paces. Today we take a look at Boccieri Golf's Heavy Putter.

Tester: Jonathan Wall — Handicap: 2.7

Target golf audience: All players

If there's one club in the bag that tends to get swapped out more than any other, it's the putter. If you don't believe me, just take a look at the PGA Tour, where golfers move from one model to the next depending on how they're feeling. It's a club you have to have confidence in, and when the magic isn't there, most feel compelled to move on to the next big thing.

Over the years, golf companies have tried every trick in the book to make the putter better -- using new metals, increasing the MOI, lengthening the shaft, and in Boccieri Golf's case, making the putter heavier.

You'd think adding more weight to the putter would make it difficult to control, but we had to test out the flatstick to see if that was indeed the case.

How did it perform on the course? Here's our review.

Initial thought

This putter is heavy. I'm not talking box-of-bricks heavy, but you can definitely feel the increased weight from the moment you pick it up. I've rolled the same 340 gram model for the last three years, so I'm used to having a little weight in my hands, but when you suddenly get bumped up to a stick that's 400 grams (with a 200 gram back weight), you can tell a big difference.

You don't need to be a body builder to use this putter, but don't be surprised if you start to feel like you're using larger, more stable muscles when you roll the first couple of putts. Unlike traditional putters, that weigh anywhere from 300-350 grams, the reason for adding the weight was simple: Boccieri wanted to take out a lot of unnecessary movement in the putting stroke. Adding weight made that possible.

As the Boccieri website noted, "the Heavy Putter counterbalances the weight in the head by adding an additional 250 gram weight into the grip end of the shaft, raising the balance point of the putter 75% higher than conventional putters, thereby returning complete control to the golfer, while still removing the hands and wrists from the putting stroke."

After taking the putter out for a spin, I could definitely tell a difference. I don't have a lot of wrist movement in my stroke to begin with, but when you have that additional weight, it really keeps your hands and wrists steady.

Putts were rolling true, and I could feel myself using my bigger muscles, which resulted in a more consistent stroke and contact.

Transitioning and playability

While the weight takes some getting used to, the learning curve with this putter isn't steep. If you have some semblance of a putting stroke, you should have no problem rolling this stick.

With the exception of the additional weight, there's nothing about this putter that looks different from the traditional models currently on the market, which is a good thing. Even better is the fact that Boccieri has the Heavy Putter in almost every model, from the mallet to the blade.

And with three different putter weights (Heavy-Weight, Light-Weight and Mid-Weight), you can tailor it to your exact specifications (they even have some models in a Black PVD, non-glare finish).

Final verdict

I'll admit I was a little skeptical about the Heavy Putter when I first agreed to try it out -- the additional weight seemed a little gimmicky to me -- but after rolling it for a couple weeks, I can confirm the technology really works, especially on shorter putts where most golfers tend to get a little cute.

If you're looking for a new stick that can add a little confidence to your game, you may want to give Boccieri's Heavy Putter a look.

Price: $119-199

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