Thomas AT-60 Putters Reviewed by GRG

Thomas Golf AT 72 Putter Review

Thomas Golf's AT72 putter is a good choice if you're in the market for a putter and prefer heavier, mallet style models.  It is in between being considered a heel shafted and center shafted putter and so can be recommended to both putters that like to stroke the head on an arc and those that prefer to swing straight back and through.  I tend to like imagining that I'm swinging the putter along my target line while allowing the putter to arc along the natural path it takes for longer putts.

The heaviness of the club is my favorite feature and considering the club head weighs almost 400 grams, it works well for those that like the feeling of extra control that heavier putters can provide.  On shorter putts, especially, I found myself worrying less about the dreaded yips.  For alignment, there is a long line on the top of the club that leads to a small hole at the club's sweet spot.  I found this to be helpful when visualizing my putt over the ball by imagining the line as the putt's path and the small hole as the ball.

Another nice feature of the AT72 putter is the silver Weight Arc along the back of the putter.  This arc is heavier than the main piece of the putter which places more weight back in the putter to reduce skidding and to ensure a true and consistent roll.  It has a multi-step black stealth finish that eliminates glare from the sun and provides long lasting durability.  The AT72 has a high grade Computer Numeric Controlled milled red aluminum face plate insert which provides a solid feel and sound when struck properly.  Compared to other face inserts I've tried, it's well balanced; not too hard and not too soft.

The AT72 is available in right and left hand models and also in any length you want including mid length belly and long putters.  If you're looking for a heavier mallet style putter, I'd recommend checking out Thomas Golf's AT72.

Thomas Golf AT71 Putter Review

I recently got the chance to try out Thomas Golf's AT71 putter and was surprised at how well it performed. 

The AT71 is a heavy mallet style putter which is great for me because the extra weight gives me more confidence to make a smooth and consistent stroke.  There are two weights on the heel and toe to increase perimeter weighting to ensure consistent and solid contact.  There is also weight added back in the head away from the ball which helps the putter apply a pure roll with little skidding that could throw the ball off line.

I tend to swing the putter head in an arc fashion similar to a door opening and closing which works well with this putter since it's heel shafted.  Since it is a mallet head, though, I feel like players that like to swing the putter straight back and through would also find this model to be effective.  A lot of it comes down to personal preference and in regards to your choice of path, the AT71 has you covered.

Like many of the putters in the Thomas Golf line, it features a line on the flange and bi-level indicators on the top line to help ensure the putter is aligned properly.  I also found the channel in the flange to be a helpful guide when visualizing my putt over the ball.

I used the standard length model but they are available in any length you choose including belly mid length and long putters.  The AT71 features a Computer Numeric Controlled face to ensure the flattest face in golf and is finished with a lovely, black coating that reduces glare and provides some extra durability.

Thomas Golf's AT71 putter is a great choice if you prefer a heavier mallet style putter.  Much research into visual perception has gone into the design of this club and based on my experiments, I definitely recommend it.

Thomas Golf’s AT70 Putter review
 
Thomas Golf's AT70 Putter is a mallet style head that provides extra weight for players looking to steady their putting stroke and performance.  It is in between a center shafted and heel shafted putter but since it's a mallet head, it will probably be more preferred by players who like to swing the putter straight back and through along their target line.  It has a nice, black finish to reduce glare and increase durability.  It also has a CNC milled striking surface to ensure the face is consistently flat.

The AT70 is customizable and available in standard length, belly mid length and long putters.  It has a long sight line across the top of the mallet along with the bi-level dual sight lines to aid in alignment.  You can assess the proper positioning of the club’s set up by making sure that the long sight line can pass through the bi-level dual sight lines when addressing the ball.  Along with the sight lines, the top of the putter has elevated weight modules that also add weight to the putter head and provide another source to help in aligning putts squarely.

This alignment system is based on extensive studies on how we visualize alignment and is congruent with methods that have been shown to improve a player’s ability to line their putts up effectively.

My favorite aspect of Thomas Golf’s AT70 putter is the feel it has coming off the face.  It has a soft sound and feel and the ball rolls true without the initial skid found in most putters.  This is aided by the center of gravity being further back in the club head. 

The AT70 is an effective putter for players of all abilities and well suited for the variety of green speeds you are likely to encounter at different courses.  If you are a fan of mallet putters and want to make sure your putts are getting aligned correctly, I highly recommend checking out the AT70 putters from Thomas Golf.

Thomas Golf’s New Line of AT-60 Putters

Thomas Golf continues to impress; recently releasing a line of AT-60 Mallet Style Putters.

The model comes in 5 different variations:

The AT-60s is their traditional-weight version, and is available in either traditional-length or  mid-length (belly) putter styles.  We found two aspects of this model to be particularly impressive.  The putter head had an attractive iodized jet-black finish that eliminated the chance of getting sun  glare in your eyes during the put.  The finish was also very durable, we could not chip it and needed  to use a hack saw to get through it.

We also found the wide two-tiered alignment zone surprisingly effective.  The two outside gold lines  are highly visible and frame the ball well.  The gold lines on the lower back layer worked well to ensure  our eyes were directly over  the ball, and gave us an alignment indicator much longer than most other putters.

We liked the large stealthfighter like shape, but if you find yourself intimidated by larger mallet  type putter designs, then it’s not the choice for you.  The size is actually not so bad though, as  it’s not as big as many other mallet style putters we’ve tested.  Keep in mind this is a  traditional-weight putter, so if you like a heavy inertia feel through the stroke, select a different  putter.  If you like a lighter touch and more detailed feel, than you can’t go wrong with the AT-60s.  They are offered with a choice of either standard or oversized grip, and titanium, graphite, or ladies  graphite shaft. ($99 when ordered direct at ThomasGolf.com)
The AT-60 is their heavy-weight version, and is also available in either traditional-length or  mid-length (belly) putter styles.  The heaviness of this head was liked by some of the testers.  They reported that the extra weight gave them stability through out the stroke, and the added inertia of the putter head carried the putter straight through when used in the typical pendulum putting technique.

This heavy version of the AT-60 is easily recognized by its polished stainless steel finish with anti-glare alignment strip.  The alignment system of this putter is very similar to the other AT60 models, and was equally impressive for directional alignment and ensuring proper eye position over the ball.  If you feel sluggish with a heavy-headed putter, or don’t use a traditional pendulum putting style, then this version of the AT-60 would not be the best selection for you.  ($99 when ordered direct at ThomasGolf.com)

The AT-60u is their Long Putter version. It’s heavy weight and special lie are part of the design modifications that make it work so well for golfers who prefer a long-putter grip and stroke.  The  alignment system was consistent with the other AT-60 models, and just as helpful when used on this long putter.  The AT-60u is offered with a choice of either a long one-piece grip designed by Winn, or a two-piece split wrap style grip by Thomas Golf.  We tested both grips and found the split grip to be lighter and softer to the touch.  The one-piece grip was very nice, but felt much heaver so would only be good for those golfers looking to further increase the overall weight of the putter.

An impressive feature that we have seen for the first time on a long putter, was the option of a graphite shaft.  Thomas Golf seems to be the first to find a way to manufacture a long graphite that is light but still remains stiff and accurate through the stroke.  We were surprised to find  them offering the graphite option at no additional charge.  ($99 when ordered direct at ThomasGolf.com)

All 5 putters had a machine milled face to ensure flatness and a polymer insert to add a touch more feel.  Despite all the good qualities we uncovered in our testing, perhaps the most impressive feature of the Thomas Golf products is their speed and quality in delivering custom built putters to golfers in the U.S. and around the world.  When you enter your measurements on their website, they custom build your putter the very next business day and ship it with insurance by shipping company.  When you combine that with their manufacturer direct pricing, we find them to be a great club for the money.

For more information, visit their website www.thomasgolf.com