LAB Golf is on fire. Founder Sam Hahn and inventor Bill Presse IV have tapped into a technology that hadn’t been introduced to golf until they brought out their initial product line. Their latest, the OZ.1 is the first Lie Angle Balanced putter with a tour-inspired design. The Oz was designed with input from Adam Scott, to deliver a true zero-torque putting experience in a more conventional half-moon shape that feels as good as it rolls.
We reviewed the standard OZ.1, but there is also a new model that features an insert, the OZ.1i. Some golfers prefer a specific sound and feel at impact, and OZ.1i putters have stainless steel inserts that create a firmer feel and faster ball speeds. There is also a one-piece, all-aluminum OZ.1 Custom. The OZ.1 that we reviewed has a softer feel at impact than the insert model. Both models are exactly the same in size and shape..
According to LAB Golf, “the OZ.1 design process started over a pint with Adam Scott, where he offered two important pieces of feedback about the look he was seeking. Adam has a fondness for the back end of a certain 2021 high-performance German sports car, and that was where we started with the back of the putter design. On the front side of the putter, Adam asked us to reimagine one of the most famous mallet putters of all time. We’ll leave it to the internet to make guesses here.” After several tweaks to free up the creative process (at Scott’s urging), LAB engineers finalized the OZ design with what they consider a “normal” style aesthetic.
OZ.1 is the first solid-body construction with no large holes or fangs like other LAB mallet putters, and features 100% Lie Angle Balanced technology.
OZ.1 Custom is their first putter to offer a 0-Degree (Vertical) Shaft Lean option – they developed this vertical shaft option for golfers who:
- Prefer to see a vertical shaft at address
- Want to use a standard grip on a L.A.B. Golf mallet.
*OZ.1 Custom will also be available with a 2-Degree Shaft Lean option, which is the same lean as DF3. Golfers who choose the 2-Degree Shaft Lean option will want to pair their putter with a Press Grip.
JJ Spaun’s performance using the LAB – DF3 on the greens at Oaklmont (en route to winning the US Open), almost broke the internet.
Testing:
The OZ.1 is definitely the most conventional model of the LAB product line, and will grab even more golfers to try out the innovation. The “Blacked-out” aesthetic is clean and simple at address, passes the looks test easily, and gives off confidence when setting it behind the golf ball. The roll is pure and the feel is super stable. A few years ago, Breakthrough Golf Technology sent over their Stability Tour putter shaft for review, and that’s exactly what the LAB OZ.1 feels like. It takes a bit to get used to the zero torque sensation; the putter head goes where the shaft goes, as opposed to most stock putters that flex and twist quite a bit during a longer lag putt stroke. That’s where I noticed the technology the most, consistently the OZ.1 bested my gamer on putts over 35 – 45 feet (by an average of 13 inches closer). Intermediate length putts from 15-20 feet were holed nearly 10% more after charting a sample size of 250 putts from this range. Shorter putts – inside 8ft I saw almost no difference, fractions of an inch, but the OZ.1 felt more confidence-inducing. Presently, our OZ.1 is Down Under in “OZ” undergoing even more extensive on-course testing in Sydney, and we’ll have more to add as information and further conclusions become available . . .
If you’re lacking in stability and confidence on the greens, LAB Golf and the OZ.1 are worthy of the hype.
