That's Heavy: Company expands line of unique putters

The name of the product and what it represents just about says it all: Heavy Putter.

But understanding how Boccieri Golf's lineup of heavier than conventional putters works, and why, is a bit more complicated.

Heavy Putter C2-DF blade style

Based in Ridgefield, Conn., Boccieri Golf launched its Original series of Heavy Putters in 2005 and has been growing its business steadily ever since. It's gained a measure of tour acceptance, most notably on the PGA Tour with Troy Matteson but on other tours as well, and it has been gaining in sales and distribution across the U.S. too.

"We're very pleased with the acceptance our putters have received, both among professionals and among regular amateur golfers," said Stephen Boccieri, president and CEO of the company and its chief designer. "But getting people to understand how the putters work is really a hands-on experience. You need to try them to see what's different. Most people are just amazed."

What's different is not just in being heavier, but in how they are heavier: top and bottom.

The Heavy Putter heads range in weight from 450 to 550 grams, vs. 330 to 350 grams for most conventional putters. But the technology also requires a counter-balance of 250 grams in the grip end, producing a balance point 75 percent higher than conventional putters.

Overall, the Heavy Putter clubs weigh around 850 to 900 grams.

"Without the counter-balance, you could not control the putter head," explained Boccieri. "It would not be effective. It would be a meaningless struggle."

Heavy Putter's G3-DF mid mallet style

But with the counter-balance technology, as testers found to their amazement, the heavier mass of the head and the grip acting together enhanced stability, provided a consistent swing path and helped develop a uniform pace with practice.

In putting sessions on a practice green, CBSSports.com testers found themselves reluctant at first to take a full swing with a Heavy Putter, expressing a fearfulness about the heavier weight of the club. But, as they became acclimated with the counterbalance technology, they were able to adapt to the technique to develop full swing paths for consistent distance control.

For 2008, Boccieri has a developed a new DF series, which stands for Deep Face. The two notable differences in the DF series, as opposed to the Original and Matte series, are that the new putters do not have adjustable weights while they do have faces that are a quarter-inch taller from top to bottom.

The first Original series featured three blade and three mallet styles with soft stainless steel heads and changeable tip weights made of aluminum, stainless, copper tungsten and tungsten. Each putter could accommodate two tip weights. Original putters in stainless, with their distinctive green grips, are still available at a suggested retail price of $229.

The next development for Heavy Putter was the Matte series, as a result of feedback from tour players desiring a less reflective surface. The Matte series also consists of three basic blade and three mallet head styles. They are available with a list price of $199.95.