Yes!, GEL both get in the grooves with new putter lines

Two blade styles, two mallets, a two-piece "hybrid" and a dramatic new-alignment putter comprise the six Yes! models introduced for 2008.

"Our R&D team has worked very hard testing new putter head materials, design concepts and shaft options," said Yes! CEO Francis Ricci. "The six new putters range from traditional to radically different looks. ... Our line of C-Groove putters is very deep now and can accommodate most golfers based on personal preference."

According to company execs, C-Groove putters get the ball rolling "virtually upon impact" with little or no skipping or spinning. The result should be a truer, more consistent roll.

Five of the six new putters for this season continue the company penchant for calling them by women's names. And they all have steel heads with chrome grooves. The one exception to the naming scheme is the distinctive GrooveTube putter, which relates more to its looks.

Nicky and Gina are classic heel/toe blades with small rear flanges. Nicky has a shaft directly on the heel while Gina has a slightly offset hosel.

Sandy and Athena are mallets designed for enhanced Moment of Inertia, a factor that relates to stability at impact. Sandy has a double delta back while Athena has a hollow head design. Both have double bend shafts with half offset, near the heel.

Donna is a heel/toe hybrid -- a cross between a blade and small mallet -- constructed with two materials. The face is made of aviation-grade aluminum and the body, with an extended rear flange, is made of stainless steel. The combination of a light face and heavy back is meant to enhance the MOI.

GrooveTube is a mallet style with a 3D Heads Up Alignment system featuring an alignment tube mounted on the rear behind an exceptionally tall face. The weight distribution brings the putter's center of gravity up near the equator of the ball, which should translate to a better forward roll.

Suggested retail prices for the two blade styles and the two mallets are $190 each. Donna and GrooveTube have prices listed at $300.

GEL Golf

GEL putters feature horizontal grooves milled onto a soft aluminum insert. The design is meant to enhance feel while imparting a fast, straight roll.

GEL Rego putter, Paul Hurrion signature model

The four Hurrion signature models introduced this season employ a multilayer grooved aluminum insert with a larger grooved face than earlier GEL styles.

"The idea behind these putters is to implement a teaching philosophy in the design," said Hurrion. "We want to provide stability in the putter and, like irons and drivers, increase the sweet spot too."

There are three heel/toe blade styles in the signature line, called Scindo, Sedo and Sedo II. They vary slightly in the shaping of the small rear flange, as well as the shaft and hosel styles.

Rego is a modified alignment, face-balanced putter with strategic weighting, center shaft and no offset. It's roughly a T-shape. A three-line alignment system helps square the putter at address.

The new signature putters bear a rich black nickel finish and all carry a suggested retail price of $299. The other putters in the GEL portfolio are listed at $165 each.

"We've created a good awareness about our putters (in less than two years)," said Pettigrew. "Now the challenge is getting them into golfers' hands. When we've done that, people tend to like the putters a lot."

Click Here for Yes! and GEL putter specs.