Guerin Rife IMO Putter/ Croquet Mallet With Wings

Yet another product that I would like to be posting on epinions.com, but once again, the correct product links evade me. This is a very, Very, VERY, interesting putter as it is not only deadly accurate, but it also straddles the lines of legality per USGA Rules as concerns "Conforming Putters." If you are a pendulum putter, don't care for the new craze towards "HEFTIER putters, and really can't buy in to the radical claims of massive forgiveness as regards putters which brag about their exceptional MOI (Moment of Inertia/ which is supposed to prevent twisting of the club face) then you need to check this putter out. You also need to check out the trainer that came out along with it. The trainer, sold separately, is illegal for use in competition. Simple as that! The putter itself, should it get the recognition it so richly deserves, may very well spark new USGA Rules and Regulations as regards putter specifications and what defines a conforming and or non-conforming putter.

Let's start with those very rules and regulations as they currently stand and the construction of this new putter. Basically, in order to prevent people from using croquet mallets, cylinders on a stick, block-heads, etc., the rule reads that a"A putter must measure longer from heel to toe than from front to back." (So despite all those great new cylindrical putters and one handed putting techniques [also illegal] you see for sale on ebay, remember--it must be wider than it is deep.) Now as to this putter's construction, it is barely wider--- 4.75" heel to toe ---than it is deep 4.60 " face to back. Meanwhile let's get into the reasons for these dimensions vs. the more standard measurements of the high MOI putters this thing is out to replace.

A High MOI Putter is going to put as much weight as possible as far back as possible, and to the outer perimeters of the club. This helps prevent club face twisting throughout the stroke. Now arguably, the benefits of this type of construction are obvious when talking about a driver, and even when referring to game improvement irons where heel toe weights on the back and sole are now standard issue. However, as the clubs get shorter and more controllable, the benefits of such weights offer diminishing returns. When one gets down to the flat stick/putter, it also becomes an argument about technique as well as club length. If you are an ARC Putter, than you already have a natural twisting of the club face built into your stroke. If you are a really good ARC Putter, then similar to good iron players who shoot blades, you will shun the heel and toe weighting as a clunky and useless addendum to your stroke. Such weights may actually be counter productive to your stroke.

If you are a Pendulum Putter, however, heavy MOI Weighting offers a certain stability to the straight back and straight through piston like motion of your putting stroke. I know this empirically as a Pendulum Putter who has a Center Shafted Nike OZ T-130 in the bag. Those two tungsten plugs on the rear heel and toe of my putter have helped me guide that baby through many a putting contest. Their design was perhaps one of the best in the high MOI Field as this putter has remained in my bag despite many a side by side shoot out vs. many more expensive, and supposedly better makes and models. Up until the arrival of this IMO the Nike has won her place in my bag time and again vs offerings by Odyssey, Never Compromise, Heavy Putter, Cleveland, Bettinardi, etc...The reasons were simple. The design's simplicity helped correct miss hits, and often prevented them mid stroke. The IMO, however, is a different animal altogether.

The design premise here is not to correct or forgive a miss hit, but to prevent it from happening in the first place. Instead of planting a huge chunk of weight as far back and outside as possible--85%--NOT A MISPRINT---85% of the club head's weight is placed center line behind the sweet spot. This is where the play on words comes in. IMO (Inline Momentum) vs. MOI (Moment of Inertia). The wings, which are used to help this thing meet USGA Regulations by making it wider (just barely) heel to toe, than it is deep, front to back, are hollowed out aluminum, and represent a meager 15% of the club head's weight. It's a very ingenious idea, and as one who was a firm believer in MOI, I just had to see what this thing could do.

In a side by side vs. The Mighty OZ she not only held her own--she opened up a Costco Sized Can of "Whoop Ass" and really let her rip. At 3-6 feet it was a dead heat. At 8-10 feet the IMO began to show that she was a shade more accurate with a consistent 90% average vs. 85% for the OZ. In the 12-15 foot range it got very interesting as the IMO Held up at 87.5% while the OZ dropped to 75%. By the time we hit the 20 and 30 foot range it was all over. The IMO just flat out ruled by a 2-1 margin. That's saying a lot, as The Mighty OZ has been in my bag for several years.

The available trainer to this putter is basically the shaft and 85% center piece minus the wings. It's not even close to legal, but it will sure help you develop a feel for this putter quickly. That's important, as this putter definitely feels a little different than most of today's offerings. I would actually recommend buying both, as that is what I plan to do. It's really a matter of common sense. If you can prevent something bad from happening in the first place (miss hit), than you don't need an excessive amount of antidote (MOI) for a poison you haven't taken. IMO proves that an ounce of prevention really is worth a pound of cure---maybe even more.