WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: Evnroll’s new Zero line takes on the idea of designing putters with what’s called “low-torque” with three models, the Z1 extreme-stability mallet, Z2s widebody blade and Z5s modern mallet. The concept is designed to align the shaft more directly with the putter head’s center of gravity, allowing the face to square-up more naturally. The point is to reduce the effort of the hands to rotate the clubhead during the stroke. Evnroll’s models, milled from either 6061 aluminum or 303 stainless steel depending on the design, accomplish this with a distinctive crank neck hosel that eliminates the typical forward-leaning shaft angle seen on many of the current “low-torque” or “no-torque” designs.

PRICE: $450. Available for pre-sale Oct. 1 and at retail Oct. 31.

3 COOL THINGS

1. Moving forward. The gist of the Zero line’s emphasis on controlling the putter head’s rotational movement during the stroke is in simplifying the putting motion. If the face naturally stays square to the path of the stroke, it stands to reason that it will be easier for the face to be square to the target line at impact, too. The problem with many of these “low-torque” designs, according to Evnroll founder and long-time putter designer Guerin Rife, is a shaft angle that takes some getting used to, or worse, outright rejection. The Zero line uses a specially angled crank-neck or plumber’s-neck hosel design. It aims to hide the near vertical presentation of the shaft into the putter head’s center of gravity. That controls how much the face naturally rotates open or closed while not forcing the hands or the eyes into an unconventional position, Rife said.

“I created the new Zero line to eliminate the ‘awkward’ forward shaft lean of the no-torque craze of late,” he said. “By moving the center of mass forward and incorporating a reverse-offset hosel, ‘Face Forward Technology’ has been born. The shaft is now vertical while delivering zero face rotation. No more ‘awkward.’”

2. Past successes. The Zero line still incorporates many of the hallmark Evnroll technologies. That starts with a grooved face design where the grooves depth and spacing change from the center outward to the heel and toe. The idea is both to control ball speed of consistent rolls, as well as redirect heel and toe misses back toward the center line. The models also feature milled construction in both the 303 stainless-steel Z2s blade and Z5s modern mallet and the 6061 aluminum Z1 high-stability mallet. Further, they also incorporate sole weights that improve heel-toe perimeter weighting for increased stability on off-center hits, as well as making the head weights better match up to specific shaft lengths for consistent swing weights (heavier heads on the shorter shaft lengths, for example).

3. Three heads, one stroke. Each of three head designs aim to keep the angle of the shaft in line with the center of gravity for a more repeatable stroke, but each also represents distinct visuals at address. The Z1, milled from 6061 aluminum, features a ball-shaped hole in the center and heel and toe perimeter sections that stretch the frame for extra stability on off-center hits. The high moment of inertia gets an extra boost with two 85-gram heel and toe weights in the front part of the sole that push the center of gravity forward. That’s a key component that helps to align the shaft presentation with the head’s center of gravity, which makes the shaft angle and the hands better align with the face angle during the stroke path. 

The Z2s, milled from 303 stainless steel, is a wide body blade shape with tungsten and steel sole weights, designed to provide stability and consistent swing weight matching.

The Z5s, milled from 303 stainless steel, is a more traditional mallet somewhat similar in shape to Evnroll’s EV 5.3 model. The opening in the middle of the head is formed by a back bar that joins parallel heel and toe arms. Sole weights of tungsten and steel in the front heel and toe push the center of gravity forward.

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This article was originally published on golfdigest.com