Taylormade TP Patina Collection Putters £239
GM Verdict
The new TP Patina Collection offers an excellent alternative to the Spider X, comprising a mix of classic blades and modern mallets to suit a variety of stroke types and visual preferences. The copper colour shows up brilliantly on the sole, immediately catching your eye on the shelf. This contrasts with the outgoing TP Black Copper Collection, where the colour barely came through, even after long-term use. The new lighter grey finish on top means a black sightline is more appropriate. It doesn’t contrast as sharply as white on black, but it certainly highlights the face angle well on the larger shapes.
These putters offer a firm, solid feel with a fairly loud ‘pop’ sound at impact, which we really enjoyed. The Soto and Juno blades will please the traditionalist, while the new Del Monte provides a more face-balanced option in a wide blade shape. The Dupage and three Ardmore mallets provide greater stability on off-centre hits and all seven models offer excellent roll thanks to the thicker grooved insert. This seemed to give putts a little bit more speed, requiring less effort and a shorter, more controlled stroke.
Feel is enhanced by the Superstroke Pistol GT 1.0 grip and the stepless KBS CT Tour steel shaft tops off what is an excellent all-round putter range. It offers very good value and is bolstered by the sole weights being adjustable from January next year.
Key Technology
The new aluminium Pure Roll TP insert is 2mm thicker than previous inserts, offering improved sound and feel off the face while also optimising roll.
TP screws in the cavity fasten the new insert securely in place to create a more solid feel at impact by minimising voids and air pockets.
The range gets its name from the new Patina finish that combines black nickel and copper to create a rich, clean and unique look that oxidises over time.
GM Verdict
The Titleist Trufeel promises a great deal at such a low price, so we were keen to see how it performed. We hit a variety of shots, both on the course and the Foresight Gcquad launch monitor, and it was clear where it excels and where it falls short compared with the brand’s premium offering, Pro V1.
On all lengths of shot, it feels very soft. For some golfers, this will translate into better control, and while there is an element of grab on well-struck chips and pitches, it does release out a little more on wedge shots than Pro V1. This was backed up by the launch monitor, although a higher flight does boost the stopping power somewhat.
With iron shots, performance was very good – it combined competitive ball speed and mid-spin to produce decent carry distances. The soft feel remains off the tee, which seems counter intuitive, although spin remained relatively low and ball speed and distance was only a little shy of Pro V1. The gap between them seemed closer out on the course, assisted by a slightly lower flight.
At this entry-level price bracket, there is much to admire in the Trufeel ball – it’s arguably one of the best you can buy, especially when you factor in the impressive durability, consistency of the flight, super-soft feel on all shots and alignment assistance on offer.