The vibrant orange, hot pink and baby blue color scheme is the first thing that catches your eye. If you were lucky enough to grow up in the ’80s, these colors look very familiar. They evoke memories of ear-splitting boomboxes, tie-dye t-shirts and MTV when it was approaching its zenith.
Like all of Bettinardi’s limited run putters, there’s always a fun theme — and maybe even some nostalgia — behind the design.
This is once again the case with the company’s third limited release putter of 2020 — the BB1-Wide “Totally 80’s” ($750). But there’s more to this design than “gnarly” good looks. A closer look at the head profile reveals a new BB1-Wide head shape making its debut for the first time.
Milled from 303 stainless steel (362 grams) with a Honeycomb face milling, the BB1-Wide features a wider flange than the traditional Anser-style blade for “the player seeking a traditional blade appearance, yet looking for added confidence on the greens.” With mallet usage on the rise, putter manufacturers have continued to push the boundaries in blade performance, adding heel-toe weights and expanding the flange in an effort to improve the stability and forgiveness properties of the head.
In this case, the wider flange is Bettinardi’s answer for the player who is considering a mid-mallet but doesn’t want to let go of the blade look. Other manufacturers have also released wide-body blades, including Odyssey (Double Wide), Scotty Cameron (Squareback) and Ping (Kushin C). With 30 degrees of toe hang — the standard BB1 has 40 degrees of toe hang — the putter is able to perform like a blade with some mallet benefits.
The new head profile has plenty of ’80s vibes, beginning with a multi-color 6061 aluminum pocket insert,”Betti Boombox” engraved along the sole and geometric shapes on the heel of the face. (It’s ok to admit you owned one of those Trapper Keepers.)
Each putter is outfitted with a custom matching Lamkin SINK Fit grip and premium Made in USA headcover. The release will be limited to 300 pieces and drops July 16th on Bettinardi.com. Scrunchies and cassette tapes not included.
