There is no one out there who is making putters that look like the putters L.A.B. Golf is making, and the popularity of the company’s product in spite of that is definitely something to note.
L.A.B. has taken the putter market by storm since launching in 2018 and has developed a cult-like following, even from people who admittedly do not love the look of the putter. But the results speak for themselves.
The company has already picked up several Tour wins and has a pretty consistent number of pros using their putters on the PGA Tour, including J.J. Spaun, who captured the first major title with a zero torque putter, the category L.A.B. created.
On this week’s episode of GOLF’s Fully Equipped, co-host Johnny Wunder revealed that a L.A.B. Golf DF3, a putter he dubs “the mushroom,” has been living in his bag recently.
L.A.B. Golf DF3 Putter
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ALSO AVAILABLE AT: PGA Tour Superstore, L.A.B. Golf
“I took this mushroom out, thinking like, I’m just going to hit 15 putts with it just so I can say that I tried it,” Wunder said. “And all of a sudden, I feel like a god. You know, the ball’s rolling good, left-to-right is awesome, right-to-left is awesome, straight putts are awesome. I’m like, ‘Am I really that guy now? Do I really have the L.A.B. mushroom?'”
L.A.B. took a unique journey by developing a following in the recreational game before breaking into the sport’s highest level, and that loyal following is what gives the company lots of flexibility to try new things, like shapes, inserts, colors and whatever else. The company’s founder, Sam Hahn, discussed this with Fully Equipped co-host Jake Morrow at a L.A.B. Golf media event in Cresswell, Oregon last week.
“He talked about, it’s actually become, like, moving into the future, the industry and the consumer having acceptance that L.A.B. might not look ideal, gives them a lot of runway,” Morrow said. “It gives them a lot of freedom to try things that other OEMs can’t try, because it’ll just be straight up unaccepted immediately, which is super cool.
“I think he’s absolutely right about that.”
J.J. Spaun notches first major win for this trendy putter type
In a way, Morrow explained, L.A.B.’s foundational success with an unconventional-looking product allows them to try any look, knowing that their consumer won’t care, so long as it performs.
“I think that’s a huge advantage that they have, is that they can move forward and they can tinker, they can try, they can experiment and they can release experimental things,” he continued. “And the consumer is primed already that it might not look fantastic, but if the function of it works the way that they say it works, then everybody is going to be happy the same way they have been with the L.A.B. offerings so far.”
