Evnroll EZPZ 'Reverse Torque' putter: What you need to know
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:The Evnroll EZPZ putters look to make the movement toward "zero-torque"-style putters more palatable. Recognizing that the concept has merit but acknowledging that not all golfers are willing to go to extremes, the EZPZ uses a traditional plumber's neck hosel that angles the shaft axis toward the toe side of face center to create what the company is calling a "reverse torque" effect. The intent is to not completely restrict rotation but moderate it to more easily control face angle rotation for those who prefer a more traditional putting stroke. The oversized, forgiving mallet incorporates Evnroll's updated grooved face design for more consistent roll, distance and direction on mis-hits.
PRICE:$450. Available in 33, 34, 35, 38 inches (with 17-inch grip). At retail Aug. 15.
3 Cool Things
1. Torque talk.The surging movement toward so-called zero-torque putters (more than a quarter of the current sales in the putter category, based on numbers from Golf Datatech) has seen a lot of attempts over the last 18 months to make the visuals more palatable. But Evnroll's creative founder Guerin Rife thinks the real problem in getting more widespread adoption goes beyond looks. His new EZPZ Reverse Torque putter, an oversized mallet with extreme perimeter wings, uses a traditional offset plumber's neck hosel that attaches to the head a little less heelward. That position and the hosel's angle points the shaft axis on the toe side of face center. In Rife's eyes, the effect is almost countering the typical torsional, or rotational, forces on a putter but with more of a natural feel.
"The hosel on EZPZ is traditional plumber's neck, with offset," Rife said. "It points the shaft toe-ward of the [center of gravity], creating a heel down balance. This slows or reduces rotation while still allowing the putter to flow naturally and presents a conventional look at address.
"In the design of 'zero-torque' putters, it points the shaft at the cg, creating a toe-up balance, and the shaft sits behind the face, or with onset. Zero torque putters try to stop rotation, which can sometimes feel rigid, lack face awareness and flow, and present a look at address that is not conventional."
Rife believes typical zero-torque designs are sacrificing one of the key ingredients to better putting: feel.
"While reducing torque is a good thing, I believe 'reversing torque' is even better," he said. "Reverse torque allows golfers to keep the familiar look and setup of a traditional putter while naturally slowing face rotation through impact. The difference is something golfers can feel immediately."
The way to think about EZPZ's approach might be to focus on the hosel axis and how the head rotates open and closed in the putting stroke. When the center of gravity is toward the toe side of where the hosel axis intersects the head, the face naturally will want to rotate more closed, forcing the hands to control that rotation. When the center of gravity and hosel axis are aligned, which is how most zero-torque putters are designed, the face angle is more naturally aligned with the path of the putter, requiring less or almost no hand activity.
Of course, no hand activity in the putting stroke is not a natural motion for most golfers. The EZPZ seems to be a way of working with (not against) that natural hand action. With Evnroll's approach here, the hosel axis points more toward the toe side of the putter, and the center of gravity's relationship to the hosel axis is more heelward. That relationship, Rife is saying, allows the natural rotational movement of the hands in the stroke (the slight arc style that is almost universal in putting strokes today). But it does so while controlling (or "reversing") the hand action to keep the face angle easier to square—restricted, but not rigid. Rife suggests the design keeps the face square to the target twice as long as a conventional plumber's neck putter.
2. Groove thing.Rife's putters have continued to push the boundaries of impacting roll through their grooved face approach. First seen in last year's Evnroll Origin putters, this new grooved design compresses the pattern, changing it from parallel lines to parabolic curves to improve consistent contact. The new face treatment packs the grooves closer together as rows of wavy lines to reduce surface contact with the ball. The shallower grooves (depth cut by as much as half) aim to reduce "dwell time" for more effective energy transfer at impact.
3. Additive effects.The EZPZ incorporates several other elements designed to elevate consistency. Those include an oversized, winged shape that produces a high-stability effect for consistent distance on off-center hits. The graphics include parallel aiming lines on the back flange along with an alignment dot on the topline. Finally, the standard shaft is the UST All-In shaft, a multi-material design that combines the vibration-damping effects of graphite with the stability of a steel tip.
