Thursday, December 7, 2017

First Look: 2018 EVNROLL Putters

Scoreboard

ER1.1

How else should one start a discussion about Evnroll putters?

First, they unofficially smash the winners of the 2016 Most Wanted, and then they take both Most Wanted Blade and Most Wanted Mallet putter titles in 2017. Add to that the fact that Guerin Rife has already established a successful putter brand in the past, and you are left with a situation that screams SCOREBOARD!

This is the time of year when a whole bunch of golf companies will be rolling out their latest, and supposedly greatest, golf products ever. The sheer volume of products being released makes it easy to become overwhelmed, and probably a bit skeptical too.

However, one should always pay attention to the new products when they come from proven equipment companies, and that's why we need to spend a little time checking out the new Evnroll putters.

The KING Of The Groove

So why is the Evnroll putters more accurate than other putters? It's the groove technology. And it works the same across the entire line-up.

Guering-Rife-EvnRoll-1

All new models feature Evnroll’s “Sweet Face Technology” that produces an even energy transfer across the hitting area and virtually no dispersion.

Other companies out there promote groove technologies that correct for distance issues across the face, PING's TR grooves being one example, but the Sweet Face Technology takes that a star further. The thing about the Evnroll grooves is that while they definitely help correct for distance, they also correct for accuracy. Just look at the graphic above. The balls stay in line with the target, even if you strike the ball off center. That puts the ball closer to the hole.

Be skeptical if you feel the need, but remember, the performance of the Evnroll putters has been demonstrated multiple time in the past here at MyGolfSpy and many other sites who have put them to the test as well. The data suggests that these putters hit the hole more often than all other competitors.

The New Models

In 2018, the Evnroll putter armada expands by four models, bringing the grand total to twelve putter choices. With all of these putter options, Evnroll is now able to match a model to just about any golfer's stroke and preference. Mallet or blade.

Here are some photos of the four new 2018 models, along with individual model descriptions from the man himself, Guerin Rife!

ER1.1

ER1.1_Hero

ER1.1 Tour Blade – Old becomes new. The classic plumber-neck flange blade, originally invented by Karsten Solhiem 50 years ago, is a standard model for all putter companies. This is the Evnroll version. Virtually every plumber-neck on the market has a 45 gram hosel on the heel side of the putter head. This moves the center of mass (aka sweet spot) toward the heel away from the center sight-line.

The ER1.1 has a slightly smaller and thinner heel section and a channel in front of the hosel arm to balance the mass on either side of the center sight line keeping the sweet spot directly in the center. They have also eliminated the typical elbow below the hosel collar which creates a down-left visual angle to a golfer. By creating a straight cut at the base of the collar that matches the square side of the hosel arm. This forms a clean perpendicular line to the leading edge of the face for better alignment.

Part of me feels that we could stop the discussion of the new models right here. The ER1.1 gives the Anser purist exactly what he or she is looking for aesthetically in a putter. Plus, this heel-toe weighted blade has the performance-enhancing Enroll grooves.

I think that this one is going to sell like crazy.

ER2CS

ER2_CS_Hero

ER2cs – The original ER2 has been by far the most popular blade putter model and the Winner of MyGolfSpy’s “2017 Most Wanted Blade”. They’ve taken the ER2 and mounted a stainless steel hosel pin very slightly heel-ward from the center to give it a 5% toe down balance. While only about 5% of golfers prefer center-shafting, they are an adamant and persistent group (like the “Lefties”).

To produce a center-shafted ER2 they had to thicken the cavity wall behind the hitting area to allow for sufficient width to receive a reverse thread hosel pin. This added 40 grams to the head weight. This extra steel needed to be removed in such a way to maintain the same center of mass and targeted swing weight. By drilling four 10 gram holes right behind the face in the heel and toe, they were able to strategically remove the 40 grams, giving the ER2cs same feel and stability of the original ER2 MidBlade.

Center-shafted putters can be tough to find in the shop, a fact often bemoaned by those who like them. Take heart middle-shatters, two of the four new models are CS variants.

What makes these extra interesting is that the two center shafted models were the Most Wanted winners in the heel-shafted configuration. So for those of you that prefer center shafted but want a proven performer, you now have an option.

ER3

ER3_RD

ER3 WingBlade – Sometimes you just have to hang it out there and mix it up. The original ER3 WingBlade was an untraditional design where form followed function. The outward heel and toe flare created increased stability and a different non-classic modern look. Demand has been less than expected so they kept the function and changed the form.

The new ER3 WingBlade borrows its shape from the popular ER2 but with greater weight concentration toward the rearward heel and toe. The rear edge of the center cavity section has a cut-away shape in a forward-pointing “V” intersecting with the center sight line. This removes mass from the middle of the head allowing for more weight on the extreme heel and toe for increased stability.

With the somewhat petite quantity of material removed, I can't quite go as far as to call the ER3 a notchback. It's more of a nibble out of the back side of the flange, and so I dub the ER3 The Nibbleback.

What's the purpose of the nibble you ask? Well, if you remove some material from the center, then the weight becomes more perimeter associated, potentially enhancing stability during the stroke. Some may also appreciate the nibble when aligning the putter at address.

As far as this one being the ER3 "2.0", I personally like the change to a more squared off ER2 profile. The squared off edges of the cavity will work great to frame the ball, putter, and target at address, something that was not as overtly easy with the old ER3 design. Kudos to Mr. Rife for being willing to try, test, and redesign when necessary. That's exactly how the scientific method is supposed to work.

ER7CS

ER7_CS

ER7cs – This is a center-shafted version of MyGolfSpy’s “2017 Most Wanted Mallet”. Following the same production path as the as the ER2cs, they also thickened the cavity wall to allow for the hosel pin and removed mass from under the forward heel and toe to maintain the same feel and stability of the original ER7 Full Mallet.

By choosing this year’s top-two MyGolfSpy Most Wanted blade and mallet putters Evnroll hopes that those golfers demanding a center-shaft putter will find something to love in the new ER2cs and ER7cs models from Evnroll.

The ER7CS is the other newly center-shafted putter, and as I said before, the heel-shafted version was the 2017 Most Wanted Mallet winner. Seems like there is a Lab X test in the making here.

I once had a guy whose putter opinion I respect a ton tell me that all center-shafted putters are terrible designs. They twist too much during the stroke, are tougher to aim, and would never be as accurate as a heel-shafted model. It sounds like both of the new Evnroll models have had playability-focused design alterations beyond just moving the hosel. Maybe we are looking at the next generation of CS design.

We know that the ER2 and ER7 hit the hole ridiculously well in the hands of our testers. Can these new center-shafted versions do the same, maybe even better than the original heel-shafted model? This warrants some research. Stay tuned.

Will it be a bakers dozen?

ER1.1_Sole ER2_CS_Sole ER3_Sole ER7_CS_Sole

So there you have the four new Evnroll putter models.  You've got a couple of new center-shafted options, a classic Anser head, and a new nibbleback. These, along with the other eight models, gives one a whole bunch of options.

Rumor has it though, there is one more coming, and it's a beast.

Guerin is keeping this putter, the ER9, under his hat until the PGA show though, so we will need to temper our curiosity for another month or so. Word on the street is that it has some pretty unreal specs. I'll let you know more when I know more. All Guerin will say for now is:

The ER9 will be introduced simultaneously by MyGolfSpy and by Evnroll at the 2018 PGA Merchandise Show beginning on January 24.

Stay Tuned!

WHICH MODEL ARE YOU MOST INTERESTED IN?



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