"Anser" Head Style

[LobWedge]

Is the Ping Anser the best putter design of all time? It's obviously the most copied design. Everywhere you look, some Tom, Dick, or Harry (or Scotty, or Bettinardi, or Slighter...) is producing a "flagship" design that is a first cousin of Karsten's creation. Certainly, there's no arguing with the success of the design on tour over the years (Tiger, Ernie, etc.), but is it "the sincerest form of flattery", or the easy way out as a result of a lack of imagination?

[Big Johnny69]

Is the Ping Anser the best putter design of all time? It's obviously the most copied design. Everywhere you look, some Tom, Dick, Or Harry (or Scotty, or Bettinardi, or Slighter...) is producing a "flagship" design that is a first cousin of Karsten's creation. Certainly, there's no arguing with the success of the design on tour over the years (Tiger, Ernie, etc.), but is it "the sincerest form of flattery", or the easy way out as a result of a lack of imagination?

I think it's a little bit of both.

[jvincent]

I'd be curious to hear what Scotty Cameron's answer to this question is.

[jeffc]

It's one of those timeless styles. I personally love the style, have had an Anser, a Newport and now play a Circa 62. I also have a Rossa Daytona as well. I think the new Odyssey Black 1 and 2 are both beautiful putters and all are copies of the Anser.

I think there is all kinds of putter imagination out there, some good, some pretty darn fugly.

[spackler]

The Anser is the most copied putter head in history because it is such a fundamentaly sound head, and endlessly adaptable. They can be made face balanced or with toe hang, with high moi, with different necks, with inserts, with different materials for different feel, etc., etc. Imitation here is pure flattery, not a lack of imagination. It's almost a perfect putter head.

[Big Johnny69]

You say almost. So what would you think is the perfect putter head?

[LobWedge]

The Anser is the most copied putter head in history because it is such a fundamentaly sound head, and endlessly adaptable. They can be made face balanced or with toe hang, with high moi, with different necks, with inserts, with different materials for different feel, etc., etc. Imitation here is pure flattery, not a lack of imagination. It's almost a perfect putter head.

Yeah, but that can be said for pretty much any putter. I'm not really talking about adaptability, or inserts, or different hosel configurations, that changes the design to "not an Anser" anymore. I'll give you the different materials bit, as long as it's all steel, or all aluminum, etc., but I'm just talking about this (see below) design, and nothing else.

[spackler]

You say almost. So what would you think is the perfect putter head?

It's perfect for me, but I don't want to preclude some new design that takes the golf world by storm. I think you could probably say the two ball is up there now if you call the big moi and alignment putters imitators, and I would.

[Big Johnny69]

It's perfect for me, but I don't want to preclude some new design that takes the golf world by storm. I think you could probably say the two ball is up there now if you call the big moi and alignment putters imitators, and I would.

Ok, I didn't expect you to come up with something that would wow the world. Just thought perhaps you had an idea for a few tweaks on an existing design.

[spackler]

Ok, I didn't expect you to come up with something that would wow the world. Just thought perhaps you had an idea for a few tweaks on an existing design.

I think the 009 is my ideal putter head, and it's based on the original Scottsdale Anser. I have a Ping replica of the Scottsdale Anser as well as an original Dalehead, which is the same head, just produced in Phoenix. The 009 has a bit thicker topline than the Scottsdale, and a wider flange. It's milled instead of cast, and made out of carbon steel, not bronze. It's close to the Mil Spec, which has all of that, but a narrower flange. The 009 is the best head I've seen so far, I just wish it would come in a flowing neck in lefty.

[spackler]

Yeah, but that can be said for pretty much any putter. I'm not really talking about adaptability, or inserts, or different hosel configurations, that changes the design to "not an Anser" anymore. I'll give you the different materials bit, as long as it's all steel, or all aluminum, etc., but I'm just talking about this (see below) design, and nothing else.

I'm just saying that the reason it is so copied, is because it is close to perfect. It puts the weight out at the corners to give forgiveness, and it still maintains a fairly narrow profile that aids 'feel' in terms of speed control. Every single major OEM and component company has an anser head in the line-up, and it's usually the best seller.