Review - Guerin Rife 2-Bar Blade Putter

[1972Apex]

Review - Guerin Rife 2-Bar Blade Putter

This is the first of a series of reviews we will be doing on OttawaGolf of some products provided to us by one of our members, etailgolf.com.
First up is the Guerin Rife 2-Bar Blade Putter, which Geoff Johnson so graciously brought along to our round together at Casselview last Friday and handed over to me just prior to us heading onto the course. While this was clearly just a ploy to mess up my head for our round together, I decided to take him up on his offer to use the putter for the round. This obviously could only add to my enjoyment of his inevitable humiliation (and also provide a convenient excuse, should I stink up the course ).
As I only got to hit some practice putts and play 9 holes with this putter due to the fact both Geoff and I are allergic to lightning, this will have to be considered a preliminary review. I’d have liked to keep it longer but wanted someone else to have a crack at it. In a couple of weeks I’ll take it back out for a longer spin and post my results then.
So without further ado... onto the review.

First impressions
Well, the headcover is downright pretty. Classy, fits the putter perfectly and the Velcro works. Taking it off however reveals the real design secrets of the 2-Bar putter, which for those who don’t know, is dominated by the two large bullet-shaped bars extending out from the back of the head. It’s a beautifully made putter, basically a longer blade-style putter with the aforementioned bars. A mallet model is also available. The face has grooves running parallel to the ground, presumably to aid in putting the proper roll on the ball (more on that later). Those bars also allow golfers to change the weight of the putterhead, as they can be replaced with either heavier-and-longer or lighter-and-shorter. Two extra sets of weights in a very nice carrying case were supplied with the putter. I used the mid weights. There is also an alignment system to help you make sure the putter is lined up squarely and at the right lie to the ground (see Things I Liked).
As for the look, this is a very pretty, well made putter. Whether you like the look of the long heel to toe blade and two bars is up to you. People who like funky futuristic looking putters will love it. Pure blade lovers may find it a bit much, although it is much classier than say, a Futura.

So how did it feel?
To be truthful, on the practice green it felt a bit light. Despite that, the Rife rolled the ball beautifully (those grooves appear to work) and seemed pretty easy to line up. I hit 25-30 practice putts with the Rife and found I could roll the ball pretty well with it. I thought briefly of changing to the heavier weights but we were due on the tee in five minutes and, more importantly, I was too lazy to walk back to the car.
As for the weight, well keep in mind that I normally use a shotgun-size shafted Dogleg Right Hog putter, so anything less than a brick-on-a-stick feels light to me. Hopefully I can review the putter again with the heavier set of weights.

Did you putt the lights out with it?
Well, we’re talking about me here, not Brad Faxon, so obviously the Guerin’s chances of dazzling Mr. Johnson into submission were slim at best. I had my usual assortment of two-putts, lip outs and occasional long bombs. It all added up to my normal number of putts on 9 holes before God intervened with a little dazzling display of his own right after we teed off on No. 10. Actually, though, I quite liked it. I did have excellent distance control with it, lagging a couple of very long putts to the hole for tap-ins. I also quite liked the alignment system, and was pretty comfortable over short putts.

Enough about you. Tell us about the technology...
One of the key design features of all Guerin Rife models is the very visible bullet-shaped cylinders which jut out from the head. Accoring to the company’s website, “The removable cylinders in the back of the two bars allow you to customize your putter depending on the speed of the greens”. They even suggest that if you are leaving putts to one side of the hole or the other you can mix the heavy and light weights to compensate. Is it only a matter of time before someone wins the Masters with one draw and one fade putter?
I mentioned the face grooves on the Rife earlier in this review. Let’s let the Rife Putters website explain: “The precisely milled grooves slightly press into the cover of the ball gripping and lifting it out of its own depression. As a result, the Two Bar putter only needs 1 degree of loft to simulate the same launch angle as traditional lofted putters (standard is 4 degrees) without the negative effects (backspin). The end result is a ball that launches into the air with a slight forward rotation instead of backspin. This eliminates the skipping and skidding created by traditional putters, creating a more consistent and accurate roll, every time.”
From the face grooves, to the weights, to the four-point weighting system, lie angle adjustment and low loft, the Rife is literally bristling with technology. First putter on the moon? For more on the technology, and to prevent this review from exceeding the length of ‘War and Peace’ you can go to www.rifeputters.com

What did you like?
· This putter rolls the ball very well, end over end just like Tiger does it on TV. When hit on the sweetspot the ball will undeniably get to the hole.
· The Rife is a very handsome piece of equipment, the grips, graphics, headcover etc. are all first rate.
· It is a conversation piece. Pull the headcover off this baby and people will notice. Actually, people will notice the headcover too .
· The alignment system (you line up a groove with the line on the back of the putter) works surprisingly well. It is pretty simple to figure out and made me feel comfortable with my setup before stroking the ball.
· Surprisingly, you can pick up a ball with it. It takes a bit of practice, but once you get the hang of it the two bars are just the right distance apart to slip under the ball and lift it up gracefully into your other hand.

So what’s the verdict?
Admittedly, putters aren’t my thing. Hand me any putter and I’ll be startlingly mediocre with it. For this reason I am an iron and driver ‘ho, not a putter ‘ho.
That said, the Guerin Rife 2-Bar Blade would be a very nice choice for anyone looking for a new flatstick to invigorate their lackluster putting. It’s well made, pretty and sets up very well. The weight system is an innovative idea which allows users to change the weight of their putter depending upon whether the greens will be fast or slow, or just to try a different feel. The alignment system works well, and the option of adjustable lies is also a nice touch of technology.
All in all the Rife is a stylish design that makes the most of the various putter technologies available today. Anyone looking for a new putter would be wise to take a good look at the Guerin Rife 2-Bar Blade or its sibling Mallet model. I’m actually quite looking forward to giving the Rife another run and try the different weight configurations, as well as experimenting further with the alignment system. Stay tuned for an update.

[Big Johnny69]

Excellent review Reid, and I echo pretty much all of your sentiments. About the only thing I wished was that the lie adjustment tool came with the putter. I think the putter was a little too upright for me and found it affected my results accordingly. I had a hard time aligning the white line with the notch, found I had to almost hover my upper body above the putter to get it aligned properly.

I more adjusted the weights to find a comfortable swingweight for the putter. I settled on the mid weights. Putter felt the most stable and comfortable for me that way.

And does the putter ever roll the ball well. One of the tightest and smoothest rolls I've ever seen from a putter. The roll groove technology really works. With this being a review I feel I have to be honest. About the only beef I had with the putter was on off centre hits. Seemed like for the size of this putter and with all the technological aspects of it, there would be more help with off centre hits. But for me I found if you strayed too far out on the toe the ball would kind of just die. No real help to roll the ball a little better. But other than that I can find no fault with the putter. Very solid feeling and a solid performer.

I would like to thank etailgolf for allowing us this opportunity to test some products we would otherwise never get a chance to. Like Reid said, this is just the first of many reviews of various products to come.

[1972Apex]

I noticed the lack of forgiveness on off centre hits too Geoff. Meant to mention that in my review, but I felt I had gone on long enough already .
I actually liked that. I think the blade putter is designed to be a bit less forgiving and have a distinct sweet spot. I like the fact you can hit it off the toe to deaden short downhill putts. I think the more forgiving version would be the Mallet 2-Bar.

[Big Johnny69]

Forum member John has a mallet version and I noticed that difference in it. One good thing about that though, it makes you a better putter by having to put a better stroke on it.

[spackler]

I assume with the two honkin' weights hanging on it, the blade is face balanced?

[Big Johnny69]

Not sure, never noticed while reading about the specs and never tried the face balanced test.

[1972Apex]

I assume with the two honkin' weights hanging on it, the blade is face balanced?

Hi spackler:

Actually there is a fair bit more than face balancing going on. In addition to the more visible weights, the Rife has weights at each end of the blade for a four-point balancing system. All of the Guerin Rife technology is well explained on their website www.rifeputters.com