LAB Golf’s more traditional blade putters come with the LINK 2.1, 2.2

LAB Golf has removed another hurdle for its Lie Angle Balance putters.

With company news LINK 2.1 and LINK 2.2 HS blade throwsplayers who have been looking for a traditional Anser-style blade without a center shaft have finally gotten their wish. The new models are the most traditional-looking options to date and feature a new brushed steel face.

“There are a lot of people who are more comfortable with a blade,” LAB Golf founder Sam Hahn told GOLF. “And the industry conversation has people asking if they should still be in one. When you add the Lie Angle Balanced technology, you don’t have to remove the blade. It’s a lot easier to use and a little more forgiving than traditional blades. Because of the way we balance the putters, you don’t have to make that sacrifice anymore.”

The new LINK putters will join the existing LINK 1.1 center shaft as LAB’s three blade options in the line.

The young kissers were presented on the PGA Tour last month at the Cognizant Classic and Aldrich Potgieter became the first player to put one in the gameplaying a 2.1 in the Players Championship last week.

Continue reading below for more on the LAB Golf LINK 2.1 and 2.2 HS machines, including my take on the release.

What’s really new – and why you should care

Removing barriers to entry

While LAB’s Lie Angle Balance has inspired many other “zero torque” options and low torque putters on the market over the past few years, most have come with important caveats for traditionalists. They’ve almost always been center-shaft models to begin with, and they’ve almost always been large wooden hammer options.

For many golfers, one of them ends up being a non-starter. Two makes them an afterthought.

LAB introduced its first off-center model last summer with OZ.1i HSbut now they are offering the heel shaft lifting technology in a blade for the first time.

“The goal over the last 24 months has been to eliminate as many barriers to entry as possible,” Hahn said. “If there’s an opportunity to have a chassis that makes it easier for your curiosity to get the best of you, we’re all for it.”

While Hahn stated that the goal with any LAB putter design is first and foremost to make sure it balances and swings the way they want it to, they wanted to make sure the new LINK putters looked familiar to the player.

If it looks familiar, a golfer will be more likely to try it.

Making the knives more forgiving

Mallets vs. blades have hit a fever pitch this season, with only five of the top 25 players in the world still using a blade and no one on the PGA Tour having won with a blade since July.

With all the excessive and unusual shapes used for LAB machines and other low-torque models, the LAB would be one of the prime movers of that movement.

But somewhat surprisingly, Hahn announced, “Thu sure ain’t dead.” He said many players still want to use a blade, and they can gain the forgiveness of a mallet while still maintaining the shape of the blade thanks to Lie Angle Balance technology.

The sight of a blade is simply comforting to many players, especially those who refuse to try a LAB Hahn himself was skeptical of the blade, but he found the new bindings very easy to connect.

“I have a ton of confidence in eight-foot putts, and there’s no better attribute for a putter than one that makes you feel comfortable and confident standing on it,” Hahn said. “I think that’s the case for a lot of people. There are a lot of people out there who are more comfortable with a blade.”

Tuning the feeling

LAB shooters were designed with impact dynamics first, which, with the use of the aluminum lift shaft, presented a unique challenge with feel.

Because the machine is constructed with a 303 stainless steel body and an aluminum riser, it won’t feel the same as a traditional one-piece steel gauge.

To make the machines feel as traditional as possible, LAB went with a new milled steel face, as opposed to the grooves or aluminum mill insert of their previous furnaces.

“Our No. 1 priority is to get the shooter moving in a particular way. And once we’ve accomplished that, then we go back to a feel,” Hahn said. “Aluminum doesn’t have the same response characteristics as stainless. And with the way our devices are built, that part of the connection can create a very different feel than if it was just a one-piece setter. So we experimented with a number of different face configurations to get it as close as we could to feeling like a one-piece stainless device.”

LAB Golf LINK 2.1 and 2.2 line

CONNECTION 2.1

What is it: A compact, narrow modern foot tip blade, the closest LAB has ever come to making an Anser style blade. LINK 2.1 has a symmetrical and very angular shape.

Who is it for: Players who have wanted to try Lie Angle Balance or other low torque rigs but wanted a more classic and smaller profile shape.

CONNECTION 2.2

What is it: A shorter, squarer wide body blade for more stability and forgiveness.

Who is it for: Players who want a more traditional shape with added stability and a longer stretch aid.

My take: LAB injects some much-needed juice into the razors

I wouldn’t be shocked if the new LINK 2.1 and 2.2 devices end up being this year’s best selling blade models.

All this talk about how blades are dying and no one should play a blade, and yet, people still love them because they are easier to see for most.

What LAB is doing here is taking their Lie Angle Balance technology, pairing it with their new riser tube, and putting it into a package that looks familiar to many players.

If there was still the barrier of a hammer, which is still a non-starter for multiplayer, that is now gone for a player to try a LAB shooter.

It still doesn’t change the fact that Lie Angle Balance and low torque putters aren’t for every player. High bow players will not now magically be able to find a fit with a LINK 2.1 or 2.2 because they are offered in a blade shape or have a heel shaft.

But for players with minimal stroke arc, like yours truly, this will provide a very familiar shape that many have used for a long time.

For me, I’ve tried some of the larger shapes while going on a low-torque ride, but I keep looking for the smallest option I can find because that’s just what I’m comfortable with. A shooter should fit you, not you suit the shooter.

The new bindings now give two options that look familiar in a setup that will match my swing and take my hands off the swing.

For initial testing, I chose a 2.2, which I thought would be more similar to the wide body blades I had recently put on. But one thing to keep in mind, as Hahn told me, the 2.2 is a touch stronger than the 2.1 because of the different shape.

While feel isn’t the main goal, it’s still a priority for me for speed control, so I’m anxious to get my hands on a 2.1 and see if it can really be my go-to for next season.

Price, Specifications and Availability

LAB Golf’s new LINK 2.1 and 2.2 HS putters are available for order at labgolf.com beginning March 17 and will be available at authorized retailers in April 23.

The stock model costs $499, while custom versions start at 599 dollars.

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