I tried it for about 36 holes today. There are a number of differences:
- meter speed is a big one for me. I'm used to the Daytona, and because my putting style is "aim and ding" as opposed to the very popular "intentional miss," I found the slightly faster meter speed threw me off a little. I could get used to it, but I find that for putts over 10 ft I need to ding the putter in order to make it.
- I found that when I did "ding" the Master Redwood, it rolled very true. If you missed it the line, it was tough to make.
- I missed the 60 meter. I've played the old Redwood and I enjoyed the 45, but now I basically putt anything between 14 and 30 ft with the 60, and it's easy to keep on line. Again, just me, but I don't like how it goes from 45 to 90. I think 30-60-90 is a easy progression.
- I tried the "intentional miss" method for a while, and I liked that more with the Redwood than with my trusty Daytona.
Bottom line, I'm sticking with the Daytona. The 1/2 ball extra precision and balance probably won't make a huge difference for me. I think the places where it would matter the most are St. Andrews #9, if you have a long eagle putt across a gentle slope or a flat area, or long putts at BPB where it's flat and you want the truest roll. I make enough 40-60 footers in those areas with my Daytona (if I ding it).
I think for some of the exceptional players, who make everything inside 30 ft and 40-50% over that, this putter might help them, no matter how they putt. I'm not in that category, so I'm sticking with the Daytona. There might come a time when I'll switch, but an admittedly very brief look at it didn't entirely convince me.
GL!