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PUTTERS: VERSA VS NIKE?

• 290 Posts

  Mon, Jun 2 2014 11:51 PM

  Hi Lovely People.

  Though it;s gonna take a while for me to get there, L96 holds 2clubs I may like to get my virtual hands on.

  Big Bertha driver. Nuff said!

  But putting is so much of this game, getting it right is paramount.

  My current stick is the Nike L77. I've had it long enough to be good and bad with it. It is generally a great putter. But I feel it can't be the best, and I need all the help I can get on the short stuff, so I fully intend to upgrade when the time comes.

  So, I would like to know peoples opinions of the Nike L94 vs the Odyssey L96.

  It would be great to hear from somebody who has owned both for a direct comparison, but failing that, hirers who bought, hirers who didn't for whatever reason.

  I've seen the stats and the reviews and on paper, the biggest advantage to the Nike is meter speed, which may prove almost negligible given the precision rating of the Odyssey.

  Can anybody explain what balance really means in a putter and why if it's a good rating it helps, if at all?

  Like I said, I read the reviews, but they're not always the greatest guide since some of them are written by players who have just upgraded and haven't always had a chance to test run for long enough on different courses and greens.

  So, Ladies and Gentlemen, what do we all think. Any input is welcome.

  Many Thanx, AFD

• nonstoptaxi 52 Posts

  Tue, Jun 3 2014 10:28 PM

  good putting comes from experience, lvl 77 nike is already a best putter. you can make anything below 12ft easily success rate 90%, should stick to it.

• fitzroy1965 337 Posts

  Fri, Jun 6 2014 9:51 PM

  also the nikes have the 50 ft. scale which is better overall imo than the 60 ft scaleof the versas,also so easy to figure yardage power needed you just switch to 100ft scale and boom your power is exactly doubled,im  a nike owner myself and have tried the lvl.  33 versa.   gl2u

• alberich35 858 Posts

  Fri, Jun 6 2014 9:55 PM

  nonstoptaxi:

  good putting comes from experience, lvl 77 nike is already a best putter. you can make anything below 12ft easily success rate 90%, should stick to it.

  Below 12 ft any putter do the job.

• alberich35 858 Posts

  Fri, Jun 6 2014 10:01 PM

  Anyway, get a nike lvl 51, the only one putter i get which gave the impression of playing with a lead pip.

• MainzMan 9,591 Posts

  Fri, Jun 6 2014 10:50 PM

  I've tried most of the putters going and have settled on the L96 Versa.  I played a Ghost Spider before that and the change was very easy, both seem to work in a similar way.  What you have to watch with the Versa is accidental missed dings as they knock quite a bit of distance off.  I usually hit 3 or 4 feet too hard just in case.  If I hit the ding the ball is still going to go in most of the time and if I miss there is hopefully enough power to get the ball home.

  The Nike has a nice slow meter but I found the 10 foot scale was like putting with a dead fish.  The ball barely bothered to get going which I found very frustrating.  I know I could have gone up a scale but then you get into the world of forgetting to switch back after using pitch view and hitting the ball halfway to the hole.

  At the end of the day you need to get used to whichever one you go with.  If I'd stuck with the Nike I've no doubt I'd be a fan of it by now, I just found the Versa easy to use straight away so it was an easy choice.

• Hewsey 1,957 Posts

  Fri, Jun 6 2014 11:01 PM

  I agree with Mainz, but the Nike 77 with the slow meter has really helped my putting. Just my take on it.

• fatdan 3,379 Posts

  Fri, Jun 6 2014 11:46 PM

  I had the lvl 70 Versa and loved it, with so little difference in the stats I hesitated to buy the lvl 96, finally did it and it is great...I love it, best putter they sell at wgt!

  On the other hand my son in law plays here and he has the lvl 94 Nike, says he loves it and it is the best putter they sell here....

  he is no longer welcome in my home until he sees the light, the versa is better because I have it and I said so! LOL

• 290 Posts

  Sat, Jun 7 2014 4:11 AM

  Thanks everybody, I knew it would come down to personal opinion in some ways. Ironically, my putting has got a little better since I posted this, so maybe the L77 Nike heard I was thinking of replacing it and pulled itself together.

  Nonstoptaxi good advice, I'll be paying more attention to reading greens and maybe recording results. New green speed indicators may help, who knows, seems to so far a tiny bit.

  Keep 'em coming

  AFD