HIGH M.O.I PUTTER. : THE DUEL

Designers work on the HIGH “M.O.I.” putter

By Inesis

November 23^rd, 2021

There are two main ways to putt: with a straight line stroke or an arc stroke. This seems a little misleading, because nobody putts in a completely straight line - there’s always a slight curve. Anyway, you get the idea.

So, there are two types of putters:

the “Face Balanced” putter, where the face is horizontal and facing upwards when balanced on the shaft, helping to putt in a straight line as the face is easier to keep square throughout the putting motion.
the “Toe Hang” putter, where the face of the club is at an angle to the ground when the shaft is balanced, which will naturally follow the curve of the arc putting stroke.

Choosing a putter that is adapted to your putting swing enables a ball to follow the line of the stroke. The ball goes where you aim.

IN THE FACE BALANCED RANGE, I WOULD LIKE...

In the current range of Inesis putters, we have the Blade and Half Moon putters which are Toe Hang putters (arc putting stroke) and the Mallet putter, which is Face Balanced (straight line putting). So Albert, our product manager, has briefed Thomas and Charles, our club designers, on a second Face Balanced putter to propose an alternative to the Mallet.

THE M.O.I. : WHAT IS IT?

When a ball isn’t struck in the centre of the putter face, it rolls a shorter distance and in less of a straight line. The more tolerant a putter is, the more it will minimise this issue. Face Balanced putters are more forgiving than the Toe Hang putters thanks to their balance. For this new Face Balance putter, we have decided to push the tolerance aspect to the limit. The tolerance of a putter is measured using the “Moment of Inertia (M.O.I)” formula. The higher the M.O.I, the more tolerant the putter. To increase the M.O.I, as much weight as possible should be placed on the back and ends of the putter. WE REST OUR CASE.

HEAD-TO-HEAD

Charles and Thom have been battling it out at work. They’ve each worked on their interpretation of the brief and drew inspiration from two different worlds:

aviation for its taut, radical lines, guided solely by a drive for aerodynamic efficiency. Spectacular, powerful and uncompromising engines.
the automotive sector, an essential field of expression for designers, where function meets style.

This new putter also needs to fit in with the stylistic codes of the current range of putters: athletic and elegant. It must include the marking and finish elements, and the insert.

1. “AVIATION” CONCEPT:

Charles has worked on a cap which replicates aeroplane wings. A weight screwed onto the underside allows the centre of gravity to be lowered for a better ball roll. There is a clear link with the Mallet putter.

2. “AUTOMOTIVE” CONCEPT

Thomas has also used a cap mounted onto the body of the putter, enabling weight to be positioned at the back and ends of the putter for a very high M.O.I, creating added tolerance. Based on the rear view, we can spot the inspiration drawn from the automotive world, through the fluid and integrated design. Thomas has worked on the alignment so that it works perfectly with the new Inesis ball markings.

The design team will now delve deeper into these two designs and study the technical feasibility of both proposals. What about you, are you Team Aviation or Team Automotive?