Club Test 2011: Nike Method Core Putters

From Golf Magazine (June 2011)

Nike Method Core 5i
Category: Midsize Mallet Putters
We tested: 34", 35" shaft length

Key Technologies: "Polymetal" groove technology - aluminum face insert and soft polymer backing that fills in the milled grooves - dampens vibration and reduces backspin so putts skid less and begin to roll forward sooner.

OUR TESTERS SAY: The ball begins to roll quickly with topspin; good balance and overall weighting.

PROS
DISTANCE CONTROL: Consistent distances on center hits; putts roll smoothly and track on-line.

FEEL: Soft, muted sensation on center hits; the "toe-down" putter wants to swing itself because of the heavier head.

LOOK: Simple head shape with brushed-nickel finish offers assurance for those who tend to mis-hit putts out on the toe; the head sits low to the ground, which promotes a smooth takeaway.

CONS
Center hits can feel too soft for some testers; a few don't care for its asymmetrical head shape - narrow in the heel area and larger in the toe; a minority of testers prefer more forgiveness.

$130

From Golf Magazine (June 2011)

Nike Method Core 1i
Category: Blade Putters
We tested: 34", 35" shaft length

Key Technologies: "Polymetal groove technology" - soft polymer grooves that give way to milled steel secondary grooves - is designed to create faster, more controlled forward roll at impact for improved accuracy and consistency.

OUR TESTERS SAY: This versatile putter is suitable for all playing levels and all types of strokes.

PROS
DISTANCE CONTROL: Smooth, consistent roll off the blade with little or no skidding; works well on short putts and delivers accurate, repeatable results from mid-range (15-25 feet).

FEEL: Pretty responsive; it quietly launches the ball off the face; better for slower greens as the ball comes off the face with velocity.

LOOK: Classic heel-toe shape with shallow clubface; head style is attractive to the eyes at address.

CONS
A few testers find that distance control suffers on putts longer than 25 feet; mid-slant blade with offset hosel is an acquired taste.

$130

From The Shop blog (January 18, 2011)
Paul Casey fell in love with a prototype of Nike's Method 001 putter after trying it at the company's test center in Ft. Worth, Texas. After convincing company brass to allow him use the club in competition, Casey dropped it into his bag at the 2008 WGC-Bridgestone Invitational.

It's never left.

In 2009, both Stewart Cink and Lucas Glover won major championships using a Method prototype, and last year Tiger Woods started sporadically using one too.

But for a lot of golfers, the $250 price tag attached the Method putters was simply too much to fork over. Nike aims to change that with the release of the Method Core line of putters, which have a $129 sticker.

Like the original Method putters, the Method Core line features a unique polymer-groove technology that Nike says gets the ball rolling on the greens faster. However, while the grooves are cut into the face of the Method putters, Nike designers set the grooves of the Method Core putters in an insert.

Essentially, the technology is the same: the grooves are partially filled with a polymer for soft feel, but the unfilled lower portion of the grooves grab the ball and get it rolling.

Nike says the original Method putter starts the ball rolling a touch faster, but not by much. The company also says that the Method Core putter should give a softer feel than the original Method because the grooves are housed in the insert.

Method Core putters will be available in three blade models and two mallets, and all will come with a Black Nickel finish that reduces glare. None of the designs are shockingly unique, and in fact, all five will look familiar to many golfers.

Look for the new Method Core putters to start arriving in pro shops by mid-February

The video below, produced by Nike Golf, shows several of the company's staff players talking about the Method Core putters.

$129

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Mid-mallet putters
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