Equipment Review: Guerin Rife Two Bar Putter, by Jeffrey Reed

Today’s golf equipment market includes numerous futuristic-style putters, like the massive Odyssey White Steel Tri-Ball SRT, used by Charles Howell III, and the flying saucer-like Ping Doc 12.5. Whether you’re putting with a conventional blade, or a modern mallet, the only things that matter are proper fitting, consistent confidence and performance, and proven putter features. The latter include grooves which reduce skid and promote true forward roll, and high MOI – moment of inertia – which avoids twisting on off-centre hits.

Here’s a product that promises all that is good in a putter: the Guerin Rife Two Bar Putter. Go ahead, call it a tuning fork. Nothing is taboo in today’s putter designs. But the Two Bar putter is a proven performer, endorsed by Jim McLean and Ian Baker-Finch, and victorious in the hands of Dana Quigley on the Champions Tour.

There are two models to choose from – mallet and blade – both utilizing the same solid technology. Milled face grooves offer two-thirds less contact area than a conventional putter for a true, soft feel and help eliminate skipping and skidding. The aluminum body features stainless steel weight inserts in the heel and toe to increase stability on off-centre hits. Parallel rear-weighted stainless steel bars create the high MOI, and the two-bar alignment system creates a visual path to the hole.

I putted with the Two Bar blade. Both models offer a weighting-system adjustment, plus a lie angle adjustment: simply establish your setup, determine your lie angle, attach the included lie bender, and adjust your lie angle. There’s a speed weight kit to adjust the bar weight to your liking.

Tons of technology, an extremely smooth feel, and proven performance. This one’s a winner. For more information on the Guerin Rife Two Bar Putter, visit www.2barputter.com.