Key Features
Like all putters made by Heavy Putter, the F3-DF weighs in heavier than most others. This is a key design consideration meant to help discourage unintentional twisting of the putter during a stroke. The unusual, angular shape of the putter head also helps users find the putter's sweet spot--a prominent V-shaped cutout points directly at the ball guide on the putter face. The putter's face surface is very thin, designed to create a satisfying, solid pinging sound on contact. The pronounced pinging is intended to help golfers more accurately gauge and control the speed of their strokes by listening for pitch and volume.
Technical Specs
The total weight of the F3-DF is 850 grams, with 465 grams of head weight. A 250-gram counterbalance weight is installed at the top of the shaft, under the grip. The putter head is CNC milled from 303 stainless steel, and every F3-DF comes standard with a custom Winn grip and a custom True Temper shaft made from satin-finish steel.
Design Principles
The idea behind the F3-DF is that it will promote more accurate putts because it is heavy and has a high center of balance. The weight is meant to disengage the smaller, weaker muscles of the wrists--the ones that cause the unintentional twisting that sends putts awry. Instead, the larger, stronger muscles of the shoulders must be used to move the putter, and the shoulder muscles more easily lend themselves to a smooth, controlled pendulum motion with each stroke. The combination of the heavy putter head and the placement of the counterweight high up the shaft also put the putter's center of balance about halfway up the shaft, compared to just above the putter head on conventional putters. Because the putter's center of balance is closer to its user's, the wrist muscles become further disengaged and the user gains more control over each stroke.
Custom Options
The F3-DF putter can be bought off-the-rack in 32-, 33-, 34-, 35- and 36-inch lengths, but it can also be custom ordered in custom lengths at half-inch intervals. All standard F3-DF putters have a 3-degree loft and 72-degree lie angle, but these can also be altered in one-degree intervals through custom ordering. The F3-DF is only available in right-handed models.
Troy Matteson
Troy Matteson is a PGA Tour golfer who has used putters from Heavy Putter, including the F3-DF, with great success. Matteson used both the C2-DF and F3-DF in his tour win at the Frys.com Open in 2007, and he continued using them to score five more top 10 finishes in a row, securing him a place in the FedEx Cup semifinals. As of 2009, Matteson uses the Heavy Putter A1.
About The Author
Josh Baum is a freelance writer with extensive experience in advertising and public relations. A graduate of the University of Missouri - Columbia School of Journalism, Baum writes targeted, optimized Web copy, print advertisements and broadcast scripts for advertising agencies, publishers and Web developers throughout the United States and Canada. He lives and works in Chicago, ll.
