Stats Don't Lie: Here's How Much LAB OZ.1 Helped My Putting
I tracked every putt with the LAB OZ.1 putter for this data-driven, course-tested review.
Did switching to a LAB OZ.1 putter actually help my putting? You bet it did.
As a stats nerd and equipment junkie, my two worlds collided when I began tracking my putting performance with the LAB OZ.1 putter.
Since a putter switch is purely transactional – face it, you’ll pay or do anything in exchange for holing more putts – let’s take a look at exactly where and how much my putting improved when I switched to the LAB OZ.1 putter in this unbiased and course-tested review.
How I Tested the LAB OZ.1 Putter
The LAB OZ.1 putter arrived at my doorstep in the dead of the Pacific Northwest winter. That gave me ample time to get accustomed to it on my 9-foot indoor putting mat, and I probably logged a half-dozen hours doing just that while waiting two more months for golf courses to open.
Once I was able to play and practice with the OZ.1 on real greens, I logged a couple more hours of practice time and two on-course rounds. In all, I’ve spent somewhere between 15-20 hours on the course or practice green with the LAB OZ.1 putter.
Using Shot Scope, I tracked on-course performance and insights like strokes gained putting and make percentage from every distance, which I compared to how I performed on the greens all of last year.
LAB OZ.1 On-Course Review: Inside the Numbers
Top 3 Statistical Improvements with LAB OZ.1:
- SG:Putting (compared to 10HCP) inside 10 feet improved from -1.94 to +0.14
- Make% from 6-9 feet improved from 16% to 45%
- Make% from 3-6 feet improved from 51% to 80%
The LAB OZ.1 has transformed my putting from 10 feet and in more than anything else.
Using Strokes Gained: Putting compared to a 10 handicap player as a benchmark, I went from -1.94 (losing nearly two strokes to a 10-handicapper from inside 10 feet every round) in 2024, to +0.14 in 2025.
That means I’ve improved by two strokes per round from inside 10 feet alone. I’ve also improved from 10-20 feet with the OZ.1, and overall my performance on the greens is 0.87 strokes better than last year. However, a few 3-putts from long range offset most of my gains from inside 10 feet.
Shot Scope also tracks my make percentage by distance, which supports those Strokes Gained stats I just mentioned. My make percentage from 3-6 feet jumped from a lousy 51% in 2024 to 80% with the OZ.1. From 6-9 feet, I went from making just 16% of my putts last year to 45% this year.
On the other hand, my biggest setback with the OZ.1 so far has been long-range putting.
I feel comfortable with distance control from long range, but the numbers suggest that may merely be false confidence.
From outside 30 feet, an area where I’ve historically been average, I’m losing 1.34 strokes per round compared to a 10 handicap player, giving back most of the gains I’m making inside of 10 feet.
Despite my confidence (or false confidence) from long range, it remains to be seen whether distance control will be an issue long term, or if this is nothing more than some early-season rust.
One benefit I’ve experienced with the OZ.1 that Shot Scope can’t measure is the way I feel standing over a putt. Once I’ve committed to a read and picked my target line from behind the ball, I simply stand over it and focus on speed. I’m not worried about starting it online, manipulating the face, or even the result of the putt. It’s a very freeing, stress-free feeling.
Feel & Sound
Getting used to putting with the OZ.1 putter took no time at all. Perhaps that’s because I had the luxury of practicing with it under absolutely no pressure on my kitchen floor for two months before taking it outdoors. Or, maybe there’s just not as much of a leap from a traditional heel-shafted putter to a center-shafted zero torque putter as some people think.
The sweet spot has a noticeably softer feel to it than the heel and toe, and I found it easy to tell where on the face each putt was struck.
Predictably, mis-hits on the toe and heel come up a foot or so short, depending on the length of the putt, but seem to hold their line pretty well.
I also found a very satisfying sound and feel on well-struck longer putts that I can’t quite articulate, other than to say it’s the feeling you get when you know you’ve hit a quality putt.
LAB OZ.1 Tech & Specs
SHOP LABPGA TOUR SUPERSTORE
Standard Color: Black
Custom Color Options: 7
Length Options: 28-38” (standard); 36-40 (CB); 38-46 (Arm Lock); 40-50 (Sweeper)
Loft: 3°
Now that we know how the LAB OZ.1 putter performs – at least for me – let’s take a closer look at what makes this putter different from traditional putters, and even different from LAB’s previous offerings.
The LAB OZ.1 is the latest offering from the brand that put zero torque putters on the map. The Lie Angle Balance profile that gives LAB its name prevents the putter from naturally swinging open and closed during the stroke. Rather, it stays square to the path of the stroke as long as you don’t manipulate it manually.
Until recently, it was up to the individual player to find a putter that rotated through the stroke in a manner that worked harmoniously with their path to consistently deliver a square face at impact.
Now, thanks to zero torque putters like the ones LAB makes, that seems like the old-fashioned way.
The OZ.1, designed in collaboration with Adam Scott, is available with or without a face insert. The OZ.1i – the version with the stainless steel insert – is LAB’s first-ever model with an insert. That stainless steel insert gives the OZ.1i a firmer feel at impact and increased ball speed compared to the all-aluminum OZ.1.
The OZ.1 line also gives players the option of 0° or 2° of built-in shaft lean. As the first LAB putter with the option for no shaft lean, users can now equip their LAB putter with any standard putter grip.
Even though this is technically subjective, the half-moon mallet shape makes the OZ.1 the most traditional-looking, or least unusual-looking, if you will, LAB putter to date.
In addition to seven color options beyond the standard black finish, you can select from countless alignment markings on the front and back of the head, and choose from a variety of shafts with a custom OZ.1 putter.
Like seemingly everything else with a LAB putter, length is no afterthought. If you prefer a standard-length putter, you can choose half-inch increments from 28 to 36 inches on a custom build. Of course, counterbalanced, arm lock, and sweeper lengths are also available to accommodate players who use an alternative putting style.
Price & Value
The stock build OZ.1 starts at $449, while a standard OZ.1i starts at $499. If you want to customize your build (color, length, alignment marks, shaft, etc.), you can add about a hundred dollars plus the price of your shaft selection.
That means that even a stock OZ.1 putter is up there with the most expensive putters on the market that aren’t destined to live in a display case.
Value, in this case, is personal. If you’re like I was, and struggle on the greens, I like your chances of turning that around with a LAB putter and some practice.
Just how much you might improve, and how much those gains are worth to you, is ultimately what determines the value you get for your investment. Because in the $500 ballpark, this putter is certainly an investment.
Ready to Make More Putts?
Buying a new putter is all about holing more putts. I started holing a lot more putts when I put the LAB OZ.1 putter in the bag, my stats prove it.
Of course, I had some low-hanging fruit on the putting greens, to put it kindly, thanks to an extended stretch of lackluster putting. That undoubtedly assisted a quick and relatively dramatic turnaround.
If your putting could use a similar makeover, I believe, based on my experience, that a LAB putter like the OZ.1 can help.
However, there are plenty of other factors to consider as well. Variables like where your putting performance is currently, how much time you can commit to practice, how much money you’re willing to invest, and how much a better putting game is worth to you all must be considered.