SeeMore SKx, SBx 'zero-torque' putters: What you need to know

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: SeeMore’s latest SKx and SBx mallets mark the company’s first full foray into the realm of “zero torque” putters by combining the familiar aim and alignment features with new internal weighting that puts the head in a toe-up position for more stroke consistency.

PRICE: $425. Head weight: 355–375 grams. Loft 2.5 degrees. Lie angle 67–73 degrees. Limited immediate availability. Widespread release in December-January.

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1. The history of zero. While so-called “zero-torque” putters have become all the rage, SeeMore putters have been toying with the idea of weighting its putters in a way that produced a more repeatable stroke since their earliest versions, which have won the 199 U.S. Open (Payne Stewart) and the 2007 Masters and 2015 Open Championship (Zach Johnson). Around for more than a quarter century, the early SeeMore putters were labeled with the initials FGP, which stand for “featuring ground plumb.” In essence, SeeMore putters weren’t typical of putters because they neither featured toe hang, nor were they face-balanced. As SeeMore CEO Jim Grundberg explained, “The ‘featuring ground plumb’ is what we now refer to as ‘face Balanced at Impact.’ It means that the putter face will naturally remain square to the natural arc of the proper putting plane at all times, naturally squaring up at the bottom of the arc.”

SBX

While that idea wasn’t fully appreciated in the early days, the company is introducing the SKx and SBx models as its first “zero torque” models. With this weighting, the putter’s shaft axis is aligned nearly with its center of gravity, which means it’s designed to create minimal hand action to return it to square at impact. The SKx and SBx, which feature aluminum bodies and stainless steel faces that drive more of the putter’s total mass toward the front of the club, are oriented in a toe-up position making it easier for the golfer to align the face angle square to the path of the putter. Said Grundberg, “SeeMore has been an innovator, a leader, in creating and marketing the benefits of zero- and low-torque putters for over 25 years. We are delighted that golfers everywhere are now starting to understand what SeeMore users have known for years: that straight, center-shaft putters reduce variables and improve putting performance.”

The shaft is positioned back from the face with its entry point in the head closely lining up with the center of gravity. The intent is to maintain the clubface’s position as square to the path of the stroke.

SKX

2. The aim game. SeeMore’s calling card always has been its focus on regimenting aim and alignment, and the new SKx and SBx both continue that philosophy, known as “rifle scope technology.” Once again, the aiming system is designed so players address the ball with the shaft angle between two parallel lines atop the heel section of the putter. By angling the shaft so it is hiding the red dot framed by the lines, a player ensures that the face is square to his or her target line. The SKx and SBx combine those aim and alignment features and zero-torque, Grundberg said: “By pairing true zero torque balance with ‘rifle scope technology,’ we’ve created a putter that practically squares itself, freeing golfers to focus on the line and the roll, not manipulation.”

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3. Model behavior. The two designs offer two takes on the winged mallet shape that has been popular for more than a decade, including versions like the Odyssey No. 7, the Titleist Scotty Cameron Phantom No. 5 and No. 7 and the Ping Prime Tyne. The SKx offers a more rounded look to its parallel heel and toe prongs, while the SBx presents a more rectangular or squared off view at address. Both models feature a grooved face treatment on the milled stainless steel face for more consistent roll, and each is available in a counterbalanced version that includes a longer length (up to 39 inches) and extra weight in the butt end of the grip.