Over the past couple of years, we have seen many prototype putters and unique putter designs put in play on the PGA Tour but Zac Blair took this to a whole new level last week during the Zurich Classic.
Zac Blair using the Evnroll Tour Stroke Trainer Golf Putter at the Zurich Classic
While the use of most training aids during tournament golf is prohibited in conjunction with rule 4.3a (6) there are a few that have been approved by the USGA and are placed on the conforming list for use during competitive play. Blair was rolling his rock with an Evnroll Tour Stroke Trainer golf putter and it clearly paid off, leading to a T-4th finish with playing partner Patrick Fishburn.
So what exactly is this training aid and why would Blair have put it in play it during a tournament week? The Evnroll Tour Stroke Trainer has been designed with an extreme amount of offset, therefore placing the hands much further ahead of the ball at address with the idea of reducing the amount of rotation and flipping of the hands during the stroke.
Zac Blair in action at The Zurich Classic on the PGA Tour
The putter features three alignment lines on the flange with the central one running up on to the top of the blade for increased aim over the ball and while this putter is already extremely offset, Evnroll recommends placing the putter an inch behind the ball at address to shorten the backswing to improve path and keep the face more square to the target through impact.
Blair is no stranger to tinkering with his equipment and especially to long neck hosels on his putters and is known on the PGA Tour for gaming some of the most beautiful Circle T Scotty Cameron putters, which he displays on his Instagram alongside his love for golf course architecture.
Evnroll has made this training aid from the same premium materials they use to make its regular putters. So while this putter training aid may look a little funky compared to some of the best putters, the quality of feel and performance needn’t be questioned. Plus, if it’s good enough to be used on route to finishing just two shots behind the winning score in a PGA Tour event maybe there's something to be said about using Rules-of-Golf-approved training aids in competition play.
