BioMech Golf Max Putter Review

BioMech Golf Max Putter Review

If you're perfectly happy with your putting, rarely three-putt, or feel like your putting is a strength, then you might not want to consider the BioMech Golf Max putter. But if you're wondering how you might be able to get around the course in fewer putts, then you might want to take a look at this innovative armlock putter.

It's certainly a step removed from the best putters on the market and different to most of the best armlock putters. But according to BioMech Golf CEO and founder, Frank Fornari, Ph.D., the "bio mechanical" design is rooted in science. The "putter design combines the physiology of the human body with the physics of the proper putting motion creating an anatomically optimal arm lock putter design," according to the company.

So we put the BioMech Max Putter (starting at $325) to the test, and it certainly passed, but is it for everyone? The short answer is no, not everyone can appreciate this unusual mallet putter. But it might be able to help a lot of golfers if they give it a chance.

The putter head has a forward lean of 12.5 degrees so when you address the ball with the hands forward, it's neutral. Using an open stance instead of parallel to the target line, the idea is to simply use your core with the arms, shoulders and hands locked in place. It takes the small muscles out of the stroke, and the open stance, which is similar to a good impact position of other shots, gives the golfer a good look at the line. The putter also has several alignment aids, include a hole in the back of the putter, where golfers should position their dominant eye.

In case you're wondering, yes, there have been tour players who have used BioMech putters. Tim Clark, back in 2016 after the Rules of Golf banned anchoring the putter, switched to this method, using the first model, the BioMech Acculock Ace putter. (The Max putter is heavier -- 400 grams vs. 330 grams for the Ace.) Heath Slocum is another player who put it to use. And there are certainly other players who are using "armlock" putting methods, most notably Bryson DeChambeau, and Will Zalatoris, whose biggest downfall is his young career has been his putting. Zalatoris, perhaps because he employed this new method recently, had some of the best putting rounds of his career at Southern Hills before losing the 2022 PGA Championship in a playoff to Justin Thomas.

So if you struggle with the "yips" or keeping the putter on line, the BioMech Max putter, which comes in black or blue, may be something you might want to consider. It's probably among the most forgiving putters on the market if properly employed. And being an inconsistent putter myself, I thought I would give it a try.

The putter I demoed was 39 inches long (my conventional putter is 34 inches). The extra length accommodates a 17-inch grip, which is anchored against the inside of the lead arm. At that point, when the angled putter head is at address near the back of the stance, the grip is "locked in" against the lead arm. Using an open stance, the motion is pretty simple - just rock the triangle, which is formed by the arms, shoulders and putter, back and through the intended target line. There are certainly fewer moving parts.

We let several other golfers try it, and it was met with varying degrees of resistance to not only the putter, but the method. Some players simply wouldn't set up with the putter as prescribed and tried to use it conventionally. It definitely won't work well that way. Others just thought the method was just too strange. One good player, however, who tested it, adapted to it immediately and putted well with it on a practice green. He didn't feel like it would improve his already good putting stroke, though, so he wasn't inclined to make the change.

I putted several rounds with the BioMech Max and found it reliable enough to use it in a tournament. Since it was a two-person team event, I can't tell you what my individual statistics were, but I had several one putts that I made for birdies or to save par. We won the tournament by one stroke thanks to a 12-foot birdie putt I made on the last hole. I have put it in use since, and will again, but I'm not ready to commit to it as my everyday putter yet. Oh, and as a bonus, the hole in the putter works well for picking up your ball from the green.