I Tested Sergio Garcia’s Unusual New Putter And Now I Know Why He Chose It

Social media went somewhat berserk when Sergio Garcia rocked up at the first LIV Golf event of the 2024 season in Mexico with an unusual-looking putter from a brand even the nerdiest of equipment geeks had never heard of. It made its way into the Spaniard’s hands via his manager and was immediately validated, as Garcia went on to narrowly lose in a playoff against Joaquin Niemann. With my curiosity officially piqued, I reached out for a sample and it arrived just a few days later! 

The Maker putter comes from the Swiss company Golfyr. It is the first product of seven planned for release in the Spring that all use Carbonics technology to improve performance and reduce the need to carry 14 clubs. There will be a driver called the Opener, a hybrid called the Mover, a hybrid iron called the Butler and a wedge called the Saver. This concept explains the 7 > 14 logo inscribed on the material bag the putter came in. The construction of the Maker comprises a full carbon body with two internal weights that run the full length of the heel and toe to increase the size of the sweetspot. 

The profile and dimensions of this putter are certainly unorthodox - the combination of straight lines near the front and the rounded section at the back takes some getting used to, as does the carbon fiber pattern on the crown. The arrangement of the alignment lines is also unique with two short lines at 45° to the face framing the ball centrally and a longer straight line perpendicular to the face to assist with aim. I’m OK with the arrangement, but I think they could have been thicker to make them more useful.

Hit a few initially putts and you’ll immediately notice the loud, echoey sound at impact. You come to expect it from a hollow construction but it appears not much effort has been made to dampen it. It’s not necessarily unpleasant but is a big departure from the robust yet soft-feeling putters most brands tend to offer these days. It’s possibly not helped by the grooves on the face, which are very shallow and consequently do very little to dissipate the sound - they're arguably there more for a visual reason than they are performance.

Off the face, putts didn’t have as much speed as I was expecting given the size of the head. This is no bad thing - it meant I could impart a more committed stroke from all distances and it will especially help those who putt on fast greens, but it did require some mental recalibration. The roll of the ball was actually very good and you can’t argue with the forgiveness on offer - it was as good as I've seen among the best mallet putters. I hit some putts from long range deliberately striking them out of the heel and toe and the roll out drop off was minimal versus putts hit from the center, nor was their much deviation in the line. 

Even despite the noticeable joining point between the straight section of the shaft and the bottom section, which creates the long plumbers neck design, it overall felt very stable and well balanced. The face of the putter is also very tall, which seemed to help with the solidity of the strike and somewhat offset the hollow sound at the point of impact, assisting in placing it among the most forgiving putters.

I tested The Maker in its standard grip, which had a nice tacky feel to it, although I’d probably opt for the larger jumbo Winn grip to match up better with the size of the head. It comes in right hand only and in 33, 34 or 35” length options and with a price tag of 625 CHF, which is equal to around £562 or $700. Each putter comes with a certificate with its edition number - which is a nice touch for those making a purchase. No expense has clearly been spared on the putter, although more attention could have been paid to the design of the headcover. While perfectly practical, it doesn't really match the opulent experience of the club.

I think for golfers seeking an alternative to the status quo that looks futuristically cool and is very user friendly, the Maker could well be right up your street. It's not cheap, and the sound takes some getting used to, but there was plenty to enjoy about the experience of using it.