SIK Golf Pro C-Series Armlock Putter Review

SIK Golf Pro C-Series Armlock Putter Review

The Armlock putting method is certainly becoming more prominent with golfers like Bryson DeChambeau and Phil Mickelson choosing to employ it over traditional techniques. A brand that has really embraced the concept is SIK, with multiple heads and lengths available it was time to put it to the test on the stunning Tavistock short game area at Woburn Golf Club to see if extra consistency and improved results could be gained.

The first thing to cover with the Armlock putter is how to hold it. The best armlock putters are much longer than a conventional putter - this SIK Pro C sample is 41 inches long but it comes in options from 38 to 43.5 inches - and the idea is to push it up against your lead arm. This creates a lot more shaft lean than normal which is why this putter comes with 7 degrees of loft as standard. The technique is perfectly legal under the rules of golf, as long as it doesn't extend beyond the elbow, and this close connection with the arm and by extension the shoulders is said to increase face control. 

Often when it’s just the hands in control of moving the putter, the face angle can rotate a lot during the stroke and it’s difficult to return it to square at impact. The Armlock method ensures the bigger muscles control the movement, helping get the putter back to square at impact more consistently. What you’ll notice on this SIK model is that the Jumbo Max grip is orientated so the wide flat side is parallel to the putter face for maximum contact points with the arm, which helps ensure a stable and square setup from address through to impact.

Think about how you hold the putter too with your right hand. While this hand really just comes along for the ride you still need to feel in control of the putter, so play around with a few hand and finger positions until you find the one that feels most comfortable.

Having tested it on a variety of lengths of putts, there’s certainly some merit in how it promotes a more repeatable action on the greens. It feels much more robotic than a traditional putting stroke, and that feeling takes some getting used to, but over time and with practice, the feeling soon becomes second nature and the biggest gains we saw were on short range putts. Sometimes, golfers can second guess themselves over the ball on short putts and try to push or pull putts at the last minute but with the Armlock method, there’s less scope for manipulation of the club face so as long as your alignment is correct, you should find you become more prolific from 6 feet and in. On long range putts I did struggle to gauge the distance although this does become easier over time. 

What also helped create a consistent launch from long range was the Descending Loft Technology on the face whereby it is split into four sections descending in loft by 1° from the top of the face to the bottom. This negates any change in shaft angle presented to the ball at impact from address, which often causes the ball to strike different parts of the face - leading to less predictable rolls. It essentially creates a greater margin for error, which is something every level of golfer will appreciate.

I also liked how the lie angle of the SIK Armlock putter in particular encourages you to position the hands higher with the shaft more vertical - another way to effectively take unwanted wrist action out of the stroke.