
Scotty Cameron Futura Phantom - New Day on the Greens!
Review created: 07/02/07(updated 07/05/07)
4 of 5 people found this review helpful.
I bought one of these last Sunday, slightly used, at Play It Again Sports in Colonie, NY with headcover, Pivot tool, 35" shaft, Winn AVS Red/White/Blue grip for $139. Excellent condition. This is the "Blacktop" model with solid top rail, solid white centerline.
I can't see why anyone would want to ditch this putter, but someone did, much to my delight. I own 4 PING putters (a variety of models and not a one over $50), and 2 other pretty classy name-brand sticks, now in my wife's and grandson's bags, gifts to the needier. After hitting 5 balls on Play -It's 6 foot practice mat I had to take this Phantom to Real World conditions for a field test, so I emptied the wallet. SO much for that trip to Home Depot.
This one sits flat; sole the putter on thin or thick green and it is FLAT, no rocker, camber, closed or open toe, no shut face.
Completely unlike any other putter I have ever used, and that's quite a few.
It has a long and stable sight line (as opposed to the 2 or 3 Ball or the other Futura ("Holey") model. This one lines itself up all by itself, I swear, but I still have to read the break. It's the oddest sensation, not having to twitch, palm or B-slap the putter into the line.
The PROBLEM is that the Phantom HITS EXACTLY WHERE I POINT IT regardless of how I read the break, how I grip or how much worthless body English or moxie I think I put into the shot, UNLIKE ANY OTHER PUTTER I OWN. That feels wierd, too, a loss of ritual indecision...
It took about 400 practice putts short-range to 60'lags and 2 rounds to sell me on the way this Phantom feels; It has a muted sound and an other-worldly feel on every putt, be it dead square or purposefully toe or heel-hit, its all the same. It is a remarkable putter from 10-12 feet: I swear it does not miss at that range if I am paying attention. 10'- 30' it is extremely accurate (see statement above) and beyond that I am pin-high and "close enough" to about 60' and this is just a few days out of the box. It has the advertised lack of skid or dig, just as Titleist claims.
I have routinely practiced long-range putts for over 10 years. I think that the Phantom head takes more effort to hit the long ones than its shape and "feel weight" would suggest.It looks heavy (and it is) but feels light. The PING Anser(ISOPUR) 2i I normally use feels heavier and is easier to gauge the lag STRENGTH AND DISTANCE with at this point, but the Scotty is the more accurate and confidence- inspiring by far.
There's a short list of PGA players that Titleist.com has who use this model. WHY it is that Titleist doesn't chose to advertise the LPGA players who (might) use their putters is a good question: it is a PRO grade putter.
The Phantom certainly is EXPENSIVE at $230+ retail so I was lucky. It certainly feels like a tool that is going to help me get from the low 80's to the mid-70's by August; I'm showing signs of doing that with my old PING Isopur Anser 2i already, but this Phantom is something special.
I loaned my Phantom to two guys on the green whom I have seen practicing (diligently) before, just so they could see what this Cameron model was like for themselves instead of imagining what it was about. There are a couple of players here at the plant who are pretty good and I'll be loaning it to them as well... That is part of what I like about this game. It is about friendship, sharing experiences and insight into products to make us all better players.
Thanks, Scotty!! Great design! Deadly!!
Review ID: 10000000003874933

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