Over the years, I have tested and reviewed hundreds of putters. A substantial number of those putters have subsequently stayed in my bag for a time – from a month to a full season, sometimes longer. Every time I think I have found my “forever putter,” a new one comes along and…fireworks!
Am I a putter slut?
Last year, when I reviewed L.A.B. Golf’s OZ.1i HS putter – the first heel-shafted putter released by the hottest putter maker in the business today – I was certain that I had – once again – discovered my soulmate. That more classically beautiful babe with the nerdy name and curvy hosel and I were going to be together for life.
But golf, like life, is long and full of surprises.
Meet-Cute
Around the start of 2026, a press release landed in my inbox about L.A.B.’s newest creation: The DF3.i. The DF3 has been the company’s most successful putter to date, despite its unconventional shape (like someone welded a circle behind a blade) and its center-shafting (which had not been an industry “standard” for some time). This is where the OZ.1i HS came in. Even the L.A.B. skeptics whom I know were intrigued: “This is the best-looking one I’ve seen,” said one club pro. It offered the company’s trademark lie-angle balancing without the atypical design.
So what’s the big deal about the DF3.i, I thought? But, my eye wandered through the press release – I couldn’t help myself. The DF3.i is styled like the stand-out DF3, but with an aluminum insert that imparts 2% more speed to the ball off the face and provides a firmer feel. To be honest, my initial testing of the original DF3 in several golf superstores did leave me somewhat confused: a lot of putts were online, but speed was an issue.
A firmer feel, they say? That sounds sexy.
Next thing you know, I’d unboxed my new DF3.i and taken it to my indoor golf league for testing. Now, I consider myself a pretty good putter on actual greens. But on the simulator, putting is largely a mystery. There is a reason that the league has an 8-foot gimme circle. I lined up my first putt (a 12-footer) of the evening with the DF3.i, commenting to my partner that I hadn’t hit a single putt with it yet, but it couldn’t be any worse.
And then…lighting struck! That quirky-beautiful DF3.i dropped the ball right into the hole. And I retrieved it for her. “Hi,” it said. “Well, hi yourself,” said I.
L.A.B. Golf DF3.i – The Verdict
Don’t let Hollywood fool you: Most meet-cutes don’t last. And I was under no illusion that a brief, simulated fling would turn into true love. My OZ.1i HS stayed in my bag alongside the DF3.i throughout indoor league season, but I could tell it wasn’t happy about being relegated to side-piece.
So, I waited until the first outdoor round of the season, just two days ago. Please indulge me for a moment:
Hole 1 – 7’ par putt, holed
Hole 2 – 6’ par putt, holed
I stopped keeping track after that (aside from the 12’ birdie putt on 15). All I know was I had just 23 total putts, with no 3-putts and never a 2nd putt longer than 2 feet — on bumpy, uneven, early-season greens. The DF3.i is now in my bag and…
…I’m in love. Please don’t putter-slut-shame me.
Midwestern Golf 