After learning about the Heavy Putter by the folks at Boccieri Golf about two years ago, I've wanted to try a mallet putter ever since. I was able to finally get my hands on a Heavy Putter this week - and a belly-putter, at that! - and was certainly impressed. The putter style I was able to review was of the mallet head variety, which is available in the mid-weight line offered by the company. Why is weighting important to point out? Because as the company name signifies, Heavy Putters are designed to be...well, heavy. And why are the putters designed to be heavy?

The weight of the Heavy Putter forces you to putt using your larger, more stable muscles. The added mass and the higher balance point of the Heavy Putter reduce hand and wrist action, resulting in a pendulum stroke. A pendulum stroke results in a more consistent swing path, and precise distance and directional control. When in belly-putter length, this pendulum stroke is further enhanced as well as the swing path of your putting stroke.

What is especially key with these putters is the fact that the increased weighting is distributed throughout the club; not just at the club's head. If a heavier putter concentrated all of the additional weight in the head alone, then it most certainly would be more difficult to control, not unlike a bowling ball on the end of a string. However, the Heavy Putter counterbalances the weight in the head by adding an additional 250 gram weight into the grip end of the shaft, raising the balance point of the putter 75% higher than conventional putters, thereby returning complete control to the golfer while still removing the hands and wrists from the putting stroke.

Simply put: it is extremely difficult to not make a true, on-plane putting stroke with these clubs.

This declaration was proven to me during my recent visit to a practice putting green. After taking a little while to get used to the belly-putter length of the club (which you anchor to your torso just to the left of your bellybutton), I was able to start rolling putts on a smooth, true path with some rather impressive accuracy. Hardly any of my putts rolled off-line as the result of a poor stroke, and the weight of the putter soon felt natural after ten minutes or so.

While I haven't had the opportunity to play a round of golf yet with my new Heavy Putter, I hope to do so soon (and before the Chicagoland weather turns). If my performance on the practice green is any indication of future putting, I fully expect to save at least three to four strokes off my score thanks to the technology behind the Heavy Putter.

Heavy Putters can be found at all major golf retailers and most public golf courses.