Gear: Mizuno M.Craft OMOI putters
Specs: Forged and milled 1025 carbon steel heads with interchangeable weights
Who it’s for: Golfers who prefer head-heavy, stable putters in classic shapes
Available: March 17
Price: $349.95 each
The Skinny: By shifting more of the overall weight of each OMOI putter to the head, Mizuno has increased the stability in these classic-looking putters. The moveable weights in the sole allow for further customization.
The deep dive: While Mizuno has been making a concerted effort to grow its share in the wood market, as witnessed by the recent release of the ST-X 220 and ST-Z 200 drivers, fairway woods and hybrids, the Japanese company has long been known for making some of the most sought-after forged irons in golf. These folks know how to superheat metal and craft it into clubs that feel great when they hit a golf ball.
In 2020, Mizuno reentered the North American putter market. For those who might not remember, Scotty Cameron made putters for Mizuno in the early 1990s, and Bob Bettinardi had a line of putters with Mizuno in the 2000s, but the M.Craft series was all Mizuno.
The three new M.Craft OMOI putters, as with the previously released clubs, all look like putters you have seen before, in keeping with the Mizuno tradition of letting the performance do the talking. The #1 and #2 are classic-looking, heel-toe-weighted blades with a single black alignment line. The #1 is slightly deeper from front to back and has a small slant neck, while the #2 has a thinner topline, longer blade length and a plumber’s neck hosel. The #3 is a compact semi-circular mallet that is face-balanced and has a lone black alignment line and a double-bend hosel. They are each available in chrome, black or blue finish and come standard with a KBS Tour Black Ion-plated shaft and Lamkin Sink Fit pistol grip.
What sets the M.Craft OMOI putters apart is their weight. The #1 and #2 tip the scale at 370 grams, while the #3 is 383 grams. Each putter comes standard with a moveable 8-gram weight in the heel and toe areas of the sole, and a weight kit with two 3-gram weights and two 13-gram weights so players and fitters can customize the swing weight and overall weight easily.
The trend in putters over the last decade has been to make things heavier, but by opting for a slightly lighter shaft and grip, Mizuno said the M.Craft OMOI putters can deliver more stability by being more head-heavy. It also said its research shows that M.Craft OMOI putters make more consistent face rotation through impact, which means the face should point at your intended target more often as you strike the ball.
Swinging a standard-weight putter of about 350 grams, then a M.Craft OMOI at 370 grams, you can feel a subtle difference. It took me about 60 seconds to swap out the 8-gram weights and screw in the 13-gram weights, but the extra 10 grams of total weight did not create a massive difference in how the putter felt during the stroke. That’s probably a good thing, because if the M.Craft OMOI putters felt radically different than traditional putters, it could be unsettling. The trick is to make them look like one of your favorite putters, which they do, but have the benefit of extra stability that added weight can provide.