50 Words or Less
The Edel Array F-1 putter is the most modern-looking mallet in the Array line, and the most forgiving. Allows golfers to choose from several necks and alignment aids.
Introduction
Over the last few years, putter makers have done a better job giving golfers more options. Not every mallet is face balanced. Not every Anser has a sight line. But there are still worlds of combinations that are unexplored.
The Edel Array putter system aims to explore them. With four necks, three mallet bodies, six alignment aids, plus grip and weight options, you can create the exact putter that you need. In this review, I’ll take a closer look at the Edel Array F-1 putter.
Looks
The Edel Array F-1 is known as the “modern mallet” in their material, and its inspiration is obvious. The F-1 is a descendent of the TaylorMade Spider with the “wings” at the rear that pull more weight away from the putter face.
The look at address is a mixed bag for me. I like the body a lot with the different levels adding emphasis to the shape. However, I don’t like the way that the alignment plate sits inside of the head. To my eye, there are too many stops and starts, and the color contrast adds to the feeling of disjointedness.
Flipping over the Array F-1 reveals a beautifully designed sole. As with the F-3, Edel filled a majority of the space without making it feel cramped. The winged E logo is perfectly sized and the color combination is clean and classic.
Sound & Feel
Putting a premium golf ball with the carbon steel face of the Edel Array F-1 putter creates a feel that’s soft but still solid. I’d add the word powerful as a result of my configuration’s higher head weight. This feel meshes well with the “thud” of centered impact.
When your strike moves off-center, the sound turns to a light “knock.” Bigger misses get even uglier, creating a louder “clack.” This gradient of feedback is valuable to the player – the worse the strike, the worse the sound. There is feedback through the hands – misses are firmer – but the audio feedback is more obvious.
Edel Array Putter System
Before diving into this specific model, let’s discuss the Edel Array putting system. This is a comprehensive fitting system built around the ideas of customization, adjustability, and modularity.
The family includes four head shapes – the B-1, F-1, F-2 [review HERE], and F-3 [review HERE]. The B-1 is a wide-body Anser [review HERE]. Each of the F models is a different mallet, as shown above.
In addition to the four head shapes there are four necks/hosels. There’s a single bend, a short plumbers neck, and a slant neck, all seen above. Edel also offers a long plumbers neck. Changing hosels will affect both the look of the putter and the toe hang.
The final major piece of the Array putting system is the interchangeable alignment plate. If you’re familiar with Edel’s putter fitting philosophy, you know that aim is a huge part of it. With six different alignment plates featuring everything from dots to lines to perpendicular lines, they’ve covered every aim bias to help golfers get properly aligned.
This system gives golfers a total of 72 mallet combinations and 8 different blades, and that’s before factoring in head weight, counter weight, and grip. Finally, huge kudos to Edel for making everything user friendly. All of the components can be adjusted with a Torx wrench (just like adjustable drivers), and all the pieces of this system will be sold separately.
Performance
Regardless of your feelings about the look of the Edel Array F-1 putter, it is the most forgiving shape in the line. Like most Spider descendants, the F-1 places its weight in the rear corners. This boosts the MOI and makes the putter more resistant to twisting on mishits. The result is that mishits stay closer to their intended line and retain more ball speed.
If you want to take that forgiveness to the max, you can do that with the removable weights. I tested the Edel Array F-1 with 15 gram weights. That put the total head weight at 370 grams – hefty but not unwieldy. Removing the weights can bring the total weight as low as 340 grams, and the F-1 can be as heavy as 390 grams with 25 gram weights. Unlike some makers, Edel sells the weights separately so you can experiment on your own.
Changing hosels allows you to create toe hang anywhere from zero (face balanced) to 35 degrees with the Edel Array F-1. The single bend shaft in the pictures is the classic choice for a mallet, and it’s best for straight back straight through putting strokes. As a player with a moderate arc to his stroke, I found more success with the slant and plumbers necks.
Conclusion
The Edel Array F-1 putter brings a variety of new elements to this modern classic mallet. The carbon steel face offers a traditional, premium feel. Four necks allow you to find the toe hang that fits your stroke. And six alignment plates let you eliminate your aim bias so you can aim with precision every time. Whether you get fit or choose to experiment on your own, the Array F-1 gives you choices you didn’t have before.
Visit Edel Golf HERE
He founded Plugged In Golf in 2013 with the goal of helping all golfers play better and enjoy the game more.
Matt lives in the northwest suburbs of Chicago with his wife and two daughters.
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One Comment
I do loooove the “look” of that putter…..