50 Words or Less
The SWAG Golf Handsome One putter may be the best Anser-style putter available. Beautiful design and construction. Great feel. Premium in every way.
Introduction
SWAG Golf is building much of their buzz on social media, but don’t let that fool you into thinking that they haven’t put in the work. Their founder has 14 years of experience with Scotty Cameron and Bob Bettinardi. He’s put more thought into his first creation, the Handsome One, than some makers put into their entire line. The result of his efforts may change the way the putter business operates.
To learn more about SWAG Golf, its founder, and its mission, check out our interview with Nick Venson HERE and our Get to Know feature HERE.
Looks
Big picture: the SWAG Handsome One is an Anser-style putter. It has cool engraving on the sole and minimal branding everywhere else. If you’re not into putters, that may be the end of the line for you, and that’s OK.
For those that love flat stickers, let’s take a closer look.
The Handsome One is shaped almost entirely on a CNC mill. That means very limited handwork. Why? Greater consistency and precision. Take a look at the neck. See how perfectly smooth each edge is, and how that same smooth radius extends all the way to the body? That’s nearly impossible to do by hand.
Check out the flange. Notice anything different? There’s no line between the shoulders and the bumpers. More CNC milled precision. And once you set up without that line, having one there is jarring.
SWAG’s focus on premium extends to their head covers. The designs and stitch counts on their limited edition head covers are outrageous.
SWAG puts every putter on a blacked out shaft. Will that make you putt better? Probably not. Does it look cool? I think so. And there’s no upcharge for it the way there is with most other makers.
Similarly, you can get a premium Gripmaster leather grip as a stock option (PURE rubber grips are available, too).
Sound & Feel
At impact, the stainless steel Handsome One produces a crisp “tock”. The feel is very soft, in slight contrast to the sound.
Feedback on this putter is extremely precise. Through your hands you can sense the exact location of impact. The sound also changes in volume, getting quieter as you move away from the sweet spot.
Performance
There’s no technology in the Handsome One that’s going to revolutionize your game. However, what I’ve always found is that if I have a putter that I love the look of, that feels great, that has good weight and balance, I’m going to putt well. That’s been the case with my Handsome One. I even made this pressure-packed putt…on the first take, of course.
If you feel like your putting needs all the help that technology can provide, by all means get a Spider or a giant Odyssey mallet. If you, like me, do your best work with a beautifully crafted, traditional putter, the Handsome One is for you.
Conclusion
In short, the SWAG Golf Handsome One is the baddest looking Anser on the market, and it packs exceptional feel. The way its made is more consistent and precise than literally anything else. And I love having it in my bag. If you don’t give a putt, check out SWAG’s website 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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13 Comments
I love the look of that putter. I like that instead of creating a pattern or design on the face, they went completely hairless (seinfeld joke) and smooth.
Beautiful putter, but I just can’t get past the company being called Swag. This is a shallow reason, I know. Another great review, Matt.
Smails,
Thanks! And when it’s your putter, any reason is a good one. I think Nick is very aware that the name is a love it or hate it proposition.
Best,
Matt
I feel the same. The branding (especially those head covers!) would keep me from putting these in my bag even at a $100 price point. That said, it seems to be well-designed putter, and kudos to the guy for not going after the same generic mass-appeal everyone else does.
Matt, I noticed yours was naked; no top line and no flange line. Did you do any testing to find where the sweet spot was relative to the center of the cavity? Closer to the heel?
Russell,
The sweet spot feels dead center to me.
Best,
Matt
Is this really going to do anything for me that my old original Ping Anser (that can be bought used for $20 or so) won’t do?
I’ve never understood why people pay massive money for an Anser Clone Club because that’s still what it is Fan Boys.
Tim,
Did you read the Performance section? There are no outlandish claims being made here, it’s just a beautiful, well-made putter. If you enjoy your putter, that’s great, continue using it. There’s no reason to put down other peoples’ choices.
Best,
Matt
#secretgiveaway
I’d roll that #SecretGiveaway
Cool putter and good review. #SecretGiveaway
Your article helped me a lot to take my doubts, thank you very much.
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