50 Words or Less
Bettinardi engineered the BB8 Wide Putter for the player seeking a traditional blade appearance yet looking for added confidence on the greens.
Introduction
“Precision-milled to 350 grams from the finest Soft Carbon Steel, the aggressive Super-Fly Mill face milling produces a responsive feel at impact for the player looking for both consistent speed and feel.” Bettinardi nailed it. This putter looks great and provides consistent speed and feel.
Looks
Solid. I found the matte black head very attractive and substantial. The finish does a great job of limiting glare off the head at address.
A clean, simple alignment line framed with bumpers at a ball’s width provides lots of confidence at address. I like that the line is not on the top line but on the wide flange. Subtle rounded edges on the back give the BB8 Wide a refined look.
Sound & Feel
Center strikes provide a high pitched “click” sound. Balls hit off-center give a more dull sound. Sound at contact provides instant feedback on where the ball was struck.
The BB8W has nice weight. It’s slightly heavier feeling that a typical Anser style blade, but lighter than most mallet heads.
The Lamkin SINK Fit pistol grip is comfortable to hold. I play a larger grip on my gamer, but the SINK Fit Standard size grip (pictured above) was comfortable and easy to get used to. Grips are available in both standard and jumbo sizes.
Performance
This putter is easy to line up, easy to get on line, and has great distance control. I felt like my ball was almost always going to end up in tap-in range, even on the slight mis-hits.
The ball really jumps off the face of the Bettinardi BB8W. Slight off-center hits drift a tad to the right or left, but maintained a good amount of speed. I found Bettinardi’s statement accurate: “The aggressive Super-Fly Mill face milling produces a responsive feel at impact for the player looking for both consistent speed and feel.”
The BB8 Wide is a gamer. It more than holds it own in the $300 putter category. Consistent ball speed, easy alignment, and great feedback combine to give you plenty of confidence on and around the green.
Conclusion
It’s very easy to like this putter. Great looks. Solid performance. I loved the responsive face.
Golfers looking for a more traditional blade-styled putter with added forgiveness need to give the BB8 Wide a try. Bettinardi offers a nice selection of set-up options including five different shaft lengths, five different lofts, seven different lies and two different Lamkin SINK Fit pistol grips; Standard, and Jumbo. Plugged In Golf recommends that you seek out a club fitting professional to get the optimal specs for your putting set-up and stroke.
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Does this putter give a high pitched ting that some wide body blades give?
Thanks, love the reviews.
Tim, yes, on center hit putts the BB8 Wide does give off a high pitch “ting.” My gamer is a twenty year-old PING Anser. Definitely a higher pitch than I am used to. Sound changes (dulls) as you hit away from center.
Glad you enjoy the reviews and the PIG site.
Thanks enjoy the reviews. Is the head cover Velcro or magnets for closure?
Bob,
Bettinardi uses Velcro in their head covers.
Best,
Matt
Is this pretty comparable to the studio series Slotback or is there a notice difference in performance
Joseph, I’m sorry, but I am not familiar with the Studio Series Slotback. I can only compare this to an older PING Anser putter that was my gamer. This putter is a very competent club. Great feel and performance off the face. I would suggest that you give it a try at your local golf store.