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Bloodline putters have the eye-catching ability to stand up on their own. Exceptionally heavy swing weights. Mediocre feel.
Introduction
In the world of retail, standing out is key. Bloodline putters stand out more than any others because of their unique ability to stand on their own.
This is more than a parlor trick designed for retail. The main benefit of Bloodline putters is that you can line up your putt from behind the ball then step in to putt it. Will this help you shave strokes off your game? We tested one to find out.
Check out Bloodline’s new T8 putter HERE
Looks
A couple years ago, the red finish on Bloodline’s putters would have been a shock. Now, with TaylorMade and Odyssey making red the new standard, it barely registers. Nonetheless, the finish has a premium look and appears quite durable.
There are two models in the initial Bloodline release, the RG-1 mallet and the R1-J blade (seen here). Both are fairly traditional head shapes – a widebody Anser and a half-circle mallet – with white alignment lines. The heads are CNC milled from aluminum and have stainless steel sole plates. Kudos to Bloodline for keeping the branding very minimal.
Sound & Feel
With its ultralight shaft and grip, I expected the Bloodline putter to have an unusual feel to it. I was right. Unfortunately, in this case unusual does not mean good.
The combination of the aluminum head and graphite shaft create a feel that is both firm and dull. The ball simply feels dead when it’s struck well. There is reasonable feedback through the hands, but striking the ball feels better when you miss the center.
Performance
The main performance benefit of the Bloodline putter is that it stands on its own. This allows you to address the ball, aim conventionally, then step away to check and adjust your aim before hitting the putt. It’s a unique feature, and it could be brutal for pace of play.
When I first used the Bloodline putter, I saw that I was aimed right of the hole. I adjusted the putter, stepped back in, and felt like I was aimed left despite knowing that my aim was correct. The result? Missed putts. Over time, I’m sure that I could adjust to the “correct” aim and make strokes that matched that alignment. The question I can’t answer is whether that would translate to putting better than I do right now.
A byproduct of the putter’s ability to stand on its own is an unbelievably high swing weight. The Bloodline I tested came in at G-0 with a head weight of 395 grams. Those are both numbers that are much higher than I typically use, so it took a while to figure out distance control. I did find the head to be fairly forgiving which helped ease the transition.
Finally, to make the putter stand up, Bloodline uses a built-in grip. This grip is slightly oversized, though it felt average compared to most modern putter grips. If you want to play the Bloodline putter, you need to be committed to this grip because it’s the only one you can use.
Conclusion
If you’ve ever stood behind another golfer who is putting, you know that people aim all over the map. Is it worth $500 to find out that you do, too? That’s what it will cost to add a Bloodline putter to your bag. While I’m undecided on the virtues of this alignment system, I will caution you against thinking that it’s a quick fix. You may be able to use this to “fix” your aim, but it won’t happen overnight.
Matt lives in the northwest suburbs of Chicago with his wife and two daughters.
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Thanks, Matt. As putters have gotten heavier – see the “Tank” of a few years ago – I noticed their “deadful” feel. I think if a golfer is worried about aim, he gets an Edel fitting to either purchase an Edel or gain the knowledge of the type of shape, hosel, offset, sightlines that he needs to aim correctly without compensations.
Jerry,
I agree wholeheartedly.
Best,
Matt
Being aimed at the hole isn’t the most critical part of putting…. I doubt all the negatives would out weight the one potential positive. Too bad, because it looks pretty cool.
I used the putter and one thing i found is that your set up improves and is much more consistent because the putter lie is the same every time. No wiggling it around and therefore changing lie and aim. The feel thing mentioned isn’t bad and mostly its because the sound is a little soft because of milled aluminum. Although i bet a lot of players wouldn’t use the ability to stand behind the putter to aim its nice to have it available.Because of the graphite shaft and steel sole plate the tempo of the club seems to improve its release without making it feel that heavy and therefore more traditional. I spent 40 yrs in the golf business 30 with major equipment and putter company.This is a tough catagory to be in but this seems to be a great idea and well thought out and manufactured product,
I have tested and purchased this putter and I like it a lot. I have made over 13,000,000 playing golf in my life of 39 years. This article makes no sense at all to anyone with a high enough iq to understand the a caddie cannot line up your put and stay on line during the putt. With this feature the weekend golfer can line up his own putts. Is there a learning curve of breaking bad habbits with what you think is lined up? Yes… About an hour. The feel is a nice solid thonk that I love. I like the heavy to lite balance… Especially on my long lag putts. I’m lagging so much better, I’m sinking putts and when I miss I know why.. Wrist or miss read the speed break.
I used this putter on a buddies golf trip in Dominican Republic, initially my group thought the ability to stand was gimmicky until I started holing putts left and right I can’t tell you how many times the stand up feature corrected my alignment I shot a 73 and I’m sold even made 3 birdies out of 5 holes and my playing partners were stunned. They didn’t like the $500.00 price tag but since this is a lifetime purchase for me it was worth it , as a high handicapper this putter was a miracle worker on my game. It sounded a bit dull on impact but so what when I’m holing putts especially within 15-12 feet ? In a word I’m sold try one for yourself and see I’ll wager this club will find itself to your bag much to your playing partners chagrin :-)
RC in DC
I own the bloodline, the set up is what helps me the most with the alignment being second. I needed a “radical” sort of putter to help me break some bad habits along with alignment and set up issues. Im sure some lessons and a traditional putter would have helped also, but the bloodline has helped me become a better putter overall. I’m sure its not for everybody, but if you have “issues” on the greens, its a great way to reset your mechanics.
If anyone believes in this crap I’ve got some swampland to sell you in Florida. If you can’t read greens your not going to make putts. Besides, putters don’t make putts, the person holding the putter does. What a crock.
There is one guy in my area who sells one, the mallet RG-1. I own a cheaper Founders club stand up putter which I pais $100.00. Is this Bloodline putter this bad , feeling Wise? Ernie Els endorse it, but he is also a shareholder of this company. I ma not sure that the PGA or LPGA will adopt it.
Francois,
Yes, I stand by what I said in the review.
-Matt
I have owned one since February 2020. I still line up a putt using the line on the ball. Then set the putter to the ball. The biggest benefit that others have also pointed out, is that you don’t have to fiddle with the putter during setup. Step in to your posture and stroke it!!
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I was apprehensive at first about the bloodline pro’s and con’s. I must say that I’ve tried multiple big name putters, the bloodline has been surprisingly good for me and is my gamer. I would give it 4.5 out of 5 stars.
I purchased the first mallet when it came on the market. I loved it. I didn’t think the feel was bad, I loved the higher swingweight, and alignment was fantastic. I went from a good putter to a deadly one. But….
The putter was heel-shafted and I prefer center-shafted putters. So when they came out with a center shafted putter the next year, I reached out to them about what to do. They discounted the second putter and I snatched it up. I love it even more.
I used to use the Happy Putter, which could be adjusted a bunch of different ways. I still have it, but I haven’t looked back. The aiming function of the stand-up Bloodline simply cannot be relinquished!
Bloodline Vale. I just ordered a Bloodline Vale which is a new putter from Bloodline that is coming out in April. I love my Edel but am looking forward to trying this.
I finally bought the Bloodline putter and these are my conclusions:
– Feel is not the forte of this putter, although a perfectly strucked put will resonate much better in your hands.
– You can now buy a steel shaft from the company. This will for sure improve the feel. However, the standup feature will not work with it as it becomes a normal putter.
– The net advantage of this putter is for the 3 -5 footer putt. This is where the aiming feature saves you the most strokes
– The other advantage is that you do not question two important factors: the lie and the aim. You just have to be concerned with the weight of your putt.
I am thinkering about the idea from Dave Peltz, i.e. have two putters in the bag: one for long putts or lag puts and one for mdium -short put (The Bloodline). Why not ? Golfers often carry a plethora of wedges (which I think is silly if you are not a pro), some driving irons or wood for tight holes. So for the most important part of your game, it make sense to have more than one tool !
I really like your reviews. I watched the one on PGX irons and came to the same conclusion after a fitting: amazing feel, performance and very forgiving (Gen 4 XP model) . I am awaiting the quote from the fitter, and I know it is going to be near a need to remortgage the house ! I also tested the Wilson D9, which I find absolutly fantastic for the price.
I fianlly resold the putter. I liked the aim feature, but could not get used to the feel of it. As for aiming , fantastic tool. The other part I was not enamored with is the red color. When you are on a green with an important put to make, it is a little too striking to look at !
I bought a Bloodline R1-J (2018). By far the best putter I’ve used. Best feel and distance control. I use the “stand alone” feature occasionally to check my line.
My only complaint is, I ordered a new grip and was expecting that I would be sent the one with the Bloodline logo embossed on the leather; what I got was, what looked like gray, soft, electrical tape. Cheap sh*t.
I went to Wally World and got red, white and blue baseball bat grip tape.
So, in the end, great putter but the company seems to have a very poor business model.
I purchased a Bloodline putter a month or so ago with great expectations which were dashed when I took it to the golf course the first couple of times. It would stand alone at first but if the wind is blowing 8-10 miles per hour, like it always does in South Texas, it will teeter and fall over. I had to hold the grip and step behind it to line up my put, which did not always work out well. I am undecided on whether or not to send it back due to the price.
Just saw an ad on Golf Channel. For 300 bucks, buy some lessons or a few rounds to fix your alignment. What a joke. Is Ernie that hard up?
Bloodline is a scam. Ordered a putter months ago and never received it. Credit card was charged immediately and no response to inquiries regarding delivery. I recommend not ordering anything from bloodline.