By: Zack Buechner
50 Words
The MLA Tour Classic Putter is a blade-style flatstick that is known for its patented alignment aid that gets your putts on the right line. Every fully-milled MLA putter comes with a weight kit.
Introduction
Multiple Line-detector Activation, or MLA, got their start in Sweden where the company first established their patented alignment aid by collaborating with Dr. Lennart Hogman, a Swedish doctor who studied perceptual process and human’s motor skills. The result was the reverse “C” shape that you see on every MLA putter head. The alignment symbol didn’t sit well with me initially, but after testing it I saw that the design truly works and can make aiming easier.
Looks
The green and black color scheme is unique to the majority of MLA putters and makes them recognizable even from a distance. The top of the club is host to the patented white alignment aid, which is contrasted against an all-black putter.
The milled face gives the putter a simple yet sophisticated look.
Sound and Feel
The Tour Classic putter has a moderately soft feel off the face and provides decent feedback on longer putts. A center-face strike produces a deep, muted “click.”
One thing that impressed me was that the putter had very little vibration through the hands.
I enjoyed exchanging the weights on this putter. For the golfer who likes to tinker, the included weight kit is a rare and very convenient feature. I prefer the sound and feel of a heavier putter, so I opted for the 15 gram weights.
Performance
The MLA Tour Classic is almost face-balanced; laying the club on its side shows about 5 degrees of toe-hang. The minor amount of toe-hang is ideal for a straight-back-straight-through putter swing. The offset is present but minimal enough where you don’t feel like a forward press is required to make solid contact.
MLA uses Forward grips on every putter, available in midsize or jumbo. The grip has a triangular shape and is positioned so that the majority of the grip is above the shaft. The grip gave me a feeling of better control and less wrist or hand action through the swing.
Most importantly, the aiming technology is no gimmick. It is a legitimate aid, and I can see the difference on the course. Although the concept of an alignment aid is nothing new, MLA has designed something special that works. My own troubles with the putter have been less about aim and more about pushing or pulling the ball. It became easier to keep the head square through impact due to the aid’s size and visual contrast.
I also found distance consistency was easy with both long and short putts. Having the entire putter face milled the same way plays a big part in that, compared to an insert that may only cover a portion of the putter face. My small sample size isn’t statistically significant enough to quantify if the MLA putter translated to making more putts. However, I noticed the ball finding my intended putting line regularly. Reading greens properly is for another article.
Conclusion
What makes MLA different from every other putter maker is their unique alignment aid. MLA is all about aim. It’s surprising how well it works, and if you have problems aiming correctly, then give the MLA putters a shot.
Zack Buechner
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