50 Words or Less
The PXG Battle Ready Blackbird putter has a truly original shape. Very forgiving. Quiet with solid feel.
Introduction
PXG marches to the beat of their own drummer. They also release equipment on a schedule that’s entirely their own. So, as golf heads towards the midpoint of the season, PXG is introducing new entries into their Battle Ready putter line. In this review, I’ll take a close look at the Battle Ready Blackbird.
Make your Blackbird even more stable with the new PXG M16 putter shaft HERE
Looks
When I started putting with the PXG Blackbird, my first thought was, “This thing looks like a Lamborghini.” After a little more time, I realized I had chosen the wrong automobile; this putter looks like the Batmobile.
The Blackbird is one of the most original putter shapes I’ve seen recently. What I really like about it is the long mallet body being merged with a very small face. The Blackbird’s hitting area is roughly 1/3 smaller than a standard Anser-style putter. That makes it feel very compact to me when I’m setting up and swinging it, even though it obviously isn’t.
I also like the simple alignment aid. The shape and size of the Blackbird is modern and eye-catching. PXG made a great choice by balancing that with a single white line.
Before moving on, I want to give a nod to PXG’s stock headcover for three reasons. First, it’s one of the most padded covers I’ve ever used – truly battle ready. Second, you don’t see any PXG branding except on the cover’s underside. Finally, the cover uses very strong magnets, not velcro.
Sound & Feel
As brash and loud as PXG’s brand image can be, that’s how quiet and understated the feel of the Blackbird putter is. Impact is a dull “thud” that feels very solid in the hands.
Feedback on the Blackbird is an interesting story. The headline is that there isn’t that much room to miss. If you do hit the edge of the face, you can feel it in your hands, but you’ve got to be paying attention because the putter is quite stable.
Performance
PXG’s tagline for the Blackbird is “Killer Stability.” With a body made of aerospace aluminum and a tungsten weight moved very far from the face, it certainly has that. Placing so much weight in the rear makes the putter less apt to twist, so mishits won’t stray from your intended line or stop short of the cup.
PXG recognizes that forgiveness is something every golfer wants, so they’ve made the Blackbird in a variety of configurations. They offer three necks: double bend, plumbers neck, and heel shafted (seen here). This gives golfers different offset and toe hang combinations to fit their stroke.
The putter’s initial head weight will vary based on the neck that you choose. At 340 grams, the double bend is the lightest, followed by the 350 gram heel shafted. The 360 gram plumbers neck is the heaviest. Four weight ports allow you to customize from there with weights ranging from 2 to 20 grams.
What I enjoyed about the Blackbird is that it has that elusive combination of “swings like a blade, performs like a mallet.” Thanks to the heel shafted configuration, my Blackbird had toe hang of roughly 3:45. This allowed it to swing naturally with my putting stroke rather than fighting to go straight back and through.
While the forgiveness was definitely appreciated, especially on long putts, I found myself not needing it too often. Due to the small face, I felt very focused over the ball. This led to premium contact and more tap-ins.
Conclusion
With a variety of fitting options at its disposal, the PXG Battle Ready Blackbird putter can make its combination of forgiveness and unique looks work for virtually any golfer. Dial in the right neck and weight settings, and this putter will pay for itself in short order.
Visit PXG HERE
Matt Saternus
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Looks a bit like that gross LAB putter
I have that gross Lab DF putter w/ the BGT Stability Tour shaft–It is an awesome putter and will put it up against any other putter out there
When people putt with a fitted Lab, they are pleasantly surprised.
What about the grip?
Bryan,
I’m not trying to be rude, but what about it?
-Matt
PXG makes a good putter and great headcovers,
I’d call this one the “Deathstar of Putters.”
Been rolling this and Matt’s on point. Excellent feedback and forgiveness. Tap-ins from 30, 40, even 60 feet. Terrific feel and I love the weight (plumbers neck) (my swing is straight through) but I may be adding the weight kit for fine tuning. The long aiming stripe really helps and suits my eye. I put the counter weighted Super Stroke 3.0 on it but that’s my choice, PXG offers options for all.
Is the toe hang close to the flow neck taylormade spider putters? Pxg website says significant toe hang on the heel shafted model.
Justin,
Yes, I think they’re in the same range.
-Matt