50 Words or Less
Beautifully executed, the mid-mallet Scotty Cameron Special Select Fastback 1.5 putter feels as good as it looks. Forgiving and consistent performance.
Introduction
Golfers familiar with the Special Select line of Scotty Cameron putters will instantly notice this Fastback 1.5 is not standard issue. The wonderful paintfills were done by Club Champion following a putter fitting I had there which you can learn about HERE. Thrilled with the results of the fitting, I inquired if I could change the color of the cherry rings to customize my new putter. As you can see, the answer evolved beyond a simple yes.
Looks
The rounded mid-mallet Special Select Fastback 1.5 has great visual appeal from every angle. At address, the thin topline appears as an extension of the shaft. The shoulders of the mid-section perfectly frame the golf ball, enhancing aim. Milled ever so slightly lower, the back third of the putter creates a sharp line paralleling the face that provides another reference for alignment.
The face of the Fastback 1.5 is slightly compact and beautifully displays classic Scotty Cameron milling. I’m a big fan of the signature cavity rings over the dots of previous generations and I appreciate the overall harmony of the curves of the putter. Although a sole plate sounds at odds with a milled putter, it’s well executed and plays well with the dual weight ports.
Sound & Feel
The precision milling on the 303 stainless steel face of the Fastback 1.5 creates firm contact that allows the ball to share in the feel. With urethane tour level balls, the feel is soft and very pleasing as is the ‘tock’ with centered contact. Venturing from the center the sound shifts to more of a ‘tick’ and feedback in the hands is subtle but clearly communicated.
Performance
Designed for medium plus toe flow, the Scotty Cameron Fastback 1.5 incorporates a ¾ shaft offset and slightly slanted neck that results in a 4 o’clock toe hang. The stock 15 gram weights in my 34” model provided wonderful balance for a very natural feeling stroke. One thing I discovered from the SAM PuttLab analysis at Club Champion was some inconsistency in my putter rotation, and the Fastback 1.5 took me from a good 85% to an excellent 92% consistency.
Standard on all the 2020 Special Select Scottys, the new Pistolini Plus grip features a larger profile on the bottom half of the grip (think lower hand). Larger is hardly the word for a fairly skinny grip, but the profile is notably different than previous Pistolini grips. I love the feel but wish there was a medium size offered – even after market.
Enhanced aiming is a valuable trait of a mallet design, yet it’s forgiveness that’s the real benefit for most golfers – and the Fastback 1.5 delivers on both aspects. The single black line extending to the back edge of the putter keeps the visual aid simple. To increase MOI and enlarge the sweet spot, Cameron and his team optimized weight distribution by moving weight from the center of the putter head to the heel and toe, replacing it with the aluminum sole plate. What I observed were balls that ran out with consistent distance even when my contact wasn’t centered. True mishits lost some distance, but finished respectfully.
Conclusion
The Scotty Cameron Special Select Fastback 1.5 is a wonderful blend of visual appeal, pleasing feel, and consistent performance. The mid-mallet size and solid milled construction offers golfers an attractive alternative to the more modern, multi-material mallet putters on the market. The Fastback 1.5 has secured a spot in my bag, sans the stock headcover – I’m not a fan of Velcro.
Matt Meeker
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Great review Matt. I just started gaming this club in a 35 inch model. Solid, solid solid!
Matt, thanks for the thorough review. I’m a 78 year-old, high handicap golfer and have discovered over the years that I need a “no torque” putter, preferably a mallet type with a six o’clock toe hang. Does this putter come with these features?
In the Scotty Cameron Special Select lineup, the Del Mar has the most toe hang at 5 o’clock. Check out the review on our site – LINK. We refer to torque free as the toe pointing straight up – check out our reviews of the Axis1 putters – HERE.
– Meeks
How did you get two-toned paint fill?
That was done at Club Champion Don – true artistry in my opinion. “How” is beyond my comprehension.
– Meeks
Love how this putter center the ball! I am 5’11” and ordered a 35” of this model, since my other odyssey putters are 35” and my eyeline seems to line up just behind the ball with those models. Curious what height you are even though I know it’s a personal setup and feel deal on length? Seems everything I have looked up to calculate gives me a 34.5-35”, so believe I will be fine. Also, great article!!
There’s a reason most putters come in 34″ and 35″ lengths Mark – they tend to ‘fit’ the vast majority of golfers. But as you acknowledged, proper length is a matter of posture, grip and even type of stroke. But to answer your question, I’m 5′-10″ and use a 34″.
Thanks for reading and commenting,
– Meeks
Matt,
Thanks for the great review of the SC Special Select Fastback 1.5 . I’ve owned several classic SC putters, all but the Red X were blades; Have recently tried the Tour Spider, but didn’t seem to receive enough feedback. I’ve recently tried the 2020 SC SS Newport and Newport 2.5, and felt that the weight distribution and/or toe hang was disagreeable and somehow unatural for my stroke. Now considering the SS Fastback 1.5, as I am attracted to a more modest, mid-mallet for additional confidence. The toe hang at 4 o’clock sounds ideal. Question: Looks as though the weight distribution for the SS Fastback 1.5 may be more matasticised and balanced. Is this your experience?
Best, Tim
Thank you for the kind words Tim. I’m not exactly sure what you are asking, but the putter has wonderfully balanced flow.
– Meeks
Hi Matt,
Great review, what neck in general do you think is more commonly used for amateurs? Do more people have an arc vs no arc stroke? Hoping you’d have an idea! Thanks
Brandon,
I don’t know the sales stats, but I can tell you that virtually no one makes a true straight back straight through stroke.
Best,
Matt
Went to Club Champion a couple of weeks ago for putter fitting (thanks to the best wife ever) and walked out having ordered the Fastback 1.5 as well!
Now chomping at the bit to get the club in my hands and on the course.
Just purchased the fastback 1.5 finally putting my 20 yr old putter to rest. What a great feeling putter. I actually added an alignment stripe on each side of the standard single one for simpler visibility and it worked great.