50 Words or Less
The Scotty Cameron Studio Style putters look and feel great. No meaningful performance upgrades. Mallets have a new, less traditional look. Face inserts have returned.
Introduction
I know I’m getting old because all the gear I grew up with is getting reissued. My first big time driver was the TM R7, and this year brought the TaylorMade R7 Quad Mini Driver [review HERE]. My first Scotty was the 2005 Studio Style, and now, for the 20th anniversary, we have the new Scotty Cameron Studio Style putters. I tested several of the new models to see what’s different, what’s the same, and whether they’re worth your money.
Looks
Scotty Cameron has perfected the art of making a Scotty Cameron putter. You could remove all the identifying names and logos, and I think most gear heads would still recognize Scotty Cameron Studio Style putters as what they are. The proportions are right, the branding is prominent but tasteful, and there’s not a single aesthetic choice that’s objectively bad. There are also no risks taken or significant deviations from the past, but why would you try something new when you’ve got the most established premium brand on the greens?
The classic models are present in the Scotty Cameron Studio Style line. There’s a Newport, Newport 2, and a Catalina. There are also Plus models of the Newport, Newport 2, and Newport 2.5. Above, you can see the size difference between the Newport 2+ (left) and Newport 2.
Scotty did try something a bit different with the Scotty Cameron Studio Style mallets. The Fastbacks and Squarebacks have “gaps” in the flange and “high contrast, multi-material alignment”. While I like the top line sight line, these are a miss for me. I don’t think they’re awful, but I want something more timeless if I’m paying the Scotty Cameron premium.
Sound & Feel
The most obvious change from the Special Select [Newport 2.5 review HERE] to the Scotty Cameron Studio Style is the return to a face insert. Scotty is calling this the “Studio Carbon Steel” (SCS) face insert with “chain-link face milling technology” to make it feel softer than the previous generation.
Echoing what I said earlier, Scotty Cameron has perfected the art of making a Scotty Cameron putter. These putters feel premium. They’re soft but not mushy and have just a hint of crispness. With a firmer ball, you get a little more crisp; with a softer ball, you get a little less.
The feedback is surprisingly sharp. You don’t have to leave the insert to get a noticeably firmer feel. The sound won’t change unless you hit a truly horrid putt, but your hands will tell you everything you need to know about the quality of the strike.
Performance
On his website, Scotty claims that the 2025 Studio Style putters are “the most significant redesign” of his blade offerings in “recent history”. To me, this says more about the other redesigns than it does about this one. Having tested several models in the Scotty Cameron Studio Style putter family, I’m left with one conclusion: Scotty Cameron has perfected the art of making a Scotty Cameron putter.
Before the fanboys get too upset, let me be clear: this is not, nor is it intended to be, an insult. Scotty makes a really good putter. His Tour stats are untouchable. Every golfer, at one time or another, aspires to own a Cameron. He’s just not who you turn to if you want innovation.
In the traditional Scotty Cameron Studio Style models – the five Newports and the Catalina – the performance is exactly what you’d expect from a blade. The Newport models all have roughly 45 degrees of toe hang, making them ideal for players with moderate arcs. The Catalina is close to face balanced for the straight-back-straight-through types. Across all the models, the forgiveness is average for their size. The Plus models are slightly more stable, but they are not substantially different than their smaller counterparts. If you want to see meaningful improvements in forgiveness, get a Spider [Spider Tour review HERE].
The Fastback and Squareback models are more stable and consistent than the blades, but they’re still in the class of traditional mallets. There are six total models in this group. Both the Fastback and Squareback are offered with double bend shafts which are near face balanced. Players that want more toe hang can find it in the Fastback 1.5 (slant neck) and Squareback 2 (plumbers neck).
The final two mallet offerings are the “Long Design” configurations. These are both 38″ models with a longer, counterbalanced (heavy) grip. The Long Design Squareback has a plumbers neck, and the Fastback has the double bend neck. These models feel a little late to the party – the 38″ counterbalanced trend was hottest a couple seasons ago – but they’re still a fine option for players who are hoping to “quiet” their hands.
Conclusion
If you want to scratch the Scotty itch, the new Scotty Cameron Studio Style putters will do it. You’ll get exactly the premium looks and feel that you’re hoping for. While I wish the fully milled style of the Special Select line [Newport 2 review HERE] had stuck around a bit longer, the carbon steel insert is executed beautifully.
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He founded Plugged In Golf in 2013 with the goal of helping all golfers play better and enjoy the game more.
Matt lives in the northwest suburbs of Chicago with his wife and two daughters.
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4 Comments
Glad you gave an honest review. Having a Scotty is more of a fad than someone wanting to improve their putting performance.
this 100%: ” Scotty Cameron has perfected the art of making a Scotty Cameron putter. ”
They are beautiful and the feel is amazing (especially w/ a ProV ball). But ya, same stuff pretty much every iteration.
I guess someone never actually practicing their putting is also more of a fad than actually wanting to improve.
LoL
True
The face insert, to me, was a very nice change. The feel of the ball off the insert is softer, but I was still able to putt confidently without the ball going too long. I’m a mallet guy, but the Catalina was very nice.