I have determined that putter tinkering is genetic. Growing up I remember seeing bags of putters in my grandfather’s basement accompanied with a work bench full of lead tape, sharpies, saws and grips. Every time we played together he had a new putter, stroke or idea on how to fix his short game. Little did I know at the time that I, too, would one day have the tinkering spirit when it came to my putting.

For the past several years I have started to amass quite the collection of putters in my basement, all with the hope of finding the “one” that would fix all my problems on the green.

As my friends will attest, a common tee box game has become “what putter will Troy be using today?”

As I wandered the putting green exhibit at this past year’s PGA Merchandise Show I continued that quest for the putter that will “fix” my game.

Then I came across Astral Putters.

What immediately caught my eye was a display featuring the over 60 configuration options available. I felt like I had finally found the holy grail of club tinkering.

With just a couple of set screw adjustments I could change toe hang, lie angle, shaft offset and more. The first few practice putts sealed the deal and I was ready to configure my own.

Getting Started with Astral Putters

The current putter selections on the Astral site are limited to either a blade or a mallet. While flexibility is the name of the game in the long run, there are some initial selections you will have to make when ordering your own Astral:

1. Shaft type and length
2. Grip
3. Blade or Mid Mallet

The biggest one of these decisions, in my opinion, is the head type. You’ll need to select what is most comfortable for your swing and optics looking over a putt.

Blade Putters are generally preferred by players with a more traditional stroke and those who favor a more classic feel.

Mallet Putters offer more forgiveness and stability, which can be beneficial for players with a more irregular stroke or those seeking additional alignment help.

Remember that everything else is changeable on the putter so you don’t need to have it all figured out.

With your putter you will get the following:

• Putter Body
• 1 Putter Face Insert
• 1 Lie Adapter
• All 3 Rotating Hosels
• KBS CT Tour Shaft (cut to your requested length),
• Your choice of Grip
• Travel/Storage Headcover
• Accessory Box

The two things I would recommend to purchase in addition would be multiple lie angle adapters and an additional face plate.

Lie angle is very important to get correct as it will be unique for how you hold your putter and for your stance over the ball. From a feel perspective I liked the ability to swap face plates as there is a definite difference.

Fresh Out Of The Package

Unboxing my Astral when it arrived was a little bit overwhelming. Besides the putter head and shaft I had a variety of hosels, face inserts, screws and wrenches. I had also forgotten just how heavy the putter head was. I will comment on the weight over and over again as it is one of my favorite things about this putter.

The biggest issue I encountered in any of my tinkering in the past was the ability to adjust aspects of a putter other than weighting. If you are not a club fitter, adjustments to your putter are limited and you are constrained by your head type, shaft, lie angle and a variety of other factors. All of this was suddenly changed with the Astral arrival as I was able to tweak every aspect of my new club.

After I made my initial configuration decisions I headed to the basement putting green. I proceeded to push my first 3 putts and just wasn’t feeling quite right over the ball. I pulled out the wrench and got to work updating. I spent the next two hours putting and adjusting to see exactly what would happen.

While it was fun trying out multiple combinations and settings with the putter I realized that I would have to make a decision and head to the course. I locked in my choices, tightened the screws and headed to a 9-hole league match.

Everyday Gamer?

Although the putter doesn’t immediately stand out on the green due to its classic styling, several people commented on the striking black and copper color scheme as I warmed up for my match. The few people who tried the putter all commented on its heavy weight. They were as surprised as I was that a blade putter could have so much heft.

I headed to the first tee feeling optimistic that I had the putter that would get me through this round with a victory. My round started off hot, birdying the first 2 holes – and it didn’t stop there. Lag putts, short putts, fringe putts… I was dialed in all round. I ended up firing a 2-under 33 and had to assure my opponent that I did not have a hole-seeking golf ball. Needless to say my on-course testing was successful, but the tinkerer in me wanted to make more adjustments.

This is where Astral is the perfect putter for people who are never satisfied. Even after a great round there are things I wanted to test. I decided to swap out the face for a softer feel and adjusted the hosel to improve my visual setup. With nothing more than a tiny wrench I made all these adjustments on the practice green and spent 30 minutes testing my new setup.

Items to Note

With the Astral putters being so unique in their setup there are a couple items I would recommend you take note of:

1. I keep the wrench handy in my bag just in case I want to make adjustments before or after a round. Remember you cannot change settings while playing a “formal match.”
2. Each time you adjust your hosel your setup will look visually different. Make sure you are prepared mentally for a change when you step over the ball.
3. The putter is heavy. Astral currently does not have adjustable weights although they may be coming soon.

The Look

What I most appreciate about what Astral Putters has done in creating this customizable platform is the fact that the putter looks sharp.

The matte black finish and offsetting polished metal face make the putter really stand out. As you can see in the pictures this is not some goofy as-seen-on-tv product that looks like something out of a cartoon. No one would know this putter was adjustable if you didn’t point it out.

Save on Astral Putters Through WiscoGolfAddict!

At $499 – or $449 for readers of WiscoGolfAddict who use the 10% off discount code WISCO – Astral is competitively priced against many high-end brands, especially for those of us who buy multiple putters annually and are hoping to potentially cut back on that addiction.

I really like the ingenuity Astral has brought to the market with their initial product offering, but more than anything I love that they have finally created something that truly empowers the common golfer to tinker.

Get 10% off the Astral Putter with our exclusive discount code WISCO

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