As they're wont to do, Bettinardi is updated a pair of its popular putter lines at the tail of 2017, fitting in their biannual release schedule, with updates to the BB Series and Inovai lines.
While putters in both lines retail for $300 each, both lines have unique characteristics.
Bettinardi 2018 BB-Series
In the BB Series, new Super-Fly milled faces feature with matte black finishes with highlights of electric yellow on the slightly adjusted classic, soft carbon steel head shapes. Electric yellow Lamkin grips carry the look through the entire club.
The BB Series has four heads:
- BB1: A classic, Anser-style shape is remade this time with less toe hang (1/2 instead of 3/4) to make squaring the 350-gram head easier.
- BB29: A new head for 2018, this classic shape features a squared frame, crowned topline and a mid-slant neck for a better positioning of hands at address.
- BB39: This mallet shape is has rounded edges and an elongated flange to offer higher MOI and a longer sightline for lining up putts.
- BB56: This model is an exception, not using carbon steel, but rather 6061 military-grade aluminum and a topline weight made of 303 stainless steel. This is a MOI-centric putter.
All putters are available in 33-35 inches, and they all have lie angle of 70 degrees with a loft of 3 degrees, except the BB56, which is at 2 degrees.
Bettinardi iNOVAi 5.0
The iNOVAi 5.0 is a follow to the 3.0, and the putters have been designed for higher moment of inertia protection for off-center strikes. The line of two putters marks a slight move away from counterbalanced putters, which seem to have more broadly not connected with golfers, even those who may have been former anchorers with long and belly putters.
iNOVAi putters have 6061 aluminum bodies with a black anodized finish and a F.I.T. (Feel-Impact-Technology) Face. A 303 stainless steel rear section is screwed into those bodies. The idea is to hike MOI by having the most weight back and low in the putter, with a hollowed out rear to improve perimeter weighting and help with alignment. There's a center-shafted model.
Bettinardi H2 303 SS wedges
The H2 303 SS (303 stainless steel) wedges are a replacement for the 2014 H2 wedges. The company says the 303 isn't much used in wedges, and it's more durable, sturdier and forgiving. (After all, it's a common putter head material.) Honeycomb face milling, found on a number of Bettinardi's putters, is designed to impart maximum spin. A versatile C-Groove grind offers options for all kinds of players. The wedges are available in six loft options ranging from 50-60 degrees with each carrying three bounce options (8, 10 and 12 degrees). They go for $165 each.
