Nickent's new putter features, the company claims, the "easiest alignment putting system ever designed." Put that in your pipe and smoke it.
Or, simply try the new Pipe Putter from Nickent when it arrives in golf shops. The putter is being introduced at this month's PGA Merchandise Show.
The Nickent Pipe Putter incorporates what appears to be a pipe - it's actually just a cylinder pipe shape - on the top of the clubhead, extending rearward from the clubface as an aligment aid. Unlike most alignment aids, many of which are simply straight lines or flat disks, the Pipe Putter's alignment aid is a three-dimensional object. And that, Nickent says, makes a huge difference.
"The PGA Tour players have been doing a lot of talking about the opportunities that a 3-dimensional alignment aide offers," said Nickent Director of Tour Operations Josh Trivett. "I have a list of Tour players that want a Pipe as soon as it is available."
The Pipe Putter also usese its pipe to move weight around the clubhead. A heavy plug in the rear of the pipe section accounts for 15-percent of the weight of the putter, while the overall construction of the putter is a light polymer centerpiece surrounded by heavier steel. This combination allows for distribution of weight to the heel, the toe and rear of the clubhead, producing a high moment of inertia and a low center of gravity.
That's the mixture that every putter manufacturer strives for, since it helps golfers who have a tendency to make contact a little toward the heel or toe. It also helps get the ball rolling smoothly.
The Nickent Pipe also features a "P-Line" face insert, an ultra-lightweight insert made from a proprietary polymer composite. In addition to reducing backspin, the insert allows additional distribution of weight to the heel and toe.
The Nickent Pipe Putter comes with a Winn grip and a True Temper Double Bend steel shaft. It is available in lengths from 32 inches to 36 inches. It will begin shipping on March 15 with an MSRP of $199.
