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ArmLock putting has been the fastest-growing putting style for many years now: not just with PGA Tour players, but also with club players and even recreational golfers looking for a way to make putting more fun.
The ArmLock style is a fantastic way to putt and worth a serious try for any golfer… especially if you’ve considered tossing your putter in a lake in the last 4-6 weeks.
But before you go ahead and pull the trigger on a new ArmLock — and especially an ArmLock putter with Lie Angle Balance — there are a few things to know. In this article, we start with the basics and build from there.
At L.A.B. Golf, we’re all about removing variables. That’s exactly what ArmLock putting does. By resting the putter grip against the lead forearm, the ArmLock putting style helps golfers eliminate wrist movement during the stroke that can cause them to push or pull their putts. ArmLocking can also help with inconsistent speed control for golfers that either flip their wrists or don’t always release the putter on schedule.
It doesn’t really matter how you hold an ArmLock putter, but most golfers use a conventional or claw grip where the lead wrist and forearm rest flat against the grip. As a result, the trailing wrist is set at a fairly significant angle.
With the wrists out of play, the stroke must either be driven by the shoulders or by the lead arm. Either way, removing the variable of wrist bend during the stroke is a huge lever in improving consistency.
The ArmLock style is also simple to execute — at least once golfers get comfortable with the significant shaft lean the style requires. Assuming a golfer aims well and applies the proper speed, the only demand of a successful ArmLock stroke is to keep the grip resting against the lead wrist and/or forearm from start to finish.
There are people who believe handicaps around the world would drop 2-3 shots if every golfer used an ArmLock. And that makes sense when you consider that it teaches shaft lean — not just with the putter, but with all the clubs in the bag. That being said, there are some golfers who don’t do well with shaft lean.
If you’re an accomplished golfer who doesn’t have much shaft lean in your full swing or your short game, you’re probably not going to do very well with shaft lean in your putter. The good news is that this describes a very small percentage of golfers worldwide.
That’s why we say, the next time you head to PGA Tour SuperStore or Club Champion or wherever you like to browse golf gear, try an ArmLock. You’ll know pretty quickly if it’s for you.
A quick refresher on Lie Angle Balance Technology, or L.A.B. Tech for short. At L.A.B. Golf, we make putters that are torque-free, which means that their heads don’t want to twist or turn during the stroke. We have the patent on this.
This twisting and turning of conventional putters is why we think a lot of golfers try alternative methods like the Broomstick or ArmLock in the first place. They’re trying to make the putter head behave itself.
Going to an ArmLock with Lie Angle Balance is a double-whammy. You’ll get the dual benefit of removing the wrists from the stroke, as well as removing torque from the putter head. This means that you can lighten your grip pressure and let the putter swing naturally. It’s way better than trying to hold the putter head still.
Golfers have enough to worry about without thinking about torque. Maybe it’s breaking 80. Maybe it’s the course record. Maybe it’s the downhill, snaking 6-footer to take your buddy’s cash. Our point is you shouldn’t have to worry about your putter biting you in the rear.
The ArmLock putter market is growing, but it’s still extremely niche. For that reason, some of the big putter companies don’t spend much time thinking about their ArmLock putters. Some don’t offer them at all.
But figuring out how to make putters better is what we do at L.A.B. Golf, which is why we do a few special things to make our ArmLock putters the last ArmLocks you will ever consider.
We custom build every L.A.B. Golf putter by hand, and this makes a huge difference with ArmLock putters because of the wide range of lengths, lie angles, and head weights golfers need to putt their best with this style.
To create their ArmLock putters, most putter companies simply add loft to the putter by bending the shaft. That saves them from having to develop special ArmLock putter heads, but it also creates a hooked face at address.
What we do with our DF 2.1 and MEZZ.1 MAX ArmLock putters is drill a shaft hole with added shaft lean, which means the putter will sit perfectly square and flat at address… just like our short putters.
So how do you fit an ArmLock putter without an ArmLock putter? It’s surprisingly easy to do over email or the phone with our Remote Fittings.
What we recommend is that golfers who don’t have access to an ArmLock putter send us a Remote Fitting Video with either their hybrid or their fairway wood depending on how long their ArmLock needs to be.
Just ignore the fact that your hybrid or fairway wood is resting on its toe and make an ArmLock putting stroke. Our team will be able to dial in the lie angle and length no problem.
Speaking of length, here’s a hot tip on what you’re going for with your ArmLock.
While there are no set rules on how long your ArmLock should be or where it should rest on your lead arm, we strongly recommend that the end of the grip rest closer to your elbow than your wrist to use the style to its full effectiveness.
As you might already know, the rules of golf prohibit a grip that rests against the upper arm, so keep it short of your elbow crease and you’re good to go.
DF 2.1 ArmLock putters are available with DF 2.1 Custom and MEZZ.1 MAX ArmLock putters are now available here. We can build ArmLocks from 38 inches all the way up to 46 inches, and we can build them to just about any Lie Angle.
We also make sure our ArmLock putters are built to a proper head weight, because a 39-inch ArmLock and a 44-Inch ArmLock generally require different head weights. Again, this is the advantage of building ArmLock putters to order. You can have your cake and putt with it, too.
So… how will you build your ArmLock putter?
