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Ping Nome

We test out the putter Lee Westwood hopes can finally end his wait for a major - the Ping Nome.

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We take to the greens to test out the new Ping Nome putter

Lee Westwood's struggles on the greens in major tournaments has been well documented, but could his new flat stick finally helped him land that big title? With Westwood sticking the Ping Nome in his bag and coming up with a win in Sweden ahead of the US Open, we decided to run the rule over the new putter ourselves.. Newly released to the market, Ping's new 'Nome' putter is a premium putter that yielded a big tournament victory for Hunter Mahan on its first outing in his bag, so we got hold of one to see if it really did have the magic touch. Putting is perhaps the most mental aspect of golf and feeling confident on the greens can take numerous factors such as grip and posture before even looking at the weapon you yield in your hands. As individual as the golf swing, players' putter preferences are almost impossible to cater for with just one model, but Ping have done as much as they can with the Nome to make it a real winner. Mahan claimed the WGC Match Play Championship and accredited much of his success to the way the Nome worked on the greens, and when you first look upon the sizeable mallet head it oozes class. Precision milled from high-grade aluminium, the Nome's head has tungsten weights in the sole, and really does look like a premium putter - which is reflected in the premium price tag of £209.

Models

A belly model is also available for £249, such is the growing fascination with the longer putters swamping the pro ranks at the moment. The Nome is also available with three different shaft bends to match you own putting stroke - which you can measure for yourself using the manufacturer's iPING Fit putting app available to download. First thing of note when you pick up the Ping Nome is the weighting, it tips the scales at 355 grams and the majority of that feels right at the very bottom, making it a smooth swing through for both long and short putts. A sleek nickel finish is pleasing on the eye, and the chunky grip that comes as standard is also right up my street in terms of personal preference whilst putting. Alignment comes with a white line on to top the black alignment bar on the top of the putter head, which does offer a decent bit of help but in a less obtrusive way that a two-ball or similar putter. The ball makes a solid noise off the face, and miss-hits from the heel or toe of the putter does not result in the ball wavering too far off line and the head twisting in your hands. It does not come cheap, nobody is pretending otherwise, but for it's sleek, exclusive looks and its forgiveness and impressive handling on the greens, the Nome gets the thumbs-up for those wanting a premium putter in the bag. Follow @PINGTourEurope for updates on Ping products.

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