Rife Switchback Putter Review
Putts account for roughly 50% of all shots for most golfers. Having a putter that is custom-fit to you and utilizes cutting-edge technology and design to get putts started on-line and rolling more quickly is essential. If you want to start putting more consistently and shooting lower scores, the Rife Switchback putter is an excellent choice.
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When Rife Golf was founded in 2004, the founders set out with a simple mission to create putters that helped golfers of all levels putt better and become more consistent. That mission has continued through to today with the latest release of the Rife Switchback line of putters. With patented Roll Groove Technology, the 2018 Switchback series of putters incorporate all the technology that has made Rife putters great with a number of innovative improvements. If you’re a golfer of any level looking for more consistency on the greens, then the Rife Switchback is right for you.
Key Features
- Interchangeable weights in the heel and toe bumpers allow players to customize weighting to their personal preference.
- Patented Roll Groove Technology gets putts rolling more quickly and accurately off the face than other traditional putters.
- Five different head styles allow for customization for players used to a specific look.
Rife Switchback Putter Detailed Review
Design and Technology
There is no question that Rife was onto to something when they identified the problem of skid off of contact leading to inconsistent putts. Their mission to get the ball rolling more quickly off the putter face quickly resonated with players on all major professional tours and amateurs alike. That mission has only become more apparent with the 2018 Switchback line of putters.
Patented Roll Groove Technology incorporates closely spaced grooves on the putter face that get the ball rolling more quickly than other traditional putters with no grooves. Engineers at Rife have found that protruding grooves on the putter face dramatically decreased the number of contact points with the ball at impact, thus creating less friction and a truer roll. Independent testing results showed that a 15-foot putt struck 0.5 inches off-center with a grooveless putter traveled 6 inches off-line and 5% short of the intended target. The same putt struck 0.5 inches off-center with Roll Groove Technology in the Switchback 1 traveled just 2 inches offline and equidistant to the intended target proving that mishits and the skid-effect have a direct correlation to inconsistent direction and distance control.
The 2018 Switchback series features five different head styles that allow players to choose a head design that most fits their eye and stroke. Options of both toe hang and face balance heads, each with their own specific set of interchangeable toe and heel weights, give golfers plenty of options to customize a putter that is best suited for them.
Putts account for roughly 50% of all shots for most golfers. Having a putter that is custom-fit to you and utilizes cutting-edge technology and design to get putts started on-line and rolling more quickly is essential. If you want to start putting more consistently and shooting lower scores, the Rife Switchback putter is an excellent choice.
- Roll Groove Technology gets putts started on-line and rolling more quickly than other traditional putters
- Five different head styles allow golfers to choose a head that best fits their eye and stroke
- Interchangeable weights allow players optimal customization
- Only one head style is available in a left-handed head which may be a limiting factor for left-handed golfers
- Switchback putters are slightly more expensive than comparable putters
- Limits in length, loft, and lie angle may a turn off for some players
Specs
The 2018 Rife Switchback series features five different head designs: Switchback 1, Switchback 2, Switchback XL, Switchback Mallet, and Switchback One Left Handed.
Switchback 1
- Blade head
- Plumbers Neck heel shaft
- Toe hang
- Blue five gram heel and toe weights (350 gram head weight)
- Silver 20 gram heel and toe weights (380 gram head weight)
- 34 or 35 inch lengths
- 2 degrees loft
- 71 degree lie angle
Switchback 2
- Blade head
- Slant Neck heel shaft
- Face balance
- Blue five gram heel and toe weights (350 gram head weight)
- Silver 20 gram heel and toe weights (380 gram head weight)
- 34 inch length
- 2 degrees loft
- 71 degree lie angle
Switchback XL
- Mid-mallet head
- Heel shaft with single bend
- Face balance
- Blue 10 gram heel and toe weights (375 gram head weight)
- Silver 30 gram heel and toe weights (415 gram head weight)
- 34 or 35 inch lengths
- 2 degrees loft
- 71 degree lie angle
Switchback Mallet
- Mallet head
- Heel shaft with double bend
- Face balance
- Blue 20 gram heel and toe weights (355 gram head weight)
- Black 30 gram heel and toe weights (375 gram head weight)
- 34 or 35 inch lengths
- 2 degrees loft
- 71 degree lie angle
Switch Back 1 Left Handed
- Left handed blade head
- Plumbers Neck heel shaft
- Face balance
- Blue 5 gram heel and toe weights (350 gram head weight)
- Silver 20 gram heel and toe weights (380 gram head weight)
- 34 inch length
- 71 degree lie angle
- 71 degree lie angle
The Switchback Weight Kit may be purchased separately for the Switchback 1 and 2 heads only. The weight kit includes red 10 gram heel and toe weights (360 gram head weight) and black 15 gram heel and toe weights (370 gram head weight), an extra wrench, and a black leather travel case.
Conclusion
Rife is certainly leading the way when it comes to putter design and technology. With patented Roll Groove Technology that is proven to produce more consistent putts, a variety of different head styles and interchangeable heel and toe weight options, the 2018 Rife Switchback putter allows golfers of all levels to customize their own putter for greater consistency and lower scores.
Rife Switchback Putter Video Review
How Does the Rife Switchback Putter Compare?
Bettinardi BB1 Putter
The Bettinardi BB1 Putter is unsurpassed in both design and materials. Super-Fly face milling affords players tremendous feel and feedback and the muted sound does not sound clicky or hard at all. Having received the Gold Rating on the 2018 Golf Digest Hot List, the BB1 is one of the most carefully crafted putters on the market today. Taking on a classic Anser-style look, the BB1 definitely falls in the high-end category of putters. If you’re an average to advanced player looking for optimal feel and feedback, the Bettinardi BB1 is the putter for you.
Odyssey EXO White Hot Putter
The Odyssey EXO White Hot Putter is by far one of the hottest putters of 2018 and it is easy to see why. Through marrying two proven technologies into a modern face design, golfers are afforded optimal feel and consistent roll even on mis-hits. The use of different materials strategically placed in the head allows for greater forgiveness and overall consistency allowing players to make putts with ease. Released in May 2018, the EXO putters received a Gold rating and 4.5 stars on the 2018 Golf Digest Hot List. In the EXO, Odyssey has implemented technologies from older putters to both optimize feel and create consistent roll off the face. If you’re a player looking for a mallet putter with maximum forgiveness and a soft face for consistent feel and control, the Odyssey EXO putter is the club for you.
