{"id":710218,"date":"2026-06-02T10:59:22","date_gmt":"2026-06-02T10:59:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/710218\/"},"modified":"2026-06-02T10:59:22","modified_gmt":"2026-06-02T10:59:22","slug":"lab-golf-vzn-1i-putter-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/710218\/","title":{"rendered":"LAB Golf VZN.1i Putter Review"},"content":{"rendered":"

\t\t\t\t\t50 Words or Less<\/p>\n

The LAB Golf VZN.1i putter is arguably LAB\u2019s best looking putter yet.\u00a0 Easy alignment paired with zero torque performance.\u00a0 Very forgiving.\u00a0 Produces excellent roll.<\/p>\n

\"LAB<\/p>\n

Introduction<\/p>\n

The promise of zero torque putters is that they make it easier to hit your intended start line, but that only matters if you\u2019re actually aimed in the right spot.\u00a0 That\u2019s where the newest putter from L.A.B. Golf comes in.\u00a0 The LAB Golf VZN.1i putter was \u201cdesigned to show where the face is pointed and intentionally positioned to help lock in on the target line.\u201d\u00a0 I got to put one to the test to see if it could live up to its promise.<\/p>\n

\"LAB<\/p>\n

Looks<\/p>\n

From the moment I got it out of its headcover, I loved the look of the LAB Golf VZN.1i putter.\u00a0 To me, this is LAB showing their evolution, making their putters both high performance and beautiful.\u00a0 This is still a big, modern mallet, but there\u2019s a flow to it, a smoothness to all the edges, that\u2019s absent in the MEZZ.1 [review HERE<\/a>] and the OZ [review HERE<\/a>].\u00a0 Overall, the shape is unique without being too busy, sitting confidently behind the ball.<\/p>\n

\"LAB<\/p>\n

Above, you can see the LAB Golf VZN.1i putter next to the DF3i [review HERE<\/a>].\u00a0 Both are very large, but, to me, the VZN.1i doesn\u2019t appear quite as hulking as the DF3, and it is roughly 1\/2\u2033 shorter from front to back.\u00a0 The face of the DF3i is a bit wider, but the putters are almost equally wide at their largest point.<\/p>\n

One common feature that I like in both putters is that the face is not the widest portion of the putter.\u00a0 For me, this makes the face look like an arrow pointing at the hole.\u00a0 In the VZN, that\u2019s enhanced by the way the putter also tapers toward the rear.<\/p>\n

\"LAB<\/p>\n

The sole of the LAB Golf VZN.1i putter features all the weights you expect from a LAB putter.\u00a0 Four sit on either edge, surrounding the moderately sized \u201cVZN.1i\u201d branding.\u00a0 My VZN.1i came with a white head cover that I had not seen before.\u00a0 I found that I could interchange covers with the VZN and the DF3.<\/p>\n

As with all recent L.A.B. Golf putters, the VZN.1i can be ordered stock or custom.\u00a0 If you go the custom route, you have access to all the different head colors and alignment aids, in addition to the performance specs like lie angle and shaft length.\u00a0 The stock models retail for $499, customs start at $599. [See Price \/ Buy<\/a>]<\/p>\n

\"LAB<\/p>\n

Sound & Feel<\/p>\n

The \u201ci\u201d in the name of the LAB Golf VZN.1i putter refers to the stainless steel insert in the face.\u00a0 This is an increasingly common feature in L.A.B. Golf\u2019s putters, first seen in the OZ.1i [review HERE<\/a>] but now also featured on the DF3i.\u00a0 However, eagle-eyed readers will notice something different about the insert on the VZN.1i: the milling.\u00a0 Where the OZ.1i and DF3i have a tighter, shallower milling pattern, the milling here is deeper and wider.<\/p>\n

In testing the LAB Golf VZN.1i putter head to head with the DF3i, I found a noticeable difference from this new milling pattern.\u00a0 The VZN.1i feels softer.\u00a0 There\u2019s still some pop to it, enough firmness to have a sense of speed, but it\u2019s a gentler impact sensation.<\/p>\n

\"LAB<\/p>\n

The sound of the VZN.1i is duller, too.\u00a0 It\u2019s not a full \u201cthud\u201d, but it\u2019s 80\/20 more thud than tock.\u00a0 It\u2019s also quiet and low pitched, traits that enhance the soft sound and feel.<\/p>\n

For a large, forgiving putter, the VZN.1i has surprisingly good feedback.\u00a0 Through the hands, there\u2019s a clear distinction between poor, good, and perfect strikes.\u00a0 The sound of impact doesn\u2019t change much until you get to the edges of the face where it turns into a muted piano \u201cplink.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"LAB<\/p>\n

Performance<\/p>\n

Alignment is a personal thing \u2013 different people like big putters, small putters, lots of lines, no lines, and everything in between \u2013 so I don\u2019t know that any single putter is going to be universally easier to aim.\u00a0 What I can report is that I found the LAB Golf VZN.1i putter very easy to align.\u00a0 Importantly, my aim was not only accurate, I was confident in my aim.\u00a0 Those two things don\u2019t always go together.\u00a0 Even with the abundance of lines on this configuration of the VZN.1i, I felt like the putter\u2019s shape allowed for natural, intuitive aim as opposed to trying to meticulously strive toward unattainable perfection.<\/p>\n

\"LAB<\/p>\n

As with all L.A.B. Golf putters, I also found it easy to hit my start line consistently.\u00a0 Admittedly, the LAB Golf VZN.1i putter had the advantage of all my experience with previous LABs.\u00a0 Nonetheless, the performance was impressive.\u00a0 When my read and pace were good, a gimme was the worst possible result.<\/p>\n

\"LAB<\/p>\n

Strong forgiveness is the expectation with a mallet this big, and the VZN.1i doesn\u2019t disappoint.\u00a0 Having all the weights at the very edge of the head make this putter very stable on mishits.\u00a0 In launch monitor testing, its smash factor consistency rivaled that of the DF3i.\u00a0 The VZN.1i also does a good job keeping the ball online, twisting only slight even on intentionally extreme mishits.<\/p>\n

\"LAB<\/p>\n

One unexpected feature of the LAB Golf VZN.1i putter that I found in my launch monitor testing is the outstanding forward roll.\u00a0 In a test group that included the DF3i and other putters, both traditional and not, the VZN.1i stood alone at the top, producing more forward roll off the face.\u00a0 More forward roll can mean less skidding which leads to more reliable reads.<\/p>\n

A fun benefit built into the\u00a0LAB Golf VZN.1i putter is its ability to pick up the ball in two ways.\u00a0 The cut out is perfectly sized so you can stab a gimme or scoop it up via the flange.<\/p>\n

\"LAB<\/p>\n

Finally, there are a lot of options available if you choose to design a custom LAB Golf VZN.1i putter.\u00a0 You can choose a zero degree or 1.5 degree shaft lean, which will influence your choice of grip.\u00a0 If you opt for shaft lean, you\u2019ll likely want one of L.A.B. Golf\u2019s Press grips.\u00a0 You can also customize the headweight \u2013 light, heavy, or standard \u2013 lie angle, length, and shaft.\u00a0 L.A.B. Golf offers several shafts including black stainless steel and graphite from TPT, Accra, and GEARS. [See Price \/ Buy<\/a>]<\/p>\n

\"LAB<\/p>\n

Conclusion<\/p>\n

Its hard to point to a putter company that\u2019s had a better two years than L.A.B. Golf.\u00a0 Not only are they winning at the highest levels \u2013 JJ Spaun at the US Open \u2013 they\u2019re also releasing one great putter after another.\u00a0 The\u00a0LAB Golf VZN.1i putter is, to me, their best looking putter so far, and it makes alignment easy.\u00a0 Paired with forgiveness and zero torque performance, it makes a strong case to be your gamer in 2026 and beyond. [See Price \/ Buy<\/a>]<\/p>\n

\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\"L.A.B.
\n\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\tHelp support our mission. We earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\"Matt<\/a> <\/p>\n

Editor In Chief at Plugged In Golf<\/p>\n

Matt has worked in nearly every job in the golf industry from club fitting to instruction to writing and speaking.<\/p>\n

He founded Plugged In Golf in 2013 with the goal of helping all golfers play better and enjoy the game more.<\/p>\n

Matt lives in the northwest suburbs of Chicago with his wife and two daughters.<\/p>\n

\"Matt<\/a>Latest posts by Matt Saternus (see all<\/a>) \t\t\t\t<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"50 Words or Less The LAB Golf VZN.1i putter is arguably LAB\u2019s best looking putter yet.\u00a0 Easy alignment…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":710219,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[566],"tags":[64,63,755,85],"class_list":["post-710218","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-golf","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-golf","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/710218","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=710218"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/710218\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/710219"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=710218"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=710218"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=710218"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}