\u201cLie Angle Balance is so much more than where the shaft goes into the head, and golfers are going to feel that when they try OZ.1i HS,\u201d said L.A.B. Golf CEO Sam Hahn in a press release. \u201cIt looks a lot like a traditional putter, but it performs like a L.A.B. This is a huge step toward our mission of helping every golfer putt better.\u201d<\/p>\n
L.A.B. Golf shook up the putter world<\/a> in 2018 with its radical zero-torque (or \u201conset\u201d) designs, basically creating a new product category<\/a>. Now, with the release of the OZ.1i HS, the company is branching into a more traditional-looking profile. It\u2019s also the first new model since L.A.B. secured a $200 million investment from a private equity firm, signaling a new chapter for the brand.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s what the new L.A.B. Golf OZ.1i HS is, who it might be for and what I think about the new putter.<\/p>\n What is the L.A.B. Golf OZ.1i HS?<\/p>\n Since coming onto the market in 2018 with its original Directed Force 2.1 putter, L.A.B. Golf has convinced people to choose function over form, that is go with the best results over best looks, with their putters. Designs like the DF 2.1<\/a>, MEZZ.1, MEZZ.1 Max and DF3 all<\/a> defied what conventional putters looked like, but followers were convinced they could help them get the ball in the hole. <\/p>\n Jack Hirsh\/GOLF<\/p>\n But the release of the original OZ.1 putter late last year started to change that idea, as it proved the company\u2019s Lie Angle Balance technology could be applied to more conventional putter shapes.<\/p>\n Now, with the OZ.1i HS, L.A.B. has removed yet another common sticking point for its critics: the center-shafted design.<\/p>\n The OZ.1i HS features the same shape as the OZ.1 and OZ.1i, but has a heel-shafted long neck hosel. The OZ.1 is L.A.B.\u2019s most conventional mallet shape<\/a> and it was designed in collaboration with 2013 Masters Champion Adam Scott. <\/p>\n The zero torque properties are created through a proprietary aluminum riser that still places the shaft axis through the CG of the putter and a hand-balancing process like L.A.B.<\/p>\n Jack Hirsh\/GOLF<\/p>\n \u201cDesigning a heel-shafted putter that stays balanced to the lie angle presented us with a unique challenge,\u201d said Brian Parks, L.A.B.\u2019s vice president of engineering. \u201cThe result is our custom, proprietary aluminum riser, a key feature of the OZ.1i HS that lets us offer multiple lie angles without compromising the signature feel and balance golfers expect from every L.A.B. putter.\u201d<\/p>\n The riser comes in 10 different configurations for lie angles between 65 and 74 degrees.<\/p>\n Who is the L.A.B. Golf OZ.1i HS for?<\/p>\n The answer here is simple: Any golfer who has been unwilling to try a zero torque putter because of the center-shaft design.<\/p>\n Jack Hirsh\/GOLF<\/p>\n While the OZ.1i HS\u2019s aluminum riser neck doesn\u2019t provide the same visual as a traditional plumber\u2019s or slant neck, it does stop before the golf ball at address, allowing you to have an uninterrupted view of the center of the putter behind the ball.<\/p>\n Golfers who have previously only putted with more traditional hosels will find the OZ.1i HS looks much more like a traditional mallet than L.A.B.\u2019s previous offerings.<\/p>\n My thoughts!<\/p>\n I am one of the golfers who\u2019s been waiting for L.A.B. to offer up a more traditional-looking model, as I despise center-shafted putters. That said, the OZ.1i was the first shape that L.A.B. put out that caught my eye, so I\u2019m not surprised that they kept the shape for their first heel shafted option.<\/p>\n Why this trendy company can try almost anything | Fully Equipped<\/a><\/p>\n By:<\/p>\n While I am still attached to blade-style putters, the OZ.1i HS certainly has me intrigued, and my early results with it have been quite interesting. I\u2019ve needed only a small adjustment period to transition from a blade putter.<\/p>\n Despite having a pendulum stroke that could theoretically work with a zero-torque putter, I\u2019ve typically struggled with a left miss. But I never saw that in my first round with the OZ.1i HS. <\/p>\n I still contend that zero torque putters aren\u2019t going to work for everyone because of the onset style, but for those who have stayed away because of the center shaft, it\u2019s time they give the LAB concept a true try.<\/p>\n Looking ahead, with more flexibility thanks to their new private equity investment, will L.A.B. take the heel-shafted technology and apply it to a blade putter? That\u2019s what I\u2019m still hoping for.<\/p>\n Price, specs and availability<\/p>\n View Product<\/a><\/p>\n ALSO AVAILABLE AT: PGA Tour Superstore, L.A.B. Golf<\/p>\n The OZ.1i HS is available now for $499 in the stock configuration or $599 for custom.<\/p>\n Custom options include length, headweight, head color, riser color, alignment marking, shaft, shaft lean and grip.<\/p>\n The stock build is all black at either 33\u2033, 34\u2033 or 35\u2033 with 2\u02da of shaft lean, 69\u02da lie angle and a L.A.B. Golf press grip.<\/p>\n Want to find the best putter for your game?\u00a0Find a club-fitting location near you at True Spec Golf<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n “><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Critics of L.A.B. Golf\u2019s center-shaft only designs now have one less excuse not to try their putters. After…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":98403,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[443],"tags":[49,48,622,82],"class_list":{"0":"post-98402","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-golf","8":"tag-ca","9":"tag-canada","10":"tag-golf","11":"tag-sports"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/98402","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=98402"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/98402\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/98403"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=98402"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=98402"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=98402"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"OZ.1i](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/OZ.1iHSSole.jpg\")
\n The OZ.1i HS is still hand balanced to achieve zero torque properties.<\/p>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/LABGolfOz.1HSHosel.jpg\")
\n The OZ.1i HS has a more typical heel shafted hosel.<\/p>\n![\"L.A.B.](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/OZ.1iHSAddress.jpg\")
\n The OZ.1i HS at address.<\/p>\n
\n ![\"lab](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/lab-1.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n
\n Jack Hirsh <\/a><\/p>\n<\/p>\n