Are you a fan of the PING PLD Oslo putter but wish PING would build it just a little differently? If so, today is the day PING makes your wish come true.
Today, PING drops three new AS (Alternative Style) versions of the popular PLD Oslo mallet. All three putters start with the basic Oslo shape. From there, the AS versions go their own ways in terms of hosel style and shaft length.
Firstly, they are still PLD Milled putters
Before we get into how PING tweaked the Oslo design, let’s rehash some of the key points of PING’s PLD Milled putter program.
As with the PLD Milled Oslo 3 shown in the photo above, all of the new AS Oslo putters feature fully milled construction. For these new Oslo putters, that translates to 100 percent milled 303 stainless steel. Other PLD putters, like the PLD Ally Blue, may also feature milled aluminum components.
From year to year, the PLD Milled putter faces have always been milled but the type of face milling has varied. This batch features PING’s shallow milling pattern. This should produce a noticeably firmer feel than other PLD Oslo models with PING’s deeper Aggressive Milling Pattern face milling.
In addition to small releases like this one, the PING PLD Milled putter family includes additional offshoots. The PLD Milled line is the stock putter line. If you want a little customization, you can choose some of your putter’s aesthetic elements with the PLD Milled Plus program. If you want a true one-of-one putter, then the PLD Milled Custom program is the one for you.
How did PING make the Oslo style alternative?
The stock PLD Milled Oslo putter would be the PLD Milled Oslo 3. That model features an offset H3 neck and is standard length.
The three new AS models deviate from the stock model in both of those areas. Two of them are center-shafted, one is heel-shafted, and only one is standard length.
PING PLD Milled AS Oslo C
The Oslo C is the standard-length model in the batch. The big change for this one is the new center-shafted hosel. Not only has the shaft moved to the middle but the offset of the putter is less than that found in the stock PLD Oslo 3.
The new hosel position gives the Oslo C a very different look at address than the Oslo 3. Moving the shaft does not make the Oslo C better than the Oslo 3 but it does make it more visually appealing and more functional for a subset of golfers.
PING PLD Milled AS Oslo CB
As we move to the Oslo CB, we see two style changes. First of all, the hosel is now attached at the heel, with the double-bend shaft making the putter face-balanced.
Like with the Oslo 3, the heel position of the shaft opens up the alignment elements at the center of the putter. The extended sight line and edges of the bumpers provide excellent reference points towards the target.
Unlike the Oslo 3, this Oslo CB is a longer, counterbalanced model. The stock length for the Oslo CB is 37.5 inches, with the head weighing 380 grams.
To compensate for the heavier head, one should grasp the 17-inch grip at their usual height. This will place some of the putter grip and shaft above their hands and balance out the additional mass of the head.
PING PLD Milled AS Oslo L
The Oslo L continues the heavier and longer theme of the Oslo CB. This version has a stock length of 47 inches and a head that weighs 475 grams.
Although anchoring a long putter to your body is illegal, this design should help golfers create a repeatable pendulum-type stroke.
Since you are not bending over as much, it may help with back issues as well.
Expanding the Oslo’s reach
This Alternative Style release is not a huge release for PING. It is just an extension of the existing PLD Milled line.
How you perceive these additions likely depends upon how well the original PLD Oslo 3 suited your game. If that putter worked for you, you won’t view these three new versions as very significant.
However, if you wished for an Oslo that was center-shafted or in a non-standard length, these are significant, and very welcome, additions.
The MSRP for the new PING PLD Milled AS Oslo putters is $485.
Check these out, as well as the other PING PLD Milled models, at PING.com
The post PING Drops Three New Oslo PLD Alternative Style Putters appeared first on MyGolfSpy.
