Aserta Monster Putter Review

I have putted with a mallet-style putter my entire (golfing) life. I started out with a Teardrop putter before finally getting an Odyssey White Hot last year. I feel more comfortable with a larger putter (no comments, please!). So when I saw the new Aserta Monster putter, I definitely wanted to give it a shot to see if I could become more consistent on the greens. I quickly realized that “consistency” and the Monster putter go hand-in-hand. I was able to one-putt nearly everything inside of ten feet and even had success on my longer putts as well.

Design and Look
The design of the Monster putter is unique to say the least. The hosel is located about half of an inch off the heel and about a quarter of an inch off the face. This was a little different for me because a lot of the mallets have the hosel located right next to the face. This was actually designed this way to provide a better overall club balance, and I think it does that very well. Aserta seems dead-set on creating the next generation of putters. The Monster putter’s adavanced Hollow Core Bi-Metal design features and aircraft grade T-6 aluminum sole plate and a heavy 308 surgical grade stainless steel body.

The design isn’t the only thing that is different about the Monster. Honestly, the one thing I didn’t like about the club was the look of it. The only thing I could see in pictures of it was the red bottom, and I thought that looked pretty smooth. Once I got the putter, I realized there was a lot more to it than the red bottom. It basically looks like a big clump of steel all thrown together. It is definitely no Titleist Futura Phantom Mallet when it comes to looks. Luckily, I judge a putter by what it does on the greens rather than what it looks like. It is the heart that matters isn’t it?

Inverted Mass Technology
I have never really looked into the technology aspect when it came to putters, but the Aserta Monster putter intrigued me for one main reason. Aserta uses what is called IVM, or Inverted Mass Technology. Yeah, it confused me at first too. But the more I started reading about it, the more I understood the point of it. Aserta focused more on putting the weight at the top of the putter head unlike most traditional putters of today’s time. When the other putters on the market come in contact with a golf ball, the result is backspin followed by occasional skidding or hopping.

The Aserta Sports website describes the Inverted Mass Technology in the following quote:

Aserta’s patented IVM technology, actually raises the center of gravity of the putter head. This breakthrough allows the ball to be struck at its equator with the majority of the putter head’s mass, producing an immediate topspin and a true and accurate forward roll.

The people at Aserta Sports decided to conduct a test to compare the performance between some of the top putters on the market and their very own “Monster.” The results of this test definitely caught my eye. The graph below shows this test in a little more detail. The other putters had up to 60 rotations per minute of backspin. The Monster putter was then tested and had up to 100 rotations per minute of forward roll.

I didn’t really believe this at first, but after a lot of time spent on the putting greens, I realized it is indeed no lie. I honestly expect a lot more putter manufacturers to possibly try out the IVM technology in the near future. It gives Aserta a distinct difference in the industry right now, and it should pay dividends for them in my opinion. It took me a little time to get used to the difference in spin off the putter-head, but after a couple hours, I was draining putts from everywhere on the green.

Aserta’s IVM technology increases roll off the putter head.

Setup and Feel
The first thing I noticed about this putter was how heavy it was compared to my Odyssey White Hot. It felt amost twice the size, and this definitely made me feel a little uncomfortable. At first, I felt out of rhythym as I took the putter back to begin my practice strokes. Any time more weight is involved, it is going to feel different and take a little while to get used to. The grip is also a little larger than the one on my Odyssey. It is a Winn AVS paddle grip and is a little harder than most putter grips I have grabbed.

Also, as I mentioned earlier, the setup of the hosel is a little different than what I’m familiar with. I didn’t have any trouble at all keeping my ball on line once I hit it. I did, however, have a little problem with lining the ball up to get it going in a straight path. When I first began hitting putts, they all went to the right. So I looked at the alignment of the putter, and sure enough, it was offline as well. Once I got the alignment part and weight difference figured out, I turned into a putting machine!

I started off with typical five-footers from underneath the hole, above the hole, etc. I drained just about everything I hit. I did miss an occasional putt from five feet, but even the professionals have their misses. I decided to move it back to ten feet, and I had the same success much to my delight. On a putt with relatively no break, the Monster putter is as close to perfect as I have ever putted with. Once I drained a few in a row, the confidence just kept on growing. If I were playing with some friends, I would definitely be taking some money on the greens.

I decided to putt some from 20 feet all the way up to 40 feet. I was definitely worried that the weight difference would play a factor in me putting it 10 feet past the hole instead of just cozying it up by the pin for a tap-in. The first handful of balls I hit all ended up inside the three-foot range. I don’t know about any of you, but I will take that any day of the week. My long-range putting has been atrocious in the past. For the most part, I was happy with the long-range putting ability of the Monster putter. I did hit a few that went sailing past the hole, but that happens.

Extras
The Monster comes with a black, padded headcover to protect its owner from damage. Like everything else on the putter, the headcover is plenty big enough to get the job done. The velcro was actually quite tough to pull apart at times, which is only a good thing as far as I’m concerned. The headcover for my White Hot is constantly trying to sneak off during my rounds of golf, and that really ticks me off, especially when I’m playing bad. So the extra-sticky velcro that the Monster headcover features is a breath of fresh air for me.

The clubhead weight on the Monster is 350 grams, and it ships with a 4 degree loft. The shaft is a “Double Bend” True Temper shaft. The shaft lengths available range anywhere from 33″ up to 36″, but custom shaft lengths can be accomadated if needed. The Monster putter became available in Feruary, and it is right in the middle of the pack when it comes to price. It is currently listed on the market for $199.95.

Conclusion
When I first pulled the Monster putter out of the headcover, I paused for a second. I didn’t really see what I expected. I expected a really shiny nice-looking putter. However, as I mentioned earlier, it’s not about the look. It is all about the performance, and the Monster putter won me over once I made it to the golf course. A lot of people may be hesisant to switch to it because the technology is different from everything else on the market right now. That is the reason I think everyone should try it out. I have never had as much success putting inside 10 feet as I have had with the Monster putter. I have also been more effective from long distance. It may take a little while to get used to, but once you get the feel for it, it will do the job just as well as any other putter out there.

Aserta sports is trying to make their mark on the putting industry in golf, as they are definitely not the first company people talk about when it comes to great putters. With the Monster putter making it to the market, that will quickly change in my opinion. I think players will start to try this out on the putting greens, and they will fall for it just as I did. The topspin definitely provides a much smoother roll than what I’m used to, and I look forward to taking advantage of that in the future. As if you didn’t already know by reading this review, I definitely recommend the Monster putter by Parente, and I feel everyone should at least pick one up and try hitting it for an hour or two.