Reviewing the DF3i, L.A.B. Golf's newest putter

I cheated the last time I reviewed L.A.B. Golf's newest putter.

I was among the fortunate few to be custom fit for the OZ.1i at L.A.B.'s newly remodeled headquarters in Crestview, Ore., last fall. I loved the putter, which was the company's first foray into a heel-shafted flat stick.

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Is L.A.B. Golf's new OZ.1i HS putter a departure from the company's design principles?

Since most golfers won't get that treatment, I went a more traditional route to review L.A.B. Golf's newest putter, the DF3i. I was custom fit through the L.A.B. Golf website, a process that most everyday golfers use to buy one of the company's putters.

The result? I actually like the feel and look at address of the DF3i better than my OZ. The fitter who analyzed my lie, angle and balance - the three criteria the company measures to fit putters for every golfer - seemed to nail this one. With a few more reps it definitely could become my everyday putter.

In my previous review, I admitted how I couldn't get used the look of the putter shaft in the middle of the putter head, which is a signature of all but one of L.A.B. Golf's zero torque putters. With my new DF3i, I don't even notice. Using it is becoming second nature. It's that comfortable already.

It's a simple process for a remote custom fitting: Simply take a video of your putting stroke and e-mail it to the company. The video should be about 5 seconds in length and no larger than 5MB in file size. The L.A.B. Golf website makes it easy with clear directions:

• Use a putter with a comfortable length. I used my gamer I've had for 25 years, an old Odyssey Rossie II. 
• Hold the camera level with the player's hands (roughly knee/thigh height). My wife crouched down low to take my video. 
• Use a level surface with a vertical wall edge or door jam in the background. I stood in the kitchen next to the trim on my door leading to the garage. 
• Line up the tip of your putter shaft with the edge of the wall or door jam. 
• Please make sure to wear golf or tennis shoes when shooting the video. If only golf lessons to improve everybody's swing were so easy.

I've always wanted the original DF3 (which stands for 'Directed Force') because I love its unique head shape. I know you're supposed to make every putt with a L.A.B. putter, but when the inevitable miss does happen, I like that I can pick the ball up with the circle in the back of the head. As an aging golfer with a bad back, this feature is a deal-maker.

I also favor putters with some girth, which both the DF3 and DF3i have, to hit long putts more solidly. Who could forget that J.J. Spaun captured the 2025 U.S. Open by sinking a 64-foot putt with his DF3?

“The DF3 is the putter that put us on the map. The only real criticism we ever get about it is that to some it feels like the ball comes off a bit soft and slow,” said L.A.B. Golf Founder Sam Hahn. “Adding the stainless insert for a firmer feel and slightly faster ball speeds will hopefully appeal to an even greater number of golfers looking for a couple extra long ones to fall.”

The DF3i is milled from 6061 aircraft aluminum and bonded to a fly-milled, stainless-steel insert. That firmer feel is what sold me. As a die-it-in putter, I'm always leaving putts short. I need the little extra pop the insert provides. I don't mind bending over to pick up a ball if it's coming out of the hole. Maybe it will happen more often with my new DF3i.