Midlock Vs. Armlock

[kylesilk]

I'm thinking about trying a different kind of putter.  The decision is to go Evnroll Midlock or a Sik traditional armlock.  I think the midlock would be easier to adapt to but idk if it would be as good as armlock once I got adapted to either style.  i've been a traditional putter for 25 years.  Anyone have any comparisons between these two? 

[Hstead]

I just received my Evnroll ER8 midlock at 42" yesterday.  Practiced for 2 hours then played with it.  I was very happy with the results.  It took me a while to get used to it, as I was a conventional putter for 30 years.  

 

My buddies think I am nuts as I was thought of as a good putter.  But I recently had a lesson and my coach had a midlock grip on his Scotty.  I loved it.  I can start the ball online better and I use a line on my ball and it rolls very well end over end with the midlock.  My son just started playing last year, and he is not a good putter.  He didn't even have to adapt really and started putting infinitely better with the midlock, so I extended his Scotty and added my extra midlock grip this morning for him.

 

I expected the long putts to be the challenge for me, and thought the short ones would be like stealing.  Well it was totally the opposite for me.  For some reason, the long putts were easy and I putted them way better.  It took me an hour and a half to hit the hole from 5 feet.  I was AWFUL!  

 

Finally after an hour and a half, I quit thinking about my stroke mechanics with midlock and just started looking and reacting to the hole and that seemed to solve the short putt problem.  Then when I played, my distance was better with the midlock and I didn't miss any short ones.  We have a big calcutta this weekend and the midlock is going in the bag.  Hope I can just look and react and not think about mechanics if I miss my first one LOL!

[kylesilk]

Thanks for the info.  Lmk how it goes.  I'm leaning evnroll because of price but still weight options.  

[kylesilk]

Hstead....what was the initial miss with the short ones?

[Hstead]

9 minutes ago, kylesilk said:

Hstead....what was the initial miss with the short ones?

It was all over the place.  I kept burning edges.  Nothing consistent.

 

Basically, I was so focused on making a stroke and how the difference in grip and stroke felt, I just wasn't hitting the putts with conviction if that makes sense?  I was thinking about mechanics instead of thinking about the speed I wanted the ball to enter the cup.  Once I said, "ok this feels comfortable now" and forgot about the stroke and focused on how I wanted the ball to enter the cup, all was right in the world lol.

 

Im going to practice in a little while, I will report back on how day two goes.

Edited July 22, 2021 by Hstead

[drza3]

I just built up each of these in the past month after putting traditional for 20 years.  It's all personal but I like the arm lock better with the flat side against my forearm.  I'm able to get a more consistent setup and "lock" with arm lock instead of wrist lock.  I went straight rigid like Bryson and I haven't seen the same speed/lag issues that a lot of people talk about here with armlock.  Mid lock is definitely closer to traditional but with that came the same issues (handsy for me, overactive right hand) and I have a hard time consistently setting it up with a lock on the wrist.  The rigidness of my armlock setup really makes the shoulders do all the work.  Sticking with armlock for now and have a SIK being delivered today.

[kylesilk]

1 hour ago, drza3 said:

I just built up each of these in the past month after putting traditional for 20 years.  It's all personal but I like the arm lock better with the flat side against my forearm.  I'm able to get a more consistent setup and "lock" with arm lock instead of wrist lock.  I went straight rigid like Bryson and I haven't seen the same speed/lag issues that a lot of people talk about here with armlock.  Mid lock is definitely closer to traditional but with that came the same issues (handsy for me, overactive right hand) and I have a hard time consistently setting it up with a lock on the wrist.  The rigidness of my armlock setup really makes the shoulders do all the work.  Sticking with armlock for now and have a SIK being delivered today.

Good stuff.  In the midlock you built how far up the arm was the shaft.  I can see the wrist lock having the same issue as standard but the midlock looks pretty stable.  Idk though as I've never tried them and you have.  My miss is left, I putt right handed.   Although I haven't been measured for path I'm pretty dang sure I'm closing the face with a little bit with  my right hand thru impact.  

[Ize]

I have the er5 midlock and have owned a ping and Callaway armlock, if I was to ever go back to armlock I would go straight for the sik putter for the upright lie angle.

 

All the previous putters mentioned were around 72 degrees lie angle and they just never felt comfortable kinda like a longer standard putter the sik comes at 78 as standard I feel like you really need to be more upright like Bryson does to really feel locked and able to just rock the shoulders.

 

Best bet would be try to get to retailer to roll any armlock you will know pretty quickly if there lie angle will work for you, if you feel you need to be way more upright sik is the only option.

 

On a side note if you buy a midlock and end up not liking it you can always change out the neck like I did and convert it back to a standard putter.

[drza3]

1 hour ago, kylesilk said:

Good stuff.  In the midlock you built how far up the arm was the shaft.  I can see the wrist lock having the same issue as standard but the midlock looks pretty stable.  Idk though as I've never tried them and you have.  My miss is left, I putt right handed.   Although I haven't been measured for path I'm pretty dang sure I'm closing the face with a little bit with  my right hand thru impact.  

It’s about 2 inches above the palm. I know with practice I could be more consistent with the grip but I just hold it differently every time with wrist lock. With arm lock I just drop the grip right below my elbow and I’m good to go 

 

I also struggled with closing the face and what I’ve found is hardly having pressure on the grip with the right hand is helpful. The shoulders power the stroke with armlock. With traditional I’d always tense up with the right hand no matter what I did. 
 

also agree with above that a 78 or so lie has been key

[Hstead]

I practiced for a couple of hours again this evening.  The long putts are way better than conventional for me.  I never three putt much, but this midlock is starting on line better and either scaring the hole or going in.  I am making way more than I did conventional, I am talking 30 plus footers that aren't supposed to go in.  

 

On the short ones, I have found that I have to play more break than I was accustom to.  I am not sure if my ball is rolling better and I am hitting them softer, but I have had to double the break I was playing conventional.  That has been disconcerting a little, to play six inches of break on a 5 foot putt.  We have some slopey greens, but the line on my ball is rolling end over end super tight.  

 

I literally feel like I have to get the read dead on, because the ball is going to start on my line I pick.  I just have to pick the correct line.

 

I am going to go with it in the tourney this weekend I am pretty sure.  I have a money game tomorrow and we will see how it holds up in that game, if it works well, it is in the bag for the weekend calcutta.

Edited July 22, 2021 by Hstead

[Wasmundson]

Any update on this, do you still have the midlock in the bag?

[ChaosTheory]

I've  practiced with and played the armlock, Bryson style for a few rounds.  Then went back to conventional, and now trying midlock.  Using the same armlock putter, just shortened a bit so the grip touches my mid-forearm.  I've added a wrist lock grip to help make the loft right.  So far I'm only in the practice phase with it.

 

I found the Bryson style uncomfortable/tense/rigid.  It's effective but not enough to overcome the feel I had.   But the midlock is different.  Sure, initially there is some oddness because it's different.  But as I learn to relax and just let it be, it feels as natural as regular putting, except the putter movement is tighter in the right way.  Once I nailed down the ball position, the impact feel is more pure than I've been able to achieve prior to this.  Finally putting a good roll on the ball.

 

 I didn't think my wrists were moving much.  I though it was tiny.  But this putter shows me I was wrong about that.   In fact, I can feel the grip push into my forearm during the stroke.  That would have been wrist movement.

 

 

Edited January 10, 2022 by Snowman9000

[tcngeorge]

@HsteadHow is the putter performing now? Did you take it to the tournament? What model of Evnroll is it? Sorry for all the questions!

[Hstead]

4 hours ago, tcngeorge said:

@HsteadHow is the putter performing now? Did you take it to the tournament? What model of Evnroll is it? Sorry for all the questions!

I actually have a conventional length in the bag right now.  I didn't take it to the first tourney, it wasn't ready back then.  I did use it for quite a while and bounce back to it occasionally.  Mine is the ER5 I think.  I actually made a BatAttack PXG mid lock that I used way more than the EVNROLL, and it gets in the bag some.  I sold the EVENROLL a couple of weeks ago.

 

I took the PXG and my conventional putter down to Texas for my last lesson with Chase.  They recommended I stick with the mid lock because they said I looked more comfortable rolling it.  So what did I do, I put the conventional putter back in play shortly there after lol.

 

Now I have a 36.5" EAS-s Edel that should be here Friday.

Edited March 15, 2022 by Hstead