Today I’m going to tell you about a product that has been a golf standard for decades. This is the quintessential putter and the perfect embodiment of the tool to be used on the green. If you don’t have this putter in your bag, then you most likely learned to putt with one or chances are that there is one hanging out in your grandfather’s garage. The Wilson Staff 8802 putter is the come-back of a timeless classic; and a gesture from Wilson to remind us to not fix what isn’t broken.
Let’s dive into the nitty-gritty. This putter features a classic heel shafted head milled from a quality stainless steel weighing in at 335 grams. The 8802 is mated to a True Temper Head Speed stepless design shaft and uses a Lamkin 3GEN smooth pistol grip. Measuring at 35” this putter is suited for the comfort of most players.
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Looks:
The head cover of this putter was the first thing to catch my eye. Red, white and gold is a classy combination. Freeing the putter from that sweet-looking boot, you are presented with a sleek satin finish blade style head, mill grooves on the face and a sole highly polished to a mirror finish. The fluted and flared shaft is as essential to the look of this putter as eating soup with a spoon. The smooth red putter grip screams with attitude and purpose.
Feel:
Using this putter, nostalgia was my first feeling. The pistol grip is smooth, tacky and properly shaped. The putter also head has a really nice heft to it as it feels heavier than the head shape leads one to believe. This will help you with tempo. Looking down at the head, the top line is thin and very clean; there is no line or dot helping you. Before you panic let me tell you that because the head is so simple, using the straight edge of the blade itself was enough to focus for alignment. This putter offers a tremendous amount of feedback and it will let you know when you hit the ball just right.
Performance:
It was easy to find the right tempo with this putter due to the head weight. Head, shaft and grip are well balanced which help in feeling connected and compact with lots of control. The putter rolls the ball nicely with the help of some offset. The face of this putter is very consistent on center hits. Accuracy will depend solely on the player. I personally use a center shafted putter that fits my square-to-square putting stroke. The heel shafted putter will encourage you to swing more in an arch, so keep in mind ball position will be very important. However, the 8802 performed very well, especially on those delicate shots where speed is critical; toe-putting is your friend.
This putter is tremendously versatile. Let’s keep things clear, this works best for creative players. This putter is not automatic. It is a true testament to the Indian being responsible for putting balls into the cup. If you know what you’re doing, this putter will reward you.
Overall:
This putter has been around for over 50 years. It has been used by the champions who became legends, like Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus and Ben Crenshaw. It’s produced by a company who was been around long enough that there is nothing left to prove. The 8802 carries the heritage and the pedigree needed to become an icon in golf. It surely deserves a spot in your bag or on your wall.
This putter is priced at around $179. Rest assured that it is a good buy. It is made of high quality materials. It has a finish like jewelry, and it will get the job done. This is definitely a product targeted towards the player aware of golf history and appreciates styling. It performs as you tell it to and has the looks to make you tingle. Might not be for everyone, especially those looking to improve their game or on an extreme budget, but it is pure and true to golf; an icon in history reborn time and time again.
For more information go check out Wilson Golf.
- Stunning Looks
- Classic Style
- Harder to use for less experienced golfer
