The “J-Flex” is a brand new putter from a startup golf company, Luke Ice Putters, that launched on Kickstarter today. The campaign claims that the J-Flex can improve the accuracy of mis-hit putts for golfers of all skill levels. According to the company website, 40 percent of all putts missed on a golf course are due to mis-hits as opposed to mis-reads.
The differentiator between the J-Flex and anything currently on the market is that the club-face flexes slightly on impact. This technology is being dubbed the “AccuFlex” technology, and is patent-pending. Normally, putts that are struck on the toe or heel of the putter, or are hit with an open or closed club-face, would normally roll the ball significantly off target. According to the campaign, the J-Flex aims to improve these mis-hits by up to 20 percent.
Unlike the traditional putter, the J-Flex sports a small cavity between the club-face and the rest of the club-head. This allows the face to act as a rubber-band, and correct mis-hit putts back towards the putter’s intended line.
The J-Flex has tested favorably compared to conventional putters, in terms of accuracy. On a mounted pendulum fixture, the J-Flex out-performed its competitors in some significant tests. On a six-foot putt with just a two degree open club-face, the conventional putter missed its intended target on average by 3.2 inches. The J-Flex missed by 2.5 inches under the same conditions. Additionally, the J-Flex performed even better when the error in strike was even larger. In a game of inches, a half-inch either way could be the difference between a lip-out and a made putt.
Concerns over the legality of the club are warranted. However, the company is touting that they’ve received preliminary approval from the USGA and will seek official approval with the funds raised on Kickstarter.