| The new Yes! C-Groove Putter: DAWN |
| Monday, 06 April 2009 | ||
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Every once in a while a putter comes along, and really really stands out from the pack... That putter for Yes! is the new DAWN. A master of design, engineering and dynamics all combined into a putter that is unequaled. We'd like to share with you the following review from www.PutterZone.com that puts all of these aspects into focus so you can truly appreciate what this putter means to Yes!, and the golfer wanting the best of all worlds...
YES Dawn Putter Review
YES!
Golf is unveiling several new putters for 2009, but one of them in
particular is designed to stand above and apart: the YES! Dawn model.
YES!
putters are most famous for their signature C-Groove face technology.
The Dawn aspires to take this technology to the next level with
intensive craftsmanship, high-end materials and a price to match.
Does the YES! Dawn live up to its promise? Following is PutterZone.com's YES! Dawn putter review.
The Storyline
The
Dawn putter aims not only to be the crown jewel of the YES! portfolio,
but to serve some notice as well. In the words of Blair Philip, YES!
Golf's director of research and development, "From the materials to the
shape to the finish to the grip, it is the best the industry has to
offer in our opinion."
To
achieve their vision for the Dawn model, Philip and his colleagues
began with the decision to use forged 303 stainless steel "to give the
professionals and connoisseurs out there the sound and feel that they
have been demanding."
The
classic Anser-style head shape was chosen for its track record of
success. According to Philip, "We then picked the highest quality
components in the world to match the quality of the head that was
produced. We challenged our manufacturing partners to produce perfect
parts every time. The tolerances on these parts are incredibly tight.
Every putter must pass multiple inspections to make it to the market.
We assemble them here in Colorado, so we know they are perfect every
time."
Philip says that the degree of toe hang was "painstakingly researched and matched to what the best blade user wants."
He
also says that considerable research was invested in determining the
ideal combination of putter loft and sole draft, which is the angle of
the bottom edge of the face to the rear of the sole. Depending on the
loft of a putter, the sole draft can make a putter appear to be (or
actually be) open or closed at address. The geometry of the Dawn,
however, "allows the putter to sit squarely on the green surface. I
will not tell you how we did this, but it took more effort than you
might think."
The ultimate goal, Philip says, was to craft a putter that left no stone unturned in the pursuit of quality and performance.
The
proprietary concentric C-Grooves on the Dawn and other YES! putters are
positioned at a 20-degree upward slant. According to the company, "Upon
contact, these edges grip the ball surface and apply physical forces
that simultaneously lift the ball out of its resting position and
impart and over-the-top rolling motion. The idea is to establish
immediate true roll for improved accuracy and consistency."
The
Dawn is 100 percent CNC milled from a one-piece forging of 303
stainless steel. The stock lie angle is 72 degrees and the loft is 2.5
degrees. The putter is available in lengths from 32 inches to 37
inches. The head weight is 345 grams. The Dawn comes with a stock Iomic
brand grip and a head cover with a magnetic closure.
The View from PutterZone.com
At
first glance, from afar, the YES! Dawn putter might be mistaken for
just another Anser-style putter, the most common genus in the putter
ecosystem. But it is much more than that, as I quickly found out.
First
off, I was immediately comfortable with the Dawn putter, as if it were
designed just for me. That could just be a coincidence, a sort of
alchemy of physique and mechanics.
But
I suspect that it also has something to do with the more universal
qualities of the design and the obviously extreme attention to detail
that went into developing the putter. For example, all that talk about
matching sole draft to loft might sound like marketing jive, but I can
attest that the Dawn walks its talk on that front. This is a putter
that truly wants to sit and appear square, which ultimately helped me
sink more putts.
The
feel of the YES! Dawn putter is magnificent. Pure strikes are rewarded
with a thick, juicy resonance in the hands and ears. There is a sort of
smooth, glassy quality to the feel as well, as if the ball is literally
gliding off the face. This sensual glassiness is something that I have
experienced on other YES! putters, so I must attribute it to the unique
properties of the C-Grooves.
I
can't testify to the efficacy of the C-Grooves in terms of true roll.
I'm not a physicist. I can say that the Dawn rolled the ball very
cleanly and consistently. Was it the grooves, the relatively low loft,
some other performance factor, or a combination thereof? On the other
hand, why ask why?
I've
been heckling YES! for a few years about its standard black, white and
bright yellow horizontally striped grips. I'm told that these grips are
actually quite popular (and they're obviously a great branding
mechanism), but I find them to be a bit obnoxious. On that note, I was
delighted to discover that the Dawn's stock Iomic brand grip is a
simple black with a small yellow brand logo on the front. Best of all,
this grip offers the beautiful feel and texture for which Iomic is
renowned.
The
look of the Dawn is quiet and purposeful, but with some subtle sexy
nuances that give it just the right touch of luxury. The use of mustard
yellow-orange paintfill in places is a rather ballsy aesthetic choice,
but it actually works quite well with the steel finish. The lines of
the putter are sharp in places, giving it a clean, sleek profile.
The
Dawn ultimately has an "it" factor that is tough to fully explain or
quantify. Whatever "it" is, the Dawn has "it." This putter is simply a
cut above in the way it sets up, in the way it feels, and in the way it
performs. It is the putter equivalent of a Porsche in how it handles,
and in how all of its parts come together with a vivid sense of beauty
and balance.
The Bottom Line
The
YES! Dawn putter walks its talk in terms of superior quality and
performance. It boasts a rare sense of poise and purposefulness,
delivering the ball to the hole with remarkable feel and a consistent
roll. The YES! Dawn is ultimately the kind of putter that can earn its
way into the bag for years to come, making it well worth its asking
price.
Posted by PutterZone.com at 12:15 PM
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