Review: Yes! Golf Victoria II Putter - Put an exclamation point in your putting game!
Michael White
It started a couple seasons ago already. The bumblebee black, yellow, and white grips began popping up on my T.V. screen while watching the PGA, LPGA, Champions Tour, and European Tour coverage. What are those? More importantly- where could I get one?! The pros seemed to be putting lights out with these putters. Yes! Golf had captured a U.S. Open victory in the hands of Retief Goosen at Shinnecock Hills on some of the most brutal greens humans had ever seen two years ago. Recently, I learned that Yes! Golf was going to be introducing a new model called the “Victoria II.”
Born from input from PGA and LPGA players and what they wanted to see in a mallet design, I was eager to see if the pros’ vision of what a mallet should be matched that of my own tastes. The pros have great taste I must say!
The first thing that struck me when I picked up the Victoria II was the weight of the putter. Though not listed on their web site, I confirmed my suspicions with Yes! Golf that it is indeed heavier than their other models. At 375 grams, it is very hefty in its overall feel, which can be a great thing if you want to smooth out a herky-jerky stroke. Yes! Golf explained that the weight was actually a serendipitous accident in the manufacturing process, and that it is actually heavier than they had originally planned for. The Tour players liked the heavier feel, and I have to agree. It’s easy to put a smooth stroke on the ball with the added weight. It also got the ball to the hole each time! Leaving a birdie putt short is always painful, and I found my putts did not suffer from a lack of locomotion.
The feature that makes Yes! putters really unique is their “Concentric Groove Technology.” Circular scoring lines are milled into the face in the sweet spot area. These grooves are supposed to “grab” onto the ball and impart over-spin immediately on the ball. I did find the ball to be tracking across the green really well with the Victoria II. The added over-spin helps keep the ball low to the ground and prevents hopping and skipping of the ball on the way to the hole. A by-product of the concentric grooves is a soft, satisfying feel. Because less of the putter’s surface actually touches the ball, it adds to the “lightness” in the feel at contact. Instead of a typical “smack” of clubface meeting ball like that of a conventional putter, there is a sensation that the ball is almost “adhered” to the putter face for a split second before it is sent on its way. It’s a unique feeling, and is especially noticeable with premium, urethane-covered balls. It feels so good it’s almost addictive. (OK, so I’m a little strange!) But you get the idea. Soft and silky smooth is the feel at impact.
Visually, the Victoria II is a great design. It is face-balanced to promote a straight back and straight through putting stroke. It features a double bend shaft design with one full shaft offset. The flange area of the putter features a long, single sightline in white that make it especially easy to aim. Along the topline, there is also a contrasting area to aid in alignment and sweet spot location. The finishes used are matte finishes to reduce/eliminate glare, which worked quite well in my time with the Victoria II. The size is fairly large for a mallet, but I found it to be re-assuring when addressing the ball. It is about the size of half a golf hole for reference. Between the long sightline and the topline features, I found aiming the Victoria II to be extremely easy to aim, and the simple shape and matte finishes were not distracting in any way. When you are confident that you’re aimed in the right direction, it’s easier to putt a relaxed stroke on the ball. In this regard, the Victoria II really shines.
The signature grip is the Winn V17 series in Yes! Golf’s yellow, black, and white color scheme. It’s a great feeling grip with a lot of tackiness to make your grip feel secure with minimal hand pressure needed. Tension is a killer in the putting stroke, and these grips are great at aiding in lighter grip pressure. The size is a little thicker than I might prefer, but it is a good overall size to fit the majority of golfers. Of course, people will see you coming with those bright Yes! colors too!
The headcover is a nice design that features a magnetic closure that won’t wear out in time like Velcro is prone to. It is easy to take off and replace with a single flap closure, and provides adequate protection to the head.
Some of the best putters in the world are said to have such pure strokes that they create more over-spin than even other top tour players. That can take a lot of practice, and is something reserved for those going after PGA Majors. For those of us that need a little help creating that over-spin to get the ball tracking to the hole smoothly, there is Yes! Golf and their new Victoria II putter. With an easy to use design, good weight, and excellent balance, it’s one mallet that matters! Pick up a Yes! putter, and you’ll put an exclamation mark in your putting game. Just don’t say I didn’t warn you about their addictively good feel!
Michael White
Independent Equipment Consultant/Forums Moderator
Golf-Gear-Review.com
