Equipment
Bettinardi launches new BB Series putters, unveils Inovai 3.0
“Classic Bettinardi, with a modern flair.”
That’s how Sam Bettinardi describes his company’s new BB Series, which will please golfers looking for something a little different from Bettinardi’s most wide-ranging putter line.
The putters use a Midnight Black PVD finish that flashes subtle rainbow accents. The finish is paired with lime green paintfill, as well as a lime green grip. Connecting those parts is a new Brushed Nickel shaft, which is stepless, glare-free, and of course has a lime green shaft band.
Putter enthusiasts will recognize the BB Series’ BB1, BB1F and BB8 putters, which have undergone small tweaks for 2016. Totally new, however, is the BB40, a low-profile mallet that offers big forgiveness.
The launch also includes a retro-styled putter — Bettinardi’s Studio Stock #6, an ode to the famed 8802 putter. It extends the Studio Stock family to three putters, including the Studio Stock 2 and Studio Stock 16 that were released in late 2014.
Last but not least is the company’s Inovai 3.0, the newest multi-material putter from Bettinardi. Continue reading for more details on the new Bettinardi putters, as well as Sam Bettinardi’s thoughts on each model that will be in stores Jan. 16, 2016.
BB1 ($299)
- Plumber’s Neck
- 1/2 Toe Hang
- 350 grams
- Midnight Black PVD Finish
- Hyper Honeycomb Face
What Sam says: “The BB1 has been in our line since 1999, and it’s a staple of our line. It’s for a player looking for a classic heel-toe style putter. It has more toe hang than last year’s model, because it has a little bit shorter neck.”
BB1F ($299)
- Flow Neck
- 3/4 toe hang
- 350 grams
- Midnight Black PVD Finish
- Hyper Honeycomb Face
What Sam says: “The BB1F is for those players who like an unadulterated view of the golf ball – they don’t want any distractions. The flow neck makes this putter a great option for them. It’s also really cool to be able to see the mill lines on the neck. That kind of precision … that’s what we’re all about.”
BB8 ($299)
- Plumber’s neck
- 1/2 toe hang
- 350 grams
- Midnight Black PVD Finish
- Hyper Honeycomb Face
What Sam says: “The biggest difference between the BB1 and the BB8 is the top line and the bumpers. If you’re looking down at the BB8, you’re going to see a really flat top line and bumpers that are really flat.”
BB40 ($299)
- Spud Neck, Single Bend
- Face Balanced
- 350 grams
- Midnight Black PVD Finish
- Hyper Honeycomb Face
What Sam says: “What I really like about this putter is the low profile of the pocket. It’s kind of like an old muscle car or a racing car. Being a mallet guy, I like how wide the flange is. Instead of a player’s mallet, I would call this a forgiving mallet.”
Studio Stock 6 ($399)
- Flow Neck
- Full toe hang
- 358 grams
- Olympic Bronze Finish
- Super Fly-Mill Face
What Sam says: The last time we made this putter was in 2011, and there’s always a demand for this style. The classic golfers, the guys who are looking for something vintage … we wanted to bring this back for them, and bring it back in a more modern way.
Inovai 3.0 ($299)
- Face Balanced
- Single Bend shaft
- 358 grams (also available in a counter-balanced model)
- 6061 Aluminum (anodized black), Stainless Steel (hand polished)
- FIT Face, Fly Mill
What Sam says: “This is a putter that we’ve literally been working on the last 8 months. It uses our Bi-Metal technology, and blends 6061 aluminum and 303 stainless steel. We mill the two pieces separately, and spent a lot of time making sure they fit together seamlessly. The stainless steel makes up two-thirds of the weight of the putter, which gives it very high outside perimeter weighting.
See what GolfWRX Members are saying about the new putters in our forum.
[wrx_retail_links productid=”37″]
Equipment
Neal Shipley, AKA, the “Big Fridge’s,” custom stamping
Neal Shipley was the first to admit that he enjoyed his food while in college. But since his days at Ohio State, he’s slimmed down and earned a PGA Tour Card.
That hasn’t stopped him from having fun with his wedge stampings, though it’s led to some misunderstandings.
On the 54 (degree), we have ‘Big Fudge,'” Shipley told GolfWRX. “It was supposed to be ‘Big Fridge,’ so this happened a little while ago. ‘Big Fridge’ was a nickname between my college teammates and I, with ‘fridge’ meaning stomach, a big stomach.

“We told the Ping guys to put … ‘Big Fridge’ on it, and I think maybe some bad cell service or something, and they thought I said ‘fudge,’ so they put fudge on it.”
On Shipley’s 50-degree he also continues the food theme, this time with his go-to order at the “Golden Arches,” and his stamping “DONS 7.”
“The number 7 meal, the two cheeseburger meal, that was my McDonald’s order, back when I would have McDonald’s frequently,” Shipley shared.
Equipment
From the GolfWRX Classifieds: L.A.B. Purple DF3 with Masters cover
At GolfWRX, we are a community of like-minded individuals who all experience and express our enjoyment of the game in many ways.
It’s that sense of community that drives day-to-day interactions in the forums on topics that range from best driver to what marker you use to mark your ball. It even allows us to share another thing we all love – buying and selling equipment.
Currently, in our GolfWRX buy/sell/trade (BST) forum, @raw10628 has a L.A.B. DF3 putter and Masters putter cover up for grabs.

From the listing: “Some great items here today, time to thin out and make room for next set of gear. All prices include shipping.
LAB DF3 Purple 33.5” 68° lie with TPT – $725. LAB Masters release DF3 cover – $150.”
To check out the full listing in our BST forum, head through the link. If you are curious about the rules to participate in the BST Forum, you can learn more here: GolfWRX BST Rules
Whats in the Bag
Maria Torres WITB 2026 (June)
Driver: Ping G440 LST (9 degrees)
Shaft: Accra TourZ Green 5-M4

3-wood: Ping G440 Max (15 degrees)
Shaft: Accra TourZ Green 6-M4

5-wood: Ping G440 Max (19 degrees @18)
Shaft: Accra TourZ Green 6-M4

Hybrid: Ping G440 (23 degrees)
Shaft: Oban Isawa Red Hybrid Shaft 04 Flex 70 Gms

Irons: Srixon ZXi7 (5-P)
Shafts: Aerotech SteelFiber Private Reserve i80

Wedges: Cleveland RTZ (50-MID, 54-FULL, 58-MID)
Shafts: Aerotech SteelFiber Private Reserve i105

Putter: L.A.B. Golf OZ.1i
Shaft: ACCRA Putter Shaft

Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet






































Pingback: Bettinardi launches new BB Series putters, unveils Inovai
DB
Dec 9, 2015 at 10:39 pm
These are all a swing and a miss. Black finish with rainbow accents? All I see is glare. Plus how is that new honeycomb face better than just flat? Or the popular FIT face?
And the Inova 3.0… cool ideas there, but they should have just made it a #7 clone like everyone wants.
Pumper
Dec 2, 2015 at 3:11 pm
How can the honeycomb surface be more consistent than a flat surface? must be a reason for it??
ISIS
Nov 20, 2015 at 10:58 pm
That Inovai is so ugly. Ugly.
Rwj
Nov 19, 2015 at 4:58 pm
So the smallest putter, with the least amount of milling required, fewest tools need to mill, shortest machine time is the most expensive
NC
Nov 19, 2015 at 4:01 pm
The bb8 has 1/2 toe hang not 3/4…. according to Bettinardi site.
Zak Kozuchowski
Nov 19, 2015 at 4:05 pm
That is correct.Thank you, NC!
golfraven
Nov 19, 2015 at 2:50 pm
Really like the finish and the face. May pic one up on Ebay. Currently looking away from my Scotty. Could see the BB1 in my bag
slider
Nov 19, 2015 at 2:49 pm
nice putters but I think its pretty tough to beat out scotty camerons in tis price range
Golfandpuff
Nov 19, 2015 at 8:26 am
I would like to see one with short flow neck and no sight line! Newport 2.5 style
Michael
Nov 19, 2015 at 8:13 am
I wonder which models will be available left handed. I’m not getting my hopes too high.
Lsf_21
Nov 19, 2015 at 10:26 am
I think all will be but the studio stock.