Equipment
L.A.B. Golf now offers DF 2.1 putter with Electroless Nickel finish
When you have an award-winning product, you don’t need overhaul it.
Instead, from time to time, you just need to give it a little tweak, and in the case of L.A.B. Golf’s DF 2.1—featuring lie angle balanced technology—that means offering a new highly durable nickel finish.
This isn’t the first time the team at L.A.B. Golf has changed a few things up with the DF 2.1. Just this May, on “Star Wars day” May 4th (because May 4th also kinda sounds like “May the force… be with you”) they released a hyper-limited 5 putter series featuring Start Wars graphics.
The new nickel finish on the L.A.B. DF2.1 is applied using Electroless Nickel Plating which is applied in a nickel bath through a chemical reaction. This reaction doesn’t require the traditional electric current for the plating process and it deposits a uniform layer of nickel onto the surface of the putter.
This nickel plating makes the finish on the putter almost impossible to scratch, and based on the properties of pure nickel, it isn’t affected by moisture.
Price, Specs, and Availability
The L.A.B. Golf DF 2.1 is available now with a base price of $425, with the new nickel plating being offered for an additional $30.
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.
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
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
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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...
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Driver: TaylorMade Qi4D (10.5 degrees) Shaft: Project X Titan Yellow 60 TX 3-wood: TaylorMade Qi4D Tour (15 degrees) Shaft: Project...
Tom D
Aug 24, 2020 at 8:38 pm
I have had a DF 2.1T for about a year now, and if it’s not being used to putt, it’s in the headcover, still looks brand new. Very interested in the new nickel version, I think it looks great !
Metallurgy Man
Aug 16, 2020 at 3:37 pm
Aluminum putters will always get dinged up and wear worse that steel. Release something in 17-4 steel or becu and I’ll be interested. Sick of 303/4 steel, 1025 CS, and aluminum dominating the industry. IT DOESN’T LAST. Coatings are the biggest scam in golf. they look pretty and last a few seasons and then trick the user into thinking its time to buy new sticks. lets use metals that dont need a coating or skip the plating process altogether and just let it oxidize
Sam
Aug 16, 2020 at 4:13 pm
You can’t make this putter design in steel. It would be insanely heavy
Metallurgy Man
Aug 17, 2020 at 6:50 am
You can make it smaller, hollowed out, ported, etc. there are ways around every design challenge. I’m just saying the golf community is fooled into thinking this putter or any scotty is worth $350 when they are made from pretty basic materials and will not stand the test of time.