Introduction
Scotty Cameron describes the Phantom 12 as “the most stable putter across the entire Scotty Cameron lineup”. Technically, there is plenty going on here to support that claim. It is a large, high-MOI putter with the lowest CoG of any model in the Phantom range, using a stainless steel body and aluminium face to move more weight down and back in the head.
The problem for me was much simpler.
I just didn’t particularly like looking at it.
That matters with a putter. However clever the engineering might be, you still have to stand over it and want to make a stroke. My first reaction to the Phantom 12 was fairly lukewarm, so the interesting part of this test became whether performance could change my mind.
First Impressions
I think this putter will divide opinion. To me, it looks like the love child of an old Scotty Cameron Detour and a TaylorMade Spider X. I’m not saying it is ugly, but it certainly wouldn’t be my first choice in the current Phantom lineup. Personally, I think this and the previously reviewed Phantom 3.2 are both a bit of a miss in the looks department.
Many golfers will like the long alignment line and contrasting colours. They certainly make the T-shaped section stand out and, if you aim using the rear or body of the putter, that could be a real advantage.
For me, though, there was simply too much going on behind the ball. I found the head busy and slightly distracting.
Still, looks are only part of the story. Could the performance change my mind?
Specification (as tested)
Total weight: 568g
Head weight: undeclared
Swing weight: E4
Length: 35”
Loft: 3° (+/-1°)
Lie: 70° (+/-2°)
Toe Hang: Face-balanced
Grip: Standard grey full contact pistol
There is a decent amount of fine-tuning available for loft and lie, and length can also be specified in 0.5” increments from 33” to 35”.
Protocol Snapshot (How I Tested It)
Surface: The practice green at the Craigtoun Course, St Andrews.
Conditions: A very pleasant summer afternoon with warm sunshine and a gentle breeze.
Make Test: 6 putts x 3 reps from 3, 6, 9, 12, 15 ft
Lag Test: 40 ft to 3 ft - uphill and downhill - run once
Start Line: Gate drill (two tees at 18 inches ahead, gate only just wider than a ball)
Benchmark: Lajosi KLP7J
Full testing framework: HERE
How Did It Perform?
Notes
This test was conducted on the practice green at the Craigtoun Course. With the recent hot weather, the green was firm and running fast.
Pros and Cons
Looks (neutral): I think the Phantom 12 will divide opinion. The shape and choice of materials have clearly been driven by CoG and MOI requirements, and visually it has something of the old Scotty Detour about it, mixed with the wings of a Spider Tour X.
It is certainly different, but still recognisable as a Scotty Cameron and nowhere near as outlandish as some of the older Futura or Phantom X models. Does anyone want to bring back black and lime green?
Grip (+ve): The standard grey Full Contact grip is a classic Scotty Cameron shape and immediately felt comfortable in the hands.
Headcover (-ve): This is becoming a familiar complaint in my Scotty Cameron reviews. At this price point, I’d expect something much better, particularly a more robust and reliable closure mechanism. I actually used a TaylorMade Spider cover to protect this one.
Aim/Alignment (neutral): This is probably where the disconnect started. As a face aimer, I found the head too busy and struggled to get completely comfortable at address. My eye kept being drawn into the rear of the putter rather than settling naturally on the face and target line.
If you are a rear aimer, I can see the appeal. The prominent T-section and long alignment line could be a real strength. For me, though, they had the opposite effect.
Feel and Sound (+ve): This was the big surprise. I had some concerns about how the aluminium face would feel, but I thought it was really good.
I wonder if that is partly because it is a fully milled face rather than an insert, or whether the combination of aluminium and stainless steel gives it a slightly different sound and response at impact. Either way, the feel was much better than I expected and probably the strongest part of the putter for me.
Interestingly, the more I used it, the more I liked the feel.
Pace Control (neutral): Despite liking the feel of the club, I struggled a bit with pace control. It still produced a respectable result in the lag test, just not as good as my regular putter.
Performance Overall (neutral): The overall performance was perfectly respectable, but it didn’t do enough to overcome my lack of connection with the putter.
I think I chose a particularly tricky six-foot putt because I struggled badly from that distance, but the rest of the results were decent relative to the Brodie expectations for a scratch golfer.
That is probably the key point. The Phantom 12 was not giving me obviously bad results. It simply never gave me any reason to want to keep testing it.
Price (neutral): At £449, this sits firmly at the premium end of the mass market. The quality of the putter itself is excellent and I really like the combination of materials.
But at this price, I still want a better headcover.
What did Vertex Say?
Vertex testing was conducted indoors on my putting mat. The results reinforced most of what I saw out on the putting green.
On average, my face change number was encouraging at just 0.48° open. Taken in isolation, that looks pretty good.
But the average hid a huge range of outcomes, as the consistency number shows. I was fighting the putter too much from stroke to stroke to ever feel completely comfortable with it.
That actually matched my subjective experience quite well. I could make the putter work, but it never felt particularly natural.
Rhythm was decent and close to the magic 2:1 ratio. The heavier head may also have played a part in me swinging this slightly faster than usual, but the tempo consistency itself was good.
The other interesting result was dynamic loft. I was adding quite a lot of loft through impact, with considerable backwards shaft lean.
Was I subconsciously trying to help the ball into the air because of the size and shape of the head? Or was the additional inertia of the heavier head influencing how I delivered it?
I don’t know the answer, but again it suggested that my stroke and this putter were not working together particularly naturally.
Conclusion
I think this review probably tells me something fairly simple about putters.
You have to want to use them.
The Phantom 12 is well made, technically interesting and, despite my concerns about the aluminium face, it actually feels very good. The performance was respectable too. There is nothing here that allows me to dismiss it as a bad putter.
I just never connected with it.
Every time I stood over the ball, I found myself looking at a head that I didn’t particularly enjoy looking at. The alignment system didn’t suit the way I aim and, rather than wanting to keep putting with it, I found myself wanting to go back to something else.
The Vertex numbers reinforce that feeling rather than create it. I could produce decent strokes with the Phantom 12, but I never felt particularly natural doing so.
That is probably the distinction that matters most. A putter can be stable, forgiving, beautifully made and technically impressive, but if you never really connect with it, none of those things may matter very much.
Fit verdict (for me)
Would I game it tomorrow? No.
What would I change? Nothing. I don’t think the putter needs changing. I’d simply choose a different model.
What have I learned? Performance alone isn’t enough. I have to like what I’m looking at and actually want to putt with it.
Have you tried the new Phantom 12 yet? I’d love to hear about your experience with it in the comments below. What were you playing before, what did you think of the multi-material design, and did you end up buying one?
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Thanks to Adam Legg and Auchterlonies for lending me the review putter.
Links:
Full testing framework: here
All my other putter reviews: here