Cleveland Smart Square Putter – Range Review

Cleveland Golf is a brand that needs no introduction even to the game’s most novice golfers. They are one of the true world leaders in golf equipment today, probably best known for their highly regarded line of wedges that have shaved strokes off of golfer’s score cards for years. However, over the last few years Cleveland has committed more time and resources to create innovative clubs that can compete with any brand out there.

Recently they’ve taken aim at the Odyssey putter lineup with their Smart Square Putter.  Featuring their new two square design, which they believe provides better alignment and produces a more consistent roll than the 2-ball putter.  According to Cleveland, the Smart Square was 23% more accurate than it’s more famous counterpart. Recently our friends at Cleveland set us up with a Center Shafted Smart Square Putter to hit the course with and see if we could find that 23% improvement they were boasting. Without hesitation we laced up our spikes and hit the course!

To completely understand the technology behind the Smart Square take a peek at the embedded video below, in which Cleveland Golf’s brand manager Adam Sheldon explains the lengths they’ve gone to improve the common golfer’s putts per round.

Now that you know what the Smart Square is all about and how it’s designed to work, let’s get down to the nitty-gritty and share the results of our testing and review sessions spent on the greens.

Design:

The Smart Square was designed to help players of all abilities discover easier, more consistent alignment and inspire confidence on the green. The design is all about the two squares which sit on top of the putter head. Two parallel lines extend from the center of the face to frame the ball down the line, and two perpendicular lines offer instant feedback when the putter is misaligned at address. Cleveland is calling this the Dual Axis Alignment.  The system is designed to help frame your ball perfectly within in the squares to get proper alignment so more putts roll directly in to the cup.

The putter is available in 33″-35″ lengths and comes in heel- and center-shafted models. The putter features a Copolymer face insert which should enhance feel and sound at impact and is supposed to deliver a consistent roll on your putts.

Feel:

From the moment you slide the putter into your grip it just feels very natural.  It has the right weight and the balance really seems spot on.  For people who are used to the Odyssey two-ball it may seem a bit clunkier to you but the Smart Square design will have you appreciating the feel in no time.  While it may be a little heavier than some putters, we did find that the large mallet head spreads that weight out for a nice balanced feel front to back of the putter head.  Upon impact there is little vibration and has great feel through the entire putting stroke.  Getting used to this putter took no time at all and the benefits were reaped very quickly!

Distance Control:

At 360 grams the Smart Square is very evenly balanced which led to a smooth and consistent stroke.  Cleveland stated that the face insert is designed for consistent rolls and superior distance control and we have to agree. The distance control portion is where the putter really earns it marks from our review team.  Even on misreads we found ourselves consistently close to the cup and converted a good number of typical 2 putts into fist pumping 1 putts. When aligning the ball inside the squares you feel confident knowing the ball is at least headed on the right line, which allows you to focus more on swing speed and producing a good roll on the ball.  The first 9 holes took us a bit to get adjusted and trust the alignment but once we did, the distance control was tremendous.

Consistency:

What ended up being the most surprising aspect of the Smart Square putter was how consistent and quickly it became.  After the first two rounds we saw a high number of one putts and two putts that were basically tap-ins.  We thought we were just having a good day but over the course of a couple of weeks and a lot of rounds we consistently hit solid putt after solid putt.  We even brought in outside testers to give it a try for a few rounds to see if they could produce similar results and everyone came back with rave reviews on the putter.  Since then, this putter became one of the more trusted clubs in our bags as we knew we could rely on the Smart Square.

Value:

Priced at $139.99 the Cleveland Smart Square putter should earn a spot in your golf bag.  In comparison to other putters this is a great price, but in addition to the results the Smart Square produces, it is a down right bargain.  The Square design system is extremely helpful in getting lined up correctly, which is half the battle when trying to putt. Once you start seeing that ball consistently roll near or in the cup, your confidence will start growing.  This putter quickly becomes an reliable friend on the green that delivers consistently over and over again!

Buy now or visit Cleveland Golf for more information