Walkinshaw Sports to Distribute New Generation of Hi-Tech Zebra Putters
- Iconic putter brand returns with four new hi-tech designs
- Models to suit all golfers featuring classic head shapes and multi-material technology, with changeable weights, roll-enhancing face inserts and legendary striped alignment system
Zebra, one of golf’s most Iconic putter brands, is making a dramatic comeback to the game with a brand-new range of high-tech designs that are set to create a whole new generation of fans of their eye-catching looks and even more impressive performance.
Zebra has partnered with Australia’s largest multi-brand distributor Walkinshaw Sports to distribute the brand through golf courses and retailers across Australia.
First introduced in 1976, the Zebra putter was way ahead of its time, with its mallet-shaped head, adjustable weight system, and the unique black-and-white stripe alignment aid proving an instant hit with tour professionals and club golfers alike. Ray Floyd used one of the very first Zebra putters to win the Masters in 1976, while 18 years later Zimbabwe’s Nick Price capture the Claret Jug at the 1994 Open Championship with a trusty Zebra putter in his bag at Turnberry.
ZEBRA ENTERS A NEW ERA
After several decades out of the limelight, Zebra is back, under the new ownership of Golf Brands Inc, with the launch a new range of Zebra putters that is set to strike fear into putting cups around the world.
Two years in the making, and with design input from some of the most experienced putter designers in the business, the latest models to carry the iconic Zebra name have been reinvented for the 21st century with high quality components and performance-enhancing design elements.
Integral to the relaunch has been Austie Rollinson, Odyssey’s long-serving putter guru, who consulted on the designs with the aim of creating the ideal balance between alignment, forgiveness, weighting, feel, and roll to help all golfers putt their best.
Golf Brands Inc CEO, Simon Millington commented “What we strived for with the new range was to maintain the classic look so that when you pick up the putter you know straight away that it is a Zebra, then we used all the latest technology and design available to make it perform at the highest level.
“Working with Austie we created a range that looks like a Zebra putter should and offers the golfer a choice of head shapes that provide a blend of all the key performance categories”.
Every element of a new Zebra putter, from the head shape to the face insert, has been rigorously tested using computer-generated Artificial Intelligence Technology to find the perfect MOI and centre of gravity locations to ensure maximum performance from every model, with no stone left unturned in the search for putting perfection.
MODELS TO SUIT ALL STROKES
Leveraging all of Zebra’s impressive design heritage, including the Major-winning striped alignment system, the new range features four modern head shapes, including a rounded mallet (AIT 1), a fang (AIT 2), high-MOI flange (AIT 3), and a wide-bodied blade (AIT 4), to suit every putting stroke and every type of golfer.
In addition to the striped alignment system, each model also features a grooved face insert that precisely controls the friction at impact needed to deliver the correct amount of topspin to the golf ball to ensure consistent distance control across a wide portion of the face.
The grooves not only work with the stroke to impart topspin, but they also serve to lower the launch angle to minimize skidding and get the ball into the ‘roll phase’ more quickly, which is vital when controlling a putt’s overall distance.
Each model also features adjustable weighting technology, with weight ports located in the sole that can be switched with a choice of different weights to change the weight of the head to suit your stroke. The sole weights, which are sold separately, are offered in 10g, 15g and 20g.
AIT #1
The model that most closely resembles the original Zebra design from the 1970s, the AIT 1 is an over-sized, face-balanced mallet that boosts MOI and forgiveness. A horseshoe-shaped soleplate lowers the centre of gravity, while two 15g weights in the toe and heel creates a highly stable head at impact.
Weighing 355g, it is offered in RH/LH with34- and 35-inch shaft lengths, with a ¾ offset.
AIT #2
Zebra’s take on the classic fang design sees the weight pushed to the clubhead’s two-pronged extremities to boost MOI for straight shooting and an instantly smooth roll. Weighing 355g, it is offered in RH/LH with 34- and 35-inch shaft lengths, with a ¾ offset.
AIT #3
Another high MOI model, this exciting new design is all about enhancing forgiveness, with the four weight ports on the sole placed forward and outward to deliver high MOI and a supremely balanced head.
Weighing 355g, it is offered in RH/LH with 34- and 35-inch shaft lengths, with a ¾ offset.
AIT #4
Designed for players that prefer the look and feel of a blade, this new wide-body, heel-toe weighted design boasts all the forgiveness golfers demand of a mallet but placed in the more refined head shape of a blade. The weight savings from the insert design enables more mass to be located in the toe and heel areas to further enhance forgiveness.
Weighing 350g, it is offered in RH/LH with 34- and 35-inch shaft lengths, with a full offset and 25° toe hang.
SHAFTS & GRIPS 7
All four models are fitted with KBS Stable Stepped Shafts as standard. Stiffer than traditional putter shafts, they are designed to offer increased stability when used with heavier head weights.
A Winn VSN midsized pistol grip is offered as standard. Excel polymer material with a new hexagon pattern offers unmatched feel and performance, while providing that comfortable yet tacky feel that Winn is renowned for.
