by Bang Average Golf’s Chief Curator of Retro Chaos
Before milled faces and tour-pro-approved toe-hangs, there was the Zebra. Not just a putter. A statement. A wild-striped optical illusion that looked like it was designed by a wildlife documentary on acid.
RAM’s original Zebra wasn’t pretty. It wasn’t subtle. But it was iconic—and weirdly effective. Like a disco ball that happened to roll putts.
If the Ping Anser was a silent assassin, the Zebra was a carnival float that somehow made every 10-footer look like a straight putt. But Nick Price used it to win Majors and for a time looked like he couldn’t miss. That put the Zebra on the map and made it cool, albeit not for long.
THE LOOKS: Optical Mayhem
Let’s not pull any punches; it looks like it was drawn by a child during a sugar crash. The bold white stripes on the crown scream “alignment aid,” but also “zebra crossing.” It’s the visual equivalent of a kazoo. But… yeah it works. Just ask Nick Price.
Nowadays there are all manner of putters using all manner of markings to help you get your ball rolling on target. Back in the day though we had to rely on our eyes and when the Zebra burst onto the scene (© Micah Richards) those fat stripes somehow made lining up putts feel like cheating. It didn’t matter if the green was faster than a politician’s promise, you saw your line and trusted it. Even if you had no business doing so.
Bonus nostalgia points: it looked ridiculous next to a set of blades, and we loved it for that.
THE FEEL: Hollow, Harsh… and Weirdly Comforting
This wasn’t an age of forged carbon steel. There was no CNC milled either. Putters from this era were cast metal with all the acoustic charm of a dustbin lid. Hit one out the middle and it felt okay. Miss it by half an inch and it sounded like you’d dropped a tray of cutlery. Compared to other flatsticks of that time, the Zebra was like a cat’s purr on a rainy afternoon.
Somehow, it gave you confidence. Like a childhood teddy that smelled faintly of regret and glue; comforting in its own bizarre way.
THE PERFORMANCE: More Forgiveness than you Deserve
Let’s be clear: this thing wasn’t about feel. It was about results. And it delivered. The high-MOI mallet design was decades ahead of its time. It didn’t just forgive you, it excused you entirely.
The Zebra was the kind of putter you gave your mate who couldn’t putt and suddenly they’d two-putt everything. Was it magic? Was it science? Was it mind games caused by hypnotic stripes? Who cares. It got the job done.
Roll was straight. Distance control was decent. And if you missed, it definitely wasn’t the putter’s fault – it was because you can’t read greens or you have a putting stroke that’s as twitchy as a bloke who just realised he hit ‘Reply All.’
IN A NUTSHELL
Is it elegant?
No. It’s the golf equivalent of wearing Crocs with a tux.
Is it iconic?
More than a Spice Girls reunion.
Should you game it in 2025?
Only if you’ve got the minerals to walk onto the green with a putter that looks like a barcode. And you should.
Who’s it for?
Golfers with a sense of humour and a love of chaos. Blokes who say, “I remember when Faldo had hair.” People who putt by feel, but align by vibes.
BANG AVERAGE VERDICT
The original mallet that looked like nonsense and putted like a dream. Still the stripiest legend in golf, except when Tiger is wearing a stripy shirt.
Disclaimer: Using the Zebra may cause sudden nostalgia, questionable outfit choices, and an inflated sense of putting ability. Side effects include joy.
