Any time I see a Zebra putters I can’t help but think of watching golf in my youth and remembering how the Zimbabwean Nick Price would roll in putt after putt on his way to becoming world number one.
I’m sure this isn’t the case, but the way I remember it back then Price never seemed to miss from inside eight feet and that Ram Zebra putter made famous by Price (and Raymond Floyd too) was something I always wanted to get my hands on.
Nowadays though, Ram and Zebra are two separate entities. Ram has been rebranded as a more budget friendly brand while Zebra are higher up the price scale, although nowhere near the top. The Zebra Milled Series are very much premium though, so I put the 003 putter to the test to see if it’s worth the money.
This is a very nice looking putter. The branding is cool, the design looks great and it screams out premium product. The luxurious leather head cover featuring the Zebra logo is a real head turner and the premium mid-size Winn grip sits nicely in the hands and also features some nice branding with the Zebra logo.
The head is precision milled from a single billet of carbon steel but it isn’t the softest feeling putter. It isn’t meant to be though and many golfers like a more firmer feel. Personally my preference is for a softer feel at impact, but the 003 was fine, especially out of the sweet spot which was a very pleasant feeling (it always is though I guess).
I wasn’t in love with the sound as it was more high pitched than I expected. Less so when you find the sweet spot, but if you do miss it the sound will immediately let you know. It was quite unusual in that if you miss the center of the face by even a fraction you may not even know by the feel, but the difference in sound is obvious. The feel and sound is certainly not enough to put me off using this putter, but if you like a soft feeling, muted sound then you should probably look elsewhere. It all comes down to personal taste though.
All four putters in the Milled Series family have adjustable weights in the heel and toe. They come with 10g as standard but you can add lighter or heavier weights to find whatever set up feels right for you. I would probably add a little weight on slower greens and dial it back in the summer when things speed up a bit. I do think this perimeter weighting helps the performance though and I really enjoyed using this putter.
I liked how the 003 sits at address and it felt well balanced throughout the stroke. It’s nice and forgiving too as the weighting in the heel and toe help to maintain stability even on off-center strikes.
My best results with this putter came from inside six feet, which is not usually a strength for me. I felt pretty confident using this putter on short ones though, perhaps because of the stability and balance but maybe it’s those ‘zebra stripes’ and the alignment assistance they provide?
All in all this is a solid offering from Zebra and is a good option for anyone who likes using a blade but needs a bit of extra stability and forgiveness. The sound and feel aren’t to my own personal preference, and in an ideal world I would prefer a thicker grip, but that’s just me. In terms of the price point and what you get for your money (£250 / $300), I think Zebra have done a good job.
