Why 2024 has been L.A.B Golf's year
L.A.B Golf has made 2024 its year, but what has the American brand done to make such huge strides?
If you're a golf fan, unless you've been living under a rock in 2024, you will be familiar with the instantly recognisable shapes of L.A.B Golf's putters.
The American brand has existed since 2018, but in 2024, it really took things to the next level.
Based out of Creswell, Oregon, L.A.B Golf was founded by Sam Hahn, a man whose career in the music and bar industry saw him miraculously stumble into the world of golf club manufacturing.
Hahn created L.A.B Golf with the inventor and founder of Directed Force, the putter brand that developed the technology used in L.A.B Golf putters today.
The pair teamed up to rebrand Directed Force to L.A.B, and a new brand was born.
At the heart of L.A.B's putters lies Lie Angle Balance, the piece of patented tech that separates L.A.B's putters from the competition.
What the tech does is allows the putter to generate zero torque, thus allowing the face of the putter to remain square to the target throughout the entirety of the stroke.
As a result of this stability, L.A.B's putters dramatically reduce the chances of a poorly struck putt.
While this may all sound like marketing jargon, I can assure you I have received no money from L.A.B to write this article.
What we have found with L.A.B putters and one model in particular, is that, like the first Odyssey two ball, they really do help everybody putt better.
It's rare that genuine game changing innovations happen in golf these days, but L.A.B Golf has without a doubt made one.
While all of the putters L.A.B produce are impressive, one in particular has really made us sit up and pay attention, and it's the putter that has made 2024 L.A.B's year.
We are of course talking about the DF3. We have tested a number of putters in 2024, but the DF3 is by far the most impressive.
Strong stable and incredibly forgiving, put simply it just makes putting so much easier. In a game as tricky as golf, we need to take every advantage we can, and the DF3 genuinely gives golfers an advantage.
While I may not be the ultimate authority on putting, all you have to do is look how quickly the DF3 has become popular on Tour to see just how good it is.
Rickie Fowler, Dustin Johnson, Phil Mickelson, Garrick Higgo and Lucas Glover all currently use the DF3, while Adam Scott, Ben An, Will Zalatoris and Charles Howell also all use other L.A.B models, and if I was a betting man, I would back that number to almost triple by the time the new year rolls around and off season testing has been completed.
As a result of Tour validation and an excellent marketing strategy that has been rolled out on a global scale, according to Club Champion data, L.A.B putters made up three of the top five best selling putters in the first half of 2024.
So where is the ceiling for L.A.B? Well with another prototype having already been spotted on Tour, it appears the brand isn't resting on its laurels and is already looking to make even bigger strides in 2025.
Personally we can't wait to see what's to come.
Johnny joined GolfMagic as Reviews Editor in 2023 having worked for Sports Impact for two years as Head of Social Media, working alongside prominent golf brands including Galvin Green, Motocaddy and Wilson.
