Spieth tests L.A.B. VZN.1i as putting dilemma grows

L.A.B. VZN.1i – At TPC River Highlands during the Travelers Championship pro-am, Jordan Spieth put a black L.A.B. Golf VZN.1i mallet in his bag—an eye-catching shift from the heel-toe weighted blade many have seen him rely on for years. With a new build brought to him mid-pro

CROMWELL, Conn. — On Wednesday morning at TPC River Highlands. Jordan Spieth didn’t just take a new club out for a casual look. He had a black L.A.B. Golf VZN.1i putter in his bag during the Travelers Championship pro-am. a rare sight for a player who has built much of his career around a heel-toe weighted blade.

Spieth has used a Scotty Cameron 009 to win three majors, and more recently has been using a T.P. Mills Trad II. So when a mallet shows up—especially one designed around torque-reduction and lie-angle balance—it lands with weight. It’s the kind of test that doesn’t ask for attention, but gets it anyway.

The VZN.1i Spieth was testing came with two wide. white alignment lines on the topline and an L.A.B. profile built to help golfers aim and align the face more easily. He was also testing a putter with a single white alignment line. The head itself is hollowed out. rides on multiple sole weights. and uses a 303 stainless steel insert with a deep milling pattern.

Spieth has been using a 35-inch version with a 70-degree lie angle that came straight out of the demo bag at TPC River Highlands. But for this week, L.A.B. made and shipped a 35.5-inch model with a 69-degree lie angle to the course. That putter was delivered to Spieth as he played his pro-am on Wednesday morning—an added detail that turns this from “something to try” into “something brought with intent.”.

At the center of L.A.B.’s pitch is lie-angle balance. The company’s idea is straightforward: reduce the tendency of the putter head to twist open or closed during the stroke. It’s a concept that’s helped L.A.B. become a major name in the broader “zero-torque” conversation. and it’s a reason tour players at least end up curious enough to test.

Spieth likes one part of the feel most: that the putter sits perfectly flat at address and lets him make the kind of stroke he prefers. Joe Miera, a L.A.B. Golf PGA Tour rep, put it plainly: Spieth isn’t trying to become a robot on the greens. “He has never putted like a player trying to pass a geometry exam,” Miera said. Spieth sees lines, feels speed and reacts. The appeal of the VZN.1i. on that reading. is that it can keep that natural response while giving the face a bit more stability.

There’s also the numbers side of why this matters right now. Heading into the Travelers Championship, Spieth is ranked 57th on the PGA Tour in Strokes Gained: Putting. The rankings break down further: he’s 117th in Total Putting. 110th in putts between from 4 and 8 feet. and 86th on putts from inside 10 feet.

Whether the VZN.1i replaces the T.P. Mills Trad II this week is still the question. But Spieth testing it that seriously—complete with a new build arriving mid-pro-am—suggests this isn’t just curiosity. For now, the old blade is still nearby. In a week like this. it may end up being the one that watches from the bag while the mallet takes the spotlight.

Jordan Spieth Travelers Championship TPC River Highlands L.A.B. Golf VZN.1i putter test lie-angle balance zero-torque PGA Tour putting T.P. Mills Trad II Scotty Cameron 009