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Has it been worth the wait? Jonathan Taylor reviews the new Milled Series 004 putter from Zebra.
The iconic Zebra putter was born in the mid-1970’s, and sprung to prominence when Ray Floyd wielded one to such good effect in winning the 1976 Masters. Nick Price also used a Zebra putter when he won The Open at Turnberry in 1994.
The brand then became dormant for a number of years before returning in 2023 with the AIT (standing for Artificial Intelligence Technology) Series of putters – using AI to optimise MOI and CG for the putter head.
The latest offering from Zebra, the Milled Series, features a small range of putters designed by former Odyssey guru, Larry Tang, and are made from a single billet of carbon steel.
This Zebra milled series 004 putter review is one of two from this series that I have tested – the other being the 001, which is a mallet putter (review link below).
Zebra Milled Series 004 Putter Review: First Impressions
My usual putter of choice is the traditional Anser/Newport shape of head and so the Zebra milled series 004 putter was, on paper, just my sort of weapon.
Over the years, I must have put over a hundred blade-style putters behind a ball, in the search for the perfect model. Some seem to offer immediate and easy alignment, and some just don’t look right. The prominent alignment lines of the 004 put this very much in the former category (which is good). On the other hand, it lacks the sheer beauty of a Scotty Cameron putter (but costs about half as much).
However from the Winn AVS midsize Pistol grip down the 34inch shaft with the classic plumber’s hosel( offering moderate toe hang ) to the black putter head with no less than seven alignment lines, this looks like a quality product. In fact it’s the seven alignment lines that really only offer just a passing resemblance to the original Zebra putter.
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My putter was fitted with 2 x 10gm weights and there is the option to swap into 5 or 15gm weights to fine tune according to your preference.I tend to prefer a heavier head so swapped into 2×15 gm weights which made the head 360 gm rather than 350. I think that once you have found your ideal head weight, you’re unlikely to alter it, but it’s always good to have the choice.
I should add at this point that Zebra putters are supplied direct to consumer ( or DTC) which means that you don’t get the opportunity to demo the product before purchase, although Zebra do offer a 30 day returns policy.
Ok, let’s find out how the 004 performed on the course.
Zebra Milled Series 004 Putter Review: NCG Review
Because the 004 is my type of putter, I quickly got used to stroking the ball on the greens. I like the classic appearance. Zebra tell us that the ‘sweeping shape of the numbers inspires a flowing stroke.’ When I read that, I thought it was marketing speak, but I do have to say that the look of the head is very easy on the eye.
The carbon steel head offers a crisp feel which might be a little clicky for some. There are no face inserts here- the upside of that is that you get excellent feedback in that you know where you’ve hit the ball on the face. On the downside, there isn’t the supportive technology offered by some competitor brands, so that a miss hit putt with the 004 has consequences. in other words, it’s not as forgiving.
On the course I felt that the 004 offered easy alignment for all types of putt (long, short, left to right, right to left, oh, and straight).
Distance control was a little harder to achieve, but I should clarify that I was testing on early season greens which are not yet performing at their best. Certainly even a mildly off-centre strike did produce a loss of distance.
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Is this putter going to replace my usual gamer? In short, no, because it just lacks the performance benefits offered by my current trusty blade. Interestingly, I found that the 001 mallet model from Zebra performed a little better overall so that may be worth a look.
Overall this is a well-constructed and designed putter with a premium look. For me, it isn’t up there with the best putters on offer, but it does provide a quality alternative to the usual players, and it also comes in at a reasonable £249.99 which is almost half the price of some competitor brands.
And for that £249.99 you get a superb Winn AVS Pistol grip and a leather-look velcro-closure Zebra headcover, enabling you to stand out from the crowd. And with a 30 day moneyback guarantee, you have nothing to lose!
