Among the many famous names in putter manufacturing, any golfer worth his flat stick would nod in agreement at the mention of Scotty Cameron and Robert Bettinardi being the top two putter brands in modern golf.

• Related: Korean Gadget Report, Pt. 3: A truly unique putter face

To be sure, there are many great putters out there, and Odyssey lineups are probably the best-selling putters by far. But when it comes to brand power, it usually comes down to these two names. We also know that brand power doesn’t necessarily mean better performance on the greens.

• Related: Korean Gadget Report, Pt. 2: Ficor Band – the best golfer’s elbow treatment?

Putting is very subjective, and a glance into some tour pros’ bags will often reveal an old putter with its fair share of dings and scratches. Despite being able to own any putter they want, pros stick with their tried and true, while Joes like me tend to drool over the latest and greatest.

• Related: Korean Gadget Report, Pt. 1: Meet the Puttist

Looks vs Performance vs Ego

So what’s the most important factor in choosing YOUR putter? Some of you may be thinking “if it works for me, that’s the one.” But are you sure? For example, if you were given a chance to choose a free putter from a big box store, would you be courageous enough to choose a cheap $100 putter that seemed to work best for you? Or would you choose the latest milled GSS (enter your favorite brand here) putter costing 10 times as much?

And this is precisely my problem. I want to be an effective putter on the greens, but I also want to look good doing it. To this end, I have tried many flat sticks from Bettinardi, Titleist, and almost all big OEMs. A few years ago, I also discovered the milled delights of boutique brands like Lamb, Olson, Artisan, and other small but stylish putter brands on social media. Their offerings seemed more like works of art than golf clubs, and while I enjoyed the envy it generated from my friends, the sad truth was that I still did better with the bigger, uglier mallets (aka DF2.1 from L.A.B).

Just as I was about to give up my search for that unicorn with both beauty AND brains (read performance) I discovered the Korean Tiger here in my own backyard.

A classic milled putter with more than gorgeous looks under the hood?

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Unicorn

Yoon Chang-sun, CEO of KOTI Putter, is no newcomer to industrial design. With an impressive career background in mechanical engineering and mobile phone design at one of Korea’s largest conglomerates, his love of golf turned him towards club design in 2007.

He was fascinated by the art of putting and says he was initially inspired by the works of Scotty Cameron. Drawing on his work background, he obsessed with putter designs to help roll the ball forward as straight as possible. His first creation, the “wire putter”, incorporated metal wires in the face, an idea he got from watching tennis balls bouncing off the mesh face of a racquet. He was intrigued by how the mesh wrapped around the ball at impact but still imparted accurate direction and power.

His first foray into manufacturing was called Tang putters, named for the sound that it made when the ball bounced off the wire face.

Yoon’s out-of-the-box ideas continued with his early version of the “Transformer putter”, in which he shifted the location of the CG by transforming the putter head with movable parts. He would soon learn that the shape-changing aspect of his putter is non-conforming, but the experience helped him to realize the importance of weight distribution. After forming YCS Golf Studio in 2014 and launching several more designs, he finally found success in 2020 with the KOTI putter line featuring the “Center of Gravity Technology” that promised both performance and style.

Early prototypes of the wire putter and transformer putter.

“I wanted to create a new line of putters that not only looked pleasing to the eye but to also really perform for golfers of all skill levels. My experience in engineering taught me that a perfectly balanced putter would offer the most stability, not only at impact but also in the stroke itself, especially on the backstroke.

I have seen so many wonderful looking putters, only to feel awkward when pulling the putter back to start the stroke. Inevitably, this uncertainty would be reflected in my stroke, leading me to miss the putt in so many ways. By placing  the CG exactly at the center of the putter head in all my designs, I wanted to help golfers find that right feel to be able to pull the trigger with confidence at address” – Chang-suh Yoon, CEO and creator of KOTI putters

The shape of this particular putter model symbolizes the traditional look of Korean architecture, while the shape of the Korean peninsula is often likened to that of a tiger, giving Yoon the inspiration for KOTI, the Korean TIger.

The name Korean Tiger (KO-TI) was chosen to represent the tiger which is commonly associated with the Korean peninsula and the symbolic fighting spirit of its people. The trademark raised toe section of the KOTI putter head also reflects the timeless architecture of Korean houses and castles called ‘Han-Ok.

“I wanted my designs to not only perform but to also mean something special to the golfer who plays them. To this end, all of my putter models are named after historical places such as ‘Jeju’ and ‘Dokdo’ Islands and iconic Korean achievements such as the’Hun Min JeongEum’, the modern Korean Hangul alphabet developed by King Sejong in 1446.” – Chang-suh Yoon, CEO & creator of KOTI putters

Of his putters, one model is called HanMinJeongEom, after the first Korean book that was made using the new alphabet created by King Sejong. Hangul is often referred to as one of, if not the most scientific alphabet in the world, and is a great source of pride to the Korean people.

More Than Just Good Looks

I’ve always longed to have that cool aura of a player: MB irons, a blade putter, and a single sleeve of Maxfli balata in the bag, a la Fred Couples circa 1992. But as I got older, I headed in the opposite direction as the mallet putters and their technological advantages were too good to pass up. On the other hand, the handsome milled putter heads usually offered me little in the performance department. Other than jaw-dropping designs that lightened my wallet, these beauties were most about good steel, clean milled faces for “feel” and aesthetically pleasing looks that fooled others into thinking I was a good putter.

KOTI putters also check the same boxes, but Yoon’s designs also provide a unique technology I haven’t seen in other milled putters. Featuring what he calls the “Center of Gravity Technology” Yoon’s line-up all have their CG placed EXACTLY in the center of the putter — not only on the center of the face but on the center of the sole as well. Although I don’t know much about putter designs, it was impressive to see KOTI putters balance perfectly atop a single nail point.

Could this be the unicorn/tiger I was searching for? Since the balancing act was the first time I’ve seen it done in a traditional one-piece milled putter head, I was intrigued to see what it could do.

Note that both rear bumpers on the KOTI putter above are the same, yet still manage to balance on the center of the putter face.

All of Yoon’s putter models feature the CoG Tech, which allows it to be balanced on the putter face center and bottom sole’s center.

After rolling several KOTI putters at Yoon’s new studio, I was quite pleased by the feel and results I was seeing. The first thing I noticed with all the KOTI putters was how easy it was to pull the putter back from address. With any new putter, I would normally need to fidget with the grip and the unfamiliar weight before I can feel any semblance of a smooth takeaway.

With KOTI, however, the putter head seemed to glide effortlessly back and straight through from the start. Regardless of the type of putter, I was still able to pull the putter back in one smooth and fluid motion without any discernable wobbling or shaking. According to Yoon, this was the center of gravity tech in action, which ensured a stable and consistent putting stroke from start to finish. Each of his putters felt as if it was tailored to my specific stroke, and I felt comfortable over the ball right away.

It was love at first stroke, but I also know how puppy love works. I fell in love with enough beautiful putters over the years to know that no matter how awesome it rolls at the golf shop, the magic mysteriously disappears as soon as it’s bought and paid for, leaving a broken wallet in its wake. Fortunately(?) I was able to overcome my rational side and order myself a custom center-shafted KOTI ‘TaeBaek’ (named after a famous Korean mountain range) putter, complete with customized stamping and a personalized putter cover. The hopeless romantic in me really, really hopes that this love affair lasts.

Love is… a custom center welded plumber neck KOTI ‘TaeBaek’ model with a $ center dot and single sight line, complete with a custom 3D headcover.

It seems I’m not the only one sitting up and taking notice of KOTI. Yoon’s studio is currently backlogged with tour pros and elite amateurs all clamoring for his creations. When asked what his future plans are, Yoon says he wants to focus on maintaining quality in all of his products, which means you may not find his putters on the golf store shelves anytime soon.

As each putter is machine milled for CG balance and handcrafted to perfection, the price is a bit steeper than your off-the-shelf variety. For those having the patience to wait (3~6 months) for quality and performance, a  one-off custom KOTI putter with Yoon’s unique signature stamp can cost $1500 and up, while a small batch limited-run models can be between $800~$1200. These cost a pretty penny to be sure, but beauty and brains never did come cheap. Just ask Mr Cameron.

The KOTI putting robot adorn the front of Yoon’s new workshop where he meticulously hand-crafts all the final details.

At the end of the day, KOTI is still a newbie in the world of high-end putters. But Yoon is not in a hurry. He’s confident that his CG tech and quality craftsmanship will win over more golfers of all skill levels soon. And with an unprecedented boom in golf around the world of late, I wouldn’t be surprised to see his KOTI putters in the hands of golfers sooner than expected. So if you’re like me and on the lookout for a sweet-looking classic putter with actual technology behind it, then you may want to get in line early.

For more pictures of KOTI putters and Yoon’s craft, visit his Instagram page @koti_putter