Hooked On Golf Blog

TaylorMade Monza Corza Putter

Written by: Guy Lester - PGA Professional | Thursday, September 1st, 2005
Categories: Golf Clubs • Golf Equipment • Reviews

Foreword by Tony Korologos (aka mediaguru)

I’d like to introduce my pal Guy Lester. He’s a PGA Pro at my local club. He’s going to be a contributor here at HOGB! Guy’s insights as a golf instructor, PGA Pro and a man behind the counter at a golf course will be a welcome addition here.

Now onto this putter story. When I got the Monza Corza putter Guy got his grubby hands on it and never gave it back. He then went out and shot a blistering 29 on the front 9 at a course down the street. He was sinking putts from two zip codes away. I’ve been trying to get this putter back from him but he won’t budge. I told him if he didn’t get me that putter back he’d be responsible for covering my review. Here it is:

monaz corza putter TaylorMade Monza Corza Putter

TaylorMade in their infinite wisdom has created a jewel of a putter for all of us who love the looks of a mallet style head: The Monza Corza

First, let me say that I was the first to jump on the TaylorMade driver bandwagon, and enjoyed their forward thinking technology as it progressed through the late 80’s and 90’s. I have tried a few putters that they have produced through this time, but I felt that Ping just had the market, and that TaylorMade were making putters almost as an afterthought. Even with the introduction of the Rosa series of putters, the feel and look that I was looking for was not there. Some were very heavy, some felt dead off the face and some felt very hot off the face. I would hit a few putts, and then put them back on the rack and keep my putter in the bag.

Innovations

Then here comes a putter that is very forward thinking, and has 2 very sweet innovations. One, AGSI technology, and two, movable weights. Ok, just what is AGSI? It is TaylorMade’s new face technology. Horizontal grooves in a red face plate made of a material called Titalium. It is a composite of seven metals which was found in their older Rossa putters. AGSI stands for Anti-Skid Groove System Insert. AGSI Face The face of this putter is designed to reduce the amount of skidding a ball does after it makes contact with the face of the putter. Most all putters have several degrees of loft. This aids in giving a ball topspin and helps a ball rolling. Unfortunately, with most all putters before the ball begins rolling the ball will skid, then hop after the first few feet then begin to roll. This is where most accuracy and pace of the putts are lost. The better you can control this hopping or skidding off the face of a putter the more on line your putts will stay, and more likely your ball will roll truer, and further. The AGSI insert does reduce the amount of skid, and hopping by having the material in the grooves expand on contact.

The first thing that I noticed about this putter is that my pace to the hole improved, and putts that I thought would come up short made it to the hole. This is no small thing, and I could feel the difference with the first putt I hit.

Monza Corza Rear View The second innovation is the introduction of movable weights that Taylor Made made famous with their R7 drivers. by putting the TLC cartridges into the rear of the putter I am able to adjust the weight of the putter. This is not new technology. Ram produced a putter in the 70’s called the Zebra that you could adjust the weight by removing the bottom plate of the putter, and then add basically washers to get the desired effect. The problem was that it took time to make the change. You never really knew how much weight you were adding. The Corza comes with two 6 gram weights, and you can purchase more weights as you need. The same tool that is used with the R7 driver is used to change the weights on the Corza putter, so one, you can change the weights in a snap, and two, you know the exact amount of weight you are placing into the putter. This is great because on slower greens you will want a heavier putter, and on faster greens a lighter putter.

Easy alignment

Even with these two great innovations, one of the things that I love about this putter is the top sight line. By removing the material in the putter head, save the center line and weight ports, it produced a dramatic line down the sweet spot of this putter. It aids in lining up my putter head to my target. The thin line down the center is perfect for those who like to draw a line on the ball. This thin black line is just an extension to the line on your ball.

Shaft & grip

The Corza shaft is available in three shaft options. A center shaft, a plumbers neck, and a double bend. The grip is a ” Red/Black Tour Pistol” made by Winn Grips and has a wonderful feel.

Over the years I have owned more than a hundred different putters. I still have an original Zebra. But with each new putter I have owned came the same disappointment. I would get on a roll, make a few putts, then lose confidence in my stroke and my putter. I would then place the offending putter into the back of my closet and punish it for the three putts, or the missed 3 footer. I have yet to do this with the Corza. If I have missed a putt, it was due to my poor aim, and at this point I can honestly say that I have made more putts that I thought I miss hit that made it to the hole than putts that I have misread. Simply put, I tore this putter out of Tony’s hands when he received it. I cannot in good faith give it back to him.

I tell my students that putting is 80% confidence, and it is not the putter that makes you a better putter, it’s the guy holding the putter. I am sure that Brad Faxon, or Phil Mickelson could putt better then me with a rock tied to the bottom of a stick. But knowing that my putt will get to the hole, and on the line that I intended has given me more confidence than I have had in years.

What can be improved?

There are just a few things that I feel that Taylor Made could have improved upon. First, they sell this putter with the weights in place. Unless you already own an R7, you are given no way to change the factory set weights! Even if you buy additional weights, you will still need the special wrench made by TaylorMade to change the weights. This I just don’t understand. Why give this great technology in a club, then make it very hard to use it? Second, while the grip has wonderful feel, the material gets dirty very easy and just looses the original beauty. I feel that these are small prices to pay, I own an R7, and well I will just have to wash my hands more.

Conclusion

In conclusion, I love this putter and Tony, you can have this putter back when you pry it out of my cold dead hands.

5 responses to “TaylorMade Monza Corza Putter”

iacas says:

September 2, 2005 at 6:38 am

Antiskid Groove System Insert = AGSI. Sure, they ignore that first “S” in Skid, but… oh well.

“Most all putters have several degrees of loft. This aids in giving a ball topspin” – loft doesn’t help at all with topspin. It helps in lifting the ball out of the small depression in which it sits.
mediaguru says:

September 2, 2005 at 7:48 am

I would imagine a degree or two of loft striking at the equator or below would start the ball off in the air with a bit of topspin…
Hooked On Golf Blog » Blog Archive » How’d you like to have Tiger and Retief in your rear view mirror? says:

November 5, 2005 at 10:45 pm

[…] . Frustrated with his putting, he took a full swing with his putter at his golf bag. His Monza Corza became unplayable at that point and he putted with an iron the rest of the round. He putted b […]
Hooked On Golf Blog » Blog Archive » On the 9th day of Christmas my true love gave to me… says:

December 10, 2005 at 11:01 pm

[…] ne person I can think of who isn’t really doing well with it though: Sergio Garcia. Click here for the HOG review of the Monza Corza.

by mediaguru @ 11:01 p […]
Hooked On Golf Blog » Blog Archive » How’d you like to have Tiger and Retief in your rear view mirror? says:

July 6, 2007 at 10:53 am

[…] today. Frustrated with his putting, he took a full swing with his putter at his golf bag. His Monza Corza became unplayable at that point and he putted with an iron the rest of the round. He putted better. […]