If there’s one thing people care about with their putters, it’s feel …
Flexibility plays a BIG part of that.
No, it’s not fully responsible for it, but the give a putter offers determines how well it’ll grab the chains after making contact. Or, how far it’ll slide past the pin after a miss, approach or drive.
Today, I’ll rank one of the game’s most popular putters in terms of softness …
The Innova Aviar.
Given the widespread appeal of the Aviar, it’s available in (nearly) all Innova plastics. And seeing as how there are a million plastic types coming out of Rancho Cucamonga, not every last one of ‘em is getting a shoutout in this thing: It’s the standard ones I’m most concerned about.
For example, Blizzard and Metal Flake plastic are just glorified Champion. And I’ve never even seen the Aviar outfitted in ‘em, either. Also, Halo and Shimmer are two others that come to mind. Again, though, they’re merely Star plastic with a different look about ‘em – it’s all aesthetic.
And lastly, this isn’t an EXACT science …
You may or may not agree with a couple of these.
To start, let’s keep things simple …
From the softest to the most firm Putt & Approach Aviar: R-Pro, DX, GStar, Classic, Star, XT, Nexus and Champion. From run to run, the first three are liable to switch positions, but more often than not, with the “R” in “R-Pro” standing for “rubber,” it takes the cake as the softest.
* Note #1: The Classic Aviar is a DX Aviar, but it’s an intentionally stiffer version of the disc.
From there, things get a bit trickier …
Here, we’re not only dealing with different polymer composites, but molds, too.
Again, from softest to firmest …
- The JK Pro Aviar: This is the Big Bead Aviar mold. Of the trio of beaded Aviars, this one’s marketed as the softest of the lot – and it really is. To help put this disc’s pliability in perspective, it’s softer than the Yeti Pro Aviar, but more firm than the R-Pro Aviar.
- The Yeti Pro Aviar: This is also the Big Bead Aviar mold, but it’s purposefully puddle-topped – it helps with thumb placement. If I had to slide this putter into our original list, its rigidity would nestle comfortably between the Classic and Star Aviars.
- The KC Pro Aviar: Yup, you guessed it – more of the Big Bead Aviar. No ifs, ands or buts about it: This thing is firm. With respect to inflexibility, the lines of differentiation start to blur between KC Pro, XT and Nexus plastics. Personally, I’d put KC Pro a notch softer than Nexus, though the grip of Nexus is far superior. Also, Tour Series Pro Aviars (McPro) are the Putt & Approach Aviar mold, but in KC Pro plastic – so now you know.
* Note #2: To further add to the confusion, the Aviar Driver exists – click here for details.
Pretty maddening stuff, huh?
Takeaway: If you like Aviars, there’s one gummy (or firm) enough for your game.
You just need to know how to identify it …
Happy hunting.
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