Nike Drone

How does it look behind the ball?

There's little doubt that the looks of Nike Drone will divide opinion. I'll state right up front, that I'm not a fan. If you are, then please skip the "look" section of the review and read on below, because we'll just to agree to disagree.

My problems with the Drone are numerous. Firstly there are just too many angles in the design and I'm not convinced they would help you to align the putter head well.

It seems to be conventional wisdom in putter design that the lines of the putter shape should be either parallel to or at 90 degrees to the target line. This is why the Anser style putter is the most popular and enduring shape in the world of golf.

If the design doesn't have square lines, then the sweeping curve of D-shaped head would be the next most popular, but obviously there's none of that in the Drone at all. It's a mishmash of angles and lines and just didn't give me much confidence about where the face was aiming.

... on a Nike Drone putter

During the test the odd shape of the head even distracted me when addressing my putts when I should really have been focusing on the ball and the target line. I'm sure you'd get over this quite quickly as you get accustomed to the putter, but still...

The face of the putter also looks a bit weak, being just a simple bar of metal that looks super low-tech.

At least the aimline is clear and long-ish, although many other futuristic putters have far longer alignment aids than this.

How does it feel?

The short answer to describe the feel is "very tinny". The strike was hollow and lightweight and didn't inspire confidence.

If you're using a putter that is designed for function rather than beauty - as you can only assume the Nike Drone is - then you'd be looking for a more solid and reliable feeling than this.

How does the Nike Drone roll the ball?

At last I have something more positive to say about this putter - the roll was good, and I have no complaints here.

Whether you love or loathe the look of this putter is your choice, but - take my word for it - the feel is tinny and cheap and I wouldn't recommend it even if you love the shape. Far better to look at the Nike Drone 2.0 which has far better playing characteristics and looks better, too.

Others to consider:

TaylorMade Spider Lots of hype when this putter launched, but initially the pros who rely on their putters didn't stick with the Spider. Since then it's evolved into a great putter

Odyssey 2 Ball The iconic putter of the 2000s - easy to aim, great feel

Odyssey Backstryke One of the most revolutionary designs in putting. Love it or hate the look, the results are good

Odyssey 2 Ball Blade Padraig Harrington used this combination of blade and 2 ball design to win majors, but what's it like?

Odyssey White Hot 7 Super popular shape available in many different models with a winning alignment system and amazing feel

Odyssey White Ice Progressive Terron Mid Sharp-edged spaceship of a putter - you need to like futuristic shapes to use this one!

Ping Crazy E One of the easiest putters to line up we've ever tested, but feel is hollow

Scotty Cameron Futura Phil Mickelson toyed with the Futura, before heading back to a blade. The first of the truly futuristic putters, and probably about as attractive as they're ever going to be

TaylorMade Ghost Corza Odd-looking putter to start with, but a great putter in terms of roll and feel with a look you can get used to. Justin Rose used this putter for his first PGA tour win.

Yes Natalie (C-Groove) Futuristic design with amazing roll and super long aimline.

Not sure if a Nike Drone is for you? Click here for our article on choosing a putter to fit your stroke.

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