Ping surprised lots of people back in 2022 when they released a line of premium milled putters known as PLD, to rival the likes of Scotty Cameron right at the top of the market.
These putters had previously only been reserved for Tour players, but the initial release of four models allowed golfers to benefit from the brand's most precise 'Putting Lab Design'.
For 2024, they have added five further models to the collection and we got our hands on the Oslo 3 mallet to see if the premium design and build led to more putts made.
Who Is It Aimed At?
With a price tag of £450 these putters are for golfers who aren't afraid of paying for quality - they're premium in terms of their overall finish but also in price too.
The Oslo 3 itself is a pretty large mallet which is based around head stability and forgiveness, although the inclusion of an Anser-style hosel does mean it is suitable for golfers with a slight arc. If you're really struggling with strike and face direction with your putter, this model could be worth trying.
The Tech
In total there are seven different designs in the PLD range, with each putter fully machined from a forged, 303 stainless steel.
The putters feature Deep AMP (Aggressive Milling Pattern) face technology, with over four hours of milling time going into every head for tour-preferred sound, feel and speed.
The Oslo 3 head shape is very similar to that used by Tyrrell Hatton, albeit with an Anser-3 style hosel. The PLD Oslo 3 features a lightweight aluminium hosel, which helps to position weight lower, optimising the centre of gravity for more consistency and accuracy.
New for 2024 in each PLD putter is a new gunmetal finish which slightly differentiates it from the all-black of the 2022 putters, as well as a black Ping Composite shaft and a new PP58 Tour L grip as standard.
Ping PLD Milled Oslo 3 Putter Review
Looks
The finish on this putter is about as good as you're going to see in the market, and everything about the presentation screams 'premium', it really is presented beautifully.
As soon as I took the putter out of its headcover my eye was drawn to the incredible milling pattern on head and particularly the face - the detail of this finish is so impressive. It reminded me of the type of milling you'd see on a Scotty Cameron putter, which has long been the standard-bearer for quality in putter design.
I'm very much in the 'less is more' camp when it comes to golf club design so I loved the simple all-black appearance, with the shaft and grip matching the head perfectly to give an ultra-premium look.
Down by the ball the head is definitely large and friendly, and I found that alignment was really easy thanks to the middle cavity and the large white alignment line. There's also the added bonus that the deep head shape makes it really easy to scoop the ball up - if you're lucky enough to have putts conceded by your playing partner!
Feel
To be honest I was slightly surprised by how loud the putter was off the face, although with a name like Ping perhaps I should've expected it, whilst you do get a slightly firmer feel thanks to the milled finish.
At 375g this is the heaviest putter in the PLD range and you can certainly feel that straight away, particularly if you're used to using more of a blade shape like I am. As a result, the putter did take a bit of getting used to particularly in terms of distance control.
One of my favourite aspects of the putter was the grip, which was slightly thicker than a proper traditional Ping grip, but I found that the slightly smoother texture of the Tour L made it incredibly comfortable in the hands and it felt so solid during the stroke.
I'm not a massive fan of thicker Super Stroke style grips as I feel like I lose some of my touch, but the slightly oversized Tour L did a perfect job of matching up with the overall shape and size of the putter.
Performance
If you're looking to hole more short putts or you struggle with those knee-knockers that can make or break a good score, this putter could be just what you need.
The performance from inside 10 feet was really impressive as it felt really simple to keep the putter head square and on-line both at address and during the stroke. I was able to stand over the ball with confidence that I was going to hit the ball on my intended line, so as long as I had read the putt right it was going in!
Having said that, I did struggle a bit with distance control with this putter, particularly from mid to long range. The combination of the firmer feel off the face, plus the added weight of the putter, meant that I was overhitting a number of my putts.
I tested this putter on relatively sloped greens where the ball can run away from you if you don't get the pace right, and I couldn't help but think that it would've performed better on slower, flatter surfaces which don't require quite as much touch.
The benefit of these high-MOI putters are in their forgiveness though, and I tested this out by hitting a number of putts from both the heel and the toe on the putting green. The ball definitely seemed to travel more consistently regardless of the strike location, which is ideal for golfers who have a tendency to hit it from different parts of the face.
Ping PLD Milled Oslo 3 Putter Verdict
The idea behind PLD is that it's giving you the opportunity to receive the same level of detail as the Tour players, and the putters are designed to compete with the likes of Scotty Cameron, Evnroll, Bettinardi and Toulon.
When it comes to quality, the PLD range is more than able to compete with these other competitors and the overall package, including grip, shaft and headcover, is as good as you'll see.
In a way I wish that this putter was exactly the style and shape that I use, because it looks and feels so great that it's the kind of putter that you want to use when you get it in your hands. I struggled a little bit with the performance because it was just so different to what I am used to, but if you're somebody who enjoys a big, high-MOI mallet like this then it could be worth a try.
£450 is very expensive but these putters are almost designed to be collector's items as well as putters to improve performance, much like old-school Scotty Cameron putters that golfers invest in and then come back to over and over again. If it's able to ignite something in you every time you step on to the putting green, then it might be worth the plunge.
Would I Use It?
I love the quality and look of the PLD Milled putters, but this specific style wasn't quite for me - the Anser models are much more up my street. If you're someone who likes the security and footprint of a bigger mallet head though, this could be just what you need.
Ping PLD Milled Oslo 3 Putter Pros & Cons
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