Justin Thomas’ new counter-balanced putter: All you need to know about the season’s hottest gear debuting at the 3M Open

The long elongated putter has been popular this season, and Justin Thomas recently tried it out. Thomas has been struggling with his game for some time and is hoping to fix it this week at the 3M Open Championship. He entered the competition with a new counter-balanced putter.

At this week's tournament, Thomas is using a trusted Scotty Cameron prototype Phantom X9 putter with a 38-inch counterbalanced shaft. He previously played with a counterbalanced putter during his rookie year but removed it from his bag after struggling with his game.

Counterbalanced putters have assisted golfers like Wyndham Clark, Rickie Fowler, and Keegan Bradley in breaking their years-long winless streak. However, three of them utilized Odyssey's Versa Jailbird putter, while Thomas, as a Titleist ambassador, used a Scotty Cameron putter.

The Scotty Cameron Phantom X9 has a mallet head and wings for great inertia and stability during the event. Counterbalanced putters are longer and have greater mass near the hands, providing more control and stability in strokes.

In an interview with media after the first round of the 3M Open Championship on Thursday, July 27, Justin Thomas discussed his elongated counterbalanced shaft putter.

"It's a counterbalance," Thomas said. "I used a counterbalance my rookie year for a little bit and I pulled really, really solid with it in that kind of short range, it was just the speed with the longer ones. And in practice it was great, my speed was great. I guess it's the hot thing right now. I've always said, I mean, I'll putt, with a shoe if it means I'll make everything as long as it's a Scotty Cameron shoe."

"You know, it's something I am comfortable with. Obviously toyed back and forth just because of where we're at in the season, but at the end of the day I'm obviously going to play with what I feel like is going to give me the best chance for success and good play, and that's what I did and I still have faith in it," Justin Thomas added.

Justin Thomas started the tournament well, finishing with a score of 2-under par after three birdies and one bogey. He did, however, struggle with a few shots, missing a pair of birdies with his new counterbalanced putter.

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"I'm going to do these last two weeks" - Justin Thomas is optimistic about playing in the FedEx Cup Playoffs

Justin Thomas is ranked 75th in the FedEx Cup standings. With only two tournaments remaining before the PGA Tour's season concludes, Thomas is eager to make the most of the chance and move into the top 70 in the FedEx Cup standings and compete in the playoffs.

Speaking about the FedEx Cup, Thomas said via PGA Tour:

“This is a good chance for me to learn a little bit about myself and push myself and become better. I mean, this game, nothing's given to you. I've had great chances to win the FedExCup the last five or six years and now I'm trying to make the Playoffs. That's just the way that this sport is. And it can happen to anybody, so you've just got to go out and get it and that's what I'm going to do these last two weeks.”

After the conclusion of the 3M Open on Sunday, July 30, PGA Tour players will head to compete at the 2023 Wyndham Championship scheduled to take place next week.