Jan. 23, 2026Updated Jan. 27, 2026, 11:32 a.m. CT
- L.A.B. Golf is releasing the new DF3i putter, an evolution of its DF3 model.
- The DF3i features a milled stainless-steel face insert for a firmer feel and different sound.
- It maintains the company’s signature lie angle balance design to help keep the putter face square.
- The putter is designed for golfers who struggle with consistent putting alignment and impact.
Gear: L.A.B. DF3i putter
Price: $499 (stock), $599 and up (custom)
Specs: 6061 aluminum body with milled stainless steel face insert, steel sole weights, 69-degree lie angle.
Available: Feb. 27
Who it’s for: Golfers who struggle to return the putter face square at impact or consistently start putts on their intended line.
What you should know: The DF3i retains the lie angle balance design that defined the original DF3, but adds a milled stainless-steel insert like the one used in the OZ.1i and OZ.1i HS, delivering a firmer feel and more traditional sound at impact.
The Deep Dive: First impressions have never mattered much to L.A.B. Golf. From the moment the company introduced the first lie-angle balanced Directed Force to the broader putting conversation, its designs have pushed golfers to focus less on shape and more on functionality. The DF3i continues that philosophy, pairing the same stability-driven geometry and lie-angle balanced design of the original DF3 with a milled stainless-steel insert that brings a firmer feel and more familiar sound to a putter built around one central goal: keeping the face square to the arc a golfer naturally creates.
The DF3i is an evolution of the DF3 platform introduced in 2024. The compact mallet shape remains intact, as does the center-shafted construction and the precise weighting that defines lie angle balance. Once the putter is soled behind the ball, its mass properties are designed to keep the face from opening or closing relative to the stroke path. The putter is balanced relative to its lie angle, which is why length, lie, and build specs are so critical to how the design functions.
The noticeable change is in the face. The body and hitting area of the original DF3 are made entirely from 6061 aluminum, but the DF3i has been a milled stainless-steel insert that is secured in place with screws in the sole. That construction mirrors what L.A.B. introduced with the OZ.1i and OZ.1i HS and allows engineers to maintain precise mass placement while altering sound and feel. The result is a firmer impact sensation and a sharper, more metallic auditory feedback that some golfers felt was missing from the original DF3.
Yes, the body remains milled from 6061 aluminum, with steel weights positioned in the forward portion of the sole. Those weights vary by putter length and are measured and installed by hand to ensure the proper lie angle balance is achieved. The DF3i also continues to use L.A.B.’s Press Pistol 2 Degree grip, which introduces built-in forward press through an asymmetrical shaft entry. At address, that setup keeps the shaft, hands, and primary hitting area more in line, while the rear hoop portion of the head sits back from the ball.
Visually, the DF3i still won’t be mistaken for a classic blade or a modern Tour-style mallet, and L.A.B. has never pretended otherwise. The brand’s growth has been driven by performance-first golfers and reinforced by Tour validation, with multiple PGA Tour wins in recent seasons from players using L.A.B. designs. The biggest win, of course, came last year at Oakmont, when J.J. Spaun won the 2025 U.S. Open using a DF3.
Those results have helped shift the conversation from how these putters look to how they behave during the stroke.
As with any lie-angle balanced putter, the DF3i is at its best when it’s built specifically for the golfer using it, rather than treated as a one-size-fits-all solution. However, L.A.B. will continue to sell the DF3i directly to consumers. Personalization options include a rainbow of colors, alignment features, shafts and some grip options.
