Scott Readman Concepts SWC Putter
Scott Readman Concepts (SRC) is a small boutique company based out of Bristol, England that specializes in unique headcovers and makes one of the best putters I’ve ever used. The Scott Readman Concepts SWC putter (named after Sir Winston Churchill) is an amazing flat stick with a wide range of custom options. Even better, SRC’s price point is one of the more affordable in the custom putter and cover market. Be warned now, this review does a lot of long-winded gushing, but it’s all sincere and genuine so read on.
The Looks
In this age of the internet that we live in, and many have never known a world without, our first impressions of a product often come in the form of JPEGS. This was exactly how I first experienced the Scott Readman Concepts SWC putter. I can’t remember if it was in a forum or from Scott sending me a “hey babber” email, but my first exposure was a picture. My thoughts were, “welp, this is totally different than anything I’d usually prefer…man, that guy can stamp the s@#$ out of a putter…” Shortly thereafter my first Scott Readman putter arrived in the mail (not the putter pictured, that’s a different story for a different day). Three years later it’s one of my favorite putters of all time from one of my favorite brands.
From those pictures I thought the SWC putter had a weird shape that would look funny to my eye, especially with that weird neck. Once I had one in hand, I couldn’t have been more wrong. At address, the flange of the SWC flows so smoothly from the topline and the face is the perfect thickness behind the ball. The hand-bent swan neck can be adjusted to give you the exact offset and view you want over the ball. Also worth noting is the head length is a bit shorter than your standard Anser.
As you can see from the putter pictured in this review, the world is your oyster with stamping. Scott hand-stamps every putter and can stamp whatever you tell him, or can be left to his own creative devices. You won’t be disappointed either way, trust me. Because of this process, virtually every SWC putter produced is a one off creation.
How Does it Feel?
I’m on record stating many times over that the Scott Readman Concepts SWC putter is my favorite feeling putter. That’s of all time. The face thickness and faint fly milling are absolutely perfect. I’ve spent the past two years expressing this to Readman and he equates it more to the neck than anything. Scott believes a combination of elements related to the neck are crucial to the feel. Getting the placement, flow, and weight correct all make the feel of the putter. Weld the neck in the wrong place on the head or get the weight wrong, the feel could be terrible. Whatever the reason, the SWC is arguably the best feeling putter I’ve ever hit a golf ball with. If my own testament isn’t enough, I have plenty of friends to back this claim.
How Does it Sound?
Like the feel, the Scott Readman Concepts SWC putter sounds perfect. A well-struck putt has a textbook faint click that could be the industry standard. I know, I know, everyone has different sound preferences, but in terms of milled putter faces it doesn’t get any better. Mishit putts sound a bit dead but that’s to be expected from a milled blade. Again, I stand by my testament of perfection but I have the support from plenty of friends that agree.
On-Course Performance
Putter performance is all relative to the individual and their preferences. With a putter like the Scott Readman Concepts SWC it’s important to get the setup and build just right. The advantage to the hand-bent neck is that SRC can get the putter setup exactly how you want it. I was fortunate to actually work with Scott at SRC HQ to bend the neck of the putter pictured in this review. This putter was nice before but once we got it set just right for me I was off and running. Seeing your own putter get torched and bent right in front of you also adds a certain cool factor. Especially when it’s 4000 miles from home all the way in England.
The balance through the swing is perfect which makes distance control effortless for me. That control along with the perfect feel gives me tons of confidence on the putting greens. As a result of that confidence, I make more putts and feel more in control of my game. Trust me, if I could putt better with something else I would. The simple fact is I play better golf with this putter in my bag.
Final Thoughts
I’d be lying to you if I told you I wasn’t “all in” on Scott Readman Concepts at this point. I love the equipment, I love the accessories, I love the people. I genuinely believe they make some of the finest products in the golf industry and the SWC putter is no exception. After getting to know the SRC family, it’s easy to see why they’re so good at what they do. Their creativity and passion are second to none, but most of all, they’re good people. I’ve had the privilege to experience this firsthand many times and it’s certainly made a lasting impression on me.
