agl madrone putter review
Above Ground Level,  Putter Reviews

Above Ground Level Madrone Review

The Madrone is a low glide putter from Above Ground Level that loves power and long straight lines. It shares many similarities with the AGL Manzanita but like the tree it is named after, the Madrone is unique. The Madrone tree is native to the Pacific Northwest but the Madrone putter will be finding its way all around the US in disc golf bags.

Madrone Manufacturer Notes

Here’s Above Ground Level Disc’s description of the Madrone:

The Madrone is one of our BEST SELLING putters for, well…reasons. Much like the Manzanita, the Madrone has a thumbtrack on the flat topped flight plate, however this disc features a microbead for added control. This disc flies straight as an arrow and has slightly less fade than its Manzanita counterpart. Available in both Woodland and Hemp plastics, the Madrone leaves beginners and professionals alike hitting putts with ease. Already sold? Perfect! Make sure to get yourself a 5 Pack so you can start getting dialed in today!

AGL Discs Manufacturer Page
Available Plastics: Woodland, Hemp blend (Firm, Medium, Soft), Alpine
Flight Rating: 3, 3, 0, 2

AGL Madrone Initial Reactions

AGL Madrone putter profile

The Madrone fits in the hand very comfortably with a blunt and rounded nose and slightly depressed thumbtrack on the top of the flight plate. The Madrone is a a deep putter at 2.2cm height and starts with a slight dome in the middle of the flight plate that quickly puddles as it breaks in. The Madrone sports a microbead which is hardly noticeable when gripping the putter.

Above Ground Level Madrone

 

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AGL Madrone Putting Notes

The Madrone is a straight putting putter with a little fade that is accentuated by it’s low glide. It won’t fade hard to the side, but tips and drops downward. It works fine for putting straight with any stile, but you will notice the low glide putter requires additional power as you near the edge of circle 2. I find that putting the Madrone on a light hyzer line helps to reach the basket on longer putts. Keep in mind though, that on hyzer or anhyzer putting lines the Madrone will not show much lateral movement because of the low glide.

AGL Madrone putter thumbtrack grip

The lower glide helps keep the Madrone under control in the wind and on putts with hazards near the basket. This is also advantageous for jump putts. The extra push from a jump putt can reduce control of your putter, but the Madrone likes to hold its line and stay on course even if when you don’t get a smooth release. The flat top also bodes well for push putting and straddle putting.

AGL Madrone Upshots and Approaches

The Madrone displays an overstable path when thrown at lower power, but when powered up it flips into an incredibly straight path. Unlike straight and glidey putters, the Atom or the Pure for example, the Madrone doesn’t turn hard with torque. This makes it a good option throwing through windy conditions or high shots that need a striaight path. The Madrone holds a straight line longer than almost any other putter that we’ve thrown. This is because it needs snap to activate the straight flight and it can handle a ton of torque. Perhaps the best characteristic of the Madrone is how consistently I can find this line without worrying about flipping.

AGL Madrone putter disc flight

It is worth noting that the Madrone starts out relatively overstable. The Woodland blend Madrone breaks in quickly to display incredibly straight drives while the Alpine Madone remains overstable for quite a while. Naturally, the Madrone is a great hyzer putter, both high and low hyzers. It will not hook to the side a great deal because of its low glide, but it holds a tight hyzer line the entire flight. I found this to be a great benefit throwing through wooded holes. The Madrone is not going to be your go-to anhyzer putter because it simply doesn’t move much and will pull out of the anhyzer a little early. But again, this offers great options when you have tight lines and need to control the turn of an anhyzer.

The Madrone works decently for short flicks as it can handle the torque. Due to the high profile though, I found that I couldn’t consistantly get a smooth release when throwing harder forehand shots. However, disc golfers with longer fingers may not have a problem. Again, the Madrone will not show much side to side movement even on forehand shots. Throwing the Madrone nose up (disc golf stall shot) offers more shot options as it will curl to the side more than a standard shot but the low glide helps mains control as it rises. Still, the best shot with the madrone is the straight and powerful putter drive.

AGL Madrone putter stamp

AGL Madrone Comparable Putters

Discraft Focus – Focus is not as torque resistant
Prodigy PA3 – Madrone is lower glide with rounder nose
Westside Shield – Shield is higher profile
Reptilian Serpant – Similar thumbtrack, Serpant has less fade
Element Discs Plutonium – Plutonium is lower profile and a bit straighter

Above Gound Level Madrone Conclusions

If you’re looking for a striaght flying putter that you can really put some juice into, then look no further. The AGL Madrone disguises itself as an overstable putter when thrown at low power, but allows you to dial in a long and straight fading line at high power. This makes it fairly versatile for a low glide putter, but it still likes to avoide lateral movement to provide consistency.

When you’re ready to test this straight and controllable putter you can see your options here!

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We are affiliated with Infinitediscs.com but we will still provide our honest opinion and will never recommend an item unless we have tested it and believe in its quality.  We also fully support Infinite Discs and the customer service that they provide and would do so even without any affiliation.

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