One of our readers (@TBartExpress on Twitter) recently suggested that we test Prodigy’s PA-3 putter. We haven’t tested much Prodigy in the past so we picked up a PA-3 to review and we’ve been pleased. Pleased to the point that we wonder why we haven’t heard more buzz about this reliable putter.
Prodigy PA3 Putter Notes
“The Prodigy Disc PA-3 is our straightest flying Putt & Approach disc, and features a beaded rim. “
https://www.prodigydisc.com/pa-3-putt-approach-disc
Available plastics: 200, 300, 350, 350G, 400, 450, 450G
Flight Rating: 3, 4, 0, 1
PA3 Initial Reactions
Prodigy’s PA-3 has a flat top and beefy, blunt nose which feels great in the hand. It also has a large bead which I’m not a big fan of but the slope of the underside of the rim makes a nice transition to the bead so it’s not too intrusive to those who don’t like beads. The 200 PA-3 that I’m throwing broke in relatively quickly and developed a slight puddle top which has been great for both grip and performance. It reminds me of a straighter and beefier Reko or perhaps a faster Caltrop without the weird thumbtrack. The dark swirls in the light purple plastic also give mine a nice look. In our recent interview with Will Schusterick, he told us that the PA-3 is his go-to putter. We now understand why.
Prodigy PA3 By the Numbers
Prodigy PA3
PA3 Putting Notes
The PA-3 is a straight putter with a strong fade. It has a similar flight path to the PA-2 but is a little straighter and features a big bead. It is not at all comparable to the PA-4. The PA-3 has a moderate amount of glide helping to provide high consistency and strong wind resistance even when thrown with low power. The PA-3 can be used as a point and shoot putter inside 50 feet (15 meters) but its strong fade may pull it out of line a little sooner than you’d like, so I find it woks best with a slight hyzer line or even aiming just to the side to let the fade direct it to the chains. It wouldn’t consider this a finesse putter since the lower glide doesn’t bode well for bending lines, but it’s fairly versatile for a moderate glide putter.
The lower glide and beefy nose make the PA-3 a great option for turbo putting. It is consistent for push putting but maybe not the best option as it requires a harder push because of the lower glide I find I need to be very careful to keep the nose up.
One of the best reasons to use a PA-3 is because it is wind resistant. The PA-3 is less affected by wind than most putters and displays a similar flight path through most light winds and it is decent at fighting through gusts. As with many puddle top putters though, if the wind hits the top of the flight plate too hard it will drop out of its flight quickly.
PA3 Upshots and Approaches
The PA-3 is a very consistent upshot disc also. It handles power as well as light touches and can be used for a variety of shots. On lighter shots around 150 feet (45 meters) the PA-3 is incredibly straight with a strong fade and is fairly forgiving of release angle. This is an excellent driving putter at moderate power levels and a very good driving putter at high power levels but will lose some distance due to lower glide than many driving putters. It holds pretty much any hyzer line precisely unless thrown hard where it will flip up just enough for a little extra distance while maintaining accuracy. It will also hold a slight anhyzer if necessary but likes to pull out of the anyhzer line and is best used for straight or slight hyzer shots after which it likes to drop and rarely rolls away.
Unfortunately the few roll-aways that I experienced went far because the blunt nose can allow the disc to roll on a straight line and gain momentum, so just be considerate of your landing zone. Usually the PA-3’s strong fade will simply pull it down and drop it flat.
The large bead along with fairly high profile don’t make for great power grips, the PA-3 definitely prefers fan grips. However, the PA-3 still handles power well and tends to turn just slightly on harder throws. This allows me to find many lines without too much effort. Because of the lower glide, I find the PA-3 is best used under 225 feet (68 meters) and beyond this I end up throwing harder than I like. Along these lines, the PA-3 has no problem with the torque from side arm and flick shot but I don’t find it comfortable to grip like this and I usually stick to shorter flicks.
Prodigy PA3 Final Verdict
There is a reason that Will Schusterick has chosen Prodigy’s PA-3 as his primary putter. The PA-3 is an excellent and consistent putter and I would strongly consider using it as my main putter if I were to stray away from my Reko. If you like controllable putters with moderate glide then I’d highly recommend you try one. Intermediate to advanced players should love how workable the PA-3 is for such a consistent putter. More effort is required to throw lower glide discs so it beginners may have some difficulties, but it certainly would not be a bad choice because of the consistency and forgiveness.
If you’re ready to try a Prodigy PA-3 for yourself then you can check your pricing and color options here!
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