Cheap knockoff of PuttOUT putting trainer doesn’t pass the smell test

UPDATE, 4/27/2021: After I informed the “customer service representative” that I was unable to delete the review because I am obligated to post reviews on products which I receive through the Vine program, they asked if I would, for the same compensation previously offered, change it to five stars. Unbelieveable…

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UPDATE, 4/26/2021: One week after posting a review of this item on Amazon, and this article, I received an e-mail message from a “customer service representative” at the company which manufactures and markets this product. I was offered a $50 Amazon gift card or a direct payment in the same amount if I would delete my negative review.

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It is almost a given, in today’s world, that a successful product will be counterfeited and cheap knockoffs sold—sometimes through legitimate outlets—by parasitic quick-buck manufacturers. I ran across one such item recently, on Amazon.com: a Made-In-China knockoff of the popular PuttOUT trainer called the Amolabe Pressure Trainer.

Side-by-side visual comparison of my well-used and slightly grimy
original PuttOUT (left), and the Amolabe knockoff copy (right).

Maybe you have seen my review of the PuttOUT device, which I received as a Christmas gift three years ago (after giving it pride of place on my wish list…). I have used my PuttOUT almost daily since I got it—especially in the last year, when my home office has been my full-time daily workspace—and it has definitely improved my putting; for proof I offer my four one-putt and eleven two-putt greens at Pebble Beach in U.S. Open knick at the pre-event USGA Preview Day for the 2019 Open.

As for how I came into possession of an example of this knockoff copy of the PutOUT: I am a member of a product review program on Amazon.com called Amazon Vine. Vine members can choose products of all sorts from a list posted on the website, and receive those products at no cost (sort of…*) in exchange for posting a review on the site. I am always on the lookout for golf-related products in the Amazon Vine list, and have obtained and reviewed quite a few over the last several years; about a week ago I spotted the item that is the subject of this post.

Like so many of the products that are sold on Amazon.com, the Amolabe Pressure Trainer is a cheap, Chinese-made knockoff of an original product that was conceived, designed, and developed by someone else—usually a Western manufacturer. Though closely reverse-engineered to perform much like the original, the build quality, fit, and finish of the Amolabe copy are poor—not to mention that this product represents outright intellectual theft of the design and development work that went into the original PuttOUT.

The material from which it is made is noticeably different from the original PuttOUT, particularly the portion which comprises the target and base, which is made of a slightly softer material than is used on the original device; as a result, this vital piece is readily deformed, and does not hold its shape well. In addition, the fit between the stiffer plastic ramp portion of the device and the target/base is rather poor, in particular the fit of the Micro-Target, a hinged piece that allows the user to reveal a hole in the ramp where a ball rolled with “perfect” pace and alignment will come to rest.

The Amolabe device performed similarly to the PuttOUT, but I noticed that the leading edge of the target portion, if not made to lie flat against the surface, would slightly deflect the ball as it crossed it. The contours of the ramp, which are so vital to the rollback feedback performance of the PuttOUT that makes it unique, appear to be very close to those of the original, but it would take very sophisticated measurement equipment to determine how close.

The bottom line is that the Amolabe device performs… adequately, and maybe $8.99 for this counterfeit looks better to you than the $39.99 purchase price of the now-upgraded original PuttOUT. What your purchase decision comes down to is whether you prefer to support the dedicated, diligent people who design, develop, and produce original products, or line the pockets of Amazon’s multi-billionaire owner Jeff Bezos and some unknown Chinese factory owner.

I opt for the former. 

Shame on Amazon for carrying this product on their website.

* (The advertised value of products chosen is toted up over the year, and if the total hits the IRS’ $600 threshold a 1099 form is issued, and the Vine member is responsible for taxes on the total value of products obtained through the program.)