Here’s a brief bit about me:
- Putter No. 1 – I started putting with KC Pro Aviars.
- Putter No. 2 – I currently putt with KC Pro Aviars.
- Putter No. 3 – I’ll die putting with KC Pro Aviars.
I like KC Pro Aviars.
I manage this blog, so it’s not like I haven’t tried anything else – I just think everything else sucks. What has piqued my curiosity, however, is trying out the Big Bead Aviar mold in one of its other iterations: The Yeti Pro Aviar, as well as the JK Pro Aviar-X – the winter is good for it.
Seriously …
It’s a REALLY good time for it.
So, when five-time World Putting Champion, Jay “Yeti” Reading, sent me a few of his putters to try out, it wasn’t too tough to put my stack of (intact) KC Pro Aviars away for a couple of weeks.
Here’s how my affair with the Yeti Pro Aviar went down:
The feel of the Yeti Pro Aviar
The Big Bead Aviar is king …
The Yeti Pro Aviar doesn’t deviate from it.
For me, this mold works best for my putting grip. I putt with my pointer finger placed along the outside edge of the disc. I rest it just above the bead, as I find it makes spinning the disc easier.
But while a literal bead is present on the KC Pro, Yeti Pro and JK Pro versions of the world’s top-selling putter, what the Yeti Pro Aviar brings to the table is a puddle-top – that’s new. My thumb rests comfortably inside of it. It helps improve grip. It’s also great for pushing the disc.
I don’t know why, but the thing that surprised me the most about the Yeti Pro Aviar was how firm it is – it’s not at all gummy. The KC Pro Aviar is hard. The JK Pro Aviar-X is soft-ish, but not as soft as an R-Pro Aviar. And the Yeti Pro Aviar sits between the KC Pro and JK Pro Aviars.
I don’t know …
I just thought it’d be softer.
Don’t get me wrong, though – this is a good thing. Putt after putt, the firmness of the KC Pro Aviar allows for a crisp, clean release. I’ve putt both indoors and outdoors with the Yeti Pro Aviar. In each setting, it was plenty firm to give my putting hand confidence. Furthermore, composed of a softer polymer, it grabs chains WAY better than its KC Pro counterpart …
Fewer slip-throughs, too.
* Note #1: If the term “Big Bead” throws you, read this – it’ll bring you up to speed.
* Note #2: Some claim the Yeti Pro Aviar is a “thinner” Aviar, but it’s not – that’s the puddle.
The flight of the Yeti Pro Aviar
The KC Pro Aviar is an overstable putter.
With a fade of one, the Yeti Pro Aviar is intended to be less-beefy – and it is. That said, inside the circle, I didn’t notice much of a difference. Granted, with another month or two of wear and tear under its belt, maybe I’d see something else. Regardless, 32.8 feet ISN’T all that far …
So probably not.
The Yeti Pro Aviar is a great throwing putter – and approach putter, too. When you put an X-step and some snap behind it, you’ll notice a straighter flight with a gradual fade. Again, though the pair sent my way aren’t yet there, with more seasoning, they’ll flip to flat and finish straight.
Yeti Pro plastic is durable, but give ‘em some time …
These were meant to cycle.
The aesthetic of the Yeti Pro Aviar
The stock Yeti Pro Aviar is boring …
Hardly a knock – it’s stock gear.
Reading did send me a custom-stamped Yeti Pro Glow Aviar, however. And I’m glad he did, because the design is just as colorful and outgoing as Jay’s personality – it’s fitting artwork. The “Space Force” stamp is available ONLY at Disc Nation on both Yeti Pro Aviars and other molds.
Did the Innova Yeti Pro Aviar make my bag?
For now, yes …
Did you see the first picture in this post?
It’s fall in Utah. And with winter fast approaching, the KC Pro stuff simply isn’t going to survive my ability to draw the WRONG kind of metal – amateur problems, right? Familiar to me, I crave the feel of the disc. And the puddle-top is something I didn’t know I needed, but totally love …
At the end of the day, though, a firm, beat-to-death KC Pro Aviar gives me a cleaner, more confident release. Who knows, though? After two seasons of putting with the Yeti Pro Aviar, it wouldn’t surprise me in the slightest if the puddle-top reigns supreme come springtime.
If you love Big Bead Aviars, try out a Yeti Pro …
It’s worth it.
The Final Green Splatter Grade: A
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I’m pretty new to the game. Had my starter Aviar but also discovered I like the feel of beaded discs. A few months ago I got into the beaded Aviars. I thought the KC Pro was going to be the one, but then I found a Yeti at a Play It Again and it immediately became my new putter. The plastic is just so good. The perfect balance between grippy but firm. It really flies straight and grabs the chains. That being said the glide of the KC Pro makes it better than the Yeti off the tee for me as well as for softer landing upshots. Needless to say they’re both in the bag to stay. I suppose the Aviar X3 is next to try?
Eh, the AviarX3 is a fine disc …
But it’s not beaded – and it’s a throwing putter.
Great disc, though!
But putting putters and throwing putters are an apples-and-oranges comparison.
Worth a shot, though – give it a whirl!
What I really want is a KC Pro Aviar (the Big Bead mold) in Yeti-Pro plastic.
Now THAT would be epic.
I’ve been putting with Yetis for about 15 years. I started out with an Omega Super Soft. Once I improved and that felt too floppy and unpredictable in the release, I tried the baseline Aviar and then quickly moved to the Yeti. I’ve never looked back. The puddle top let’s it fit in my hand better. The plastic is perfect for a putter. The bead is comfortable. It’s the best putting putter out there in my opinion.
Oh, it’s solid …
My only beef is that it’s not a great headwind putter.
For that, the KC Pro and JK Pro versions are WAY better.
But for point-and-shoot, it doesn’t get much better than Yeti 🙂
I’ve been putting and throwing these since 2012 and I’m just glad to see so many people throwing it. I’m the only person I know that uses it and I worry it will go away…
I recently got some of the glow pro ones and love them even more especially in the cold!
The Yeti Pro Aviar surprised me with how good it is …
I’m an Aviar guy, too.
It’s NOT great in a headwind, though.
Do you switch it up with something different when putting into a headwind?