I was finally able to get out and use the Scale out on the course this weekend. I put my new 175 Fossil Scale Proto up against a 175 Medium VP, and a variety of Wizards in different plastics and states of wear. I normally carry 4 Wizards- two for putting and two for driving/upshots. Right now I'm carrying an old 172 Medium S Wizard and a 174 OG Wizard for putting, a fresh 172 Soft S Wizard for driving, and the 175 Medium VP for overstable duties.
A little about my putting:
I'm more of a lob/push putter than a spin putter right now. I will jump putt from about 30-40 feet. Beyond that, my specialty is a slightly nose-up lid-style floating stall shot. I will run my wizards at the basket like that from 40-100+ feet. It's a really important shot for my game and any new putter needs to execute this shot well, although I don't like to use traditional lid-style putters (I prefer beaded Wizard/Aviar/Challenger styles).
I like to throw my wizards as much as possible and will use them on holes up to 300 feet. I've been looking for a nice overstable complement for a very long time. I really want something I can use on windy days, holes with danger near the pin where you need it to hit and stick, or holes where you need to play a little more of a flex shot. Wizards are super straight flyers.
The Scale:
Bottom line, the Scale fits my exact description of an overstable complement to the Wizard. It feels extremely similar in the hand, and the Fossil plastic blend is the perfect mix of grip and firm feel that I like my putters to have. It basically flies like a more overstable fresh wizard, with a little less glide. Instead of finishing forward, it dumps to the left for a RHBH throw. I found it very easy to range, and it works very well for approach shots where I need it to hit and stick. It's nice that I can pull a Wizard for an anhyzer approach and a Scale for a hyzer approach, and have them feel the same way in my hand. The thumbtrack is a non-issue for me, my thumb doesn't really fit into it for any of my preferred grip styles.
For my lid-style approach/putt shots: the Scale worked amazingly well into headwinds. I'm always hesitant to use this shot in anything less than a slight headwind, because sometimes it can just lift off to the right. I usually end up just throwing my freshest Wizard on a low line, or using a Gator for extreme winds. When I threw the Scale on a floating line straight at the basket into a fairly strong headwind, it held the line perfectly. I was really surprised at it's ability to hold the line. This gives me the ability to play this shot regardless of conditions, which is really huge for my game.
For "normal" putting shots: the Scale worked pretty much the same as my normal Wizard putters, and maybe better on the longer 30-40' putts. You can put it out a little bit to the right and let it crash into the basket. I REALLY like this plastic blend for putting with, and I'm very curious to see what the Tar Pit plastic will be like.
Compared to the VP: the Scale is slightly faster, with slightly more glide. It's much more suited to my lid-style shot because it will float like my Wizards instead of dumping right away. The VP is basically just a more extreme version of the Scale's flight. For that reason, I think the Scale will be more versatile in the long run. I might use a beat Fossil for straight drives and upshots, and one of the new premium plastic Scales for a permanently-overstable driving putter. A VP isn't ever going to be anything but an overstable pig that hits and sticks. I will say the one place the VP wins is it's ability to stop. The Vibram rubber just doesn't skip or roll. But on the flipside, I don't care for the VP's feel with a fan-style putting grip, it's too slippery. So the VP can really only be a driving & approach putter for me, but the Scale can be used all the way into the circle and will feel exactly like my Wizards.
In Summary:
The Scale is a great overstable complement to the Wizard that feels very similar. The Fossil plastic is a great grippy, stiff blend like the old KC Pro. It works well for driving, upshots and putting. While I love the VP's ability to hit and stick on drives, the Scale is a much more versatile disc and the transition from the Wizard is much easier. The Scale will immediately have a spot in my bag for headwinds and general overstable duties. We'll see how the Fossil plastic beats in, I could definitely see myself going to a 2-Wizard, 2-Scale putter setup in the future.