There is no doubting that putting is extremely difficult and frustrating for everyone, making it important to have the right tools to fit your game.
Putters are the most used club in everyone’s bag, and usually the most important difference between winning and losing. Typically in a professional tournament it is almost always the best putter that week who tends to win.
Putter technology has come a long way over the years, with a variety of different grips, shafts and putters heads to choose from. This can make it pretty overwhelming to understand which is best.
To help you out, we have put together this Putter Buying Guide that breaks down everything you need to know when selecting a new putter.
Understanding Your Stroke
First of all it’s important to understand your stroke before selecting a new putter. Are you a straight-back-straight-through, or do you tend to arc your stroke? Having good knowledge of your own stroke will make selecting your new putter much easier.
The arc in your putting stroke is the imaginary line that your putter makes on the ground in your backstroke and follow-through. If that line is straight, your stroke has no arc. Otherwise, if that line makes a semi-circle around your body, your stroke has an arc.
Types Of Putter
As a general rule to describe different types of putters we have split it up into different categories. Over the years brands have designed putters with different levels of ‘toe-hang’. In recent years a lot of companies have followed up with the new Zero Torque designs which doesn’t allow for any hang. In fact the toe of the putter actually points upwards.
An easy way of working out what toe hang your putter is by holding the putter parallel to the ground or placing the shaft on a flat surface, and allowing the putter head to hang freely. The putter head should be in a certain position depending on the weighting of it.
This chart below explains what type of stroke is necessary for different types of toe hang.
| Toe Hang | Angle (approx.) | Best For Stroke Type | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| Face Balanced / Zero Torque | 0° | Straight-back, straight-through | Mallet putters, high-MOI designs |
| Minimal Toe Hang | 0 – 1/8 | Slight arc | Compact mallets, wide blades |
| Moderate Toe Hang | 1/4 – 1/3 | Moderate arc | Traditional blades, mid-mallets |
| Maximum Toe Hang | 1/2 – 3/4 | Strong arc | Classic blades, Anser-style putters |
To identify your putting stroke, use alignment rods or tape on the ground to check the putter’s path. If accessible we’d highly recommend recording your putting stroke on camera, or even ask your local PGA Professional.
Face Balanced Putters
Face Balanced describes putters that have a face which points upwards when you balance the shaft on your finger. This will mean that the centre of gravity is directly below the axis of the shaft.
Face balanced putters will tend to open less on the backswing and close less on the follow-through, which is why they are recommended to players with a straight putting stroke.
Toe Balanced Putters
Toe Balanced putters are putters whose toe wants points to the ground when you balance the shaft on your finger. This means the centre of gravity is not directly below the shaft axis.
Toe balanced putters are more inclined to open and close throughout the stroke and are therefore better suited to players with an arc in their putting stroke.
Zero Torque Putter
The latest innovation in putting! Zero torque putters use smart engineering to position the shaft directly through the putter’s centre of gravity (CG).
By aligning the shaft axis with the CG, manufacturers remove the twisting force or “torque” that’s common in traditional putters where the shaft is offset. The result is a much more stable face that stays square through impact.
For more information check out our Guide to Zero Torque putters.
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Putter Head Designs
Blade Putters
The oldest and most traditional type of putter is the blade. Using a relatively small head, its classic design was immensely popular in golf from 1900 to 1990 and is still used by players today.
The simple, flat look was easy to produce in the early days of golf club production and the soft hit a blade produced was likeable on many types of greens.
Traditionally suited to harder, faster greens that require a more delicate touch, blade putters tend to be face balanced, meaning they will suit a player with a straight putting stroke.
Peripheral Weighted Putters
The peripheral weighted or heel-toe weighted putter was the natural evolution of the blade putter. Long and thin at address, the design could still be soft and delicate but with added weight in the heel and toe portions adding more consistency and forgiveness.
Traditionally toe-balanced, the length and design of the hosel means it can be altered to suit almost any stroke type.
Golfers would tend to veer towards these types of putters for extra help with distance control, extra forgiveness – producing a much smoother and straighter roll.
Mallet Putters
Much like large heads in driver design making tee shots more consistent and forgiving, the mallet shaped putter offers the same benefits on the green. With more size to play with, manufacturers often employ various alignments aids and shapes on the rear of the head to help players align to putts better.
The deep design of the putter’s head allows manufacturers to have a lower and deeper centre of gravity as well as increasing the Moment of Inertia (MOI). This reduces spin and improves performance on off-centre putts. Therefore mallet putters are usually face balanced and suited to straight strokes.
Putter Faces And Inserts
Most putters come with up to 4 degrees of loft, meaning that the ball launches in the air as it propels forward before hitting the ground running. The purity of the roll can be adjusted easily by altering the loft but also changing putter faces too.
Milled Putters
The traditional putter face material is stainless steel, predominantly a one piece solid metal with no fancy technology inside. Stainless steel has a reputation for a hard, yet responsive strike giving those putters a solid, controlled feel.
One great benefit on a milled putter is the louder noise it produces. Immediately you can hear the type of connection you made on the ball and this allows you to feel and hear where the centre of your putter is.
Some milled putters also feature milling on the face which makes them feel and sound softer as there is less material in contact with the ball. It may sound odd to have a rough face but it does aid performance, even if the feel is not usually as soft as an insert putter.
In general you will tend to see better golfers prefer the purity of milled putters due to their solid build and instant feedback. Whereas some face inserts can become quite dull off the face even though they are very useful for distance control.
Insert Faced Putters
Insert putters are basically milled putters with the metal face replaced with a light-weight non-metal insert. The main advantage of using a light insert is that the weight of the putter can be redistributed and added to the heel and toe of the putter, increasing the MOI and offering more forgiveness.
Many believe the drawback of these types of soft inserts is that they do not produce the sound of a metal face. The majority of insert faces are designed to promote a softer feel than traditional steel, although some modern inserts are designed to replicate the metallic sound and feel of steel in a lighter-weight insert.
Inserts have been known to be very useful for golfers who need help with rolling the ball more purely. Most amateurs struggle with this and may be accustomed to a face that gives them that little bit of extra help.
For example Odyssey released their microhinge technology back in 2017 to help provide a spring at impact to help reduce backspin and promote forward roll.
Groove Faced Putters
A recent development has been the appearance of grooves on the face of a putter. This may seem to be the last thing you want but there is a reason for this.
As mentioned before, having a putter with loft helps launch the putt in the air to get the initial stages of the ball rolling, however it propels forward with backspin which can cause skidding, sliding before actually rolling forward towards the hole.
The grooves on a putter face can help reduce the amount of backspin created, get the ball landing much more smoothly and keeping the ball on-line for longer. If you’ve heard of the term bobbly greens, then this might actually not be the greens on that day and actually the amount of backspin you’re creating during your stroke.
Putter Shafts & Hosels
Putters almost always have steel shafts to allow for a consistent, strong feel. Where the shaft meets the putter head is the hosel and there are a few options:
Heel-Shafted Putters
On heel-shafted putters, the shaft connects directly with the putter head on the end nearest to the golfer.
Centre-shafted putters
Centre-shafted putters connect in the same way however they meet the putter in the centre of the head lengthwise. Choosing a centre-shafted putter is largely down to personal preference.
All golfers pay close attention to the hosel of the putter and some like to have the hosel at the centre to lead the ball towards the hole, others prefer heel-shafted putters that let them guide the putt with the putter head.
Hosel Offset
Another variation in some putters is an offset at the hosel. This is when the hosel is bends backwards to move the bottom of the shaft ahead of the face of the putter to draw a player’s hands ahead of the ball through impact.
Manufacturers such as Evnroll, offer a number of different types of hosels that can be geared around your putting stroke.
Shaft Lengths
Finding the right length of putter for your height and stroke is key to producing quality strikes and consistent putting. The wrong length of putter can lead to bad posture and inconsistent contact.
Putter length is measured from the sole of the putter below the hosel to the top of the shaft. The rules state that a putter shaft must be at least 18 inches long, but other than that there is no maximum limit. Professionals and amateurs alike have tested with everything from small putter, to chest putters, to putters that rest on your chin and to the most common oddly sized one in today’s game, the belly putter. The following information suggests the possible advantages of different lengths of putter.
Traditional Length (32-36 inches)
Still the most common length of putter although not as dominant as it has been, the standard 33-36 inch putter helps create a pendulum swing in your putting stroke. Acting as an extension of your arms, it should be the perfect height to allow you arms to simply hang down and grip. This enhances a player’s ability to use a pendulum-like stroke to give the putt as true a roll as possible.
Belly Putter (41-46 inches)
Formerly very popular before the R&A anchoring ban rule changes back in 2016. These days it’s much less useable for the modern day golfer. However you may see some players experiment using the arm-lock method. For example Bryson Dechambeau has found this method very useful in both his US Open victories.
Long Putters (48-52 inches)
Otherwise known as broomhandles or broomsticks, these types of putters have also been less popular since the anchoring ban. However you will still see the odd golfer experimenting with them after many years of trying shorter putters.
Most players grip the club with their left hand under their chin and the right hand working as a claw in the middle section of the putter to pull and push through the line of the putt. This makes the entire stroke of long putter in the power of the right hand. This is a tough skill to master and one that is increasingly hard to perform in the wind.
Putter Grips
Putter grips tend to have more options for golfers with the rules of golf allowing for a grip to have a flat edge. This flat edge is most commonly used directly on the top of the putter to help guide you exactly where your thumbs should be.
Different sizes or diameters are also offered to improve your ability on the greens. A thicker grip helps take your hands and wrists out of the stroke, which is what golfers seek to do to improve their putting.
The drawback of a thicker grip is that you won’t get the same level of feel of a standard grip as the vibrations coming up the shaft will be dampened down. So if you are a feel putter or have a stroke that involves a lot of wrist action, then you are more suited to a standard grip.
For more information see our Golf Grips Buying Guide.
