Cleveland Golf may be best known for their top-quality wedges, but they also have an extensive range of putters too. For 2025 they’ve updated their HB Soft 2 line with a new Black Satin finish, and new shaft technology.
With an RRP of less than £200, could this be one of the best value for money putters on the market?
Who Is It Aimed At?
Whilst the 15 is a full mallet design, there are six different models in the range ranging from blade to mallet. This should allow nearly every golfer to find a style that suits their eye and stroke preference.
The milled face provides a unique feel and a strong, consistent roll which lots of golfers will like. However, the huge grip and the multi-material shaft will not be to everyone’s taste.
These putters feel more like they are suited towards golfers who are looking for forgiveness and help with their putting, rather than just premium looks and feel. They’re also great for those who want a new putter, but are on a budget and don’t want to spend hundreds on a new flat-stick.
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The Tech
There are six different models available in the HB Soft 2 Black range, designed to combine style, performance and durability.
The 15 model is a full mallet design. It has a single bend hosel and three-line alignment system, best suited to golfers with a straight stroke.
The putters feature Cleveland’s SOFT (Speed Optimised Face Technology). This features closely grouped groove lines in the centre of the face, expanding to the heel and toe.
The idea behind this is that it balances the energy transfer across the face, for more consistent ball speeds on every putt to improve distance control even on mis-hits.
New to this range is the multi-material UST Mamiya All-In Shaft. This is made from half carbon fibre and half steel. It offers more stability, and is designed to add stiffness, strength and consistency.
All of the models which are 35″ or more feature a 20g weight in the butt end of the shaft. This is to ensure that each model has a consistent swing feel, no matter the shaft length chosen.
The 15 model, which I tested, features a Pistol Oversize grip which helps the hands to stay quiet during the stroke, all while trying to maintain feel and control.
Cleveland Golf HB Soft 2 Black 15 Putter Review
Looks and Feel
I liked the black satin finish on this putter – it looks sleek and smart, and in my opinion, it feels a bit more premium than the standard HB Soft 2 range.
The white alignment line on the topline is a great addition. I prefer having the line positioned right on top of the head rather than in the back cavity, as it makes it even easier for me to line up the ball.
Despite being a Spider-style mallet, the head size was actually quite small, which came as a bit of a surprise.
I struggled to get used to the contrast between the oversized grip and the comparatively small head. It almost felt like it should have been the other way around.
The putter produced a fairly firm feel off the face, which I didn’t actually mind. I currently use an Odyssey Metal-X putter with a milled face, and the feel was quite similar. However, the putter made a loud, high-pitched “ting” sound at impact, which I really didn’t like.
That sound cheapened the overall feel of the putter, which was a shame, and I actually found it quite distracting when hitting putts.
The shaft reminded me of Odyssey’s Stroke Lab design which they have used for a number of years. It felt very stable and well-balanced throughout the stroke, and it probably helped to counteract the size and weight of the grip as well.
Performance
I struggled with distance control throughout my testing, as the weighting of the putter just wasn’t what I expected.
That said, the putter did produce a nice roll off the milled face, even though the sound at impact remained off-putting. Testing in early Aprill, when the greens are still getting to their best, I was impressed by how smoothly the ball rolled end over end, with minimal bobbling after it left the face.
One thing I did notice was that the forgiveness across the face was quite good. Even on mishits from the toe or heel, the performance held up well.
I can’t help but think that a thinner grip might have improved performance for me. I often felt like I didn’t have enough control over where the putter head was during the stroke.
While a thinner grip is available on the blade models, the mallet versions come fitted with the larger grip by default. This is because they’re designed for straighter strokes with minimal face rotation. Personally, I would have much preferred the thinner grip. It would’ve offered a bit more workability and feel throughout the stroke.
Shorter putts felt very solid, as is often the case with mallet-style heads like this. The head didn’t twist or move much at impact, which gave me more confidence on those crucial short-range putts.
As I mentioned earlier, I really appreciated the alignment line being right on the topline, just like on my current Odyssey putter. It made it very easy for me to line the ball up in the middle of the face and get it started on the intended line.
Cleveland Golf HB Soft 2 Black 15 Putter Verdict
The new HB Soft 2 Black range looks really smart. I like the new black satin finish, and there are a range of models to suit a variety of golfers.
The 15 model that I tested rolled nicely, and felt forgiving on off-centre hits. This is a big bonus if you lack confidence with your putters as it promotes more consistency.
For me there were two big issues that let the putter down.
Firstly the grip was far too large, which made the head really hard to ‘feel’ during the stroke.
Secondly, the sound at impact was far too tingy and it just become really off-putting whilst I was hitting putts.
It’s good value, at less than £200, but unfortunately it’s just not for me.
Would I Use It?
I’ve enjoyed testing Cleveland putters in the past, but this one isn’t for me.
