Before you invest in a putter, you’ll need to consider everything from length to grip to price and beyond. Here’s everything you should think about when shopping for a new putter.

Putters can range in price from less than $50 to over $500. Of course, price doesn't always correlate directly with quality, but more refined, detail-oriented putters are usually more expensive than the budget-friendly alternatives.

The mid-handicapper knows how to play the game of golf and can get around most golf courses competently. Still, no element of this devoted but flawed player is perfectly developed. He or she needs a forgiving driver and irons and the right grind and bounce on a wedge.

Putter length directly influences your stance, posture and stroke consistency. A putter that is too long may cause you to stand too upright, leading to inconsistencies, while a putter that is too short might cause you to hunch over, affecting your aim. To find the right length, consider your height, arm length and the type of stroke you prefer. Custom fitting can also ensure the putter length perfectly aligns with your body and putting style.

As design engineer for PXG Matt Andrews notes, the best part of designing putters is that they’re not as heavily constrained by the USGA or the Royal & Ancient equipment rules than you might expect. “That allows for endless opportunities to make unique putter shapes,” Andrews says. “The appearance of a putter is always the first thing that will draw a customer in. Looking at our Battle Ready II Putters lineup, we have nine unique putter shapes that capture customers looking for anything from a traditional blade to large profile mallets.”

Image

Until a couple of years ago, a broomstick putter was more often referred to as a belly or anchor putter. It’s a club with a much longer shaft—about 46 inches, whereas the average standard putter might reach 36 inches. The player would put two hands on the grip and tuck the end of the shaft into the torso, holding it steady to make putting more of a full body movement.

© 2013-2021 Media 66 Ltd / Gearing Media Group Ltd / www.furnitureproduction.net / Furniture & Joinery Production / All Rights Reserved

In general terms, the higher a putter’s MOI, the straighter the ball will roll if you pull, push or otherwise mishit a putt. The BombTech Golf Blade Putter puts physics to work and looks to encourage more sweet spot contact during the putting stroke. When a ball is struck away from the sweet spot, it relies on the club’s forgiveness to correct the path and produce a shot that’s on target. No, it won’t make every mishit magically find its way to the cup, but it will reduce the likelihood that a mishit has major consequences.

What really sets it apart is TaylorMade's innovative "Pure Roll" insert in the putting face. This special insert adds precision-cut grooves set at a 45-degree angle in an exclusive polymer material. The design grips the golf ball's surface on contact, creating more topspin and promoting a straighter, more reliable roll. The TaylorMade Spider Tour not only helps you achieve a smoother putting stroke but also ensures your ball stays on track towards the cup.

“This is one of many innovations we’ve designed to work with Lamello which is, in part, due to the growing number of our customers using Lamello fixings. Homag has been a driving force behind automisation in the industry for many years and partnerships such as this add value to our product line and benefit our customers massively.”

Lining up a putt is one of the trickiest parts about putting, but the Odyssey White Hot OG Seven allows you to stand it up, aim it right on line and get behind it while it sits upright on its own to check your alignment. The three dots on the top make it easy to see where the head is pointed in relation to your target. As one reviewer put it, the White Hot OG Seven essentially blends “the accuracy of a mallet and the distance control of a blade” which makes it a reliable option for beginners.

The TaylorMade Odyssey AI-One Putters feature the new Ai-One insert with an aluminum backer and urethane striking surface. The AI-designed insert plays off the idea that amateurs usually miss the center of the club face, reducing accuracy. The multi-material construction uses contours on the back of the face that minimize ball speed losses on off-center hits, increasing the overall sweet spot space. Finally, you can thank computers for improving your short game.

The length of the putter is incredibly important because it directly influences your stance and posture while putting. A putter that’s too long or too short can lead to poor putting form and inconsistent results. Technically speaking, each putter will coincide with a specific golfer’s height. For instance, golfers that are six feet or taller will want a 35-inch putter. That said, we recommend stopping by a local golf store to determine what length putter is right for you.

Few moments in golf are as gratifying as making a shot that lands perfectly on the green, but to truly capitalize on that, you need one of the best putters in your bag. Since the putter is the only club you'll likely use on every hole—unless you're fortunate enough to sink an approach shot or pitch—it plays a crucial role in determining your final score. After reviewing the top golf putters, we determined that the TaylorMade Golf Spider Tour is the best putter overall, thanks to its sleek mallet design and grippy face, while the Pinemeadow Golf PGX stands out as the best budget putter at just $50.

Designers & Manufacturers: Publish your products to reach retailers around the world.RETAILER? Sign up for the newsletter with the latest news, features and products.

“It makes the whole process extremely efficient and Lamello’s connectors are the ideal solution for customers who need the flexibility to flat pack their furniture without the quality being affected.”

The putter’s head will affect how it performs on the green. For example, a mallet putter has a larger head and provides more forgiveness, while a blade putter has a smaller head and offers more control. The head design that’s right for you comes down to your putting style and personal needs.

Image

The TaylorMade Spider Tour is a staple at PGA tournaments in the early stages of the 2024 Tour, and its popularity shows no signs of waning anytime soon. Top players like Jason Day and Dustin Johnson swear by it, and TaylorMade invested extensive research and development into the club, gauranteeing that this putter remains on the cutting edge of design.

Image

MOI stands for the physics term Moment of Inertia. In the golf world, MOI refers to how designers measure a putter’s resistance to twisting or otherwise distorting its shape when striking the ball. While such numbers are more in play with drivers or irons because of the smash factor during their faster movement, there’s still some instability in a putting stroke.

“There’s also been great interest from high-production companies who are looking to improve productivity and reduce labour costs. We’ve calculated that this machine can insert one Cabineo every three seconds, making it extremely efficient. It’s this level of flexibility and innovation that makes Lamello an ideal partner for us.”

A glance at the Spider Tour reveals its advanced construction. Unlike traditional forged metal putters, it's built with multiple components, showcasing the meticulous attention to detail that sets it apart. Designed in a sleek mallet style, the club is perfectly balanced for a smoother putting stroke.

Face inserts and milled faces offer different feel and feedback during putting. A putter with a face insert often provides a softer feel and can help with distance control, especially on fast greens. Milled faces, on the other hand, offer more tactile feedback and are preferred by players who prioritize feel and precision. Your choice depends on your preference for feel and how much feedback you want from your putter during each stroke.

The Battle Ready II Putters employ a hollow body with a firm face wall construction, an injection molded core and a finely thinned face. The result is a high moment of inertia design with accurate feel and confident contact that adds confidence to every putt.

“Building a partnership with Lamello is extremely important to us. Our aim is to connect the industry and create an ecosystem especially for the wood industry. Think of it as a digital shop floor that is open 24/7.

“Our software, which can be used remotely, makes it really easy to select or adjust a cabinet’s dimensions – it even calculates how many Lamello connectors you will need to use on each design – simplifying the whole process. Once the data has been transferred to the machine, the CNC will format and drill all vertical holes and grooves and will cut-out the necessary channels for the connectors on the edges or in X and Y directions on the surface.

The shape of the putter head—whether it’s blade, mallet, or mid-mallet—can significantly impact your putting performance. Blade putters are ideal for golfers with an arc-style stroke, offering more control but requiring precision. Mallet putters, with their larger and more forgiving heads, are great for players who prefer a straight-back-straight-through stroke. Mid-mallets offer a balance between control and forgiveness, making them versatile for various stroke styles.

“At Ligna, we presented the Brema Vektor 15 CS vertical boring machine. It features a built-in unit for inserting glue and dowels but the beauty of this machine is its flexibility. It has already been customised to insert Lamello’s Cabineo and Clamex connectors automatically, making it the ideal solution for batch one manufacturers.

“We are the first machinery manufacturer to create an aggregate that not only drills and routers the panel but also inserts the fixings, offering an extremely efficient way to use Lamello’s connectors. In this case, one machine really does offer a complete solution and we were excited to show live demonstrations throughout the show.

The name Lamello is synonymous with jointing technology. On its Interzum and Ligna stands were solutions for fixing panels swiftly and easily, fixing shelves inside cabinets, jointing solid wood, and a full range of hand-held machines made by Lamello in Switzerland.

Furniture Production is a leading publication for the furniture sector featuring the latest furniture manufacturing and woodworking news.

To find the best putters, we sought out reputable brands we have experience with, like TaylorMade, Odyssey and PXG.

“We were keen to show visitors just how versatile our products could be when partnered with Lamello’s P-System. Our stand featured several P-System-ready machines, including the NexTex 4.0, which can be modified to suit the needs of the customers. It has been designed to work with the Clamex and Cabineo and offers a completely digitalised production cycle.

“All of Biesse’s machines are predisposed to work with Lamello’s connectors due to the volume of interest in its product range. We offer complete flexibility across our range and as such, we have the possibility to create solutions that can work with one or more of Lamello’s connectors.

“We want to work with forward-thinking companies that understand the importance of being part of a community and work with them to create new business models in the market. We think Lamello is a perfect fit for us and its experience in the sector shows commitment to the industry.”

The grip of the putter improves comfort and control. A grip that’s too large will feel overwhelming, while one that’s too small will offer less than enough space for your hands to properly grip the club.

When it comes to irons, wedges and fairway woods, PXG is well known across the golf world for applying the finest possible (and often patented) materials alongside priceless research and development to build elite golf clubs. Their designer put those same ingredients into their putters, and one look at the PXG Battle Ready II Blackjack Putter proves there’s science in play here.

The weight of the putter will affect the feel and balance of the club. Some golfers prefer a heavier putter that offers a smoother stroke, while others prefer a lighter putter for greater feel and control. Some putters, like the aforementioned PXG Battle Ready Putter, give you the ability to add or remove weight for a more refined stroke.

In the putting department, that player with the 11 to 18 handicap (or thereabouts) needs a club that balances multiple elements perfectly. It needs to have reassuring weight and balance that encourages a consistent line and a smooth feel at contact. Made of TaylorMade’s Surlyn and aluminum, the TaylorMade Spider V Tour Putter mixes all of these elements and comes in handy in the bag of a player who might lack a bit of skill, but who has all of the passion necessary to play dedicated golf.

We have long-term experience with all of the golf brands featured in this story, including TaylorMade, PXG and Odyssey. In addition to our coverage of putters, the Forbes Vetted gear team has extensively evaluated other clubs and equipment, including golf clubs for beginners and the best drivers.

Lamello users can now avail themselves of fast drilling and insertion on a variety of CNC machines made by Lamello’s partners that have been fitted with special aggregates and suit the needs of small craftsmen right through to flat-pack producers. We took the opportunity at Ligna to talk to several:

Then the USGA and the Royal & Ancient got together and changed the general rules of golf so that any club could only be guided by two hands. While it’s no longer legal to anchor the putter into the body, a broomstick putter can still be used to “sweep” the golf ball instead of stroking a putt with a standard shaped club. This Bell broomstick unit offers good balance and a flush (non-offset) blade head to enhance that sweeping motion.

“We have been engineering solutions with Lamello for eight years. We were the first CNC producer to work with Lamello and at this year’s Ligna, we were pleased to present our first Centateq N-600 nesting machine, which has been designed to automatically insert the Cabineo.

The Pinemeadow Golf PGX Putter is affordable and functional. This is a great putter if you’re new to the game or not ready to splurge on the latest and greatest upgrade. The mallet comes in a brilliant white finish that stands out on the green, and it weighs in at 380 grams, making it “tour-weighted” and suitable for all levels of play. The longer alignment aid makes it easy to line up putts and square the club face to your target, while the three lines help with placing the ball in the center of the club face at address to ensure you hit the sweet spot during your stroke. This helps produces a pure roll on any green, which is hard to find in a putter at this price.

TaylorMade’s Odyssey line is ever-present on the PGA Tour, but the putters are priced reasonably enough for any amateur to get a hold of one. At the 2024 PGA Show in Orlando, Odyssey made a big deal out of its dedicated use of AI to create more refined, more accurate golf implements.

Robert Bettinardi is one of the best putter designers in the game. Thanks to the close attention he pays to design details and precision milling, his putters produce a great roll on the greens. The Studio Stock 28 Putter features Roll Control Face Milling from a solid block of 303 stainless steel. This version of milling is engineered to get the ball into a true roll faster while producing a comforting sound off the face. Made in the USA and finished with Bettinardi’s signature, smooth Diamond Blast finish to appease the eye, the SS28 comes with a tour-grade shaft and Lamkin Sink Fit grip in both standard and jumbo sizes.