Micro milling of fused silica using picosecond laser shaped single crystal

Ping’s Dr. Paul Wood told me “Research shows a really good match between players who describe a putter matching their eye, and aligning consistently correctly with those models.” So there’s a real link between finding a putter that’s easy to align and putting well with it.

Pre-loved putters can be a fantastic option as they offer the opportunity to save considerable amounts of cash buying a model somebody else no longer wants. Make sure you’ve tried and tested the putter you want before buying, it’s much less likely you’ll get fitted to any second-hand model.

Blades are the most traditional-looking putters. They are typically quite slim, with a small profile. Blade putters tend to have quite a lot of toe hang, which means they suit golfers with an arced putting stroke, although some face-balanced blade putters are available for those with a straight back-and-through stroke who want a blade style.

Out-on-tour stability putter shafts have their place, but they’re certainly not mainstream, so I’d advise not getting too bogged down in deciding whether or not you need one. Other much more important factors need your full attention. If though at any point you want to go full out and create your ultimate flatstick then absolutely a stability putter shaft should be on your radar.

There’s a mountain of putter grip options to choose from, whether you want to explore the size, shape, profile, or material of your putter grip my best putter grip page will help you decide which best suits you.

Putters, particularly mallets and MOI models, come with all sorts of different visual aids to help you align putts and strike the ball in the middle of the face more often. A lot comes down to personal preference, so it’s a good idea to pick up as many putters as you can to see what sort of alignment aids suit your eye. Here’s my guide to finding your perfect alignment aid.

TG Equipment Editor Simon Daddow and Test Pro Neil Wain both putted to a hole 15 feet away and hit at least 20 putts with each model tested. We’re listening for sound, looking for how putts roll across the surface of the green, and gauging the feel and feedback of the putter face. We consider the grip size, shape, and texture, whilst also paying attention to the shaft and the stability on off-center hits.

Simon’s job means he plays regularly around the world, and rates Kingsbarns as his favorite course. He uses a PXG 0311 GEN6 XF driver, TaylorMade Stealth 2 HL (15º), Ping G400 (20.5º), PXG 0317 X Gen2 hybrid, PXG 0311 GEN6 P irons (6–PW), Cleveland CBX2 wedges (52°, 58°), Ping 21 Fetch putter and a TaylorMade Tour Response golf ball.

While we normally share all the data from our golf club tests, we don’t do that with putters. Whilst we do use a Foresight GC Quad launch monitor in putting mode to measure and gauge the roll, topspin, and skid of every putt hit, over the years we’ve learned that putting data is more player- and day-dependent than any other club in the bag. So, whilst we use this data for analysis, we don’t base big decisions or recommendations on it, as history shows data is very likely to be different on another day’s testing. Essentially, we’re not comfortable making huge claims that one putter rolls better than another, because we know that on another day’s testing, the rolls could be reversed.

With many of the best putters retailing for over $400, it’s important to decide how much you’re willing to spend. After all, a higher price doesn’t guarantee you’re going to hole more putts. Typically, the leading manufacturers are at the forefront of R&D and use premium materials, which explains the high price, but there’s nothing to say you can’t find a putter for under $200 that works great for you.

Bauer Media Group consists of : Bauer Consumer Media Ltd, Company number 01176085; Bauer Radio Limited, Company number: 1394141; Registered office: Media House, Peterborough Business Park, Lynch Wood, Peterborough PE2 6EA and H Bauer Publishing, Company number: LP003328; Registered office: The Lantern, 75 Hampstead Road, London NW1 2PL All registered in England and Wales. VAT no 918 5617 01 H Bauer Publishing are authorised and regulated for credit broking by the FCA (Ref No: 845898)

If you can accept the somewhat unconventional looks of an MOI model, you’re giving yourself maximum benefit. It’s important to love the look of your putter, though, as confidence plays such a huge part on the greens.

It means the company insists golfers get fit for each model as it’s vitally important to match the lie angle of the putter to how you putt, to ensure maximum effectiveness. The idea also does away with the fitting of putters to stroke type, so don’t expect to hear toe hang mentioned by L.A.B.

Away from the course, Simon is a season-ticket holder at Peterborough United Football Club, attending games with his young son. He’s also a keen cyclist and enjoys working (and relaxing) at his allotment.

Putter faces used to be a simple, flat piece of metal, and although some are still like that, most have an insert or some form of groove pattern designed to help reduce skid and get the ball rolling sooner. Finding the face type or insert that you like the feel of is key to confidence and consistent pace control.

A simple but effective way to see how much toe hang a putter has is to balance the shaft on your finger; the angle at which the head points down towards the ground when hanging freely is the amount of toe hang. A putter with no toe hang is often called “face balanced” and the face will be pointing straight to the sky.

Stability putter shafts have grown hugely in popularity over the last decade, as engineers have realized when premium carbon fiber (like with the graphite KBS GPS) is wrapped correctly in the right areas, graphite shafts can resist twisting better than steel.

Having the original headcover in good condition is always desirable and a good sign the putter might well have been cherished by its previous owner. I’d always recommend factoring in the cost of a new grip too just so you get the feel and feedback you want. Our selection of the best putter grips can help you decide which will best suit you.

There’s a reason most beginners don’t pick up traditional blades with no sightlines; they’re not so easy to line up. It’s natural, then, for less skilled and less confident golfers to go for wider body, longer sightline models because there’s more insurance. Mallets are more stable and forgiving, but you also get more help lining up, too.

Golfers who like a golf ball-width feature do so because they like to frame the ball while lining up to putt. There are tons of putters out there that have a feature to frame the ball at address, and while some do it subtly, others are much more explicit.

Most putters come with different hosel options, which not only affect the look but also the amount of ‘toe hang’ the putter has. Toe hang is measured in degrees and basically dictates how much the putter wants to rotate during your stroke. Generally, golfers with more arc in their putting stroke will benefit from more toe hang, while those with a ‘straight back and through’ stroke will want less.

He joined EMAP Active (now Bauer Media) as Equipment Editor in 2006 and has worked for both Today’s Golfer and Golf World. Working alongside our test pro Neil Wain, Simon has made todays-golfer.com the most reliable source for golf club testing.

There is a clear trend towards wider-bodied blade putters, which sit between a mallet and a blade and offer a bit more forgiveness and reassurance than a very slim blade.

The biggest decision when choosing a new putter is whether you want a blade putter, a mallet putter, or a super-stable high MOI putter.

He’s a specialist in all things metal having spent a large part of his career as a golf club maker and product development manager, and has worked in the golf industry for more than 30 years. Starting out as trainee professional at Downes Crediton GC where he learned the art of golf club making, he went onto work for Clubhaus Plc and Tony Charles Ltd as a golf club maker, and running Product Development at Benross Golf.

Don’t forget also if you draw a straight line on your ball, a single line on your putter can be a great accompaniment for that. If you use a triple track golf ball, a putter with three lines can work brilliantly too.

Despite his youthful looks, Simon has played golf for more than 40 years and plays to a handicap of 10. A lack of club speed means he’s short off the tee, but very handy from 125 yards and in.

Tiger Woods uses a Scotty Cameron Newport 2 GSS Prototype putter, which has been in his bag for most of his career. Check out all the clubs and other equipment Tiger Woods uses here.

Simon Daddow is the Equipment Editor for Today’s Golfer. Having tested and played more than 10,000 clubs in his life, what he doesn’t know about golf clubs isn’t worth knowing.

It’s a difficult one to answer, as so much of putting comes down to confidence, which makes it important to choose a putter you love the look and feel of. That said, a high-stability MOI putter will offer greater performance benefits than any other type of putter. If you’re struggling with your putting and have only ever used a traditional blade, it’s well worth seeing how much a forgiving MOI putter could help you.

Golfers who like a clean top rail use the perpendicular line created by the blade sat behind the ball to square up to their target. A lot of putters combine a clean top rail design with other alignment features, but players who like models in this category will often find the extra cosmetic shapes or lines distracting.

As you’ll see from our selections above, brands including Scotty Cameron, TaylorMade, Odyssey and Ping make what we feel are the best putters in golf.

He enjoys excellent relationships with the biggest names in the golf equipment industry, including PXG boss Bob Parsons and TaylorMade’s Tomo Bystedt and Adrian Rietveld.

His favorite ever piece of golf equipment is the Callaway Warbird fairway wood and he considers the biggest technological advancement in the game to have been titanium driver heads.

Take your time, look at the condition, and get a feeling for how the putter may have been looked after by the previous owner. If the finish is chipped or there are dinks in the top edge it’s highly likely the putter has had a tough life, which could mean it might no longer be at its original spec.

Predominantly, think of the golfers who gravitate to this style of putter as liking simpler, traditional blade designs with less going on cosmetically and you won’t go far wrong.

There’s a growing consensus of not going too large as you can lose feel and distance control. As a very general rule, oversized grips with flat fronts typically will suit straighter stroke players whereas smaller more pistol-shaped grips can be a better fit for golfers with arc and/or release in their putting stroke.

This area of the market has really taken off in the last decade as golfers realize the performance benefits of super-stable putters.

Expect a Zero Torque putter to need some bedding in time, they are the hottest trend on tour right now, my best L.A.B. putter page will help you decide if you like the concept and establish which model is for you.

Simon also spent time working as a Sales Executive in Harrods’ golf department, even helping supply Sir Nick Faldo with personalized shirts in a last-minute emergency ahead of a flight to a tournament.

Finding the best putter for your golf game is hugely important, as it’s the club you use more than any other. There’s nothing more frustrating than hitting a great approach or chip to close range and then missing the putt. Plus, holing a few more putts is a quick way to lower your scores.

Mallet putters tend to have a bigger footprint than blades, although the blade length from heel to toe is often shorter.

Ping’s Dr. Paul Wood told me “There’s a real trend of more skilled players wanting fewer alignment features, which sort of makes sense as the better you are at lining up, the less help you need.

Other zero torque putters are available (like the Axis 1 used by Justin Rose) but L.A.B. models are different as they’re designed to resist twisting to the path of your stroke, not your target. So, where Ping founder Karsten Solheim invented the perimeter-weighted Anser to twist less on off-center hits, L.A.B. putters are designed to not twist to the path of your backswing and downswing.

Choosing the best putter for your game comes down to many factors, including price, the head shape, what alignment aids suit your eye (if any), whether you have a straight or arced putting stroke, whether you prefer a firmer or softer feel, the length that suits your height and setup, and what type of grip feels best in your hands. We’ve discussed every factor in our guide to choosing the best putter for your game.

Quite simply, you’re making the game harder by using a narrow blade putter rather than an MOI Putter, especially on longer putts.

The wider body offers greater distance consistency on off-center strikes than you get with a blade, which can really help as you’ll be surprised how often you miss the middle of the face, particularly on longer putts.

“This kind of player wants lines to indicate where the outer edges of the ball should be in relation to the putter’s body, like tram lines running straight from the putter’s head out to the edges of the golf ball that’s sat in front of it,” Ping’s Dr. Paul Wood told me. The putter may have a clean top rail, but golfers aren’t using it to align.

A sightline like this leads the eye all the way to the back of the ball, and I’ve always felt it gives the impression of hitting a nail in with a hammer when putting. The alignment feature doesn’t have to be a line – it can be another design – but explicitly this style of putter doesn’t have a top rail.

All of the leading manufacturers – including TaylorMade, Odyssey, and Ping – offer a wide range of putters in different shapes, sizes, styles, and types, so how do you know where to start?

Typically, this feature is only really found on mallet-style putters, because blades don’t have the body width to create a long sight line. It’s not a hard and fast rule, but it often tends to be less skilled putters who like this style of alignment aid most.

Putters are typically 33″ to 36″ long (discounting arm-lock models, which are longer). The correct length largely depends on your height but also the way you stand when putting; basically, the distance from your wrist to the floor when you address a putt is the length of putter you need.

You may have heard about face-balanced, toe-up, and torque-balanced putters before, but L.A.B. Golf’s Zero Torque putters and the new PXG Battle Ready Allan work differently from anything you’ve seen before. The idea came about when Directed Force (the company acquired and relaunched by now L.A.B owner Sam Hahn) built a device called the Revealer, to better understand how putters torque and rotate during the putting stroke. Only by inventing the device, which allows putters to hang freely while being swung, was it possible to spot how putters rotate during the stroke, but also to design a putter that didn’t torque or spin at all.

Stability putter shafts improve the consistency of off-center hits as the face deflects fractionally less at impact, so the idea has the potential to shave shots from your scorecard and help cut your three-putt percentage.