Best Types of Putters for Your Game
As a beginner golfer, you might feel overwhelmed by the numerous golf clubs available, especially for putters.
The putter is arguably the most important club in your bag, as it’s used on every hole and accounts for a significant portion of your strokes.
Although there’s plenty of variety out there, there are two main types of putters for you to choose from: blade and mallet putters.
In this article, we’ll break down the pros and cons of these two types of putters and elaborate on their features to help you understand which one might be best for your game.
What are different putters called?
When you’re just starting out in golf, it’s essential to understand the two main types of putters: blade putters and mallet putters.
Each has its own characteristics and benefits, catering to different putting styles and preferences that suit golfers.
What is a blade-style putter?
Blade putters are the traditional choice for many golfers. They are characterized by their thin, flat, and angled clubheads.
A blade putter design carries a classic look that appeals to many players who appreciate a more traditional appearance on the green.
If you’re a golfer with an arcing stroke, where the putter head moves slightly inside on the backswing and then back to square at impact, a blade putter might be the right choice for you.
Blade putters tend to have a compact size. The smaller clubhead can provide greater control and precision, especially for players who prefer a more feel-based approach to putting.
Brands like Ping and Scotty Cameron make some of the most renowned blade-milled putters on the market.
These manufacturers have long histories of producing a high-quality blade flat stick that professional golfers have used to win major championships.
What is a mallet putter?
In contrast to blade putters, mallet putters feature a larger, more rounded clubhead. This design offers several benefits, particularly for beginners.
The increased size of the mallet putter head allows for more prominent alignment aids, which can be extremely helpful when you’re learning to line up your putts correctly.
Mallet putters are often recommended for golfers with a straight back and straight-through putting stroke.
This type of stroke, where the putter moves directly back and through along the target line, is well-suited to the balanced design of most mallet putters.
One of the key advantages of mallet putters is their forgiveness. They typically have a higher moment of inertia (MOI), a measure of the club’s resistance to twisting on off-center hits.
This means that even if you don’t hit the ball perfectly in the center of the clubface, you’ll likely get a better result than a less forgiving putter.
Many beginner-friendly putters feature the classic mallet design, which helps with off-center strikes.
The mallet style’s larger size and alignment features can help new golfers build confidence on the greens, which is crucial for developing a solid putting stroke and lowering scores.
What kind of putter should a beginner use?
While we’ve touched on some differences between mallet and blade putters, it’s worth exploring these distinctions between best putters in more detail.
The putter head design aspects can vary significantly from one club to the next, even within the same category.
The most obvious difference is the overall shape.
Blade-style putters tend to be simple and rectangular, while mallet putters can come in various shapes, from rounded squares to more elaborate designs with multiple arms or prongs extending from the back of the head.
Mallet putters are generally heavier and more complex in their design than blade putters.
This additional weight and complexity allow for more forgiveness and stability than toe-weighted putters, which can benefit beginners.
Due to its softer feel, a mallet putter does offer the most forgiveness for beginner golfers.
What are the different types of putter balance?
The balance of a putter is a crucial factor in how it performs and which type of putting stroke it’s best suited for. There are three main types of putter balance: face-balanced, toe-balanced, and heel-shafted.
Face Balanced Putters
Face-balanced putters are designed so that the face of the putter points upward when you balance the shaft on your finger. This type of putter balance is typically found in many mallet putters and some blade putters.
Face-balanced putters are ideal for golfers with a straight-back and straight-through putting stroke, as they naturally want their counterbalanced putters to stay square to the target line throughout the stroke.
Toe Balanced Putters
In contrast, toe-balanced putters have a toe (the end of the putter head furthest from the shaft) that points downward when you balance the shaft on your finger.
Many blade putters are toe-balanced, making them well-suited for players with an arcing putting stroke.
The toe hang helps the putter face naturally open on the backswing and close on the forward swing, matching the arc of the arced putting stroke.
Heel-Shafted Putters
Heel-shafted putters have the shaft connected at the heel (the end of the putter head closest to the golfer) rather than in the center of the insert putter head.
This design often results in more toe hang, benefiting players with a strong arcing stroke. These peripheral weighted putters provide exceptional forgiveness for beginner golfers.
How to Choose the Right Putter
With an understanding of the different types of putters and their features, let’s explore some factors to consider when choosing the ideal putter for your game.
Putter Length and Fitting
Putter length is both a fitting parameter and a matter of personal preference.
Every golfer will have an ideal putter length based on height, arm length, and general playing and putting style. Traditional putter lengths typically range from 32 to 36 inches.
To find the right putter length, you should be able to stand comfortably over the golf ball with your eyes directly over or slightly inside the ball. Your arms should hang naturally, with a slight bend in your elbows.
It’s worth noting that some golfers use long putters with larger putter heads, such as a belly putter or broomstick putter.
While these were more common in the past, rule changes have made them less prevalent in competitive play.
However, they can still be viable for recreational golfers experimenting with their putting technique.
Grip Size and Style
The putter grip is the only point of contact with the putter, making it a crucial component of the club. Grip size is an easy adjustment to make, but it can significantly impact how the putter feels and performs.
Wider or thicker grips have become increasingly popular in recent years. These larger putter grips can help players who want to minimize wrist and hand movement in their putting stroke.
By reducing the ability to manipulate the club with your hands, these grips can promote a more pendulum-like stroke driven by the shoulders.
Shaft Designs
While putter shafts are typically steel, some manufacturers have introduced innovative shaft designs to enhance performance.
For example, the Odyssey Stroke Lab shaft combines graphite and steel to provide a more premium feel and potentially improve consistency.
Shaft designs can also vary in how they connect to the putter shaft and head. Options include center-shafted, heel-shafted, and offset designs.
Each can affect the putter’s balance and how it sits at address, so it’s worth trying different options to see what suits your eye and stroke.
Additional Features of Putters
Beyond the basic design elements, several additional features can influence a putter’s performance, including alignment guides, milling or grooves along the hitting area, and how loft and lie factor into the roll.
Alignment Aids
One of the most visible features of modern putters, especially mallet putters, is the presence of alignment guides.
These can be lines, dots, or other shapes on the top of the mallet putter head, designed to help golfers line up their putts more accurately.
Mallet putters often feature more prominent alignment aids, such as white circles or lines, which can be particularly helpful for beginners.
These visual cues make it easier to ensure your putter face is square to your target line at address and promote a straight back-and-forth putting stroke.
Grooves on a Putter Face
Many modern putters feature grooves on the face of the club. These grooves, made by milling, are designed to impact the roll of the ball off the face.
Found on insert putters, the idea for the milled hitting area is to reduce skidding and promote smooth roll as quickly as possible after impact.
Different manufacturers have their proprietary groove designs, aiming to optimize the interaction between the putter face and the ball.
Some players find that grooved faces help them achieve a more consistent roll, especially on longer putts.
Loft and Lie
While it might not be immediately obvious, putters do have loft along the face, typically resting between 2 and 4 degrees.
This loft is necessary to lift the golf ball slightly out of its resting position on the grass and get it rolling smoothly.
The ideal putter loft amount for your putter will depend on your putting mechanics (including your dynamic loft at impact and angle of attack) and the typical conditions of the greens you play on most often.
Firmer, faster greens generally require less loft, while softer, slower greens might benefit from a bit more loft to get the ball rolling quickly.
The putter’s lie angle (the angle between the shaft and the ground when the putter is in the address position) is also essential.
Final Thoughts
Choosing the right putter is a personal process, but our information should give you a solid foundation to explore different putter options.
Still, ultimately, the best putter for you will be the one that feels the most comfortable in your hands.
Remember, while having the right equipment is important, it’s no substitute for practice. Spend time on the practice green, working on your stroke, and getting a feel for distance control.
With time and practice, you’ll better understand what works best for you and be well on your way to becoming a more confident and successful putter.