Updated January 30, 2025. This article was thoroughly audited by multiple golf experts and coaches for its accuracy. You can read more about our rigorous testing protocol here.
One of the best ways to improve your short game is by simply replacing your putter.
But with so many serious amateurs playing Scotty Camerons, the pressure is on for casual players to find an alternative that won’t tear a hole in their wallets.
Playing with an affordable putter doesn’t mean you are sacrificing performance.
Dozens of well-made, budget-conscious putters in mallet and blade head styles are available to help amateurs improve their roll on the greens.
In this review, we present our list of the top six budget putters that provide a responsive feel, exceptional distance control, and the best value for your money.
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Table of Contents
Best Budget Putters 2025
Ping Anser 2 Putter
Best Budget Blade Putter
Check Price on Global Golf
Specifications
- Head: Blade
- Loft: 3 degrees
- Length: 33-36 inches
- Head Weight: 340 grams
Pros
- Balanced heel-toe weighting keeps putts on target
- Clean, classic design
- Exceptional milled face offers superb feel
Cons
- No adjustable sole weights
Ping’s Anser 2 putter delivers Scotty Cameron-like performance at a discount of more than half the price.
One of the great putters of the last 50 years gets a modern update, with the Anser 2 offering more stability and forgiveness than its predecessor.
Weighing 340 grams, the Anser 2 is light in your hands but offers a firmer feel and exceptional consistency.
This Ping putter is remarkably clean. The alignment guide, the pewter finish, and the milling are all immaculate, making it quite the head-turner on the course.
Other putters strive to replicate the look and feel of the Newport #2 from Scotty Cameron, but Ping’s Anser 2 is one of the few putters that can claim they’ve actually done it at a price point below $200.
A fantastic putter for golfers of all skill levels, the Anser 2 is the best value putter for golfers who don’t want to pay Scotty Cameron prices.
Wilson Staff Bean Infinite Putter
Best Budget Mallet Putter
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Specifications
- Head: Mallet
- Loft: 3 degrees
- Length: 33-35 inches
- Head Weight: 345 grams
Pros
- Double milled face offers total control
- Outstanding alignment guide
- Heavy grip creates a superb counterbalance
Cons
- Doesn’t dazzle in the golf bag
Wilson’s Staff Infinite Bean offers a mallet option with a high-contrast alignment guide that kept our putts on target from all over the green.
Featuring a compact yet fully CNC milled hitting area, the Infinite Bean uses a double-bend hosel to help you get over the golf ball at address for better alignment.
The putter tends to lean on the heavy side, and if you aren’t scared off by that, you’ll be more than pleasantly surprised at how the counterbalance keeps the putter level throughout the stroke.
If we have a minor complaint about the Bean Infinite, it looks rather ordinary sitting in the golf bag, with its black finish.
For under $100, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a mallet flatstick that produces smooth, pure ball roll as good as the Wilson Staff Infinite Bean.
Cleveland HB Soft 2 #1 Putter
Best Value Blade Putter for Mid Handicappers
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Specifications
- Head: Blade
- Loft: 3 degrees
- Length: 32, 34, 35 inches
- Head Weight: 355 grams
Pros
- Classic silver design
- Outstanding feel with exceptional control
- Very forgiving with a completely milled hitting area
Cons
- Not as stunning as Scotty Cameron putters
We’ve long been a fan of Cleveland’s Huntington Beach series, so finding their new HB Soft 2 #1 putter on this list should come as little surprise.
Classically designed but with a few helpful tweaks, this is the best putter for mid handicappers looking for a cheap blade putter that performs similarly to the Scotty Cameron Newport.
As we stroked putts with the #1, we adored how slick and clean the ball came off the face, with minimal bouncing. Controlling distance was easy, and we found strong consistency within 15 feet of the cup.
Looking at the putter at address, you’ll find almost a chunky, double-wide blade width on the #1, something we grew to like as it helped with confidence on longer lag putts.
A great value for golfers who want to spend their budget on golf clubs that help them elsewhere, this Cleveland putter will help you lower your scores during the upcoming golf season.
Odyssey DFX #7 Putter
Best Value Mallet Putter for Mid Handicappers
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Specifications
- Head: Mallet
- Loft: 3 degrees
- Length: 34, 35 inches
- Head Weight: 345 grams
Pros
- Extremely soft DFX insert offers consistent roll
- Outstanding value for face insert putter head
- Stealth black design provides a sharp look
Cons
- Does carry a slight look of cheap putters
Odyssey’s DFX line recently got an upgrade, with their 7 putter getting a softer face insert and a more balanced club head.
The putter offers tremendous value for a mallet and looks solid with its clean black finish and hard white lines along the head and face.
From long distances, the DFX 7 offers outstanding forgiveness on off-center strikes as ball speed stays relatively high, helping you tighten your dispersion and putting more lag putts close to the cup.
Although we like the look of the putter, some might not feel that way due to the minimalist nature of the putter’s design and lack of color along the head.
If you love to play golf with well-made clubs that don’t crush your wallet, you’ll love the forked mallet of Odyssey’s DFX 7 putter.
PGM Blade Putter
Best Value Blade Putter for High Handicappers
Specifications
- Head: Blade
- Loft: 3 degrees
- Length: 34 inches
- Head Weight: 350 grams
Pros
- Very forgiving on off-center strikes
- Price point around $30
- Heavier design keeps putter stable through impact
Cons
- Only available in shorter 34-inch shaft length
PGM’s value putter owes a debt to Odyssey’s blade putters, but for less than $30, high handicappers and beginners will find a lot to love about this flatstick.
The PGM offers a nice mixture of strength and touch. Although it doesn’t have an insert along the sweet spot, it still provides a smooth roll for a budget putter at this low cost.
Due to its heavier design, we felt some nice muscle behind each putt from an extended distance. From inside 10 feet, this putter is a monster, knocking home putts at an elevated clip.
With a noticeable toe hang, the putter works best with a slight arc stroke, which inexperienced golfers may need to practice to master.
At a low, affordable cost, the PGM putter offers tremendous value and solid performance.
PGF G-793 Forged Putter
Best Value Mallet Putter for High Handicappers
Specifications
- Head: Mallet
- Loft: 3 degrees
- Length: 34, 35 inches
- Head Weight: 365 grams
Pros
- Adjustable weighting for under $60
- Diamond milled offers a superior feel
- Carbon fiber design provides balance
Cons
- Doesn’t carry name-brand recognition
PGF’s G-793 mallet putter offers features you’d typically find on putters five times the cost of this hidden gem.
The G-793 features a forked mallet design with formidable diamond milling along the hitting area, helping with feel and control.
The mallet’s design is also very forgiving, keeping off-center strikes on target with plenty of ball speed.
There are a few drawbacks with this putter, the foremost being that it doesn’t have name-brand recognition, but that shouldn’t stop you from giving this mallet a chance to be your flatstick.
Although you might not be familiar with PGF’s putters, their G-793 model offers outstanding performance for under $60.
It is an excellent choice for high handicappers and beginners who want a mallet putter with adjustable weighting.
How We Tested the Budget Putters
We use a three-step process to test putters.
First, we start in our lab, recording all of the necessary specifications of the putter.
We are looking at head designs, adjustable weighting, and alignment aids, plus taking note of overall putter weight, whether the flatstick is face balanced, toe hang, and the overall cost of the club.
Next, we take the putter to an indoor green and hit putts in a controlled environment.
We want to see how the putter feels at impact and how the golf ball comes off the face without worrying about wind or other outdoor elements ruining the putt.
After our indoor session, we head out to our outdoor facility to hit more putts from various distances.
During this period, we evaluate forgiveness, distance control, and hitting putts of varying speeds to see how the putter responds.
Finally, we gathered our thoughts and data points and assembled our list of the top 6 budget putters of the year.
How to Choose the Best Budget Putters
Style
When it comes to style, you can choose a mallet or blade putter.
The mallet putter is larger and offers a heavier feel with more balance. These putters are used with straight-back putting strokes.
In contrast, the blade putter is slender, looking much like the blade of a knife. The alignment aid usually consists of a couple of small lines, while the sweet spot is smaller and more compact than the mallet.
Face
With a face insert or milling along the sweet spot, you should experience a softer feel that works extremely well on putts, such as downhill putts where you need touch.
A soft face insert provides the most feel, but a milled face offers the best of both worlds with an enhanced feel and sturdier construction for golfers who want a firmer response at impact.
Feel
When it comes to feel, you gauge how the ball comes off the face. The feel comes from the putter’s response to your hands.
If you grip the putter too tightly, you won’t experience a solid feel, so keeping a firm but delicate grip to get the most feel from the putter head is wise.
Adjustable Weighting
Adjustable weighting isn’t confined to Scotty Cameron-level putters anymore. Many manufacturers are using head weights to adjust feel and firmness.
The best cheap putters offer customization options, such as adjustable weighting, to help the putter sit comfortably at the address and stay balanced during the putting stroke.
Personal Preference
When you are struggling to find the best golf putter for your game, and the cost is relatively the same, we encourage you to choose the putter that simply gives you the most confidence on the greens.
It might seem like a simple philosophy, but when the margins are razor thin, you should carry a flatstick that gives you the most enthusiasm.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the #1 putter in golf?
The Scotty Cameron Newport #2 is considered the #1 putter in golf.
Its adjustable weighting and precision-milled face combine classic style with modern technology to produce a pure feel at impact and a quick, seamless forward roll.
Best for golfers who prefer an arc stroke, the Newport #2 won’t provide the best value for your wallet, but it delivers the best performance.
What is the easiest putter to hit straight?
A mallet putter is the easiest putter to hit straight.
Models such as the TaylorMade Spider or Callaway Ai-ONE mallet putters tend to stay balanced throughout the stroke, helping high-handicap golfers hit straighter putts with minimal bouncing or popping at impact.
These putters utilize a variety of head shapes to achieve the most consistency on the greens for golfers looking to shave strokes.
Are Scotty Camerons good for high handicappers?
Yes, Scotty Cameron putters are good for high handicappers but are at the top of the pyramid regarding price.
For golfers not willing to spend several hundred dollars on the best Scotty Cameron putters, Cleveland’s HB Soft and Ping’s Anser series mimic the look and design of the Cameron putter without the price tag.
Do I need a 34″ or 35″ putter?
Your height and arm length determine the length of your putter. If you are a taller golfer, use a 35-inch putter to help you stay comfortable during the address and your putting stroke.
Shorter golfers, around 5’7″ to 5’10”, should use the 34-inch model to find more consistency with their new putter.