The 9 Best Putters For High Handicappers & Beginners

White Hot Insert

Along the face of the 2-ball putter is Odyssey’s White Hot insert. The very popular addition to this Odyssey putter enhances feel and response. The insert runs almost the entire length of the putter face adding a wide sweet spot that is forgiving and a high-performer.

On mid-range putts from 15-25 feet, the insert really shines with dampening power that reduces vibration and keeps the ball along the target line with full strength.

From longer distances, think outside 30 feet, the insert helps control speed and distance with exciting accuracy.

2-Ball Alignment Guide

For a few decades, the 2-ball look has been a mainstay on the PGA Tour. One of the biggest reasons why the 2-ball appearance has maintained a high level of popularity is due to the increased visualization the design provides professional golfers.

Rather than guessing where the putt will go, the 2-ball design offers a clear look at where the golf ball will go after it leaves the face.

The design is one of the best weapons a beginning golfer can enjoy because it increases the strikes along the center of the face. Not only does the forgiveness increase, but the quality of putts also raises for golfers.

The design is also anchored by the sole weight in the rear of the head that keeps the putter low to the ground with smoothness.

High MOI for Better Consistency

What all beginning golfers need with every aspect of their game is consistency. On the green, consistency is achieved through repetition and the ability to keep the hands calm throughout the stroke.

The White Hot OG utilizes a high performance shaft along with a gray DFX flat-front grip to reduce twisting and increase MOI as the putter passes through the golf ball. As a result, beginning golfers and high handicappers will increase accuracy and keep the ball along the target line.

For beginners, a top-tier putting option that will pay immediate dividends is the Odyssey White Hot OG 2-ball putter.

RifleScope Technology

The patented system that distinguishes SeeMore from other manufacturers is their RifleScope Technology, or RST. The concept behind it is simple, but brilliant. 

The bottom of the putter shaft (or the entire shaft, if you prefer), is painted black. On the top of the putter behind the shaft is a large red dot flanked by two white lines.

When you place the putter behind the ball, the black part of the shaft should hide the red dot, and you should be able to see the two white lines perfectly. 

If you can see the red dot or if the lines are hidden at all, the club face isn’t square to the target line.

Does it work?

I found SeeMore’s RST system incredibly effective, especially in the crucial 3-8 foot range. These putts are short enough that you should make most of them but long enough that a slight mis-alignment can result in a missed putt. 

The RST system gave that extra boost of confidence that the ball would start rolling in the right direction.

Any drawbacks?

Many golfers like to use a forward press when putting. Jordan Spieth and Phil Mickelson both have noticeable forward presses and use it with great effectiveness as a trigger for their stroke. 

A forward press is when you move your hands slightly forward before starting your stroke. 

If you’re a forward presser, the SeeMore FGP with its straight, center-shafted design might cause you some issues. Once you align the putter with the RST system, a forward press may throw that alignment off immediately. 

Suddenly you’ll see a bit of the forbidden red dot and your clubface will likely open.

Face-Balanced At Impact

One of the unsung aspects of SeeMore FGP putters is that they’re face-balanced at impact; that is, they’re weighted so that when the putter is held in a normal grip, the face naturally balances square to the target line. 

It’s a feature you don’t find in toe-hang or traditional “face-balanced” putters, and I found it really helped to get the clubface square at both address and impact.

Together with the high MOI of the putter, I found the face-balancing and RST to produce the best alignment and highest number of made putts of any of the putters I reviewed.

Grip Issues

The first thing I noticed right off the bat was that when I took my usual putting grip and stance, the putterface looked closed. 

While I didn’t see too much effect on short putts, when I got outside of 10 feet I confirmed it: the grip wasn’t aligned properly to the club face.

Sure, this can be corrected by buying a new grip, but once you’ve paid for a new putter grip and installation, you’ve added at least $20 to the price of the club. 

Being budget conscious shouldn’t mean getting a product that will actively inhibit the ultimate goal of making putts and shooting better scores. 

The Good

The reason I could tell right away that the clubface was closed is because the alignment lines are very precise and well-defined. 

So by adjusting my grip, I was able to properly aim the putter, but this isn’t something you should have to do. 

The putter should nestle into your hands and point where you’re looking right out of the box.

The insert did have a decent feel on some rolls. But that’s as much good as I can say about it.

The Ugly

I took four balls and made what I felt like were four nearly identical strokes to a target twelve feet away. 

Any other putter would’ve rolled the four balls within a few inches of each other. But the Pinemeadow PGX had over two feet of distance dispersion and nearly 10 inches of directional dispersion. 

If you’re making consistent strokes but the putter is sending the ball all over the place, there’s a basic lack of quality control that means you should look elsewhere. 

With a preponderance of quality putters hovering around the $100 range, it’s worth it to spend a little bit more and get a putter that won’t actively inhibit making putts.

Spider Arc Geometry

For the 2018 Spider, TaylorMade has tweaked the geometry and weighting of the putter head to increase the MOI and make it even more forgiving than last year’s model. 

The body of the putter is a lightweight aluminum, while the outer ring is a heavier stainless steel. This extends the weight to the heel and toe of the club, making the sweet spot nice and large. 

The arc structure of the geometry winds up creating three sight lines: one obvious one in the crown of the club and two implied ones at the edges of the golf ball. 

This makes addressing the ball a breeze and makes it look like the putter has engines ready to drive the ball straight at the hole. I felt very confident standing over each putt.

Surlyn Insert

Surlyn is a material known best to golfers as the ionomer used as the cover for distance balls like Pinnacles and Top-Flites. 

TaylorMade has taken that Surlyn material and crafted an insert out of it, so the feel of the putter is closer to two golf balls striking each other rather than a metal surface striking a softer golf ball. 

The result is a springy effect that fires the ball off the clubface, but I found the ball had a tendency to bounce a little bit before really starting its roll. 

It even had a bit of backspin on longer putts when a harder strike was required. 

If you’re used to a solid piece of metal, the Surlyn insert will feel pillowy soft and will take some getting used to. I actually came to like it, as it encouraged a confident, aggressive stroke.

Interactive Putter?

The “Interactive” version of the Spider comes with an insert in the grip that will record data about your strokes. 

You can then download that data to your computer and use it to help guide your practice. I didn’t test this aspect of the putter out, but for you gearheads out there, it’s sure to provide some interesting feedback. 

I expect we’ll see a lot more of this type of thing in years to come.

Clear Alignment Aid

One of the best features of the Black Zinc is the clear alignment guide along the top of the putter. For beginning golfers and high handicappers, putting along the right target line is crucial to lowering scores.

The alignment guide allows players to get a clean look at the ball while visualizing their upcoming putt. With the black base color of the putter, the zinc gold alignment guide offers a nice contrast.

Affordable Price

Pinemeadow has always provided clubs for a low cost and the Black Zinc is no exception. For less than the cost of a green fee, the putter offers quality performance.

Finding value in short game clubs, like the Black Zinc putter, allows you to spend money elsewhere like with a new driver or iron set.

Lightweight Feel with Excellent Forward Roll

The putter weighs around one pound, offering a lightweight option that helps provide distance control on longer putts. For beginners, finding a putter that promotes quick forward roll without skidding or bouncing is important. The Black Zinc gives golfers a quality roll with every putt from the sweet spot.

A solid budget putter, the Pinemeadow Black Zinc is one of the forgiving, well-crafted putters for high handicappers and beginning golfers.

Stands Up for Easy Alignment

The S7K putter’s best feature minimizes the guesswork that plagues so many high handicappers. The putter’s ability to set up behind the golf ball promotes better alignment. Since most putts begin offline, beginning golfers need help to correct their game on the green.

The large base coupled with heavier head gives the putter the platform to even stand on uneven and sloped surfaces. Once the golfer gets comfortable with their routine, setting up the putter, finding the line and making the putt goes quickly.  

Outstanding Forward Roll

The long and thin face on the S7K boasts an increased sweet spot. The enlarged center of the putter improves forgiveness on off-center strikes. Regardless of where the golf ball finds the face, the forward roll with the S7K does not skid or hop.

By reducing the amount of bouncing to the putt, golfers can start the ball’s roll with more accuracy. Inside ten feet, the S7K can help putters drastically reduce the number of missed putts.

Milled Face for Exceptional Feel

Another detail worth noting is the precision milled face. The milling helps boost feel and response. For a heavier putter with a wide base, having more feel helps dial in speed and the control of the putt.

The putter’s lightweight shaft and sturdy grip anchor the S7K’s head for a smoother swing. When coupled with the milled face, the golfer experiences outstanding response at impact.

Completely tournament legal, the S7K Standing Putter signals a huge advancement in putter technology.

That color scheme

I think the putter would look great if it was a solid red with the prominent black alignment line resting behind the ball. 

But TaylorMade is always known for experimenting and delivering innovation, so they’ve made the area directly behind the ball a stark, bright white.

This makes the black alignment line really pop out to your eye, but I actually found that it distracted me just a little bit. 

When I’m standing over a putt, I want to set the putter down behind the ball and then focus on the hole. I try to get a good picture of the ball entering the hole, then look back down and make a good stroke.

When I looked back from the hole to the ball with the Ardmore 3, I’d find myself focusing on the putter rather than the ball. 

That led to some head movement during the stroke, as I’d watch the putter go back instead of keeping my head down.

YMMV

Your mileage may vary, of course. TaylorMade wouldn’t have put this putter on the market if they hadn’t tested it extensively and successfully, so clearly there are golfers out there who found the distinctive color pattern useful and not distracting. And I have to say, their TrueRoll insert feels great. 

Not to mention the excellent MOI and forgiveness of the Ardmore 3 design – the extreme heel and toe weighting makes virtually the entire face a sweet spot. 

But I tended to close the clubface a little before even starting my stroke, and coupled with the involuntary head movement, I didn’t make a whole lot of putts with the Ardmore 3. 

Your dominant eye

If you’ve never tested which of your eyes is dominant, it’s a good idea to do so prior to buying a putter. 

There are a number of different ways to do so, but the quickest way I’ve found is outlined here.

In my experience, most golfers’ dominant eye is the same as their hand. This is why offset putters are so popular – the trailing eye is the main one visualizing the putt, so it makes sense to have the putter strike the ball under the dominant eye. 

However, if you’re a right-handed golfer with a dominant left eye, an offset putter is likely to cause issues hitting the putt where you’re looking.

What to do if you’re lead-eye dominant

The answer to having your lead eye dominant is to get a putter that’ll send the ball on the line that you’re seeing. 

This Rife Two Bar putter has a center shaft (meaning the shaft enters the clubhead closer to the middle than the traditional heel placement) and no offset. This should help you square the club at impact and make the path of the ball follow what you’ve envisioned.

What’s with the two bars?

There are two aspects to the Two Bar putter that makes it such a clever design. 

First, they act as alignment aids, both pointing down the target line and clearly defining the sweet spot of the putter. Second, they act as removable weights. 

Traditional wisdom holds that you should use a heavier putter on faster greens, and a lighter putter on slow greens. 

So having removable weights to fine tune the putter to the green speed makes a lot of sense if you’re playing at a variety of different courses with green speeds all over the map.

And there are some days where the putter just doesn’t feel right. Rather than running out and buying a new putter (as many golfers I know would do), you can just swap the weights out and get a whole new feel. That’s a lot easier on your pocketbook!

Several Options

The classic blade offset style is presented here as the #1 model. This one has very minimal markings: just a small alignment line right behind the ball. 

It’s for players who have a pretty significant arc to their putting stroke, or who have trouble getting the clubface squared at impact. There’s a fairly significant toe-hang here to help get the clubface squared and released through the putting stroke. 

The heel-toe weighting provides a sizeable sweet spot but not much forgiveness if you miss the sweet spot.

My other favorite one of this line is the Rossie putter. It’s one that Iused when it was first released and still have a soft spot for. Brandt Snedeker is one of the best putters in the world and he’s used the same Odyssey Rossie putter for ages. 

The combination of how it sits behind the ball and the visually appealing alignment lines make for a confidence-inspiring experience.

I wouldn’t recommend the heel-shafted #9 model as the weighting of it feels a bit weird, and heel-shafted putters are notorious for being tough to square to the target. 

A quick-tempo stroke will leave the club face open, whereas it will over-rotate and cause a pull if you have a slower tempo. 

White Hot Insert

The Odyssey White Hot was one of the first putters made with an insert like this, and golfers tend to love it or hate it. Proponents say that it feels softer and better than solid metal putters, whereas detractors contend that it doesn’t sound right and doesn’t offer the feel of a milled steel putter.

Odyssey has tried to address these concerns with the White Hot 2.0 and to their credit, it sounds great. 

It’s what a putter should sound like – a distinctive click. You know it when you’ve hit a good one, and it tells you when you haven’t. 

I think it’s a home run that should please the most dedicated milled putter fans – both men & women golfers.