Updated June 25, 2024. This article was thoroughly audited by multiple golf experts and coaches for its accuracy. You can read more about our rigorous testing protocol here.
Forgiving putters are great for high handicappers who need help as they develop their putting stroke.
Each of the most forgiving putters on our list offers exceptional balance, a large inviting sweet spot, along with an easy alignment guide and outstanding perimeter weighting.
Check out our most forgiving putter list for 2024!
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Last updated on 2024-09-25. The links are affiliate links. Product images are served from Amazon Product Advertising API.
Table of Contents
Most Forgiving Putters 2024
Odyssey White Hot OG One Putter
Best Overall Blade Putter
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Specifications
- Head: Blade
- Loft: 3 degrees
- Length: 33-35 inches
- Head Weight: 350 grams
Pros
- Improved sound and feel with soft milled insert that offers cushioned impact for better distance control
- Contrasting alignment guide helps increase accuracy with stroke consistency
- Heel-to-toe balance with excellent weight distribution increases forgiveness across the hitting area
Cons
- Minimized center insert creates a smaller sweet spot
- Appearance is rather simplistic for the price point
The Odyssey White Hot OG One Putter is our choice as the most forgiving putters in a blade shape. It is an excellent buy for a great golf club that offers a wonderful design with a clean, lightweight putter head.
The White Hot insert offers improved sound, an exceptionally soft feel, and impressive performance.
One of the best putters, regardless of classification, the Odyssey White Hot OG One delivers a tour-level putter face balanced with incredible forgiveness for all levels of golfers.
TaylorMade Spider GT Rollback Putter
Most Accurate Mallet Putter
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Specifications
- Head: Mallet
- Loft: 3 degrees
- Length: 33-35 inches
- Head Weight: 365 grams
Pros
- Wide, clear alignment guide with high-contrast color
- Pure Roll insert reduces hopping off the face for improved forward roll
- Outstanding stability with high MOI through the impact zone
Cons
- Feels futuristic with a lot of silver chrome
TaylorMade’s outstanding Spider GT Rollback Silver SB putter delivers a streamlined mallet shape that minimizes bouncing, improves stability, and consistently keeps the ball along your intended target line.
The putter’s best feature, the Pureroll2 insert, offers a wide, inviting sweet spot for golfers who struggle with consistency. Very forgiving, the soft insert produces a quick, efficient forward roll that doesn’t stray off target.
The aerodynamic head shape also generates a clean entry into the golf ball for a pure strike. The head’s wide alignment guide, with a high-contrast black center line against the silver chrome, helps maintain a clean sightline that you can count on at address.
Great for mid- and high-handicappers, the Silver SB’s accuracy deserves praise and places it high on the list of the most forgiving putters currently on the market.
Odyssey Triple Track 2-Ball Putter
Most Forgiving Mallet Putter
Specifications
- Head: Mallet
- Loft: 3 degrees
- Length: 33-35 inches
- Head Weight: 355 grams
Pros
- Triple Track alignment guide helps establish a clear path to the ball and an ideal contact point
- Multi-material shaft reduces weight by 40 grams, redistributing it to the head for better balance
- Microhinge insert increases forgiveness with exceptional softness for magnificent touch and control
Cons
- Heavier feel may mute responsiveness or feel for some golfers
- 2-ball guide can be distracting to new users
Odyssey offers another winner with the Triple Track 2-Ball Putter. It is best for golfers who love a mallet that provides a well-balanced putter with a high moment of inertia that keeps the putter centered through impact.
Available in oversized or pistol grip options, this golf club also provides a soft insert in the hitting area that is incredibly forgiving on off-center strikes.
The Triple Track alignment system helps the golfer keep the mallet putter centered through the ball. The putter design is second to none and easily allows the golfer to see the path of the putt before they strike it.
Ray Cook Sliver SR500 Putter
Best Budget Mallet Putter
Specifications
- Head: Mallet
- Loft: 3 degrees
- Length: 34, 35 inches
- Head Weight: 365 grams
Pros
- Midsized paddle grip offers a tacky feel that keeps your hands locked for a smooth stroke
- Wide hitting area helps redirect off-center strikes back toward the target line
- Very affordable price point for a heavy mallet that offers a very fluid stroke
Cons
- Cheaper build makes it wrong for serious golfers
- No insert along the face for a softer roll
Modeled after the TaylorMade Spider, the Ray Cook Silver SR500 Putter offers a wide mallet putter option for a very affordable price. This forgiving putter features a wide hitting area that creates a high moment of inertia for less twisting throughout the stroke.
A bit on the heavy side, the heft of the head keeps the club square through the impact zone for better forgiveness.
One of the best putters if you want the look and feel of the TaylorMade Spider without the high price tag, the SR500 is a well-balanced putter for golfers looking for a budget mallet.
TaylorMade Spider SR Putter
Best Luxury Mallet Putter
Specifications
- Head: Mallet
- Loft: 3 degrees
- Length: 33-35 inches
- Head Weight: 355 grams
Pros
- Exceptional balance throughout the stroke
- Soft feel at impact delivers outstanding response
- Very smooth and stable for dependable consistency
- Pure Roll Insert cushions to prevent skidding or hopping
Cons
- Ideal for low handicappers and serious golfers
- Leans a bit on the heavy side, even for a mallet
With adjustable weighting and jaw-dropping balance, the TaylorMade SR Spider Putter delivers consistent performance with style to burn.
With two heavier wings anchoring the Pure Roll Insert along the face, putts come off smooth and steady with significantly less bouncing and skidding than lesser putters.
During our testing, the putter garnered high marks in feel and forgiveness. With the two wings, the putter stays square longer through the impact zone, helping you make putts that stay along the target line.
Although a bit pricey, the SR Spider offers tour-level production that you can count on as you seek your personal best score.
Mizuno M CRAFT III Putter
Most Forgiving Adjustable Putter
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Specifications
- Head: Mallet
- Loft: 3 degrees
- Length: 33-35 inches
- Head Weight: 360 grams
Pros
- CNC Milled Face produces smooth roll
- Included Custom Fit Weight Kit delivers customized performance
- Rounded mallet head offers balance and feel
- Outstanding accuracy on long-distance putts
Cons
- The weighting system can take time to find the right feel and combination
- Very expensive putter for low handicappers and frequent golfers
The Mizuni M-Craft delivers a well-made, forgiving putter with the III.
Featuring a CNC Milled Face that produced a smooth roll during our testing, the M-Craft III may carry a hefty price tag, but that cost is certainly worth it for serious players looking to shave strokes from their game.
If you love tinkering with your putter, the M-Craft III comes with a weighting system that allows you to totally control the weight and balance of your flatstick.
While that may frustrate some golfers as they try to dial in the right combination, we found that weighting produced the low-skid roll that kept our putts along the target line more frequently.
A first-rate mallet putter with a soft feel, the Mizuno M-Craft III keeps your putts on line for greater success on the greens.
Pinemeadow Golf Black Zinc Putter
Best Budget Blade Putter
Specifications
- Head: Blade
- Loft: 3 degrees
- Length: 33-35 inches
- Head Weight: 340 grams
Pros
- Tacky putter grip offers exceptional hold with flat front to place hands in the right position
- Smooth hitting area with a milled center cross helps align the putter for better forgiveness while accelerating the forward roll
- Excellent budget option for high handicappers looking for a blade style option
Cons
- Lower end blade putter
- No milling or insert along the face
For beginning golfers looking for a blade-style putter head at a low price, the Pinemeadow Golf Black model offers a clean head design with a lie angle that gets the ball rolling quickly without bouncing.
For a budget model, the Black Zinc offers a wide sweet spot with excellent toe hang for a smooth stroke.
The offset neck on the Black Zinc helps provide a clear line of sight to the ball for clean alignment lines to the cup.
While it might not win any design awards, the Pinemeadow Golf Black Zinc Putter delivers a simple design alongside its face balanced feel.
How We Tested the Putters
Our team of seasoned golfers conducted thorough tests to determine the most forgiving putters.
Each putter was evaluated on various green conditions, focusing on key performance metrics like consistency, distance control, and accuracy.
We tested putts from multiple distances to analyze how each putter minimized off-center hit deviations. Special attention was given to design features such as face inserts, alignment aids, and weighting to understand their impact on forgiveness.
We also gathered feedback on the feel and visual appeal. We meticulously analyzed the collected data to identify the putters that consistently provided the highest levels of forgiveness, aiming to help golfers improve their overall putting performance.
How to Choose the Most Forgiving Putter
Here are the factors that you must consider when buying a forgiving putter:
Mallet vs Blade
A few of the differences between mallet putters and blade putters are obvious, like size, but golfers usually choose one or the other for more subtle reasons.
Mallet putters have a larger head, but golfers want to use this style of putter mostly because of the alignment guide along the top and the balance the club provides throughout the putting stroke.
In comparison, blade putters are lighter and more likely to work better for amateurs on longer putts, but they sacrifice some of the feel that mallet putters provide.
The design of both putters works to achieve their overall goal, which is to give golfers more consistency with their putting.
The mallet’s bulkier head is great for shorter putts and for golfers who like a straight-back, straight-forward arc to their putting stroke.
The blade offers a more compact and narrow look, with a short alignment dash along the top, but offers a better way to attack lag putts that trouble amateurs who are struggling with three putts on the green.
Forgiveness
The forgiveness of a putter relates to how the face of the club reacts to when you strike off-center. When you use a wood or iron, the forgiveness of the club will reduce side spin and straighten the shot, but that doesn’t really work the same way with a putter.
Since the putting line is so exact, anything off the putting line usually results in a miss. What forgiveness does in a putter is help keep the ball close to the cup.
An off-center strike can reduce speed as well as accuracy. Forgiving putters try to nullify that penalty by keeping the putt’s pace and redirecting it along the intended path.
Sweet Spot
The sweet spot on a putter refers to the rounded area on the center of the face where the golfer wants to strike the golf ball. When golfers refer to off-center strikes, they are talking about putts where the contact with the face comes outside the sweet spot area.
When a golfer strikes a putt, they want it to roll forward, along the target line, as quickly as possible. Bouncing, popping, and skidding can take a putt off its intended path. A shot that comes from the sweet spot offers the best possible outcome in terms of putt quality.
A putt from the sweet spot offers a soft feel, distance control, optimum lie angle, and optimum rolling.
Face Insert
Forgiving putters offer different types of face inserts to help the golfer control distance, improve feel, and keep their putts along the target line to the cup.
Most inserts are made with a polymer that helps cushion the impact of the ball to the hitting area. The insert also takes the place of a sweet spot, providing instant feedback to the golfer.
An alternative to the soft-hitting area inserts that some manufacturers, like Cleveland and their Cleveland Huntington Beach series, use is a milled-hitting area.
The face insert provides an improved feel and response and interacts well with the outer layer, or skin, of the golf ball to promote forward roll without skidding or bouncing.
Shaft
The shaft of a putter can either be stainless steel or graphite. Most professional golfers prefer the stability of a steel shaft on the putter.
Graphite shafts, although rare, do pop up on putters where weight is an issue. The graphite lowers the weight of the club, providing a smoother experience for golfers who might prefer more speed with their putts.
Length
Most putters are roughly 35 inches in length. They do come in smaller lengths for shorter golfers. Another option is a long putter where the shaft goes along the inside of the lead arm of the golfer. These putters measure well over four feet in length.
When considering length, it is also important to have an athletic stance with your putter and to not be hunched over the golf ball. This preferred stance allows the arms to freely swing and gives a better idea of the path to the cup.
Alignment
The alignment guides on a putter help the golfer line up their putt to the hole. Most golfers like to look at the angle of a putt from behind the ball, then place their ball along that line and use the alignment line to roll the putt on target.
For mallets, the alignment line may also be accompanied by a wide indicator of where the ball needs to strike the face. For blades, with their reduced size, a smaller line or dash will help guide the putter to the golf ball.
Golfers need to find a putter head that provides confidence via a clear alignment to help them get the ball to the center of the putter face as often as possible.
On faster greens, an alignment guide is essential to finding the right path to start the putt, giving it the best chance of going into the cup.
Balance
The balance of a putter runs from heel-toe on a blade putter and in all four directions on a mallet. Since blade putters are far lighter and narrower than a mallet, it is important to know if the flatstick will stay square throughout your stroke.
The same holds true for a mallet, but with the additional weight, a golfer must exercise more muscle to keep the flatstick balanced throughout the stroke.
Additional weighting can also affect a putter’s balance. Some advanced mallet putters offer interchangeable weights to help provide a lower center of gravity that creates a smoother, more balanced stroke.
Price
The price of forgiving putters is definitely something to consider when finding the right flatstick for your game. Most golfers prefer performance over value, but there’s nothing that says you can’t have both.
A lower-priced putter can be a sign of poor quality, but there are also buying opportunities for older models from equipment manufacturers.
When considering the price of the putter, it is vital to also evaluate the construction, design and details of the flatstick.
Such characteristics as putter length, alignment lines, and if the putter has a larger sweet spot is crucial to finding a flatstick that works best for your game.
Questions & Answers
When should you use a putter?
The answer to when you should use a putter depends on several situations you may encounter on the course.
The first and most obvious is when you are on the green, attempting to finish out the hole by putting the ball into the cup.
Other possible scenarios in which you could use your putter include from the fringe just off the green and from the fairway when it runs directly into the putting surface. Either of these situations is a prime example of using the putter in an unorthodox manner.
A big reason why you should consider using the putter from off the green depends solely upon your handicap and skill level. Inexperienced golfers will find that the putter offers more consistency than using an iron to chip the ball into the hole.
The putter allows for a steady roll to the cup, making it far easier to control for the high handicapper and beginning golfer.
What’s the best putter for average golfers?
Our choice for the best putter for average golfers is the Cleveland TFI 2135. This blade style putter offers a lightweight feel along with precision milling and a soft TPU insert along the face for maximum touch and control.
Another highlight of the TFI 2135 is the gooseneck hosel that allows golfers to address the putt directly over the top of the golf ball. Great for average golfers, the hosel also gives players the chance to get their hands slightly ahead of the ball for smoother contact.
Along the top of the putter, golfers will find a clear alignment line that fits the width of the golf ball providing easy guidance for hitting the center of the sweet spot.
Which putter is the easiest to use for high handicappers?
The easiest putter to use for high handicappers is the Ray Cook SR550 Putter. With a mallet putter head, the SR550 looks similar to TaylorMade’s popular Spider series of flatsticks offering heft and terrific balance for maximum control and accuracy.
Beginning golfers and high handicappers will appreciate the putter’s ability to stay low to the ground for a straight-back, straight-through approach to putting that delivers exceptional consistency on putt after putt.
Terrific for inexperienced golfers, the Ray Cook putter delivers solid performance to produce higher quality putts.
Conclusion
Our choice for the top putter for forgiveness, the Odyssey White Hot OG Putter, offers a classic design with balanced weight for minimal twisting through the impact zone.
If you are struggling with your speed and consistency on the green, new more forgiving putters may be the trick to unlocking your game. Today’s best putters offer terrific forgiveness, helping pros and amateurs rekindle their magic on the putting surface.
Regardless of your handicap level, finding forgiving putters that straighten the putts when the impact point drifts toward the toe remains essential to all golfers.
Whether you prefer a mallet or blade-style flatstick, forgiving putters keep your ball along its target line without losing speed.
When considering the most forgiving putters for your game, you certainly would be wise to start with the White Hot OG Putter from Odyssey.
We also recommend you check our guide on How to Improve Your Putting.