The final putt is the all-important final stroke at the end of the game, so you need a golf putter to make sure you sink the ball every time. An essential for every round, every golfer requires a putter in his bag so when it comes time to save your par, you can make the right call with confidence.
The modern version of golf putters didn’t appear until the early half of the 20th century when the club’s first name, ‘cleek’ was dropped for the putter. This was due to the shift in using metals in the construction of putters instead of the previous wooden construction, which many other clubs like the driver and iron did as well.
Types Of Golf Putter
In your search for a new golf putter, it’s important to understand the different types; the mallet and the blade. They are distinguished by their head shape, with the blade being a more traditional shape and more flat, while the mallet has a larger head and its weight is distributed more towards the back.
They also help your shot in different ways and this is mostly due to the weighting. A blade putter is ideal for those long shots because they are heavily toe weighted, meaning the sweet spot is closer to the heel for stronger impact. The mallet can also save you on those long shots but because the weight is towards the back, you’ll get more balance and stability in your stroke.
Features Of The Best Golf Putters
Being the most used golf club, making the right call on the best putter for your game goes beyond just the mechanical features and should be chosen depending on the type of stroke you typically have. The two putting stroke categories are the straight and slight arc. Understanding which stroke you play with will help you sort through the options.
Another major feature of a golf putter you need to consider as you shop is head balancing. Depending on your type of stroke, you will need either a face-balanced or toe-balanced putter as they play to those types of strokes. As you shop online for a new putter, this information will always be provided.
We’ve curated a list of the best golf putters in the golf industry today, so take a look below and start making those decisive shots.
Odyssey
Price: From $200
Origin: Carlsbad, California
A sub-brand of Callaway dedicated to designing and manufacturing putters, Odyssey were founded in 1991 and joined the golf giant in 1997. This gave the brand access to top of the line technology and resulted in an expansion of their range, and in 2000 they released the White Hot range of putters, which remains as popular as ever.
Their latest is the ‘Ten’ series and is a variant on the mallet head shape that includes some unique designs. With a variety of alignment options, this putter is best suited for golfer’s that prefer a stroke with minimal face rotation and arc.
Scotty Cameron
Price: From $425
Origin: California
Founded by Don ‘Scotty’ Cameron in 1991, Scotty Cameron is part of the Acushnet Company which has a roster of some of the best companies including Titleist and FootJoy. Being in such esteemed company, it’s no surprise that these putters are trusted among the very best professionals.
The latest comes in the form of the ‘Phantom X’ range that promises the best of both worlds: the stability of a mallet putter, but with the flow-like feel of a blade putter. With a stepless steel shaft and a single low bend that is designed to aim directly down at the target to promote arc path for more flow during your stroke, this is one of the best putters for you to add to your collection.
Mizuno
Price: From $300
Origin: Osaka, Japan
Rihachi Mizuno, the founder of Mizuno, saw his first baseball game when he was 18 years old in 1906, and loved it so much he decided to open a baseball equipment store. This store eventually grew to a fully owned and operated company that manufactured equipment for a variety of different sports, including golf.
2021 saw the release of their latest range of putters, the ‘M-Craft’ series. This range saw the introduction of new mallet and blade head-shaped clubs to the menu, which are forged from carbon steel to create a precise alignment. There are three models within the range to choose from, each offering various amounts of toe hang, so you’ll need to understand which kind of stroke you play before you buy. Do so, though, and you’ll be in ownership of a top-quality putter to add to your set of clubs.
Evnroll
Price: From $329
Origin: Carlsbad, California
The first Evnroll putter appeared on the market as early as 2016 at the annual PGA Merchandise Show and is the brain child of golf club designer Guerin Rife. Regarded in the golf community as an out of the box thinker, Rife has brought his passion for solving problems to the putter.
With a range of putters that include a selection mallet and blade clubs, the very latest available is the ‘V-Series’ released in 2021. This range provides closely spaced, precisely milled grooves for improved accuracy when hitting the ball, a length specific head and a weighted grip for stroke consistency and control. Evnroll has a huge selection of putters to choose from, and when you consider they’re some of the best around, they’re well worth checking out.
Bettinardi
Price: From $300
Origin: Tinley Park, Illinois
Bettinardi was founded by Robert Bettinardi in 1998 following a decade of innovating the putter, and who became an instrumental force that saw professional players taking to using a milled putter on tour. With that success he decided to branch out on his own and continued to use innovative methods for his putters, such as using a jeweller grade machine cutter on the face of his clubs.
2021 saw the release of their latest range of putters, the ‘Queen B’ series, which allows you to choose from a range of different head shapes for the blade. Rocking an attractive rose gold finish, the compact head features a wider flange design and crowned topline. Bettinardi claims the Queen B is one of the best putters for those looking for moderate toe hang.
Wilson
Price: From $60
Origin: Chicago, Illinois
One of the oldest golf brands in history, Wilson’s golf department came to into existence in 1914 around the same time as Walter Hagen emerged as a major sporting personality and propelled golf to new and popular heights.
The legacy continues to 2021 with the ‘Infinite’ series of putters, which are important because they offer optimal results at an affordable price. A Wilson putter won’t break the bank but will have you putting with confidence thanks to it’s counterbalanced technology for a smoother, more controlled stroke.
TaylorMade
Price: From $200
Origin: Carlsbad, California
In the spring of 1979, Gary Adams took out a $24,000 loan on his home and put it towards his new golf company, TaylorMade. His first golf club was a stainless steel driver which would address the failing performance of the classic wooden drivers.
This commitment to always improving on what came before has followed the company into 2021, and the latest range of putters shows this. The latest is the ‘Spider’ series of putters that show off some of the most unique mallet head shapes and come with an all new fluted shaft that improves feel.
PING
Price: From $245
Origin: Redwood City, California
Founded in 1959 by Karsten Solheim, who began to make his first putter out of his garage in Redwood, California, PING has gone on to become one of the most recognised names in the world of golf. Before this, Solheim was an engineer for General Electric, so took his expertise and knowledge and applied it when creating new and inventive designs for various golf clubs.
PING produces putters with both mallet and blade heads, and with a number of different ranges on the books, you’ll do well to check them out. All budgets are catered to, and some putters can be customised to suit your exact style of play.
Axis1
Price: From $449
Origin: Boston, Massachusetts
Axis1 may be a brand you’ve not heard of before, but this small, independent putter-maker has already made a big impact in the last few years and has propelled into the mainstream golf industry. It was all thanks to former world number 1, Justin Rose using an Axis1 putter to win the Farmer’s Insurance Open in early 2020.
Now that very same putter, which was developed specifically for him, can be yours. With the ‘Golf Rose’ series of putters you will find a stainless steel shaft and a paddle shaped grip that will provide great feel and help you guide the ball easily to the hole.
Cobra
Price: From $249
Origin: Carlsbad, California
Founded by former Australian amateur champion, Thomas Crow in 1973, Cobra is responsible for one of the first utility clubs, long before they ever became popular in the game. Decades of many innovations and a good relationship with former world number 1, Greg Norman, the company was eventually acquired by Puma in 2010, a sign of even better things to come.
The latest in 2021 are the ‘KING 3D’ series of putters, which have been manufactured entirely using the 3D printing method, some of the first in the history of golf. Featuring the new Loft Technology that ensures consistent roll off the stroke and a Lamkin Smart grip for a perfect feel, they’re some of the best putters around.
Cleveland
Price: From $130
Origin: Huntington Beach, California
The company began in 1979 as Cleveland Classics, founded by Roger Cleveland whose designs were played by some of the very best players on the tour. In 1990 the company was acquired by Rossignol and the name was changed to Cleveland Golf and began to directly sponsor players on the tour.
Within the latest range of putters to choose from, is the ‘Huntington Beach’ series, released in 2021 representing high-quality at affordable prices. The vast majority of the range benefits from Speed Optimised Technology (SOFT) which normalises ball speed for control and distance, and you’ll find that each putter within the Huntington Beach series has been designed to suit different stroke types, whether it be straight, or slight arc, for example.
Yonex
Price: From $116
Origin: Torrance, California
The Yonex story dates as far back as 1946 when they were known as the Yoneyama Company and started by producing wooden floats for fishing nets. They didn’t begin producing clubs until the late 1980’s but quickly became one of the first Japanese-owned golf club brands to be used by professional American players.
Affordability is always at the heart of Yonex’s clubs and their range of putters are no different, with low prices across the board, yet without sacrificing quality. The putter guaranteed to please is the ‘EZONE’ series, which features a head shape with a flat angle to allow for a more stable and natural putt stroke. The series has also been developed using a “TRIPRINCIPLE design”, which promises to help you make at least 90 per cent of your one-metre putts.
Tommy Armour Golf
Price: From $100
Origin: Miamisburg, Ohio
Taking its name from the legendary Scottish-American professional golfer, Tommy Armour, who won the U.S Open, the PGA and the Open Championship in the late ’20s and early ’30s, Tommy Armour Golf now makes some of the best putters and clubs around.
With a name steeped in heritage, the range of putters have high expectations but with their latest, the ‘Impact’ putter, we think they’ve certainly lived up to the hype. With a traditional shape that features a rubber backing on the head and a high contrast white top line dot to easily provide alignment, a Tommy Armour Golf putter could certainly help improve your game.
Top Flite
Price: From $70
Origin: Carlsbad, California
Once owned by golf conglomerate Callaway, Top Flite was sold to the sports equipment site, Dicks Sporting Goods, where it sells all of its products. Designed and made for the casual golfer, you’re search is over with the company having a selection of the most affordable ranges.
While you will save on the cost (with most models coming in under $100), you won’t be scrimping on quality, as their range of putters will be the perfect fit for your weekend visit to the green. The 2021 editions of their ‘Gamer’ putters have a perimeter alignment line that frames the ball for better distance control, while a micro-groove pattern in the face helps to provide a consistent roll. Essentially, Top Flite produces some of the best putters for golfing beginners.
Kronos
Price: From $540
Origin: Oceanside, California
Co-founded by Phillip Lapuz and Eric Williams – and the result of a successful pitch on the US TV show, Shark Tank – Kronos seeks to create the most balanced and precise putters. Together, the duo has over a century of expertise in the industry and have worked with major brands such as Titleist and TaylorMade. All of their putters are machine milled using computer technology but polished and assembled by the finest craftsmen.
Kronos only makes putters, and they’re easily some of the best-looking around. They’re not cheap, either, but you get an awful lot in return for your investment. Kronos has such a varied range of putters it can be tricky to single out the best, so we implore you to take a complete look through their inventory. Just know, they’ve been made to the absolute highest quality and all have been designed with the sole aim of improving your putting game.
SeeMore
Price: From $200
Origin: Franklin, Tennessee
Founded by Jim Weeks in the early 1990’s, SeeMore is an accomplished independent manufacturer that has seen success at the highest level with wins at the 2007 Masters and the 2015 Open Championship. Their patented Riflescope Technology is what sets them apart from other putter manufacturers and is represented by a visible gun sight on the line.
You will find this alignment system across all of their putters and they offer a wide selection to choose from that is guaranteed to guide that ball to the hole. The ‘Si2 RST Hosel’ putter features a forgiving blade with a milled aluminium insert that is an optimal length for feel and roll.
Pinemeadow
Price: From $50
Origin: Portland, Oregon
Founded in 2000, Pinemeadow is located in Portland, Oregon and are responsible for making hundreds upon thousands of new clubs every year. If you are looking to save on your next putter, a Pinemeadow is a great fit, and the company has a range of options that are sure to please and leave you a happy customer.
The ‘PGX’ series of putters is the latest, released in 2021 and features a ‘plumber neck’ hosel to help with alignment to be sure that your putt is on the right path. The weight of the putter is also pushed towards the centre offering a nice balance during your stroke.
PXG
Price: From $199
Origin: Scottsdale, Arizona
Founded in 2014 by American billionaire Bob Parsons, who in his search for the best technology, decided to start his own company and apply them to PXG’s clubs. In just five years, the company was added to Inc Magazine’s list of the fastest-growing companies in 2019.
The latest range of putters to be released in 2021, is the ‘Battle Ready’ series that will help you putt with confidence. With blade and mallet-style putters that feature a comfortable 34″ shaft length and weighted heel-toe ballasts to increase stability and forgiveness for a smooth stroke, these putters are well worth your consideration.