Our guide to the best putters 2017 has to offer, including models from recent launches from the likes of Scotty Cameron, Odyssey, Ping and TaylorMade
Best Putters 2017
Many manufacturers are actually reducing the number of head shapes in their ranges and focusing on improved looks, feel and roll from their more compact collections.
Of course, there is still the choice to be made between a blade, mid-mallet or mallet. Blade style putters tend to suit ‘feel’ players with a stronger arc to their putting stroke, moving up into mallets that suit golfers who require extra alignment assistance and/or have much less rotation in their putting stroke.
This, however, is not a hard and fast rule – much of your final decision should be based on what suits your eye and feels good in your hands. Only that way will you gain the confidence you need to hole the putts you want to.
Remember other variations of putter design like counter balanced versions, which feature a heavier head and grip to increase overall stability and promote a smoother tempo. To that end, here are some of the best putters 2017 has to offer…
Scotty Cameron 2017 Futura – £335-£355
Each model in the new 2017 Scotty Cameron Futura collection has wrap-around face-sole construction milled from lighter aluminium that moves weight back and to the perimeter to increase the putters’ resistance to twisting. A built-in vibration dampening system also connects the face-sole component to the stainless steel frame, producing a more responsive feel. Models available are the 5CB, 5MB, 5W, 5S, 6M, 6M Dual Balance and 7M, with the higher numbers indicating larger head sizes.
Ping Vault – £279
The new Ping Vault putters feature milled faces
Comprising two mallets and two blades, the putters in the Ping Vault series boast grooves that are milled directly on to the face to improve feel and distance control.
Ping Vault putters review
They also feature a thicker 68g Ping Pistol grip to help you relax your grip pressure. It is also soft and tacky to ensure a comfortable feel, with a UV coating to fight against fading. Available in slate or platinum finishes as well as in adjustable shaft length.
Odyssey O-Works ’17 – £179-£199
Odyssey says its new Microhinge insert technology will help golfers’ ball stay on line more often from different strike locations on the clubface. It does this via increasing topspin thanks to an Elastomer insert that is co-moulded with a new stainless steel Microhinge surface with the individual hinges flexing on impact, lifting the ball to produce a better roll.
New and improved high contrast Versa Alignment Technology with a red highlight line is said to improve alignment. The range comes in nine head shapes, four blades and five mallets, plus tank versions in a blade and mallet.
TaylorMade TP Collection – £199-£215
As used by Sergio Garcia to win the Dubai Desert Classic, the TP putters are available in March and feature a new Pure Roll insert made from a soft polymer with 45° grooves that aid a soft feel and smoother forward roll respectively. The Juno and Soto are classic blades with heel-toe weighting, while the Mullen and Berwick are the mallet options. They will come with a stock Lamkin Sink Rubber grip (£199) or an optional upgraded SuperStroke 1.0 GT Pistol grip (£219).
Evnroll ER Series £275 – £300
Evnroll has added three putters to its popular ER series with the new ER3 Wing Blade, ER7 Full Mallet and ER8 Tour Mallet as well as a new black version of the ER6 iRoll Full Mallet. They all feature unique milled faces engineered to deliver performance across the entire hitting area to increase accuracy and dispersion.
Evnroll ER Series putter review
Bettinardi Studio Stock Series – £309
Boasting a Mercury Grey finish for a confidence-inspiring look at address, the new Studio Stock Series incorporates F.I.T (Feel Impact Technology) Face milling, where material is removed from the face in order to produce a softer feel at impact. Available in a variety of shapes including an Arm lock and centre-shafted options.
Scotty Cameron Newport 3 – £335
This teardrop-shaped, heel-shafted mid-mallet has an advanced multi-material construction, with a new lighter aircraft grade aluminium inlay allowing Cameron to distribute weight more efficiently for increased forgiveness. Like the 2017 Futura mallets, a built-in vibration dampening system connects the face inlay with the body for a more responsive feel and feedback. It comes with a red Matador Mid-size grip developed to offer the comfort of a larger grip while maintaining feel.
Odyssey White Hot RX – £129
A dual-layer, injected-moulded insert has a softer core made of elastomer to enhance feel, ball speed and sound. The oval Metal-X roll pattern and a paint coating on the face improves roll.
Ping Sigma G – £175-£199
The new Ping Sigma G putters
A new multi-piece face Pebax elastomer, a material commonly used on the soles of athletic shoes for its elasticity properties, offers lightweight, high-energy return for a soft yet responsive feel on the new Ping Sigma G flatsticks.
Ping Sigma G putter review
Ping’s True Roll Face Technology pattern varies in depth and covers the entire face to ensure putts roll at consistent speeds, wherever they are struck on the face, for better distance control. The range features 16 head options in either a Platinum or Black Nickel finish as well as two grip options.
TaylorMade Spider Tour – £199
Originally designed for Dustin Johnson, the new Spider Tour Black features an all-black body, all-black shaft, and a removed sight line for clean alignment. Further benefiting from TaylorMade’s Pure Roll insert, which combines 45° grooves with a softer polymer, the Spider Tour Black delivers more topspin and better forward roll to get the ball on line faster and keep it on line longer.
Cleveland Golf Huntingdon Beach – £89
Set to offer golfers a soft feel on the greens without the premium price tag, the Huntington Beach Collection of putters by Cleveland is made up of three designs: 1, 4 and 6, each with a Precision Milled Face that has a coarse, diamond-shaped milling pattern four times deeper than the previous generation of Cleveland putters. The deeper milling pattern softens feel at impact while increasing friction with the ball for a truer, more consistent roll off the putter face.
Cameron and Crown – £320
In the unique Cameron and Crown range, putting legend Scotty Cameron has redesigned some of his most-trusted models at 33” and specifically weighted for players who prefer shorter putters.
Best Putters 2017 – What To Consider
Shaft length
The length of your putter will dictate your posture and, in turn, where your eyes are at address. Getting it right will help you monitor face alignment.
Head type
Ideally yours should suit your swing arc, plus your strengths and weaknesses. Mallets tend to offer extra stability, but can come at the cost of feel.
Your preferences
Putting is a confidence game, so you need to like the shape, finish and sightlines on your putter, as well as its weight and feel.
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