Here are some of our favourite mallet putters currently on the market.
Best Mallet Putters
The world’s top 10 is decorated with players putting their trust in a mallet putter and there are all manner of simple and unpredictable designs out there.
Most of us are looking for more forgiveness to help get the mishit long-range putts to the hole and keep the face stable over the short ones. There is a lot of help on hand here and some very familiar faces from the world stage.
Best Mallet Putters
Mizuno M-Craft 3 Putter
+ This is an outstanding looking model and there’s an option to tinker with the weight
– There’s no topline alignment
Mizuno are back in the premium putter market with three M-Craft models. The 1 is a square back with a mid slant neck to help with an exaggerated putting arc, the 2 is a classic heel-toe with plumber’s neck and is suited for a moderate putting arc. This model, the M-Craft 3, is a face-balanced mid-mallet and is suitable for those with less arc in their stroke.
They are all forged from premium carbon steel and then beautifully CNC-milled and the results are exquisite – there are also adjustable sole weights for added customisation.
You might not have considered a blue finish, it also comes in black and white, before but this might change your mind.
US Buy Now at Worldwide Golf Shops for $299.99
UK Buy Now at Golf Support from £229.99
Odyssey 2-Ball Triple Track Putter
+ The alignment is off-the-scale good when you set the putter down
– To get the full benefit you might need to switch to Callaway’s Triple Track ball which might not be to everyone’s taste
This is the latest incarnation of the 2-Ball putter and the obvious thing straightaway is how much help you’ve got with your alignment; you’ve got the two balls on the putter head and, should you use a Triple Track ball, you should be in no doubt as to where you’re aiming. The technical term for this is Vernier Hyper Acuity which, in simplest terms, refers to the ability of the brain to process subtle differences in alignment detected in the eyes.
Odyssey Triple Track Putters Review
US Buy Now at Worldwide Golf Shops for $249.99
UK Buy Now at American Golf for £229
Bettinardi Inovai 6.0 Putter
+ It frames the ball perfectly at address
– Another pricey offering but the looks are quite special
This is a striking putter with the contrasting cobalt blue and platinum finish. There’s no insert, rather the face has been precision milled from stainless steel with an aluminum rear. The result is Bettinardi’s best feeling MOI putter with optimal weight distribution.
This is based on tour feedback to put together a more solid MOI putter without using any inserts and it was put straight into various bags of those players.
US Buy Now at Rock Bottom Golf for $399.99
UK Buy Now at Scottsdale Golf for £339
Ping Heppler Piper Armlock Putter
+ The head looks great and maybe the best looker in the family
– Putting armlock takes a bit of getting used to so is quite niche
The Piper comes in both a centre shaft and armlock model with the latter being a non-adjustable double-bend shaft with a 21-inch grip. This mid-mallet has a high MOI and 6˚ of standard loft. Like the rest of the Heppler family there is plenty of visual interest and the classic head shape will appeal to plenty.
US Buy Now at Worldwide Golf Shops for $249.99
UK Buy Now at Scottsdale Golf for £275
Scotty Cameron Phantom X 12.5
+ Big sweet spot = big fun on the greens
– This will appeal visually to some but not others
This is the most forgiving version in the Phantom line and, with the wings on the back, the objective is to make the sweet spot as large as possible. This is the latest in the Phantom X range and it features a low-bend shaft – every X model with a .5 in the name has this for more toe flow to promote an arc in the stroke. The other models have a slightly taller, mid-bend shaft while the Phantom X 6STR has zero offset.
“Every time we introduce a new putter line, I receive requests from tour players and dedicated golfers for additional set-ups and configurations. Phantom X 12.5 is the result of some of those requests,” explained Cameron who has employed a single sight line here.
Scotty Cameron Phantom X Putters Review
US Buy Now at Worldwide Golf Shops for $429.99
UK Buy Now at Scottsdale Golf for £368.99
TaylorMade TP Patina Collection Ardmore 3 Putter
+ Little effort has to be made to produce a strike to get the ball to the hole
– There isn’t loads of help when it comes to alignment
This might be best known after getting a spell in Tiger Woods’ bag after his Scotty Cameron was benched for a while. Tiger said that it helped him to start his ball online again after a poor spell on the greens. This is one of three Ardmore mallets and has a small curve hosel at address and these and the Dupage mallet provide greater stability on off-centre hits while all seven models produce a fantastic roll thanks to the thicker grooved insert.
TaylorMade TP Patina Collection Putters Review
US Buy Now at Worldwide Golf Shops for $249.99
UK Buy Now at American Golf for £219
Wilson Infinite The ‘L’ Putter
+ Has a great roll and an even better price
– The hollowed out back might put a few off
The L (short for elevated) is the rapid transit system that serves Chicago and each putter in the Infinite range is named after a local landmark or feature of the city. There are eight head shapes in the range and this one screams forgiveness with a hollowed out back.
There’s plenty of alignment help behind the ball and a matte finish to reduce glare. The L is a slight toe-hang putter so is designed for those with a bit of an arc in their stroke and is counter-balanced for a more controlled stroke.
UK Buy Now at American Golf for £89
Axis 1 Rose Putter
+ It’s a thing of clinical beauty and Rose’s putting stats have improved significantly
– It’s one of the pricier putters on the market
When this was launched it was said to be the world’s first ‘Perfect balance/Torque free’ mallet putter. This was done by placing the centre of gravity exactly in the centre of the face and in line with the axis of the shaft which is said to create a perfectly balanced putter.
Justin Rose said of the putter: “I’d been wanting to use Axis 1 for a couple of years but hadn’t been able to. That was a big part of my decision and why I changed equipment (from TaylorMade to Honma).”
The putter remains in the bag, unlike Rose’s association with Honma.
PXG Blackjack Putter
+ There are four adjustable sole weights to get things just right
– There is a lot going on in terms of its looks
The deep centre of gravity produces a more stable stroke and this is hugely forgiving with consistent ball speeds across the face.
The shape of the head is unlike most but the simple alignment makes it very easy to set the putter down correctly. In terms of the decoration and name, the skull with the number 26 is a nod to PXG founder Bob Parsons’ service with the 26th Marine Corps regiment during the Vietnam War and Blackjack was his nickname.
Don’t forget to follow Golf Monthly on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for more golf gear content.
This article Best Mallet Putters appeared first on Golf Monthly.