Best Putters 2024

When it comes to choosing the best putter on the market, it's virtually an impossible task as there are so many great options to choose from. Additionally, they come in so many different styles, shapes and sizes that it isn't an apples to apples comparison. Putting is very much about feel and confidence, and the best putter for one golfer might be the worst possible option for another. It's very about personal preference, but finding the best putter for you is arguably the most important decision any golfer can make. After all, we use the putter more than any other club in the bag.

Generally there are three basic styles of putter, but even then there are variants on them such as armlocks and broomsticks. We'll leave the more niche putters out of this for now as they tend to mostly be used by Tour Pros who have had trouble with putting and needed something different. You don't tend to see many armlocks or broomsticks down at your local club.

So for this guide we will concentrate on the three popular styles; blades, mallets and mid-mallets.

As a general rule, blade putters tend to suit ‘feel’ players who have a stronger arc to their putting stroke. As such, blade putters are more suitable for the more accomplished golfer but that is not a hard and fast rule, as putting requires a very different skillset to hitting full shots. It's almost a different sport really when you think about it, so it's not inconceivable for someone with an awful golf swing to be a world class putter, and vice versa.

With this in mind, whatever your handicap we would advise testing out different styles to see which yields the best results.

Mallet putters tend to be popular with golfers who require extra alignment assistance and/or have much less rotation in their putting stroke. They also tend to be more forgiving on off center hits and will still get the ball to the hole even when you don't quite catch it properly.

Finally we have mid-mallets, which sit somewhere between the two, depending on how they've been designed. There is no hard and fast rule as to who should use what type of putter though, and if you need evidence of this then just look at the wide array of putters used in the professional game. You'll see all three types of putter well represented in the bags of some of the world's best golfers, so there is no stigma attached to using a forgiving mallet and if that's best for you then use it. Just because Tiger Woods uses a Scotty Cameron blade doesn't mean you should!

So there is a lot to think about, but we at Golf Monthly are here to help. We test a lot of putters which allows us to give you the best advice possible when buying. This comprehensive guide features lots of different styles and head designs and whatever type of putting stroke you have, there will be something in this guide to suit you.

Due to the vast amount of putter designs out there we have split this guide into several sections so you can go straight to the section and style of putter you are looking for. For more specialist choices, you should also check out our best blade putter guide and best mallet putter guide as well as our guide to the most forgiving putters.

WATCH: Joel Tadman tests and compares the best putters in 2024

The Quick List

Best Putters

Best Value For Money Putters

Cleveland HB SOFT 2 Model 1 Putter

Cleveland are always a strong contender when it comes to the best value putters and the new SOFT 2 range certainly lives up to the brand's reputation. Featuring a unique face-milling pattern that has been specifically designed to preserve ball speed on mishits, the Model 1 offers a premium look and a surprising amount of forgiveness for the price point.

This SOFT (Speed Optimized Face Technology) pattern is different on each of the putters in the SOFT 2 family as the unique milling is based on that specific putter’s center of gravity, weight profile and MOI properties.

What this means is that you will see an aggressive pattern in the center of the face on the sweet spot, but the milling is less intense as you move more to the sides of the face. This means when you miss the center, more material is in contact with the ball which means less drop off in speed when you don't flush it.

In testing this putter impressed us a lot. It isn't the softest feel but it does give a pleasing sensation when you hit out of the sweet spot. The single alignment line down the center of the head makes it easy to line up and it feels nicely balanced in the hands. We found that we were able to make a consistent, repeatable stroke and we enjoyed a nice pure roll.

Aesthetically weel that this putter looks a lot more high end than the price point it carries would suggest. It’s a stylish looking blade that comes with a good quality head-cover and a premium Pistol grip, but it’s the milled face that really makes this putter look premium. Anyone in the market for a new blade putter who doesn’t want to spend a king’s ransom should certainly give this a look.

• Read our full Cleveland HB SOFT 2 Model 1 Putter Review

Inesis High MOI Putter

For the golfer who struggles on short putts, the Inesis High MOI Putter could be the solution as it offers excellent consistency and forgiveness thanks to a face balanced head that offers a high level of stability. Combined with the price point, this makes it one of the best putters for beginners or casual golfers who don't want to spend big money.

We liked the grey sci-fi look, with the steel clubhead being contrasted with a grey metallic core that looks stunning when you turn the club over to reveal the sole. The contrast of the silver leading edge with the darker nickel chrome head on the crown provides a good alignment aid, which is further boosted by the long sight line and right angles which make it easier to frame and aim the ball on the desired target line.

The thing that stood out most from our testing was the high Moment of Inertia (MOI) on offer. If you're not familiar with this phrase, MOI just means how likely the club is to twist when it hits the ball off center. Basically, the less twist, the more forgiving the putter. The deep weighting system of this putter pushes its mass back to the corners of the club, giving it a more stable feel at impact.

Our testing also showed us that the semi-rigid TPU pad on the putter face definitely helped with the roll. It produced a solid strike and despite it being one of the cheaper options on this list we were very impressed by the quality on offer. Such is the forgiveness provided by this putter we could easily have included it in the "High MOI" section, but the main standout is the price.

• Read our full Inesis High MOI Putter Review

Wilson Staff Infinite Bucktown Putter

Wilson’s gear is underrated in most categories, with the brand's budget friendly prices perhaps giving a false impression of inferior products. That isn't the case at all and Wilson should be applauded for their excellence in the field of making golf more affordable. Arguably the putter sector is where it offers the best value, especially with its more entry level Infinite range - which has been revamped for 2024 with nine new models.

The Bucktown is a mid-mallet, face-balanced putter that performed excellently for us in testing. It certainly did not look, feel or perform like a putter at the lower end of the price scale. Down at address, we found that the fang-shape frames the ball nicely and it sits very low to the ground flush to the grass. The three short white lines contrast vividly with the black head to assist with alignment. The middle line is slightly thicker to help center the ball on the face at address and return it there to impact. The two-tone PVD anti-glare finish certainly creates a visually-appealing look that adds to the premium feel.

Off the face, this putter has a solid, stable feel that comes from a subtle double mill pattern on the face. The acoustics are at the higher end of the spectrum, especially on longer putts, but it is certainly nothing too egregious. The firm sensation off the face will marry well with a soft, low compression golf ball and we feel this is a putter well suited to slower greens. It's nice and forgiving too, which will music to the ears of the mid-to-high handicapper this putter is almost certainly aimed at.

• Read our full Wilson Infinite Bucktown Putter Review

Best High MOI Mallet Putters

Cobra King Vintage Cuda Putter

The Cobra Cuda features Descending Loft Technology (DLT) on the face, which uses four descending lofts (4°, 3°, 2°, 1°) to mitigate de-lofting (or indeed the addition of loft) through impact, which ensures a consistently more optimal launch (around 1.5°) regardless of your angle of attack or ball position in your stance. Put simply, if you have your hands ahead or behind the ball at impact, that alters the loft of the putter but Cobra have designed the face in such a way that it will compensate for your stroke.

In our testing we were really impressed with the forgiveness on offer. While the putter is responsive enough that you can feel when you've missed the sweet spot, there is still a solidity about the strike that inspires confidence, even on slight mishits. This is no doubt helped by the new soft PEBAX face insert, which is crafted from a lightweight and responsive thermo-plastic elastomer. This provides a softer feel at impact in comparison to the firmer aluminium face insert in Cobra's more premium 3D Printed putters, although after testing both we felt that the difference was only slight.

Another nice feature of this putter is that is has interchangeable weights which allow you to find your desired feel and control. Throw in a KBS CT Tour shaft and a SuperStroke Zenergy Pistol grip and you have a premium looking and feeling putter that would be a welcome addition to any golf bag this year.

• Read our full Cobra King Vintage Cuda Putter Review

Scotty Cameron Phantom 9 2024 Putter

The 2024 range of Scotty Cameron mallets has seen the brand go for a more futuristic look under the stewardship of design guru Austi Rollinson, who helped design some of the best Odyssey putters for over 25 years before making the switch to Scotty Cameron.

The Phantom 9 is a mid-sized, angular mallet putter with two cavities and a dual line alignment system, meaning this is a pretty drastic departure from what we’ve seen before among the best Scotty Cameron putters. There are two neck options to choose from but both have new shaft designs that mean the bends always point down the target line.

Behind the ball, two prominent sight lines milled from the leading edge all the way back provide a track system aesthetically pleasing and extremely functional. The compact size, especially from heel to toe, means it doesn’t look cumbersome, but there’s enough real estate to give you confidence that a mishit will be forgiven - some the most forgiving putters do.

• Read our full Scotty Cameron 2024 Phantom 9 Putter Review

Bettinardi Inovai 6.5 Putter

The 6.5 was added to the 2024 INOVAI range after previously only being available as a limited edition run. It's a quirky design that is essentially a blocky variation of a fang design. The unusual head shape is designed to optimize the putter’s MOI (Moment of Inertia) thanks to triangular vents which save weight and re-distribute it to the perimeter to help provide greater stability and forgiveness.

The head is comprised of two parts of premium metal; a 303 Stainless Steel front piece and a 6061 Military Grade Aluminium back piece. In our view the Midnight Armor and Titan Grey color scheme along with with the blend of different metals offers a pleasing visual contrast and also helps with performance as the steel front features Bettinardi’s Roll Control face milling, a groove design that offers a soft feel and quickly gets the ball into a true roll.

In our testing this putter performed exceptionally. It sits nice and square at address and the visuals really inspire confidence over the ball. The contrasting colors along with the dual alignment lines really made it easy to frame the ball and start it on line, while we found it to be very stable throughout the stroke. The soft feel is pleasing and the sound which was more muted than we expected. As well as being one of the most forgiving putters around, we would also recommend the INOVAI 6.5 as one of the best putters for high-handicap golfers, even if that isn’t necessarily who it is aimed at.

• Read our full Bettinardi Inovai 6.5 Putter review

Best Compact Mallet Putters

TaylorMade Spider Tour Putter

When a putter design is successful you know it will stick around for a long time. The Ping Anser design is still popular on Tour today, several decades after it first appeared on the scene. The TaylorMade Spider may not quite have that longevity yet but it has become an iconic design that is sure to be around for many more years to come. Of course TaylorMade has made lots of little tweaks over the years and added different wrinkles to its ever expanding range of Spiders, but this latest range includes a reboot of the original classic design - the Spider Tour.

Spider putters are wide ranging in their appeal and are as popular with Tour Pros as they are with high handicap players. The Spider Tour is all about forgiveness as it comes into its own on off-center strikes, helping to maintain the direction and control of the putt, meaning it is one of the best TaylorMade putters we've tested.

The two things that always stand out for us with Spider putters are the soft feel and the high forgiveness and this new model came through our testing with flying colors on both counts. The soft feel comes from the white TPU Pure Roll insert (a nice throwback to the original model), while the grooves on the face are angled at 45° to provide optimal forward roll. Aesthetically, the white insert provides a nice symmetry with the white True Path Alignment aid on the top of the crown, and contrasts well with the gun metal grey finish of the head. We loved the alignment offered by this model and it represents a significant upgrade on what we've seen from some previous Spider models.

• Read our full TaylorMade Spider Tour Putter Review

Odyssey Ai-One Rossie S Putter

Callaway has used A.I. to great effect to produce some of the best drivers on the market, and with their Ai-One and and Ai-One Milled line of putters Odyssey has now used those super-computing capabilities to create what it is calling “the most advanced insert in golf”.

Whereas the A.i-One Milled putters feature a premium milled head and face, the standard A.i-One utilises an insert which has an aluminium back combined with a White Hot Urethane face to recreate the 'White Hot' feel that has proved so popular with golfers down the years. Odyssey used A.I. to create unique contours on the back of the face which minimises ball speed losses on off-centre hits and greatly increase the sweet spot to such a degree that Odyssey claims that the Ai-One insert leaves off center hits up to 21 percent closer to the hole.

While all of the putters in both the Ai-One and Ai-One Milled ranges have that ‘wow factor' you associate with the best Odyssey putters, the Rossie is our favorite and it can be found in the bag of Jon Rahm this season.. The navy PVD finish is different to what we've become used to with Odyssey but it certainly produces a very premium look.

In testing we absolutely loved the window behind the face which showcases the contours on the back of the insert. Made from automotive grade polymer, it’s scratch resistant and it gives a great look as to what is going on 'under the hood' if you like. We were impressed with the feel off the face, especially when used with a softer golf ball. It was perhaps a little firmer than we'd like when putting with a Callaway Chrome Soft golf ball but with slightly lower compression golf balls we couldn’t get enough of that buttery contact and how responsive the feel is.

• Read our full Odyssey Ai-One Rossie S Putter Review

Wilson Staff Model CS22 Putter

There were four putters in the original Wilson Staff Model range when they hit the shelves late in 2022; the BL22 (a plumber’s neck blade), the TM22 (a flow neck, fang shaped mallet), the MT22 (a flow neck mid mallet) and the 8802 which is a modern take on one of the most iconic putters in the history of golf, made famous by the great Arnold Palmer. New for 2024 is the CS22, a center-shafted mid mallet.

Milled from a solid block of ultra-soft 304 stainless steel the CS22 is pleasing to look at and the satin finish gives off a real air of luxury. The face milling is a thing of beauty while the sole looks stunning with the engraved logo and perimeter weighting giving it a slick, modern aesthetic.

In testing we felt that the CS22 looked great over the ball. We loved the clean satin finish, while the crisp alignment marking and smooth edges of the putter really do a good job of inspiring confidence at address.

While not the most forgiving putter out there, the perimeter weighting does provide good stability on heel and toe strikes, and when it comes to mid-mallet putters it’s as forgiving as most. We were able to get poorly struck putts quite close to the hole and not much is left short with putters in the Wilson Staff Model range, as they are quite lively off the face. Center-shafted putters aren't for everyone, but the simplicity and straight back and through stroke they demand make them a good putter for beginners.

• Read our full Wilson Staff Model CS22 Putter Review

Best Blade Putters

Ping 2024 Anser D Putter

The 2024 Ping Anser D putter is a slightly different adaptation of the classic Anser design and provides the golfer with some of the stability and forgiveness of a mallet without sacrificing any of the aesthetic appeal of the blade. Essentially it’s an Anser with a deeper profile (hence the ‘D’ in the name) which provides that bit more stability throughout the stroke and adds a touch more forgiveness than you would get from a standard Anser head.

Aesthetically this is one of our favorite putters of this year. It ticks every box, from the classic looking leather head cover to the traditional 'Ping Man' grip, we loved everything about how this putter looks, especially how the black composite shaft contrasts so nicely with the silver head. The milled face adds to that premium look too and this is a putter that looks great both in the bag and over the ball.

The extra real estate in the head means it’s a little heavier than your standard blade but in testing we found that extra weight helped a lot. It’s a slight arc design so that added weight helps to keep the face steady on the takeaway and through impact. The performance in testing was sensational and this is definitely right up there when it comes to the best Ping putters.

• Read our full Ping 2024 Anser D Putter Review

Cobra King Grandsport-35 3D Printed Putter

The Grandsport-35 is a multi material 3D printed construction blade putter designed to bring maximum stability throughout the stroke. It’s certainly wider and bulkier than a traditional blade, which may not appeal to traditionalists but in our experience really helps to promote confidence over the ball. As with the Cobra King Vintage Cuda putter mentioned above, the Grandsport-35 features Descending Loft Technology (DLT) on the face, which uses four descending lofts (4°, 3°, 2°, 1°) to mitigate de-lofting or the addition of loft through impact.

We feel that the classic design is an improvement on the futuristic, open backed design of the 2022 model which certainly split opinion in the Golf Monthly office. Another design improvement is the new varying thickness three-line alignment aid which provides clearer visuals at address and helps to start the ball on the right path. Another feature we liked was the interchangeable weights in the heel and toe which allow the golfer to tinker until they find their desired feel and set up. The grip is fitted with a Cobra Connect powered by Arccos sensor, so you can track all of your putting stats if you use the app.

The big thing that jumped out in our testing was the stability. It's easy to square up and the stability on offer meant we were able to consistently start putts on the desired target line. The roll was true and it was easy to control distance, even on slight mis-hits, which still travelled a good distance and we were very impressed by how little speed was lost on those strikes.

• Read our full Cobra King Grandsport-35 3D Printed Putter Review

TaylorMade TP Reserve B13 Putter

This is an elegant-looking blade putter from TaylorMade that oozes class from every millimetre of its precision milled clubhead. It certainly delivers on performance too and we were hugely impressed when we tested it. A stylish leather magnetic head cover adds to the overall high-quality package on show here, and once you've taken it off, the silver dune finish of the head really does stand out.

It looks great behind the ball too. The softened corners and the milled lines in the mid section of the flange are pleasing to the eye, while the black sightline also looked excellent behind the ball and helped us align the club up to the target.

We quickly found in our testing that the feel was quite different to the insert on the Spider GT, with the design of the grooves on this club being designed to create a more premium impact experience. We would liken it to the sensation when putting with a Scotty Cameron Super Select . It delivered a nice true roll and a solid speed off the face. Another nice thing about this putter is that it comes in several different club head designs so you don't have to just go with the stock options.

• Read our full TaylorMade TP Reserve B13 Putter Review

Best Premium Milled Putters

Odyssey Ai-One Milled Two T Putter

Odyssey has utilised a super-computer to produce an A.I. designed face which delivers supreme results. The computer collated a mass of data from tens of thousands of shots in order to discover where on the face golfers usually strike the ball, and then a face was engineered to compensate for off center strikes. In other words, the computer determined where on the face golfers are missing and then it created contours behind the face to reduce the damage caused by those misses. It's ground breaking stuff and you can certainly feel the putter helping you when you don't find the middle.

In addition to the state of the art face, the Two T also has customisable weights in the head which allow you to change the weight of the putter. This is ideal if you play on courses with different green speeds. Another premium feature is the Stroke Lab counter-balanced shaft, which in testing really allowed us to feel the clubhead and boost confidence in the stroke. We also found the Two T to be very easy to line up due to the single alignment line down the center of the head and it produced an impressively true roll time after time.

It's worth pointing out that the Ai-One Milled putters come in at a much higher price point than the standard Ai-One, but that's because milled heads are more expensive to make.

• Read our full Odyssey Ai-One Milled Two T Putter Review

Scotty Cameron Super Select Newport 2.5 Plus Putter

We have tested a lot of Scotty Cameron putters and one of our absolute favorites is the 2.5 Plus model. Cameron himself describes them as ‘inbetweeners’, sitting between the classic Newport and larger shapes like the Squareback 2. These Plus putters also have lighter aluminium sole plates to disperse even more weight to the perimeter, thereby increase stability on off-center strikes.

We immediately noticed that when you look down at address it’s noticeably wider than the other Newport models, but not quite to the point where you could call it a wide blade or a double wide. It sits beautifully flush on the green and the extra width makes the sightline longer which helped with alignment and aim.

The face on this putter has greatly benefited from a new milling technique which ensures the high spots are taken off, and the result of this is that we did not think the putter sounded as loud, firm or clicky as the previous Special Select line. It wasn’t as soft as a plastic insert of course, but for a milled face the acoustics where gentle on short putts, progressing nicely to something a little louder on longer putts with excellent feedback.

The forgiveness on offer also impressed us, especially on longer putts. Even when missing the sweet spot this putter still feels solid, which is partly down to the increased size but the two 20g tungsten weights in the heel and toe also play a part.

• Read our full Scotty Cameron Super Select Newport 2.5 Plus Putter Review

Ping PLD Anser Putter

The stunning Ping PLD Anser is the premium re-incarnation of the classic original blade putter. It's beautiful, some might even describe it as a work of art. Milled from 303 Forged Stainless Steel to give a high premium feel and finish, as you would expect it also carries a somewhat premium price tag. We think it's worth it though.

We've been big fans of the Anser range for many years (let's face it, who isn't?) and we have tested many models and variants of them. This update is one of the best we've seen and the performance in testing was fantastic. The Deep AMP aggressive milling pattern reduces the number of contact points on the ball at impact and really gives the putter a softer feel.

The dark looks are topped off by a matching shaft and tacky grip that makes the Anser sit perfectly in your hands. There are no alignment markings on this particular version and if that's something you won't compromise on then the silver PLD Anser 2 version has them, so that may be more to your liking. In our view the PLD Anser is unquestionably one of the best premium blades on the market right now and it was an absolute pleasure hitting putts with this new take on an old classic.

• Read our full Ping PLD Anser Putter Review

How we test putters

When it comes to product testing, our reviews and buyers' guides are built upon a rigorous testing procedure as well as the knowledge and experience of the test team. The putter section is headed up by Martin Hopley, one of the foremost UK equipment reviewers with over 20 years' experience. Other members of the Golf Monthly team contribute to the putter tests as well, and all writers are able to efficiently test the vast majority of the biggest product releases and convey the pros and cons eloquently.

Getting into specifics, we test the putters outdoors on real greens with premium golf balls to get a thorough understanding of design features, feel, sound and looks. Ultimately, we aim to be as insightful and honest as possible in our reviews so it is important to acknowledge that no manufacturer can buy a good review. This is because our team tells it how it is. To learn more on our methodology, see how Golf Monthly tests products in our guide.

How to choose a new putter

When it comes to arguably the most important golf club in the bag, you need to think about what you want and what you like to use when it comes to the putter. A confidence-inspiring design that suits your eye and suits your stroke can save countless shots on the greens and a good flatstick is often a quick way of bringing the handicap down. So then what are the things you need to mull over before purchasing?

1. Head Design

Putters come in a traditional blade, mid-mallet or a mallet design. All three styles have positives and negatives to them for every player and luckily lots of brands implement technologies across all three.

Mallet putters tend to be much larger than blades and they usually come in various shapes and sizes. This helps in a number of ways. A lot of the time most of the weight in a mallet putter can be found in the club face however because of its design, weight can then be redistributed to other parts of the head which can help stabilize your stroke. The weight of the putter in the perimeter of the club-head offers better balance than what can be offered from a blade putter.

Mallet putters tend to also have a larger sweet spot which can be beneficial if you are a player who struggles to consistently strike your putts out of the middle of the face. The weight in the club-head also helps here because it diminishes the twisting of the putter throughout the stroke too. Additionally if you struggle with alignment, a mallet putter could be the way to go as they usually have longer alignment lines. Alignment plays a crucial part in putting because it is all about accuracy and a mallet putter can be beneficial here by helping your eyes line up the putt.

A blade putter is a lot simpler in terms of design and will suit the traditionalists among you a lot more than some of the mallet putters pictured above. Blade putters also tend to suit players with an arc in their putting stroke because of the toe-weighted nature of the club-head.

2. Feel

Here, we're talking not just about the feel and sound the ball makes coming off the face, but how the putter feels in your hands.

A quieter sound contributes to a softer feel, whereas a louder sound usually translates into a firmer feel. A firmer feel is often the product of shallow grooves or no grooves at all on the face, where sound can't be dissipated as effectively. They work better with softer feeling golf balls, where as soft-feeling putters work best with firmer golf balls.

You can get putters with adjustable weights in the sole that will alter the feel of the putter. For example, if your stroke is quite smooth and slow, a heavier putter will encourage that more. Jerky putters may prefer a lighter putter, although opting for more weight may reduce it, depending on what your goals are.

Having the best putter grip plays a huge roll in the confidence you feel with a putter. Get one that feels right and sits in your hands comfortably while allowing you to return the putter back to the ball squarely and consistently.

3. Looks

You should get a putter that you like the look of as the aesthetics can play a role in inspiring or diminishing confidence on the greens.

Blades won't offer as much alignment assistance, but are still popular because of how they feel and the levels of forgiveness are increasing every year.

Mallet putters have more real estate, and can therefore provide more help to set the face squarely. Mid mallets are somewhere in the middle, offering a decent level of assistance without looking too cumbersome.

4. Value

Our final tip is to think about price because while there are some premium designs out there, there are also some models which offer excellent value. All putters will propel the ball towards the hole, but they do it in different ways. If performance is more important than looks or feel, there are lots of cut-price options out there that will do a good job and you can spend more money on other areas of your bag.

For more advice on getting the right putter for your needs as a golfer, why not also check out our guides to the best left handed putters, best putters for beginners and best arm lock putters.

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