Best Putters 2025

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.

This guide will focus on the three popular styles; blades, mallets and then within the latter there are models best termed as 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.

WATCH: We pick out the best putters on the market in 2025

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.

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.

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.

Sam De'Ath

Sam graduated from Webber International University in 2017 with a BSc Marketing Management degree while playing collegiate golf before stints on both the EuroPro Tour and Clutch Pro Tours. Now with over 14 years of experience within the industry under his belt, Sam heads up the testing and review team at Golf Monthly for fairway woods, hybrids, wedges and golf balls.

The Quick List

Best Putters

Best cheaper model

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

Best for beginners

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 for slower greens

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

Most innovative design

With the Mizuno M.Craft X putter range, the brand has implemented a design in which you can basically change your putter, without changing it. Let me explain. So there are three hosel types - a double-bend, plumber's neck and short slant - to cater to different strokes and alignment preferences.

Golfers can then fine-tune their setup by purchasing additional backs and weight kits to get the exact putter specifications they want. Simply screw out the backs and weights and fine tune them on the sole of the putter. Of course the hosel element is fixed so it is important to know which style of hosel suits you best for placing an order.

The pick of the bunch for me is the M.Craft X 6 model which is fang shaped, boasting two wings that look great, and offer a high MOI, stable head. I also thought it felt excellent as well. All the putters possess a fairly deep CNC milled face, forged from a single piece of 1025 steel. I have to say I was expecting a slightly softer feel from the face but instead, they offered more of a ‘clicky’ feel through impact, which still offered good feedback. Finally the entire range looks great thanks to the all black heads and black putter shafts which scream premium.

• Read our full Mizuno M.Craft X 6 Putter Review

Best zero torque

Next up we have the OZ.1i putter from a brand you will have heard of by now, L.A.B Golf. Many golfers struggle to buy into them because of how the putters from the brand look, despite the sound technology and engineering behind them. However, thanks to the introduction of the compact mid-mallet OZ.1i putter, designed in collaboration with Adam Scott, I have a feeling we’re about to see more L.A.B. Golf putters on golf courses than ever before.

It features a whole new shape which I think looks great and it’s also the first time a fly-milled, medium-depth stainless steel insert has been incorporated into the lineup. This enhances the impact experience for me but there is an option of an aluminum face for those who want an even softer feel as well. But the model I tested gave outstanding feedback and my pace control seemed to improve dramatically in testing here

Now admittedly when I first started testing putters with built-in shaft lean I found the face appeared fairly closed, which caused me to manipulate my stroke in order to try and hit the target. But as soon as I got used to the look at address and trusted the putter design, I did feel like my stroke became more free and my performance on the greens was better than it had been in a long time. In short I think everyone should test out this putter to see if their performance on the greens can improve.

• Read our full L.A.B. Golf OZ.1i Putter Review

Best mid-mallet

With twelve models in the 2025 Studio Style family, there is a shape and style for everyone but it was the Squareback model that caught my eye. The Studio Style Squareback is one of the mid-mallet models available in the range, offering a slightly larger footprint compared to the more rounded Fastback model. It's one of the best Scotty Cameron putters I've tested in terms of looks and those looks were replicated in the performance levels, too.

It's a linear design that uses a new high-contrast, multi-material alignment system, promoting a really square look at address that will help players focus on their target and line more than having to worry about alignment at address.

The Squareback is one of the most forgiving putters you could lay your hands on. The softer insert face provided a beautiful sensation off the face which meant my distance control was above average from putts in the 30-50ft range but it excelled even more with the shorter putts. Thanks to the alignment help, it allowed me to fully focus on my starting target and line for each putt. These putters do come with a fairly punchy price tag of $499/£449, but considering the addition of new technology both from a visual standpoint and with the new tour-inspired face, I do feel as though these putters are worth splashing the cash on.

• Read our full Scotty Cameron Studio Style Squareback Putter Review

Best for mid-handicappers

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 for alignment

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

Best for pace control

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

Best value

The new Ping Scottsdale Anser Putter carries on the familiar shape of Ping Anser putters of yesteryear but features some new technology said to improve the feel and help golfers hole more putts.

There are 9 models in the latest Ping Scottsdale family, so I'd recommend using the Ping WebFit Putter app, which gets you to answer a series of questions about what you look for in a putter, such as shape, weight, feel and your regular miss. From here, you’re given your top three matches, all of which should come in at good value. I was given the bladed Scottsdale Anser and although I wasn't in love with the black and blue color scheme they've gone for, I was impressed by how much performance is on offer here considering the price.

I particularly enjoyed the feel on offer here that had me pretty dialed in from 30+ft early on in terms of my lag putting. I didn't feel quite as a secure from shorter range, but that is maybe to be expected given it is a bladed option. It's worth also noting the wonderful SuperStroke grip included here as standard - a new SuperStroke 2.0 Pistol Tour grip, which allows for a comfortable hold. When we combine the price and performance during testing, this is definitely right up there when it comes to the best Ping putters.

• Read our full Ping Scottsdale Anser Putter Review

Best blade

Kevin Burns entered the golf industry offering club repairs from his Californian garage in 1989 but just two years later he set his sights on designing and creating some of the best putters in the world. Well he has certainly made an outstanding model with the 9307 putter.

Obviously let's start with the looks and it may be one of the best-looking wands I’ve ever had the pleasure of looking down on behind the ball. During the customization process, of which you have the ability to choose length, loft, head weight, neck, face style, logo, engraving and more, I selected a single sightline on the top, which looks fantastic.

Moving on to other areas of performance, the putters are precision-milled from a piece of 303 stainless steel and my design featured a pyramid custom groove pattern which I must say felt absolutely fantastic. Dare I say this is probably the best feeling putter I have ever rolled. It’s like butter through impact, impeccably soft. I loved the balance and weight of the putter as well, which meant my tempo remained consistent, as a result my pace control was excellent.

Overall it is hard to fault this putter. It has sensational feel and feedback, whilst the craftsmanship and looks cannot be denied either.

• Read our full Kevin Burns 9307 Putter Review

Best soft feel

Given the success and consequent popularity of the TaylorMade Spider Tour putter, it felt inevitable we'd see TaylorMade make a zero torque version to combat the success L.A.B, Odyssey and others have had so far in making some of the best zero torque putters.

Although we've given the 5K-ZT the label of best soft feel, I want to begin talking about the fantastic looks on offer here, starting with the neon blue headcover that looks and feels wonderful. Peel this headcover off and you’re left with one of the most eye-catching putters I have tested this year. The reimagined Spider logo and scripting look superb on the sole of this cleverly-designed putter and the blue contrasts perfectly against the silver and black body of the putter.

The 5K-ZT boasts the Pure Roll insert as well as a milled version of the True Path alignment aid. The milling, which is the exact width of a golf ball, alongside a top sightline, particularly impressed me, framing the ball well at address and had me holing my fair share of putts from inside 15ft. The buttery soft feel felt lovely in my hands and the Pure Roll Insert got the ball hugging the putting surface immediately from contact which was pleasing to see. With all zero torque putters, it can take users a while to get used to the weighting and feel of the center shafted putter, but it only took me about a round to fully gel with it. Distance control was the area in which I struggled the most due to the soft feel, but I put this down to my gamer putter typically being a blade, meaning I have less experience with putters with bigger heads - I do think this putter would lend itself better to those who already use either a mallet of face balanced putter.

• Read our full TaylorMade Spider 5K-ZT Putter Review

Best firm feel

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

Best aesthetic

When I think of the brand Toulon, I immediately think of quality. They make some of the best premium putters on the market, right up there with the other brands you think of when you think of pure quality - the likes of Scotty Cameron, Bettinardi and more. The moment I took the Las Vegas H1 out of the box I was struck by the level of craftsmanship on offer here. This putter is by far one of the best-looking putters I have ever seen in recent times, thanks to a new Anthracite finish that has been introduced that provides a real premium look via the charcoal and grey tones. The flashes of racing red and Italian heritage blue give this putter a pop of color to help it stand out on the shelf.

Toulon team has incorporated a patented Small Tuna over-mill to ensure a buttery-soft feeling through impact. Not only does this provide a lovely, soft but responsive feel, I also think it looks great to just glance down that and see the unique but premium milling into the ultra-soft 304 stainless steel.

It's not just in the feel I use the words soft as this is a lovely putter to stare down at when standing over the ball thanks to the soft and subtle top-line and wings have been refined to offer a cleaner, more friendly look. Having tested so many zero torque putters recently, it was a breath of fresh air to look down on something a little more conventional in appearance.

• Read our full Toulon Las Vegas H1 25 Series Putter Review

Best from close range

The Bat Attack ZT putter takes PXG's popular fang-shaped design and incorporates a Zero Torque design for what the brand hope is their most stable putter ever made. Building on the success of their first Zero Torque putter, the Allan, the Bat Attack ZT possesses the same S-hosel which helps ensure the shaft axis sits directly above the CG to create a toe-up balance point, thus resisting any twisting of the head through the stroke.

An updated, soft feel comes courtesy of the brand's S-COR technology. A 303 stainless steel hollow body design has a proprietary lightweight polymer injected behind the ultra-thin face to help dampen vibrations and provide one of the softest feels from any putter I have tested this year.

It was this build that gave me a lot of success from close range. Although I prefer a blank canvas when I look down on my putter at address, a single alignment aid dot proved useful to help me make sure I was set up correctly before each putt. While the looks and design of this putter, especially the unique hosel, may take a little bit of time to get used to, I do feel that golfers struggling with their performance on the greens would benefit from adding one of these putters to their bag.

• Read our full PXG Bat Attack ZT 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.

As mentioned in the intro, our putter testing and buying advice is led by former collegiate and mini tour player Sam De'Ath with the help of other well-informed members of the Golf Monthly team, all of whom know a thing or two about what makes a good putter.

Testing doesn't only take place across one round or practice session, but multiple. We also try to test on different styles of golf courses (parkland, heathland and links) to get the best possible understanding of how each putter performs. We also aim to try them in different weather conditions to truly put them through their paces and understand how they perform when variables and contexts differ.

Not only do the putters get tested out on the golf course, they also get tested inside. Due to the fact Sam heads up our putters department, he also has the honor of testing the best putting mats on the market. This means Sam gets a lot of practice in from the comfort of his own home and thus, each putter he reviews gets a thorough workout both on and off the golf course.

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. No manufacturer ever gets preference over another either, instead our team simply calls it how we see it based on our knowledge and love for the game as well as our strong commitment to informed, bias-free buying advice.

How to choose a new putter

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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