Finding the Best Golf Putters

Despite our efforts to find the best golf putters, there's still a lot of confusion about putters.

Even the world's best golfers are constantly striving to improve. All of us - including the pros - are searching for the best golf clubs.

Unfortunately, there's no magic answer to which putter is the best. One of the main reasons for this is the fact that putting is an extremely individual, personalized action. There's no "standard" way to hold a putter. There's no "standard" putting stance. There's no "standard" putting stroke. There's no "standard" shape for a putter head. There's no "standard" for the material used in a putter's face. There's not even a "standard" length for a putter. The point is that there's nothing standard about putting, and everyone putts differently.

The upshot of putting being so individualistic is that no one putter is - or could be - best for every golfer. Because we all putt differently, there's an excellent chance that the best golf putters for you will be different than the best ones for me.

So, if you're searching for the best clubs, the question you should really be asking yourself is "what is the best golf putter for me? Although many putters will be vying for your attention and some putter manufacturers will stand out a bit more than others, the real answer to the question is "the putter that lets you make the most putts."

The problem is, with hundreds of different putters to choose from, how do you go about identifying the best golf putters for you? Well, there are a few things you should look at before making your decision. Let's start with a putter's appearance first.

The way a putter looks might seem like the least important consideration when you're searching for the best golf putters, but I assure you it is not. If you like a putter's shape and the way it sets up at address, you'll have more confidence in your putting than you would if you think the putter is ugly. Confidence is everything in golf, especially when you're putting. You may prefer the look of a traditional, heel-toe weighted blade putter (the PING Anser putter we review elsewhere on the site is a good example), but a larger, more forgiving, easier to align mallet putter (like the Odyssey Dual Force Rossie II putter we review on another page) may be more your style. Or, you might have fallen in love with the look of what I'll call "alignment putters." These putters have the largest heads of all and feature one or more alignment aids on the putter head. The Odyssey 2-Ball putter discussed on another page of this site is just one example of an alignment putter.

Feel and sound at impact are highly subjective too, but you should consider them when you're searching for the best golf putters. You need to like the way your putter swings (its balance and weighting) and you need to like the feel and sound as the ball comes off the head.

Professional golfers can strike the ball on the sweet spot every time, but most amateurs aren't nearly as consistent with their putting strokes. Because of this inconsistency, most of us would benefit from using a putter with a fairly high Moment of Inertia (MOI) and some effective alignment aids. The high MOI will cause the putter head to resist twisting and help the ball stay on the intended line despite being struck off-center. The value of alignment aids for inconsistent putters should be obvious. If you have trouble lining up your putts, consider an alignment putter because it will offer you some help. As a general rule, mallet putters and alignment putters probably offer amateur players a better chance of holing their putts than less forgiving, more minimalistic blade putters. Accomplished golfers may (or may not - remember, putting is individualistic) prefer a blade-style putter.

Things to consider when looking for the best golf putters

Numerous other things should be considered. Do you want a traditional 33", 34", or 35" shaft, or would you prefer a belly putter or an even longer "chest putter?" The shaft location can also vary: heel-shafted putters are most common, but center-shafted putters are another fairly popular option. Do you want a face insert or do you prefer a metal face? How about the grip? They're come in different sizes. What about the price? Your choices go on and on, and it can become overwhelming. It's a great reason to read our putter reviews.

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