With the decade nearly in the books, Golfweek looks back on some of the most influential and important putters and innovations of the past 10 years.
Ping Anser
The original Anser putter was sketched by Karsten Solheim on the sleeve of a 78-rpm record and debuted at the 1966 Phoenix Open. Its much-replicated shape has not changed much over the years, but Ping has kept this icon current by adding subtle technology enhancements. In the 2010s, the most significant enhancement has been the addition of the True Roll face. The variable-depth grooves, like those in this Vault 2.0 Anser, are designed to normalize ball speed across a large portion of the hitting area for better distance control.
Odyssey White Hot XG Sabertooth
Keegan Bradley used this belly putter to win the 2011 PGA Championship at Atlanta Athletic Club in a playoff over Jason Dufner. It was the first time a player used an anchored putter to win a major.
Odyssey Versa
Arriving in 2013, the Versa putters featured one of the boldest and most unique alignment systems in golf. The zebra-stripe pattern originally was made by an R&D worker using Wite-Out correction fluid on a black putter. Making the stripes perpendicular to the target line allowed Odyssey to put the Versa system not only on large mallets but blade-style putters, too.
Scotty Cameron Xperimental Rev X10 prototype
Adam Scott put a 50-inch, broomstick-style Scotty Cameron Kombi putter in play for the first time at the 2011 WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship. He continued using broomstick putters over the next two seasons and won the 2013 Masters using this high-MOI mallet.
Bettinardi Kuchar Armlock 1
While the USGA and R&A banned players from anchoring putters in 2016, Matt Kuchar’s style of locking an extended-length putter to his forearm remained legal. Kuchar worked with Bettinardi to develop putters suited to this style, with extra loft (about 7 to 9 degrees) to counteract the forward press the technique creates. The Armlock 1 was released in May 2013.
Odyssey Works Tank Cruiser
With the anchoring ban looming, this putter that was released in 2014 made counterbalancing more appealing. Counterbalancing adds weight above the hands to discourage excessive wrist and hand action in the putting stroke and was seen as a viable alternative for players who were forced to stop anchoring. The Tank Cruiser came standard with 5-, 15- and 30-gram weight plugs that could be inserted in the grip and adjustable 10-, 15- and 20-gram weight screws that went into the heel and toe of the sole. Those weights created counterbalanced putters that weighed 365 to 385 grams that felt more natural for players looking for anchor-style stability.
SuperStroke grips
When K.J. Choi put a massive SuperStroke grip on his putter while at home in 2007, he liked how it felt but was hesitant to take it out on Tour. He decided to give it a try and promptly won the AT&T National. In the 2010s, trimmed down versions – still larger than a traditional putter grip but smaller than the model that Choi used – became massively popular among pros and recreational golfers because the non-tapered design helped players quiet their hands and wrists during the stroke. There are many big putter grips available today, but this is the company that brought oversized grips to the masses.
Scotty Cameron 009
Several pros used a 009, a model that was never available at retail, before Jordan Spieth arrived on the PGA Tour. But the Texan used this putter to win the 2015 Masters and U.S. Open before nearly winning the 2015 British Open at St. Andrews. One of the best putters of the decade, Spieth also used his 009 to win the 2017 British Open at Royal Birkdale.
TaylorMade Spider Tour
Statistically, the best putting season a player has had in the strokes gained era, which started in 2004, was Jason Day’s 2016. He became the first golfer to finish with a strokes gained putting average over 1.0 with a 1.13. That means over 18 holes, the Australian gained more than a one-shot edge over the field based solely on the quality of his putting. Day’s putter was a red, custom-made TaylorMade Spider Tour Mini, and after his success, TaylorMade developed the Spider Tour in both red and black. Several went into the bags of top players such as Dustin Johnson, Rory McIlroy and Jon Rahm.
Ping Sigma 2
Released in 2018, this family of putters is unique because it comes standard with a shaft that can be extended or shortened by turning a screw mechanism in the grip. This allows players and fitters to create the ideal length more easily.
Scotty Cameron T10 Select Newport 2
Used by Brooks Koepka to win back-to-back U.S. Open and PGA Championships, this putter has a unique, copper-tined insert made from tellurium. Cameron called the material Teryllium and used it in putters made for tour players, never intending to use it in retail putters. However, after Koepka won his fourth major with the putter in 2019, Cameron released the Teryllium T22 family of putters to consumers.
Odyssey Stroke Lab
Released in 2019, the Stroke Lab family of putters features familiar head shapes that come standard with unique shafts. While the lower portion is made using steel, the mid and upper areas of the shaft are made from graphite. Odyssey says the weight saved by using graphite allowed designers to add weight to the head and the upper portion of the handle, counterbalancing each putter and, according to the company’s research, encouraging a better tempo and stroke.
