High-end, top-quality putters are an integral and often overlooked item when golfers are assembling their tools for golf season.
However, given the importance of putting when it comes to playing with a 2 handicap, or just enjoying yourself once a week at the local muni, it may be worth one’s time and money to invest in a flatstick now that could pay dividends for years.
Here are six putters that could help your game with a look at what makes each special – if not worth the price.
They are listed in order of cost from lowest to highest.
Ping Sigma 2 Fetch
Price: $219.99
The Buzz: Using a torque wrench that comes with every Sigma 2 putter, golfers and fitters can turn a screw in the grip to lengthen or shorten the putter to any measurement between 32 and 36 inches. The variable-depth grooves in the face help normalize ball speed across a larger portion of the hitting area, which should help improve distance control. The Fetch has a high MOI, fits perfectly inside a golf hole and the open circle in the back of the head can grab a ball from the bottom of the cup and retrieve it without forcing you to bend down to pick it up.
RELATED:
-
- ‘It keeps working: Tiger Woods dishes on Scotty Cameron
- My Bag – Justin Rose: A look at his equipment
- How to improve your game: Putt like a pro
Odyssey Stroke Lab Seven
Price: $249.99
The Buzz: The new Stroke Lab family utilizes a graphite and steel shaft that is lighter than traditional putter shafts. Odyssey said removing weight from the shaft and redistributing it to the head and the handle allows golfers to make a better stroke. The Seven has a high moment of inertia to boost forgiveness and a White Hot Microhinge face insert
to enhance roll.
TaylorMade Spider X
Price: $349.99
The Buzz: Ten years after the first Spider models were released, TaylorMade is building on the success of the Spider Tour putters by refining the back weights in the heel and toe. A new alignment aid on the crown was developed with the help of vision specialists at the University of Indiana. The grooves in the Pure Roll face insert point down at a 45-degree angle to help reduce skidding and encourage the ball to roll sooner.
Scotty Cameron Phantom X 5
Price: $429
The Buzz: The dark center area is made with 6061 aluminum while the silver-toned portions around the perimeter are 303 stainless steel. That pushes more weight to the edges for extra stability while maintaining soft feel at impact. The high-contrast yellow alignment lines and dots pop against the dark-toned crown, making it easier to aim.
Bettinardi Studio Stock 28 Slotback
Price: $450
The Buzz: Milled from 303 stainless steel for soft feel, the Studio Stock line features classic-looking putters designed to enhance feel and appeal to the eye. The SS28 Slotback looks like a traditional heel-toe-weighted blade, but the back flange has been pulled back in the heel and toe to make the head more stable on off-center hits.
PXG Operator
Price: $450
The Buzz: The Operator is a high-MOI mallet milled from 304 stainless steel. The center portion is made of 6061 aluminum, which is significantly lighter. That combination, and the square design, allows more weight to be shifted back and to the outside to boost stability on off-center hits. It’s available in three hosel variations, so the Operator is available in face-balanced or toe-hang options. Gwk
(Note: This story appears in the April 2019 issue of Golfweek.)
