How to choose a putter: blade vs mallet, toe hang, and three we'd buy
A short, no-nonsense putter buying guide: blade vs mallet, toe hang vs face-balanced and how to match it to your stroke, insert vs milled faces, and how length, alignment and grip actually change your putting. Plus three putters worth buying across three budgets.
You will hit more putts in a round than you do drivers, irons and wedges combined, and yet the putter is the club most people buy on a whim. A nicer one won't sink everything for you, but a putter that matches your stroke makes it far easier to start the ball where you aimed, time after time.
This is the short version of what to look at. We'll cover the head shapes, the one fitting idea that matters most (toe hang), what the face is doing to feel, the three numbers a fitter would actually change, and three putters we'd spend our own money on at three very different prices.
Blade vs mallet
The two main types of putter head, and mostly a question of how much help you want.
- Blade. The classic compact head, like the Scotty Cameron Newport. Less forgiving on an off-centre hit, but the smaller head and softer feel give better players the feedback they want, and it sits beautifully behind the ball.
- Mallet. A bigger, heavier head, like the TaylorMade Spider or Odyssey #7. Weight pushed out to the edges raises the MOI, so it twists less when you miss the middle and holds your line better. Easier to aim, thanks to the longer sightlines, and the safer pick if your strike wanders.
Neither is "better." Blades reward a good stroke; mallets protect a shaky one. Most golfers putt better with the extra forgiveness of a mallet, which is why the broad-appeal pick below is one.
Toe hang vs face-balanced
This is the bit most people skip, and it's the one that actually matches a putter to you. Balance the shaft on a finger and watch the head:
- Face-balanced (face points at the sky). The head wants to stay square. Best for a straight-back, straight-through stroke. Usually mallets.
- Toe hang (toe droops toward the floor). The face opens and closes through the stroke. Best for a stroke with a noticeable arc. Usually blades, and the more arc you have, the more toe hang you want.
A newer category sidesteps the question entirely. Zero-torque putters, the L.A.B. designs being the best known, balance the head so the face barely twists through the stroke, whatever your path. They look odd at address and aren't cheap, but plenty of golfers aim them better and find the short ones far less nervy, so they're worth a roll if face control is your weak spot.
Insert vs milled face
This one is about feel and sound, not forgiveness. It is also personal, so trust your ears and hands over any spec sheet.
- Insert. A softer polymer or aluminium face, often with grooves. Quieter, softer feel off the face, and a help if you play a firm ball or just prefer a muted click. Odyssey's White Hot and AI-designed insert faces are the obvious examples.
- Milled steel. The face cut straight from the head, like a Scotty Cameron or Bettinardi. A firmer, crisper feel and a more "clicky" sound, and the look a lot of better players want. Often the premium end.
There is no right answer here. Roll a few balls with each and pick the feel that gives you the best sense of distance, because on putts that matter, distance control beats line.
Length, alignment and grip
The three things a fitter would change before anything else, and the cheapest way to putt better with the putter you already own.
- Length. Most off-the-rack putters are 34 or 35 inches, and a lot of golfers are too tall for them at address (shorter players, and plenty of women, often fit a 33-inch putter or have one cut down). Going by height gets you close, but the real test is simpler: the right length lets your eyes sit over (or just inside) the ball with your arms hanging naturally. Too long and you stand up and push putts; too short and you crowd it.
- Alignment. A single line, a couple of dots, the big "wings" on a mallet, or the twin circles of an Odyssey 2-Ball. None is objectively best, but the right aid for your eye makes squaring the face automatic. If you struggle to aim, a mallet with strong sightlines is the easiest fix.
- Grip. A bigger, flatter grip, like an oversized SuperStroke, quiets the hands and takes the wrists out of the stroke, which helps if you get twitchy on short ones. A thinner, rounder grip leaves the hands more feel for pace. How you hold it counts too: the claw grip is the go-to fix for nervy short putts. All of it is cheap to change for a real effect, so try a couple.
How much should you spend?
Three rough bands, and unlike a driver, the cheap end of putters is genuinely good.
- Budget, under £130. Soft-faced, forgiving and perfectly good for life. Cleveland's HB Soft line and the Ping G-series live here. You're not giving up much that matters.
- Mid, £150 to £300. The sweet spot. Tour-proven mallets like the TaylorMade Spider and Odyssey's AI-faced putters, with better materials and alignment. Most golfers never need to spend more.
- Premium, £350 and up. Fully milled heads, premium finishes and tour pedigree, like Scotty Cameron and Ping PLD. You're buying feel, looks and craftsmanship more than extra forgiveness.
Three putters we'd actually buy
One per band, picked for real strokes and real budgets. Prices move, so tap through for the current best UK price across new and used. If you'd rather see everything, the full putter catalog has the lot our retailers stock.
The value pick. A milled face on a sub-£100 putter is rare, and it gives a soft, muted roll. The 8 is a mid-mallet, so you get real stability without paying tour money.
The mallet you see on tour, and the one most golfers should compare first. Heavy perimeter weighting keeps it stable on off-centre hits, so your line holds, and the long sightline helps you aim.
The premium blade, milled from a solid billet, from the most storied name in putters. It is built for feel and a touch of toe hang, so it suits a player with an arc to their stroke.
Scotty Cameron · Putter · 2025
Studio Style Newport 2 PlusThe short version, if you're only buying one: the TaylorMade Spider Tour X is where we'd send most golfers, because a high-MOI mallet forgives the misses that cost you most and aims itself. The Cleveland HB Soft Milled 8 is the value play that gives up very little, and the Scotty Cameron Newport 2 Plus is the one to buy when you have an arc stroke and want feel and craftsmanship over outright help.
Buying a putter: what to check
- Match toe hang to your stroke first. Straight stroke wants face-balanced; an arc wants toe hang. Get this right and everything else is fine-tuning.
- Get the length sorted. Eyes over the ball, arms hanging. The right length matters more than the badge on the head.
- Pick feel by ear and hand. Insert for soft and quiet, milled for firm and crisp. Roll both and trust your distance control.
- Don't overpay for cosmetics. A £400 milled blade doesn't hole more than a £100 mallet for most golfers. Forgiveness is cheaper than tour pedigree.
- Buy used with confidence. Putters barely wear out, so a like-new one is often the smart buy. Check the face, the grip, and that the headcover's included (blade and mallet covers aren't interchangeable), and you're getting premium feel for mid-tier money.
Frequently asked questions
What is a putter used for in golf?
A putter is the club you use on and around the green to roll the ball along the ground into the hole, rather than launching it through the air. It has very little loft and a flat face built for a smooth, controlled roll, and you use it more than any other club in the bag. Because almost every hole ends with a putt or two, a putter that suits your stroke is one of the easiest ways to shave shots.
Should I get a blade or a mallet putter?
Match it to your stroke and your strike. A mallet is the bigger, heavier head with weight pushed to the edges, so it twists less on off-centre hits and is easier to aim. It suits most golfers and anyone whose strike wanders. A blade is the compact, classic head that gives a better player more feel and a cleaner look, but it's less forgiving. If you're unsure, a mallet is the safer pick because the extra forgiveness helps more than it hurts.
What is toe hang on a putter?
Toe hang is how far the toe of the putter droops when you balance the shaft on a finger. If the toe points down, the putter has toe hang and the face opens and closes through the stroke, which suits a stroke that swings on an arc. If the face points up at the sky, it's face-balanced and wants to stay square, which suits a straight-back, straight-through stroke. Matching toe hang to your natural stroke is the single most useful putter fitting idea.
What does face-balanced mean?
A face-balanced putter is one where, if you rest the shaft on your finger, the face points straight up at the sky. It means the head is balanced so it resists opening and closing through the stroke and wants to return square. That makes it the right choice for a straight-back, straight-through putting stroke, and it's most common on mallet heads.
What length putter do I need?
The right length lets your eyes sit over or just inside the ball with your arms hanging naturally and a slight bend at the waist. Most putters come at 34 or 35 inches, which is too long for a lot of golfers, leaving them standing too upright and pushing putts. If your eyes fall well inside the ball, you're probably too long. A quick fitting or even choking down is a cheap way to find your number.
Insert or milled putter face, which is better?
Neither is better; it's about feel. An insert face is a softer polymer or aluminium, often grooved, that gives a quieter, softer feel and can help with a firm ball. A milled face is cut straight from the steel head for a firmer, crisper feel and a clicky sound that many better players prefer. Roll a few putts with each and pick the one that gives you the best sense of distance, because pace control matters more than the material.
How much should I spend on a putter?
You don't have to spend much. Budget putters under £130, like Cleveland's HB Soft line, are soft, forgiving and good for life. The £150 to £300 mid band, with tour-proven mallets like the TaylorMade Spider and Odyssey's AI-faced putters, is the sweet spot most golfers never need to leave. Premium putters at £350 and up, like Scotty Cameron, buy you milled feel, finish and pedigree more than extra forgiveness.
Are expensive putters worth it?
For most golfers, not for the scorecard. A premium milled putter buys you feel, looks and craftsmanship, and they are lovely to own, but it won't hole more putts than a well-fitted £100 mallet. Spend on getting the toe hang, length and alignment right first, because those change your putting far more than the price of the head. If you have an arc stroke and value feel, a premium blade can be worth it; if you want help, put the money toward forgiveness instead.
What putter should a beginner buy?
A face-balanced mallet with clear alignment lines, in the budget or mid band. The high forgiveness keeps off-centre putts on line, the sightlines make aiming easier, and a soft insert face is friendly on feel. Something like the Cleveland HB Soft or a TaylorMade Spider covers it without overspending. Get the length right for your height and you have a putter that will see you through years of golf.
Want to see what's in stock right now? The putter shop page has live UK prices across new and used. For more in this series, see our other buying guides.