09/19/2026
A little Putter 101 for the league
I’ve only talked to a few people in the league about putters, but it got me thinking that this might be helpful for all of us. There’s a lot more to choosing a putter than just picking the one that looks good. Although, let’s be honest, that’s probably how some of us ended up with the one we have. 😂
There are basically two common styles:
Blade – the traditional, smaller putter head. Usually has more face rotation and gives you a lot of feedback when you don’t hit the center.
Mallet – the larger, more modern head. Generally more stable and forgiving on off-center hits, with more room for alignment aids.
Then there’s toe hang, which sounds way more complicated than it really is.
Basically, toe hang tells you how much the putter wants to rotate during your stroke.
More toe hang = more face rotation.
Less toe hang = less face rotation.
A face-balanced putter has very little tendency to rotate, while a putter with more toe hang allows the face to open and close more naturally.
And here’s something a lot of people don’t realize:
A mallet does NOT automatically mean face-balanced.
You can have a big mallet with toe hang. That’s one of the reasons you’re seeing more Tour players using mallets. They can get the stability and alignment advantages of a mallet while still getting the amount of face rotation that fits their stroke.
Then there’s length and lie.
The putter needs to fit the way you stand over the ball. If it’s too long, too short, or the lie angle isn’t right, the putter may not sit correctly and can make it harder to aim and return the face square.
So when you’re looking at a putter, there are several things going on:
Head style: Blade or mallet
Toe hang: How much the face wants to rotate
Length: How the putter fits your setup
Lie: How the sole sits on the ground
Loft: Helps get the ball rolling properly
MOI: How resistant the head is to twisting on an off-center hit
You don’t have to become a club-fitting nerd. 😂 Just understanding these basics can help when you’re looking at putters or trying to figure out why one feels better than another.
Here are a few short videos that explain it better than I can in a Facebook post:
Choosing the Right Putter:
https://www.titleist.com/videos/instruction/choosing-the-right-putter
Length & Lie / Setup:
https://www.titleist.com/videos/instruction/putter-setup-with-phil-kenyon
Toe Hang & Head Style:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_aN2sjXl2R8
Bottom line: There isn’t one “best” putter. The best one is the one that fits your setup and your stroke and helps you consistently start the ball on your intended line.
And if all else fails, blame the putter. We’ve all done it. 😂
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