The putter is a crucial piece of equipment in golfers’ bags – it may even be the most critical of them all. So you need to decide if you should be using a blade or mallet putter?
Sure, hitting a three hundred yard drive down the fairway feels good, but putting is what separates the pros from the amateurs in the world of golf.
Putting is more of an art than any other type of golf shot, so choosing the right tool for the job is more important than ever.
In this buying guide, I’ll cover the key differences between mallets and blades and discuss whether you should be using a blade or mallet putter.
What is a blade putter?
Blade style putters are the most traditional type of putters used in golf. They gets their name from their straight blade-like appearance. Compared to its mallet putter counterpart, their design is far simpler and therefore they are far lighter in weight.
Players who have an arc-type putting stroke tend to favour blade putters.
However, blade putters are less forgiving because of their smaller head and lack in alignment options for the same reason. Although if you’re confident in your putting stroke and don’t need larger alignment aids, a blade putter is a fantastic choice.
Pros:
- Helpful for arc stroke putters
- Suitable for people that want precision-based performance
- Work well on fast greens
Cons:
- Not as forgiving as a mallet putter
What is a mallet putter?
The mallet style putter has benefitted from technological advancements throughout the years. You will see all sorts of head shapes and sizes when shopping for them – such as squares, circles and even fangs!
As the heads are larger then blade putters’ heads, this means they are heavier, but not overly so. In fact, some can even be the same weight as blade putters.
The main reason why people prefer mallet putters is because of their forgiveness. Remember, putting is an art, which means the margin for error with these clubs is far greater than that big booming drive off the tee.
Mallet putters’ larger sweet spot offers players a greater chance of making good contact with the ball.
Therefore mallet putters will benefit golfers who struggle with alignment and striking the ball in the centre of the clubhead.
Pros:
- Very forgiving
- Available in many different designs
- Great for the straight back straight through stroke
Cons:
- Not great for an arc style stroke
So should you be using a blade or mallet putter? Whichever option you go for, I’ve listed our favourite putters on the following pages. Just hit the buttons below to navigate to your preferred choice of putter!
