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Mallet Putters vs Blade Putters – Which is Best for Your Game?

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Mallet Putters vs Blade Putters Which is Best for Your Golf Game

Choosing a putter that fits your golf game is a sometimes overlooked, but it’s also one of the most crucial things you can do to lower your score.  On the market today, there are more putters than any other type of golf equipment.  This is actually a good thing because it should be easy to find the best one for you.  And if you get the right putter, you can start saving some strokes right away.

Putters come in various styles and head shapes.  Blade putters and mallet putters are two of the most common putter styles and each style has its own design and benefits that can be suited for a specific putting stroke.  We will evaluate both styles and help you determine which may be best for your game.

Mallet Putters

A mallet putter is known for its more elaborate designs and larger club heads.  Although the clubface on a mallet putter is similar to the clubface on a blade putter, mallet putters have much larger club heads that come in various shapes such as a half circle, square back, or other designs.  Much of the weight in a mallet putter is found in the clubface; but because of the extended club head, weight can be shifted to other parts of the club head that help stabilize the putter during a stroke.  This dispersion of weight will cause a different feel when using a mallet putter, as compared to a blade putter.

Mallet putters also have a larger sweet spot—the section of the club that will deliver a true rolling putt absent of the twisting or pushing characteristics that are often found in poorly struck putts.  With the weight of the mallet putter in the perimeter of the club head, there is a much better balance than what can be offered from a blade putter.  So even when a putting stroke is not hit “dead center”, the weight in the perimeter of the club will help eliminate twisting and torquing which can lead to a bouncing or skidding roll after the ball is struck.  In other words, the ball tends to go where you aim it more often—which is probably a good thing.

The second advantage of mallet putters comes with alignment.  Although mallet putters can’t align your putt, because of their elaborate designs and thicker bodies they can provide various styles to help with alignment.  Since alignment is part of the equation for putting accuracy, this feature could go a long way for some.

Third, because of the larger club heads, mallet putters tend to be heavier in weight though this is not always the case.  Swinging a heavier object generates additional force making it easier to get the ball to the hole.  And for those who like to use the flatstick just off the green; a heavier club head will push through the taller grass with more ease than a lighter putter.

Blade Putters

A blade putter is much simpler in design as compared to a mallet putter and is typically a favorite among golf purists because of its traditional looks.  If you want to see a blade putter in it’s most simple form just take a look at the sorry excuse for equipment that you are issued at just about any mini-golf course.  Obviously, this putter style gets its name because it has a straight, blade-style club head with a narrow body.  But don’t let let those mini-golf putters fool you, blade-style putters can tout some extremely advanced technology.

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These blade-type putters are often a favorite weapon of choice for PGA TOUR pros and can come in as many different variations as you can imagine with each displaying different specifications with regards to weighting, face-type (e.g. insert or no-insert), and yes, even loft.

Blade putters are heavily toe-weighted and because the shaft connects to the club head at the heel of the blade or closer to the center of the blade the sweet spot is moved closer toward the heel.  Due to the weight distribution between the toe and the heel, blade putters are more suited for someone with an arc stroke.

Which Putter is Best for Your Game?

Start by selecting a putter that fits your stroke.  If you have a square-to-square stroke (which means the putter face is square to the target and the stroke is straight back and through), your stroke might be more suited for a mallet putter because a mallet putter is face-balanced and designed to stay square to the putter path all the way through the stroke.  You may think that everyone would choose a putter like this, but many people have an arc stroke (which means the putter face will open and close relative to the target and the stroke travels on a slight curve) which is a more natural way to putt and a toe-weighted blade putter is designed to work most effectively with this type of stroke.  The last thing you want is a putter that is working against your style of putting stroke.

Once you’ve determined the putter balance that fits your stroke, test-drive a few before making any purchases.  Having the proper “feel” is a big component of putting success and can only come from experimentation.  Blade putters tend to communicate feel better than mallet putters because of soft inserts in the face of mallet putters.  If you remove your gloves when you walk to the putting green, as many professionals do, are you doing so in order to get a “feel” for how the ball is struck?  By removing your gloves you are also removing a small barrier between the club and the hands which will better communicate the contact between the putter face and the ball.  The professionals want to “feel” how the ball comes off the putter face allowing them to gain confidence and greater control of their putting.  Because of the unique design of mallet putters, gauging the “feel” is a bit more difficult, but not impossible.  All it takes is some time and dedicated practice with a mallet putter to establish a good “feel”.

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Next, find a putter that looks good.  As odd as it sounds, it is important as you look down that putter shaft knowing that your confidence won’t be altered because you are trying to win a match with something that resembles a branding iron.

All new putters take time getting used to.  So find a putter that suits your preferences and one that doesn’t cause embarrassment and heckling every time you remove the putter cover.

Last, ask yourself: Does this help me make more putts?  If the answer is yes, you’ve just found the right putter.


Cover Photo via Instagram

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