One of the most common questions golfers ask when choosing a putter is:
“Should I use a blade putter or a mallet putter?”
Both styles have been around for many years, but recently there has definitely been a noticeable shift towards mallet putters.
At Golf 360 we’ve seen a significant increase in golfers choosing mallet-style putters over traditional blades, and you’re seeing a similar trend on professional tours around the world.
Blade putters are still popular, but many golfers are finding the stability and alignment help from mallets makes putting a little easier.
What Is a Blade Putter?
Blade putters are the traditional putter design that many golfers grew up using.
They typically feature:
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a smaller, compact head
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a more classic appearance
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fewer alignment features
Many golfers enjoy blade putters because they offer excellent feel and feedback off the face.
Blade putters often suit golfers who naturally have a slight arc in their putting stroke, where the putter moves slightly inside the line on the way back and through.
What Is a Mallet Putter?
Mallet putters usually have a larger head design with more weight distributed around the edges of the putter.
This creates greater stability and forgiveness.
Many mallet putters also feature strong visual alignment aids, which help golfers aim the putter more easily.
A good modern example of this style is the Scotty Cameron Phantom range, which has become very popular due to its stability and alignment design.
Why Mallet Putters Are Becoming More Popular
Over the past decade there has been a noticeable move towards mallet putters among both amateur golfers and professionals.
Some of the key reasons include:
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improved alignment aids
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increased stability through impact
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greater forgiveness on off-centre strikes
For many golfers, simply having clearer alignment markings on the putter head can make it easier to start the ball on the correct line.
Some golfers also combine these alignment aids with alignment lines on their golf ball, which can be a very effective way to improve putting accuracy.
Feel vs Forgiveness
When comparing blade and mallet putters, golfers are often deciding between feel and forgiveness.
Blade putters tend to offer:
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classic styling
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strong feedback
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a traditional putting feel
Mallet putters often provide:
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greater stability
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more forgiveness
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stronger alignment assistance
For many golfers, those alignment features can make a noticeable difference in confidence on the greens.
Finding the Right Putter for Your Game
Choosing the right putter usually comes down to a combination of:
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your putting stroke
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the balance and weighting of the putter
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what looks and feels comfortable to you when standing over the ball
Trying different styles is often the best way to see what suits your stroke and your eye.
If you're interested in finding the right putter for your game, we can help through golf club fitting at Golf 360 where we match the putter style, length and setup to your stroke.
Happy golfing
Scott Pickett
PGA Professional
Founder - Golf 360
Mount Maunganui
