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Understanding Our Charts
Features: The primary design elements that make the putter noteworthy.
Advantages: How the primary design elements are meant to elevate the performance of the putter.
What We Like: We have our preferences, too. A quick description of what impressed us in our review and testing.
Lineup: The other models available from the manufacturer, listed from most expensive to least expensive.
Putterhead: The primary material from which the body of the club is forged, cast or milled.
Putterface: Indicates the material used for the strike area or if it has otherwise been altered to enhance performance. Check for putters with a milled face, as the process, if performed correctly, ensures a flatter contact area, which is key for consistency.
Weight: The overall head weight of the model listed in grams. Most putters fall in the 325- to 350-gram range.
Design(s): Here you’ll find a description of the general shape of the club and its hosel structure. We limit the descriptions to either heel-toe blades (Anser style) or mallets. Also, face-balancing is noted as is the hosel/head connection point. If a putter is not labeled as face-balanced, it’s considered toe-down.
Aserta The Monster
www.asertasports.com
(408) 251-7888 | $199
 If medals were awarded to companies dedicated solely to preventing
excessive putter backspin, Aserta Sports would take home the gold.
Features: Inverted Mass Technology, which raises the putter’s CG above
the equator of the golf ball at impact for the absolute in backspin
reduction. The higher CG is attained by designing the putter “upside
down,” with the majority of the weight on the top half of the putter.
Advantages: According to Aserta, backspin is what derails putts off
line and off speed, making it very difficult to maintain a consistent
roll.
What We Like: Aserta’s genius answer to the riddle of why you come up short on one putt, then blow it two feet by on the next.
Lineup: The Eclipse, The Monster, Cavity Back
Putterhead: Aluminum (milled)
Putterface: Stainless steel (milled)
Weight: 350 grams
Design(s): Heel-shafted, face-balanced mallet (available LH) |
Carbite TRi-Weight Series
www.carbitegolf.com
(800) 272-4325 | $79
 A high MOI for extra stability and putts that track like they’re supposed to.
Features: The TRi-Weight putters feature Carbite’s Polar Balanced
technology, which takes the form of two tungsten weights—one each in
the heel and toe sections of the putterface. A third weight is
positioned deep behind the face.
Advantages: The weighting scheme is said to increase MOI and yield a
straighter and smoother stroke with less skid and greater stability.
The three inserts add 6.5 times more weight than the aluminum they
displace.
What We Like: The visible sight lines and the weighting scheme. Putters available in either black or Carbite blue.
Lineup: Tour Blade, TRi-Weight Series, Tour Classic, Z Series
Putterhead: Aluminum (cast)
Putterface: Same (milled)
Weight: 360 grams
Design(s): Heel-shafted, face-balanced mallet (no LH) | Cleveland “Designed By” Series
www.clevelandgolf.com
(800) 999-6263 | $165
 Cleveland applies its soft-feeling Carbon Metal Matrix material to two throwback-style putters with modern tungsten weighting.
Features: The 1948 pure blade and 1905 Calamity Jane putter (made
famous by Bobby Jones, pictured) are milled from Cleveland’s CMM and
augmented with tungsten sole weights.
Advantages: If you need a lot of help producing a pure, on-line stroke,
these may not be your flatsticks. But if you’re a feel putter, you’ll
love the “Designed By” sensation.
What We Like: Putters that actually look like putters and adherence to
classic putter design. The all-leather grip is a great touch and a
perfect complement to these ultra-classy flatsticks.
Lineup: “Designed By” Series
Putterhead: Carbon Metal Matrix (milled)
Putterface: Same
Weight: N/A
Design(s): 1948—Center-shafted blade;
1905—Heel-shafted blade (available LH) | Guerin Rife Two-Bar
www.guerinrife.com
(800) 496-9373 | $199
 Although still relatively new, Guerin Rife putters have quietly taken
several professional tours by storm. Among the most favored is the
popular Two-Bar.
Features: With adjustable weighting, Roll Groove technology, a
four-point weight scheme and a specially designed Lie Aline system, the
Two-Bar has more adjustable features than perhaps any putter you can
buy.
Advantages: Basically, the milled Roll Groove face both lifts the ball
from its depression on the green and imparts immediate forward roll,
resulting in true, straight rolling putts. The weight system and Lie
Aline mechanism let golfers choose the right putter schematics based on
both stroke type and posture.
What We Like: Adjustable weighting is becoming more and more common,
but the ability to adjust lie in seconds is the stuff of pure
innovation.
Lineup: Two-Bar Series, Aussie, Tour Blade
Putterhead: Aluminum (forged)
Putterface: Same (milled)
Weight: 355 grams
Design(s): Mallet, heel-toe blade (available LH) | |
Heavy Putter Matte Series
www.heavyputter.com
(888) PUTTER-4 | $229
 The popular Heavy Putter receives a new matte finish in 2006.
Features: The Heavy Putter flatsticks (about 100 to 200 grams heavier
than common putters) boast an impressive list of features, the most
notable of which is an innovative Weight Management System. This WMS,
as the company calls it, consists of a 250-gram insert located in the
upper portion of the shaft, which effectively prevents an early release
of the putterhead and the accompanying wrist breakdown errors that lead
to pushed and pulled putts.
Advantages: The heavier weight encourages more use of the bigger muscles, not the tiny ones that can break down your stroke.
What We Like: The industrial looks. Plus, the adjustable tip weights allow the user to closely control balance and feel.
Lineup: Matte Series, Original Series
Putterhead: Stainless steel (milled)
Putterface: Same
Weight: 450-550 grams
Design(s): A3—Heel-shafted, face-balanced blade; B3—Heel-shafted, face-balanced mallet (available LH)
| Fisher Talon Tour Series
www.fishergolf.com
(800) 465-3473 | $179
 A four-way insert and the ability to alter weight by as much as 100 grams? Yes.
Features: The TS-1 (pictured) face insert features different contact
materials on each of its four sides, from extra-soft to extra-firm.
This allows the user to adapt to different green conditions (or dial in
feel) without altering the stroke.
Advantages: Customized feel is key, but so is the stability provided by
the high-MOI design, complete with four different areas to adjust
weight using three different metals.
What We Like: If this putter was any more trick, it would require
batteries. The TS-2 and TS-3 models feature reversible inserts but are
no less prone to twisting on off-center hits.
Lineup: Talon Tour Series, Cobalt Series
Putterhead: Stainless steel (milled)
Putterface: Kevflex polymer
Weight: 375-475 grams
Design(s): TS-1, TS-2, TS-3—Heel-shafted, face-balanced mallet (available LH) |
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