Best putter for beginners: 10 putters that make the greens easy

It’s no secret, beginners need a lot of help getting their game up to par. That’s why it’s important to give yourself every advantage you can on the golf course. This biggest advantage, of course, comes from the using the right equipment. From finding the right driver all the way down to getting a good putter, beginners should put extra effort into finding the equipment that suits them best. Our choice for best putter for beginners is the TaylorMade Spider GT putter.

To save you time, our team of golf experts reviewed dozens of the best putters out there. Furthermore, we applied a rigorous criteria to specifically select the best putters for beginners. The final 10 putters were then reviewed in head to head matchups to determine the ranking of the 10 best golf putters for beginners.

The right putter can change your short game from a hassle to a complete breeze. Our top choices have the right balance of power, control, comfort, and ease of use. Learning to golf can be challenging enough, let our experts help you pick the best putter for your game.

TLDR: Our top choice is the TaylorMade Spider GT putter, for its surprising combination of power and control, as well as an ease of use and grip that makes it a joy to use.

Short on time? Here are the best putters for beginners out right now:

1. Best Overall – TaylorMade Spider GT
2. Best Alignment – Callaway Odyssey 11 Triple Track Putter
3. Best Premium Putter – Titleist Scotty Cameron Phantom x11
4. Best Craftsmanship – Mizuno M Craft 6
5. Best Customizable Features – Ping Tomcat 14
6. Best 2-ball Putter – Callaway Odyssey 2 Ball Putter
7. Best Value – Cobra King Stingray Putter
8. Best Blade Putter – Cleveland Huntington Beach Soft 8 Arc
9. Best Entry Level Price – Wilson Infinite Bucktown Putter
10. Best Budget Pick – Wilson Harmonized M5 Putter

Best Putter for Beginners – Full Analysis

TaylorMade Spider GT

Best Overall

Overview

Over the past few years, TaylorMade made has become one of the biggest brands in putters. A big reason for this is its flagship putter, the Spider GT series. These large and forgiving mallet putters are showing up in the bags of many golf pros, such as Dustin Johnson and Jason Day. The spider GT is not only a great choice for beginner golfers, but golfers of all skill levels and abilities.

Pros – Why we like it

• This putter’s stability and consistency are unmatched. Its lightweight aluminum and steel construction allows you to strike a putt from any angle with almost no pushback.
• The Pure Roll face insert uses aluminum beams set at a 45 degree angle, significantly improving top spin. This gives your balls a consistent roll, keeping your putts on their target line.
• The lightweight aluminum and steel build means that the putter feels comfortable and light in your hand.

• The Spider GT boasts a streamlined, compact style. It combines the performance of a modern putter with a more traditional look.
• The spider GT maintains its sleek look with a simple and unobtrusive alignment.
• With the adjustable hosel configuration, you can hit an arc stroke or straight through shot. Just adjust the hosel to fit your game play style.

Cons – Drawbacks to consider

• The spider GT putter is a high end putter. This makes it more expensive than some budgets can accommodate. Players looking for a slightly more budget friendly version may want to consider the Taylormade spider x putter.
• Its default putter grip may be a bit smaller than some players would like. Some players may prefer larger putter grip that is easier on their hands.

Why we recommend it for Beginners

The Spider GT is our top pick for beginner golfers. Despite its lightweight and streamlined construction, the Spider GT offers top of the line stability and consistency. It also has a great look that will stand out on any golf course.

The adjustable putter head allows golfers to hit either arc stroke or head-on putting stroke. This is unique for mallet style putters, which usually make you hit the golf ball with a straight stroke.

While some beginners might want a golf putter with a larger grip, it’s easy to switch out these grips to customize your club.

Overall, the Spider GT is one of the best putters we’ve ever tried.

Callaway Odyssey 11 Triple Track Putter

Best Alignment

Overview

The Triple Track Putter is part of the very popular Odyssey putter series from Callaway. These putters are easy to identify due to their “Triple Track” technology, which consists of three prominent lines on the putter head.

This alignment system is a standout feature that makes it incredibly easy for you to line up head-on shots. It’s based off of a theory called Vernier hyper acuity, which is the same visual technology used to land planes on aircraft carriers.

This alignment system, as well as the overall quality construction and performance of these putters, make them some of the best putters out there.

Pros – Why we like it

• Using this putter is like bringing a training aid onto the golf course, great if you want a more consistent stroke.
• The alignment system is incredibly simple to set up, just match the lines on the putter with the ones on a Callaway golf ball.
• Our tests show that their system does work, and Callaway claims that it can help increase your accuracy up to 11%.
• The club head lines up beautifully square, and hits very sturdy with very little face rotation. This makes it a great mallet style putter for hitting the ball head-on.
• The microhinge start insert provides consistent topspin and roll when striking.

Cons – Drawbacks to consider

• Some people may prefer to use an arc stroke, but this putter is designed only for a straight back and forward shot.
• Some people may prefer not to rely on alignment aids, and may find it distracting.
• The system requires using a special lined ball from Callaway, and may slow down the pace of play when setting-up.

Why we recommend it for Beginners

This club is our favorite for any player that struggles with their alignment. The mallet construction combines amazingly with its alignment technology and face control, to produce an offset putter that’s easy and consistent for beginners to use.

Due to their ease of swing, we recommend these mallet putters for beginners of nearly all levels of play. The straight back motion of these putters is easier to learn and master than that of a traditional blade putter.

Titleist Scotty Cameron Phantom x11

Best Premium Putter

Overview

Titleist clubs have a well deserved reputation for being a premium brand. Their “no compromises” approach to quality makes them favorite clubs of many golf pros. In fact, over half of all players on the PGA tour use have at least one titlist club in their bag.

These clubs may be used by many professionals, but how accessible are they for the average player? The truth is that many players could benefit from using a club of this caliber. The Phantom x11 shows that Titleist Scotty Cameron putters are a great choice regardless of skill level.

The Phantom x11 is a high MOI offset putter designed specifically of a straight on putting stroke. This makes them unbelievably simple for many beginner golfers to use. While this putter may be out of budget for some, seniors looking for a premium brand should consider adding this club to their rotation.

Pros – Why we like it

• This mallet style putter has the biggest club head in the Scotty Cameron line. Combined with expertly balanced weighting and a high MOI, this club is the most forgiving putter we’ve tested so far.
• The Scotty Cameron steel reinforced putter head resists twisting at impact, ensuring that your club face hits the ball straight on.
• The alignment is a simple line on the club head, which is convenient yet unobtrusive when lining up your shots.
• The “Pistolo Plus” grip, developed by Scotty Cameron in conjunction with Golf Pride, keeps your upper hand in place and provides a comfortable and soft feel.

Cons – Drawbacks to consider

• This golf club is the most expensive out of all the clubs we tested. Some golfers may want a more budget friendly golf putter.
• The large club head and high MOI design may take some adjusting for some golfers.
• This club is mainly suited for a straight back and forward golf stroke, golfers who prefer an arc stroke may want to look elsewhere.

Why we recommend it for Beginners

The Phantom X11 is an impressive putter suited for all skill levels. This is one of the best putters available for a beginner that wants a Titleist quality club.

As a beginner golfer, you want a putter that not only has a soft feel, but one that is forgiving on your putting stroke. The Phantom X11 is the most forgiving putter that we’ve ever tried.

Its well crafted and steel reinforced head resists bending and makes it easy to hit head on. This is the highest MOI club that Titleist makes, and its swing momentum makes putting easier than ever before.

Mizuno M Craft 6

Best Craftsmanship

Overview and Features

Mizuno is a Japanese golf club company with a strong reputation for quality and craftsmanship. While they’re best known for their forged golf irons, their M-craft putter line shows that they can make impressive putters as well.

Mizuno is famous for their superior craftsmanship. They forge their golf clubs from 1025 mild carbon steel, and then CNC mill them by hand to shape them. This ensures precision and consistency in their construction, and a finish that provides great performance. The result is a club that allows you to strike your ball with soft feel and great topspin for a consistent roll.

While Mizuno makes several types of putters, we consider the M.6 mallet putters to be their best for beginners. This is due to their slightly heavier club head, which provides increased stability and swing accuracy.

Pros – Why we like it

• The forging and precision milling process gives the clubs a firm, responsive feel similar to their forged irons.

• Mizuno putters have a slightly heavier weight than standard putters, which allows for an accurate putting stroke with controlled distance.
• They make a pleasing sound when striking the ball.
• These mallet putters work great for a straight forward stroke with no arc, which we highly recommend for most beginner golfers.

Cons – Drawbacks to consider

• Any beginner golfer who often hits short may want to use a lighter putter.
• Golfers who don’t like a mallet style may need a different type of putter.
• There are higher MOI options out there for beginners who want an even more forgiving club.

Why we recommend it for beginners

Golfers looking for something different will appreciate Mizuno’s unique approach to crafting putters. The carbon steel forging and and hand CNC milling process is something that only Mizuno offers.

The mallet head and heavy weighting will help ensure a controlled and steady putter swing. These putters hit true and accurate.

These forged putters hit with a satisfying feel and sound that makes them a pleasure to use. This responsive feel will certainly be appreciated by those familiar with Mizuno’s well known and highly endorsed iron set.

The bottom line is that Mizuno now makes some of the best putters for beginners out there.

Ping Heppler Tomcat 14

Best Customizable Features

Overview

The Ping Heppler Tomcat 14 is a great midrange putter with several customizable features. Named after the late Ping employee Rick Heppler, these mallet putters are set using a precision aluminum casting process. They boast a high MOI and an alignment system that’s great for creating a clean straight swing.

This putter is made with an eye catching copper and black scheme. The top of the head has two runway-style sets of dots. These dots work as an effective alignment that guides your putter for better strokes.

This putter has several adjustable parts, which is great for beginners who want a putter customized to their exact specifications. The length of the putter length adjustable between 32″ and 36″, making it suitable for almost all heights and body types. There are also several grips to choose from as well, which is great for beginners who may need a specialized grip.

Pros – Why we like it

• The high MOI of this mallet style putter makes it a very forgiving club. With very little twisting on hit, it’s very hard to mishit when using this putter.
• The customizable features are a nice touch, and ensure that this club can be fit for beginners with almost any physical needs.
• Slightly less expensive than many of the top putters, this may better fit for some golfers’ budgets.
• The flat putter face is designed and optimized to make a satisfying sound when it makes contact with the ball.

Cons – Drawbacks to consider

• While less expensive than the top putters on this list, it still may be unappealing to more price conscious consumers.
• This club is very firm, and some golfers may prefer a club with a softer feel.
• We would prefer a milled putter face for added topspin and an even more consistent roll.

Why we recommend it for Beginners

The adjustability of the Ping Tomcat 14 makes it one of the best putters for beginners who value customizability. This offset putter is a very solid pick, and a great value. It’s look, sound, and feel will appeal to many players.

Callaway Odyssey 2 ball ten triple track putter

Best Two-Ball Putter

Overview

Back in 2001 the Callaway Odyssey series introduced 2-ball putters, and sparked a revolution in the golfing world. This is the club that helped popularize mallet putters, allowing them to shake their reputation as clunky and oversized.

The rest is history, but these 2-ball putters still deserve their reputation as being some of the best clubs out there. The Odyssey 2-ball is named for the two white disks that sit on top of the club head. When lined up behind a golf ball, these putters give the appearance of three balls in a row, which is a simple yet effective alignment tool that will have you sinking more putts.

The newest version of this putter has a sleeker head shape, which makes alignment as easy as it has ever been. The putter’s back weighting gives it a super high MOI that resists any face turn on impact. Finally, the wide face has a microhinge insert that gives a firm feel and topspin for a consistent roll.

Pros – Why we like it

• The two-ball alignment system is simple and efficient. It holds up as a great tool to improve your consistency and aim.
• The forgiving head design helps you avoid mishits and bad shots.
• The high MOI design helps to reduce twisting on impact, making it a great choice for straight back and forward hitting.
• The microhinge insert adds lots of topspin, and helps the ball roll consistently over longer distances, overcoming many imperfections in the putting green.

Cons – Drawbacks to consider

• The price point for this putter is on the high end.
• Beginners that wish to hit more of an arc stroke may want to consider other putters.
• The head on this putter is very large and may take some adjustment from some golfers.

Why we recommend it for Beginners

The Odyssey 2-ball putter is classic style that still hits as well as any putter out there. Years of improvement and iteration on this design have made it better hitting and more consistent than ever. It’s mallet head and high MOI build make it one of the best putters for beginners.

Cobra King Stingray Putter

Best Value

Overview

Cobra, now a subsidiary of Puma, has been making golf clubs for nearly 50 years. However, their recent putters are drawing tons of new attention for their innovation and great design.

Their Stingray putter has an oversized mallet style with a stainless steel body. This high MOI design delivers high consistency on putting swings, and their adjustable weight system makes fine tuning your club head’s balance a snap.

Specializing in a straight back, straight forward type of shot, this putter has great face control and a forgiving shot. Its SIK face technology allows for a consistent strike regardless of the club’s angle at the point of contact.

Pros – Why we like it

• This club’s price point is lower than some of the top ranked putters on this list, making it a good value for more budget conscious shoppers.
• The SIK face technology allows for similar hits (and consistent roll), regardless of the angle of impact when striking the golf ball.
• The high moi mallet style putter head delivers consistent alignment and and satisfying consistency.

Cons – Drawbacks to consider

• While less expensive than the top putters on this list, it still may be unappealing to more price conscious consumers.
• This offset putter only allows for straight on hitting, players that want an arc stroke should look elsewhere.

Why we recommend it for Beginners

The Cobra King Stingray putter is a great value and has everything you need in a good mallet putter. The SIK face technology can improve the hitting of beginner players that have trouble timing their swing.

Additionally, this club’s high moi design does a great job at resisting twisting on impact, and the broad mallet head makes this putter a very forgiving choice for beginners.

Cleveland Huntington Beach Soft 8 Arc

Best Blade Putter

Overview

You may have noticed that every previous entry on this list is a mallet putter. Given their easy and forgiving playstyle, almost all of our best putters for beginners are mallet putters. The Cleveland Huntington Beach Soft 8 Arc is the exception to the rule.

While most blade putters are designed for a more gentle arc, the Soft 8 Arc is one of the few blade putters designed for a straight back straight forward shot. This allows for beginners to hit a simple shot straight on shot with lots of forgiveness.

Furthermore, the Soft 8 Arc putter uses SOFT technology CNC milling on its face. This milling becomes less coarse at the toe and heel of the putter, allowing your hits to feel the same no matter where they’re struck on the club face.

Pros – Why we like it

• The price point is lower than many of the putters on this list, making it a great value choice for cost conscious shoppers.
• This is a great option for players who want a blade putter that that can hit straight on.
• The SOFT technology creates a forgiving putter with a soft hitting feel.

Cons – Drawbacks to consider

• Mallet style putters still are a better choice many beginners who want a straight back, straight forward shot.
• This is not a high MOI putter, so the face may twist some when it makes contact with the ball.
• It has no alignment system.

Why we recommend it for beginners

While we still prefer mallet putters for most beginners, there may be seniors out there who simply prefer blade putters. For those blade players looking to make putting easier on themselves, we recommend the Soft 8 Arc.

Wilson Infinite Bucktown Putter

Best Entry Level Price

Overview

Wilson has a reputation for making high value clubs at a great price point. The Wilson Infinite Bucktown Putter, their version of a mallet putter, proves that this reputation is right on.

While many brands at this price point show signs of reduced quality, the Infinite Bucktown Putter maintains a great value. This club not only boasts high quality material and face milling, but shows no signs of the cheap shortcuts found on the finish of some cheaper club heads.

This makes the club a nice choice for entry-level beginners who want a solid putter, but don’t want to pay for a fancier club at a higher price point.

Pros – Why we like it

• For the price point, the club still maintains a high quality of materials.
• The double milled face provides a nice feel and reasonable amount of control.
• Their counterbalance technology gives the putter a nice balanced shot.
• Their anti-glare finish is a nice touch and helps you to see the sight lines better.

Cons – Drawbacks to consider

• This is a great entry level putter, but higher level putters will offer more MOI, control, balance, and forgiveness.
• The head cover is fairly cheap and poor quality.

Why we recommend it for beginners

Any beginner that’s in the market for an entry level putter should have a look at this one. The club head gives a nice, balanced shot while the milled face gives it a soft touch. This putter is a very solid value, and many beginners could certainly do worse with their first set of clubs.

Wilson Harmonized M5 Putter

Best Super Budget Pick

Overview

The Wilson Harmonized M5 Putter is the least expensive putter in the top ten. It’s a reasonable choice for someone looking to get into golf as cheaply as possible. While it may be a step back from other putters on this list, it still represents a good value for people not yet willing to spend on an expensive putter.

Pros – Why we like it

• The price point of this standing putter makes it accessible to almost all players.
• The mallet head provides a wide sweet spot for a fairly forgiving hit.
• The micro-injected polymer face provides a soft feel for the putter face
• It comes with a larger putter grip, which will suit many beginners.

Cons – Drawbacks to consider

• This club only comes in one length: 34″.
• Players wanting to progress their game will eventually outgrow this putter.
• Control and stability may be a bit lacking compared to other options on this list.
• Only available for right handed putters.

Why we recommend it for Beginners

Occasional golfers or people very new to the game should consider this putter if they want an inexpensive option that will save them money. The mallet style of this putter, combined with the soft face and wide grip, will suit many entry level golfers.

Top putters for beginners – A quick comparison table

Golf Club	Lowest Price	Club Type	Biggest Pro	Biggest Con
Taylormade Spider GT	$300	High MOI	Best striking and topspin	Default grip could be larger
Callaway Odyssey 11 Triple Track Putter	$300	High MOI	Great alignment system	Have to set up alignment each hit
Titleist Scotty Cameron Phantom x12	$400	High MOI	Most forgiving	Highest Price
Mizuno M Craft 6	$300	High MOI	Fully forged	Club’ss a bit heavier than average
Ping Tomcat 14	$250	High MOI	Great customizability	May be too firm for some
Callaway Odyssey 2 Ball Ten Putter	$300	High MOI	Unique 2-ball alignment	Club head may be too large for some
Cobra King Stingray Putter	$201	Mallet	Very consistent striking	Cannot hit an arc stroke
Cleveland Huntington Beach Soft 8 Arc	$150	Blade	Steady blade design	Some players may prefer a mallet
Wilson Infinite Bucktown Putter	$130	Mallet	Accessible price and good value	Doesn’t excel at any one thing
Wilson Harmonized M5 Putter	$60	Mallet	Cheapest entry price	May need to upgrade later

How to choose the best putter for you

While we can bring our research and our favorite picks to you, ultimately you’re the one that needs to decide what putter suits you best. The truth is that there are many good putters out there. Ultimately, you have to make your own decision based on your own personal needs and preferences.

Here are some things to keep in mind when deciding on your putter:

Identify your play style

First, take an inventory of how you approach your putting tame. How exactly do you like to play your putts? Do you use a straight forward putt, or do you use an arc stroke? What is your level of experience with golfing? These are the types of questions that you need to ask yourself as you research your putter choices.

Decide what features are most important

Once you’ve considered how you play, next decide what features in a golf club would best compliment your play. Do you like an alignment system that can help you hit head-on? Do you want a soft feel or firm feel when you hit the ball? How much MOI do you want in a putter? Make sure you prioritize your favorite features first.

Determine your budget

Next, determine what budget constraints and preferences you have. Are you interested in investing in high end equipment, or would you like to save more money? Do you need a golf club that will last a year or two, or do you want something that will serve you for a long time? We purposefully included a wide range of price points in our list, to ensure that everyone can select a quality putter.

Our selection criteria – how we select putters for beginners

When testing so many different putters, we needed a system to pick out the best of the best. To do this, our team of experts prioritized our most important criteria when selecting golf clubs. Then we used this criteria to create a simple and clear system to pick the best putters out there.

Our criteria for selecting putters are:

High MOI

High MOI is one of our most important criteria when selecting the best putters for beginners. The MOI, or “Moment of Inertia” is the momentum that a club has right when it hits the ball. Clubs with high MOI tend resist face twisting when the ball is hit off center. This helps you to prevent mishits, and resist pushback from the ball.

High MOI can be very helpful for players that have trouble with consistent swing strokes. In fact, our list of best putters for bad putters is full of clubs that help players maintain a consistent putting stroke.

Forgiveness when hitting the golf ball

Forgiving putters simply work better for most golfers. A forgiving golf club will hit well even for newer players, or for players having a off day. Mallet putters tend to be the most forgiving, due to their broad face and large “sweet spot” in the middle of the club head.

Forgiving clubs also tend to have a lot of topspin. A club that easily generates topspin will hit the ball true over longer distances and resist any imperfections in the putting green.

Forgiveness is especially important for players that tend to mishit frequently. Our list of best putters for high handicappers has very forgiving putters due to high handicap players tendency to mishit.

Ease of Use

One of the most important considerations for ease of use is a club’s alignment. Many golfers find it easier to hit the ball when their club has a good alignment system. A good alignment system can really help beginners to line up their shots and sink more putts.

Older players will especially appreciate a club’s alignment features. Our list of best putters for seniors all have very simple and useful alignment features.

Mallet putters vs blade putters

While the preference for mallet versus blade putters is entirely personal, we believe that most beginners would be best off using a mallet style putter.

This comes down to some key differences between the two types:

Mallet Putter

Over the past 20 years, mallet style putters have absolutely exploded in popularity. Given their high MOI and large, forgiving club faces, it’s easy to see why. These putters are generally meant to be hit with a very straight shot, which is much easier for players to learn and execute. The larger club heads not only provide extra momentum on the shot, they also provide space for nice alignment systems.

Blade Putter

These putters have a more traditional style, with a slimmer head that requires a bit more skill and practice to master. Blade style putters have slimmer heads, meaning that they may twist on impact. They are preferred for an arc stroke putting swing, which is generally more complicated and difficult to learn than the “straight-on” swing that mallets use.

FAQ

To summarize, these are our top putters for beginners

Rank	Golf Club	Our Score	Visit Website
1	Taylormade Spider GT	9.9/10	Check Price
2	Callaway Odyssey 11 Triple Track Putter	9.8/10	Check Price
3	Titleist Scotty Cameron Phantom x11	9.8/10	Check Price
4	Mizuno M Craft 6	9.7/10	Check Price
5	Ping Tomcat 14	9.6/10	Check Price
6	Callaway Odyssey 2 Ball Ten Putter	9.6/10	Check Price
7	Cobra King Stingray Putter	9.5/10	Check Price
8	Cleveland Huntington Beach Soft 8 Arc	9.3/10	Check Price
9	Wilson Infinite Bucktown Putter	9.0/10	Check Price
10	Wilson Harmonized M5 Putter	8.7/10	Check Price