Blade v Mallet Style Putter

[PapaStark]

My last few rounds plus a sudden urge of wanting to buy a new club has me questioning my current putter.

Some background on my game since I'm still new here, I've used the same Ping classic Anser 2 for 16 years now (best garage sale purchase I've ever made). I would say I'm an average putter, 33-37 putts a round. I am curious how much the technology has changed and looking to try something new.

The questions I am hoping you all could help with is what caused you to jumped from a blade style to a mallet head putter? Did you stay with it or did you switch back to a blade putter?

Finally, any recommendations you all may have for me to try out, blade or mallet, I am kind of at a loss here figuring out where to start.

 

[cnosil]

6 minutes ago, PapaStark said:

My last few rounds plus a sudden urge of wanting to buy a new club has me questioning my current putter.

Some background on my game since I'm still new here, I've used the same Ping classic Anser 2 for 16 years now (best garage sale purchase I've ever made). I would say I'm an average putter, 33-37 putts a round. I am curious how much the technology has changed and looking to try something new.

The questions I am hoping you all could help with is what caused you to jumped from a blade style to a mallet head putter? Did you stay with it or did you switch back to a blade putter?

Finally, any recommendations you all may have for me to try out, blade or mallet, I am kind of at a loss here figuring out where to start.

 

Number of putts doesn’t tell us a lot.  If you hit 18 greens it is a good number; if you only hit 1 then it might be a terrible number.  It is better to assess your putting based on make percentage from distances, feet of putts made, or strokes gained numbers.  It enables you to compare against some baseline.   
 

that said putting can be very individual.  Some pick and play putter based strictly on looks and haven’t change putter in 50 years.  Some change daily based on mood of the day.   There has been some technology advancements in putting but not a lot.  Evnroll face technology is probably the biggest for someone that misses the center of the face.   The use of technology like puttlab, quintic, or capto for analyzing putting stroke and doing fittings is where the big gains have been made. Shafts seem to be the big new area but I haven’t seen a good case made to justify the price. 

i have played blades and mallets and haven’t found anything larger than a mid mallet that really works well for me so I tend to stick with blades.  Trust me when I say I have tried most putters/styles available in the market.  I switch just because I wanted to try something different and wanted to see how the various putter configurations fit with my stroke.   Playing a mid mallet right now so it is kind of an in between 
 

the first question would be what are you trying to fix with a new putter?  Do you have a consistent miss? Or are you just wanting to get something new and different with no improvement goals?  

[PapaStark]

I totally agree that number of putts does not show the whole picture, I just haven't really kept up with all the other stats enough that I could share them. My game has been improving a lot lately, I am hitting more greens in regulation so perhaps I am just seeing another weakness. Golf is a great game after all!!!

 

[Larryd3]

be interesting for you to get a putter fitting at Club Champion or somewhere like that and see how you react with the different style putters.  For me it was a great use of $100 or whatever it cost.  

[Lefty19]

Agree with everyone but especially Larryd3- get fitted and they may see something else that is causing any type of putting issue.

Getting fitted and might find something that works well for your stroke and fits your eye the best. I need to do the same but always gravitated back to a mid-mallet Rossie. It just fits my stroke pattern and eye.

 

David

[jayBird 74]

it is not the arrow but the Indian........take a putting lesson or practice more

[Middler]

cnosil gave you a good reply but it’s an individual choice so I’m not sure how value added asking here is. After decades using blades only, I switched to a mallet last year as it allowed me to better start putts on my intended line (higher MOI?) even though I have an arc stroke (no one is actually SBST). A fitting might be helpful, but trying some mallets vs blades may tell you what you want to know.

[chisag]

... Having played an 8802 style heel shafted blade my entire career I had no interest in mallet putters. Seeing so many on tour made me inquisitive as these guys jobs depends on making putts. I tried the Spider Slant Neck and it just didn't work for me as I have a gate stroke and I like toe hang. Everything changed when I moved to Phoenix and started played Bermuda greens where a nice smooth stroke just wasn't working like it did on fast and true bent greens I played my whole golfing career. I needed to be more aggressive on short putts and just found it difficult to change both my stroke with a putter that had worked well for 35 years. So I started looking at mallets again and decided to buy one and use it for 3 months regardless of results. 

... I went looking for a mallet and money was not a consideration so I figured a $399 or more expensive TaylorMade, Scotty or Bettinardi was in my future. I was a little shocked to find a Cleveland 11s putter produced the best feel, balance and results. $129 was a pleasant surprise. Putting is the cornerstone of my game and after playing it 9 months now I feel my mallet putting on Bermuda is finally on par with my blade putting on bent greens. So I won't be going back to a blade as long as I live in Phoenix. Obviously this is purely anecdotal to my putting and style but I could not be happier with my mallet. 

[bens197]

Played a PING anser 2 from 1999 to 2019.  It became clear to me that I needed to try something different as my good putting rounds were less frequent than the poor rounds.

I tried several and since that time have found a mallet, Phantom X 11.5.  

What I'd suggest is try as many as you can.  While putting is technical in a sense, it's ridiculously personal.  Weight, feel but above all, looks.  If you love what you're looking at, you're going to roll it better...I truly believe that.

[chisag]

Just now, bens197 said:

What I'd suggest is try as many as you can.  While putting is technical in a sense, it's ridiculously personal.  Weight, feel but above all, looks.  If you love what you're looking at, you're going to roll it better...I truly believe that.

 

... Amen to that! Unless you have a straight back straight through stroke (and few really do) there will be at least some arc to your stroke. A putter with the right balance will stay on track with zero manipulation. Many will "wander" a little off line if the balance isn't right. And I could not agree more, it better look good sitting behind the ball because sooner or later if it doesn't, it will become a scapegoat for your putting woes. 

[bens197]

4 minutes ago, chisag said:

 

And I could not agree more, it better look good sitting behind the ball because sooner or later if it doesn't, it will become a scapegoat for your putting woes. 

Every putter that just doesn't look good is junk and is the only reason why I missed those putts...:)

 

[Middler]

12 hours ago, bens197 said:

What I'd suggest is try as many as you can.  While putting is technical in a sense, it's ridiculously personal.  Weight, feel but above all, looks.  If you love what you're looking at, you're going to roll it better...I truly believe that.

+2, amen. While I think looks are most important with putters, for me at least looks and feel are important for every club in the bag! When I am choosing any new club, the first screening criteria is looks - if I don’t like the look of a club I won’t even consider it. That always leaves enough options for me. YMMV

[BIG STU]

On 12/3/2021 at 9:28 PM, chisag said:

... Having played an 8802 style heel shafted blade my entire career I had no interest in mallet putters. Seeing so many on tour made me inquisitive as these guys jobs depends on making putts. I tried the Spider Slant Neck and it just didn't work for me as I have a gate stroke and I like toe hang. Everything changed when I moved to Phoenix and started played Bermuda greens where a nice smooth stroke just wasn't working like it did on fast and true bent greens I played my whole golfing career. I needed to be more aggressive on short putts and just found it difficult to change both my stroke with a putter that had worked well for 35 years. So I started looking at mallets again and decided to buy one and use it for 3 months regardless of results. 

... I went looking for a mallet and money was not a consideration so I figured a $399 or more expensive TaylorMade, Scotty or Bettinardi was in my future. I was a little shocked to find a Cleveland 11s putter produced the best feel, balance and results. $129 was a pleasant surprise. Putting is the cornerstone of my game and after playing it 9 months now I feel my mallet putting on Bermuda is finally on par with my blade putting on bent greens. So I won't be going back to a blade as long as I live in Phoenix. Obviously this is purely anecdotal to my putting and style but I could not be happier with my mallet. 

Thank the Good Lord above someone on here  knows a BLADE putter is an 8802 . A Anser style is NOT a blade putter 

[BIG STU]

On 12/3/2021 at 9:28 PM, chisag said:

... Having played an 8802 style heel shafted blade my entire career I had no interest in mallet putters. Seeing so many on tour made me inquisitive as these guys jobs depends on making putts. I tried the Spider Slant Neck and it just didn't work for me as I have a gate stroke and I like toe hang. Everything changed when I moved to Phoenix and started played Bermuda greens where a nice smooth stroke just wasn't working like it did on fast and true bent greens I played my whole golfing career. I needed to be more aggressive on short putts and just found it difficult to change both my stroke with a putter that had worked well for 35 years. So I started looking at mallets again and decided to buy one and use it for 3 months regardless of results. 

... I went looking for a mallet and money was not a consideration so I figured a $399 or more expensive TaylorMade, Scotty or Bettinardi was in my future. I was a little shocked to find a Cleveland 11s putter produced the best feel, balance and results. $129 was a pleasant surprise. Putting is the cornerstone of my game and after playing it 9 months now I feel my mallet putting on Bermuda is finally on par with my blade putting on bent greens. So I won't be going back to a blade as long as I live in Phoenix. Obviously this is purely anecdotal to my putting and style but I could not be happier with my mallet. 

A couple of months ago I played a course that I had not played in a while. Normally it has fast smooth bent greens. In the past I tended to use one of my numerous Ironmasters or my Cleveland Designed by 8802 style. I got out there and thought **** I left the blade putters at home. And the greens were as fast and smooth as I remembered them to be. I putted with my old rusty lead taped Santa Fe. Did not know if I could putt real good greens anymore. Man I putted lights out surprised myself

[fozcycle]

Chisag is so on point. You have to assess the type of green you are putting on.  Bermuda is a bit harder to get the ball rolling so a putter with a low cog and moi should work better.  I grew up on bent grass greens and used a blade, but after many years in Sunny Florida, I switched to mallets.  I finally found a mid-mallet that worked for me…..the Evnroll ER2.   Newer putters are weighted heavier than putters of the past.
 

 

[BIG STU]

8 hours ago, fozcycle said:

Chisag is so on point. You have to assess the type of green you are putting on.  Bermuda is a bit harder to get the ball rolling so a putter with a low cog and moi should work better.  I grew up on bent grass greens and used a blade, but after many years in Sunny Florida, I switched to mallets.  I finally found a mid-mallet that worked for me…..the Evnroll ER2.   Newer putters are weighted heavier than putters of the past.
 

 

Chisag is 100% dead on it most of the time. Through his posts and a PM or two on WRX he talked me into giving the Steelfiber shafts in the TM irons another shot. Glad he did I played 63 holes in 4 days last week with no pain or stiffness. Practiced on and off 6 hrs today with no pain or stifness. 

Putters for me can be tricky I have a lot of lead tape on the bottom of the Scotty but I can not tell you the head weight--- Some of my Ironmasters I have it on some I do not just depends on how it feels to me. 

[in4par]

I posted in another thread here on putters and putter fittings.  I went through the Club Champion putter fitting few years ago.  I play a Scotty Mallet which I've customized nicely for me and after going through the routine i was told I should be playing a Blade style putter based on my swing, head angle, etc.  I kept my Scotty, didn't change over to a Blade however, I will say, every time I miss a putt it plays games with my mind every time now thinking I should change to a Blade style.  I also have recently tried Bettinardi Blade style putters and have to say I love the feel a lot better than my current Scotty.   The problem is, now, if I make the investment and change over, I have no idea if it will make a difference on the course to help me drain more putts.    Its torture especially now in the offseason here.  Brutal.  

[Stuka44]

On 10/20/2021 at 10:59 AM, PapaStark said:

Finally, any recommendations you all may have

Find something that feels good to you and practice with it.  I was a little "wristy", and went to left hand low.  That initially helped my putting accuracy.  You are right on where I am in terms of number of putts a round.  Practice 3-10 footers regularly, you can actually make an appreciable amount more of this legth putts.  You're not really going to make a really higher percentage on putts over 10 feet in length.  Over 10 feet concentrate on distance control and not 3 putting.  One thing which helped me was pacing off the distance of a putt.   I found it helped me actually knowing a putt was 28 feet and not 20 etc..  I equate it to basketball.  You guaged your jump shot power I believe by subconsciously calculating your distance from the basket, with visual distance clues...foul line 15 feet, inside that 12-14 feet etc. etc...    Since golf greens have no visual references like a basketball court, I've found that pacing off the distance has really began to help me begin to groove distance putts knowing their length.  Not taking a good result on a putt,  standing over one a few holes later, using about the same stroke, only to find out the putt was actually 9 feet longer.  It just allows me to just store away info on putts, with a frame of reference, seems to help me call them up later, when I have ones of the same lenth.  Kinda like when I pulled up at 17 feet on the court and my stroke took over.  Just a  thought to help improve.

[Tyler86]

Like most people, i have a few putters. If im lag putting a ton or my putting stroke is crap, from lack of weekly practice, i will usually play a mallet. If my putting stroke is solid or i need to make 10’ers or less for up and downs, blades typically work better for me. I like messing around with putters and mixing it up, just for fun. But always seem to go back to ONE I WAS FIT FOR. Which is center shafted SeeMore M7X.

[Tyler86]

My next putter purchase will probably be unfit so i can mess around with rolling it from the other side of the plate…. 

[cnosil]

Posting here since it seemed like an appropriate place.  2022 most wanted putter testing is underway and I have done a couple of session for mallet and blade style putters.  So far I seem to be finding similar results to those I found last year; I putt better with smaller blade style putters to mid mallet designs.  While some putters of each camp are ugly,  I seem to make more putts with the putters in the blade category.  

People often say that because we are hitting a straight putt 8 times at 3 distances we should get used to the putt and our performance should get better.  While It may influence there does not seem to be a correlation to better putting with putters later in the test round.  

I really want to like mallet putters as the theory and concept behind them seems to make sense and I am really looking for better performance.   For me, most mallets seem to lack a little feel of where the ball impacts the face and if the mallet is a little more weight forward it seems to work a little better.  

Blades vs mallets will always be a debate, but as a player it is important to determine what supports your stroke better.  As a low rotation player mallets would seem to make sense, but actual performance doesn’t show that to be a finding.  
 

[Alfred DuPuy]

Since I am currently gaming it and a bit biased (after going to a claw/saw grip - probably most similar to Justin Rose and going through an extensive putter fitting at Miles of Golf in the Cincinnati area), I would heartily recommend that you at least try an Axis1 Tour-B. I have generally putted with Anser style putters my whole golfing life (although I did start with a Ping Kushin back in the day). I have tried mallets on occasion, but they never seem to stick with me as they just don't fit my eye. I was close to going with the Axis1 Rose during the fitting, but once I saw the Tour-B, I fell in love with the blade style, its softer feel, and even though the 'torque-free' construction forces an unorthodox shaft positioning, the way it frames the ball so nicely at address. 

There are other torque-free options as well (of the mallet and even quite large mallet style!), so don't leave those out of your testing.

Best of luck!

[cnosil]

1 hour ago, Alfred DuPuy said:

Since I am currently gaming it and a bit biased (after going to a claw/saw grip - probably most similar to Justin Rose and going through an extensive putter fitting at Miles of Golf in the Cincinnati area), I would heartily recommend that you at least try an Axis1 Tour-B. I have generally putted with Anser style putters my whole golfing life (although I did start with a Ping Kushin back in the day). I have tried mallets on occasion, but they never seem to stick with me as they just don't fit my eye. I was close to going with the Axis1 Rose during the fitting, but once I saw the Tour-B, I fell in love with the blade style, its softer feel, and even though the 'torque-free' construction forces an unorthodox shaft positioning, the way it frames the ball so nicely at address. 

There are other torque-free options as well (of the mallet and even quite large mallet style!), so don't leave those out of your testing.

Best of luck!

I have tried one on the past, but it isn't part of this years MGS Most Wanted testing.    There are torque-free putters in this years testing.     Ultimately I am not looking to replace my putter, just posting an observation that I tend to putt better with blade style putters over mallet style.   I would always recommend that someone looking for a putter try various options to see what works best.   

[ChuckZ]

Have tried both and really like the blade putters.  My preference are the Newport style putters by Scotty Cameron.   Like the weight, control and tempo I can maintain with them.  Of course practice is a key to putting well with any putter.  Moved from the Newport 2 Notchback to the new Special Select Newport 2.  Our greens a tiff Bermuda grass and tend to run pretty fast with all the undulations.  Changed the grips to GolfPride SNSR 104s (Midsize).  Am 75 and have rather big hands.  It is not fair to say which is the best for you because putters are a personal thing.  Some people have a lot of putters and change often.  I have three (two Notchbacks, first and last editions) and focus on one by working on tempo and feel.  You will know it when you find that special putter, as long as you keep your head down.