CRITERIA
Our judges evaluated Hot List candidates in four areas.
- Performance ( 45%)
What happens to the ball when it’s struck by the club. - Innovation ( 30%)
How a ball’s technology, advances the category. - Look/Sound/Feel ( 20%)
What the golfer experiences before, during and after impact. - Demand ( 5%)
The relative interest in a product and its reputation.
(L) Low-Handicapper | (M) Mid-Handicapper | (H) High-Handicapper
Odyssey
O-WORKS
Performance 5 stars
Innovation 5 stars
Look / sound / feel 5 stars
Demand 4 ½ stars
Verdict In its quest for improved feel, Odyssey uses an extensive manufacturing process to mold the face’s stainless-steel mesh cover over an elastomer middle layer. Steps include chemically etching stainless-steel mesh, co-moulding steel and elastomer insert pieces that cool at different rates, and four rounds of quality-control inspections. The microscopic “hinges” across the face get the ball rolling forward sooner for better distance control regardless of swing path.
Comments (L) It has that muffled sound that’s amazing. It’s consistent across the board. (M) Has a huge sweet spot – consistency for days. (H) Love this putter. It’s like putting with a down pillow in my hands.
Odyssey
WHITE HOT RX
Performance 4 ½ stars
Innovation 4 ½ stars
Look / sound / feel 4 ½ stars
Demand 5 stars
Verdict The softest feeling insert in the Odyssey line has two material layers. The outer layer is firmer than the golf ball, and the inner layer is softer for that cushioned feel but resilient enough to enhance ball velocity. The oval depressions on the firm face improve friction to help grab the ball for quicker roll at impact.
Comments (L) You can’t buy a better roll. It’s so stable. (M) Impact was powerful and consistent, a great tool to have in your bag. (H) The ball glides off the face in an elegant way. This is a winner.
Ping
SIGMA G
Performance 4 stars
Innovation 4 ½ stars
Look / sound / feel 4 stars
Demand 4 ½ stars
Verdict The anodised aluminium face is supported by a resilient insert made of a material used in running-shoe midsoles. The distinct milled depths and widths within the face create consistent energy return to the ball across a wide area to better manage distance control on mis-hits, yet still promote a quiet, soft feel.
Comments (L) Perfect example of less is more. Its efficiency and simplicity make it the best-looking putter I’ve seen. (M) Nice feel, a beautiful roll and super easy to align. (H) Love the change in the milling on the insert. They’ve nailed it.
Ping
VAULT
Performance 5 stars
Innovation 4 stars
Look / sound / feel 4 ½ stars
Demand 3 stars
Verdict It’s all about forgiveness and not just because of the extreme shape that pushes weight to the outer reaches for extra stability. There’s also a milled face pattern that varies in depth and pitch across the face, propelling off-centre impacts. A heavy steel sole under the aluminium body adds further off-centre-hit stability.
Comments (L) It’s a pretty mallet, if there is such a thing. Good combination of softness and feel. (M) The clean look cleared my mind and allowed me to focus on the putt and not the putter. (H) It’s so well balanced that you make putts even if you’re not a mallet guy.
TaylorMade
SPIDER TOUR
Performance 5 stars
Innovation 4 ½ stars
Look / sound / feel 4 ½ stars
Demand 4 ½ stars
Verdict The midsize mallets made famous by Jason Day (red) and then Dustin Johnson (black) are all about stability. The putterhead has 13 pieces, including a heavy steel frame that bolsters the hollow aluminium body. There are two roll-enhancing insert options: surlyn for a softer feel and milled aluminium for a sharper click.
Comments (L) This one is really stable, and the red fins remind me of a classic car. (M) I liked that it has good pop off the face but with that understated crisp-contact sound. (H) I felt like I had great control on short putts.
TaylorMade
TP COLLECTION
Performance 4 ½ stars
Innovation 4 stars
Look / sound / feel 4 ½ stars
Demand 3 ½ stars
Verdict Yes, the head shapes in this line are vintage. But the face is modern-materials science. An aluminium insert is lined with grooves slanted internally at a 45-degree angle. This brings the grooves into direct contact with the ball during impact to mitigate backspin for a truer roll.
Comments (L) It has that classic milled sound and feel. The weighting is really spot on; it’s super balanced. (M) Soft but firm: it feels good coming off the face, but it still produces good power on long putts. (H) Excellent feedback, and it’s not too loud. I love the feel of the grip.
Titleist/Cameron
FUTURA SERIES
Performance 5 stars
Innovation 5 stars
Look / sound / feel 4 ½ stars
Demand 4 ½ stars
Verdict The lightweight aluminium forms the face and sole, allowing more weight to be distributed around the stainless-steel head. Most noteworthy is the Adam Scott-inspired 6M model, with weights in the extreme areas of the heel and toe to achieve the forgiveness you want in a mallet. A multi-material layer behind the face helps reduce internal vibration.
Comments (L) I like how the insert bleeds into the bottom of the putter. The feel is solid. (L) Sits nicely on the ground. All the geometrical patterns work well together. (H) It’s full of tech, but it’s not intrusive.
Cleveland
TFI 2135
Performance 4 stars
Innovation 4 stars
Look / sound / feel 4 stars
Demand 2 ½ stars
Verdict With many putt-ers, the sightline can be an afterthought, but here it has been completely reimagined. The visual aid has been raised from the base of the putter to the height of the centre of the ball. The result is an enhanced sweet-spot alignment, regardless of where your eyes are positioned over the ball.
Comments (L) The instant you place it down it feels stable. (M) The best-feeling Cleveland putter I’ve ever hit. A good mix of softness and feel off the face. (H) It’s so stable and easy to align. Sound and feel are muted but provide enough feedback.
Directed Force
RENO
Performance 4 stars
Innovation 5 stars
Look / sound / feel 3 stars
Demand 1 star
Verdict Try to get beyond the metal-detector-like looks. The belief here is that face-balanced putters add unwanted torque to your swing, forcing excess hand action to get the face square. The Reno stays square through impact because it’s balanced to the putter’s lie angle. It does this through the shaft’s location relative to the head’s centre of gravity.
Comments (L) The ball starts on line every time. Great for a yipper. (M) Despite its looks, it feels natural. I didn’t have a single mis-hit. (H) Effective alignment and has a nice pop off the face.
Evnroll
ER7
Performance 4 ½ stars
Innovation 3 ½ stars
Look / sound / feel 4 stars
Demand 1 star
Verdict Designer Guerin Rife’s new project claims that a mis-hit up to three-quarters of an inch off-centre will roll as true as a center hit. How? Channels in the face, narrowing towards the heel and toe, increase the contact area for mis-hits to give them more energy, all while creating an inward shape to guide them back towards the middle or target line.
Comments (L) The first club I’ve hit in which every putt rolled on line regardless of where I hit it on the face. (M) This has range from all over, like Stephen Curry on a basketball court. (H) Easy to line up and good, balanced feel. Very light sounding, not overbearing.
Odyssey
TOULON DESIGN
Performance 4 stars
Innovation 4 stars
Look / sound / feel 4 stars
Demand 2 stars
Verdict These custom milled putters feature cross-hatch grooves that, in conjunction with the head shape and face thickness, provide a crisp sound and feel. The face pattern also adds friction for improved roll. The traditional-looking Memphis and the extreme-stability Indianapolis let the user customise weighting with three sole-plate options.
Comments (L) If you like the “Star Trek” type speed off the face, it can be comforting. It sounds the same no matter where I hit it on the face. (H) The head is a bit small for me, but people will love how this putter sets up.
Rife
SWITCHBACK
Performance 4 stars
Innovation 4 stars
Look / sound / feel 4 stars
Demand 1 star
Verdict Simple versatility is how the Switchback rolls. The club comes with two sets of adjustable weights placed on the back of the putter. Golfers can change the head and swingweight to accommodate their stroke or the speed of the greens.
Comments (L) It’s heavy enough that the putterhead stays on line, but it’s not so heavy that you can’t control the stroke.
(M) Soft feel, and I really like the sound. I could tell when my eyes were over the putter. (H) Easy to align; instills confidence. It feels soft in the hands, and everything rolls straight.
