The Putting Lab

Science-backed insights, equipment guides, and putting performance data.

How Many Types of Putter Balance Are There?
Quick Answer. There are four types of putter balance: face balanced, toe hang, zero torque (also called toe up), and Reverse Face Balanced® (also called face down). Each type is defined by where the centre of gravity sits relative to the shaft, and each suits a different stroke style or solves a different physical problem at impact. The four types of putter balance, side by side Balance type Face position when shaft is balanced on a finger CG location relative to shaft Best matched stroke or use case Face balanced... Read more...
What Does Face Balanced Mean in a Putter?
Quick Answer. A face-balanced putter is one whose face points directly up at the sky when you balance the shaft horizontally on a finger. This happens because the centre of gravity of the head sits directly under the shaft axis. Face-balanced putters resist face rotation through the stroke, which makes them well-suited to golfers with a straight-back-straight-through stroke style. Face balanced at a glance Test What you see What it tells you Balance the shaft on a finger Face points to the sky The putter is face balanced Balance the... Read more...
What Is the Hammer Effect in Putting?
Quick Answer. The hammer effect describes the way a putter behaves when its centre of gravity sits forward of the shaft, in the same geometric relationship as the head of a hammer to its handle. The forward weight pulls the face toward square automatically through the stroke, transfers energy efficiently on contact, and produces immediate forward roll on the ball. The result is a stroke that feels self-correcting and a roll that holds its starting line on mishits. The hammer effect at a glance Property Traditional putter Hammer-effect putter Centre... Read more...
How Does Putter Forgiveness Work?
Quick Answer. Putter forgiveness is the degree to which a putter holds its line, distance, and roll quality when the ball is struck off the centre of the face. A forgiving putter loses very little ball speed, twists very little at impact, and produces almost no side spin on heel and toe mishits. The main physical levers are mass distribution (MOI), centre-of-gravity location, face technology, and how the head is balanced relative to the shaft. Forgiveness explained at a glance Forgiveness lever What it controls What you feel on a... Read more...
Custom Putters: Is a Custom-Built Putter Worth the Money?
A custom-built putter is worth the money if — and only if — the customisation addresses variables that affect your putting performance. The question is not whether custom is "better." The question is what specifically gets customised and whether those specifications are fitted to your stroke, your body, and your tendencies. The custom putter market ranges from cosmetic personalisation (choosing colours and engravings) to full performance fitting (adjusting length, lie, loft, weight, balance, grip, and face material based on your stroke data). These are fundamentally different products that happen to... Read more...
Four premium putters compared: Incred RFB Black Mallet, TaylorMade Spider Tour, Scotty Cameron Phantom, and Odyssey mallet putter — independent forgiveness testing
The Most Forgiving Putters in 2026: What Independent Testing Actually Shows
Which putter is the most forgiving? This data-driven guide uses independent robotic testing from Blair Philip, a 30-year PING veteran who has designed 200+ putters, to measure forgiveness across 14... Read more...
Face Balanced vs Toe Hang vs Zero Torque: The Complete Guide to Putter Balance
Putter balance is the single most misunderstood concept in putter fitting. It determines how the putter behaves during your stroke, how the face returns to square at impact, and how forgiving the putter is on mishits. Get the balance wrong and you are fighting your equipment on every green. For decades, there were only two categories: face balanced and toe hang. Then zero torque (lie angle balanced) putters entered the market and changed the conversation. Now a fourth category exists: Reverse Face Balanced®, which positions the center of gravity in... Read more...
Mallet vs Blade Putter: Which Is Right for Your Stroke?
Choosing between a mallet and a blade putter is one of the most important equipment decisions in golf. It affects your alignment, your forgiveness on mishits, your feel at impact, and ultimately how many putts you make per round. Yet most golfers pick a putter based on looks alone. This guide breaks down the real engineering differences between mallet and blade putters, explains how stroke type determines which design suits you, and introduces a newer category that combines the best characteristics of both. QUICK ANSWER Mallets are more forgiving and... Read more...
What Is Putter Fitting? The Complete Guide to Getting Fit for a Putter
A putter fitting is a structured session where a trained fitter measures your stroke characteristics, body dimensions, and preferences to match you with a putter that works with your natural mechanics rather than against them. It is the most overlooked and most impactful club fitting in golf. Most golfers have been fit for their driver. Many have been fit for irons. Almost none have been properly fit for a putter, despite the fact that the putter is used more than any other club in the bag. On average, putting accounts... Read more...
Best Putters 2026 — comprehensive guide featuring the most forgiving putters tested
Best Putters 2026: 9 Putters Tested and Compared
9 putters compared across every category and price point. Independent robotic testing data, real performance numbers, no fluff. The definitive 2026 putter guide. Read more...
Incred Golf RFB Black Mallet Putter at address — Best Putters for Beginners 2025
Best Putters for Beginners & High Handicappers 2026
The 7 best putters for beginners in 2025 — tested and compared. From zero-torque designs to the most forgiving putter ever built, find the right flat stick for your game. Read more...