Golf putters weren’t always as difficult as they are today.
For so long, you could choose between a basic blade, such as the Ping Anser and a half-round Mallet, most likely made by Odyssey. These days, there are hundreds of putter options.
Both mallet and blade putters can be very effective. It is important to know the difference to make an informed decision about which one will work best for you.
What is a Blade Putter and how do you define it?
The blade putter is the most classic design of golf putter. This putter head is typically rectangular in shape, with a flat face. The back of the club is also relatively short. Blade putters don’t have large clubheads and are more simplistic in design.
Many blade putters will have an alignment line at the top of their putter heads. Because of their precision, feel and feel, professional golfers and better athletes have been known to love blade putters.
What is a Mallet Pane?
A mallet putter is much larger than a blade putter. While the mallet putter has a flat surface, the back of the blade putter can be rounded or even rectangular.
They were very simple when mallet putters first appeared. It looked like a small semicircle on the blade’s back.
The putters’ heads have grown to be three to four inches in length since then. Golfers who are learning to play the game of golf often prefer mallet putters because they are easy to align and maintain consistency.
There are two main differences between a Mallet Putter and a Blade.
You need to be able to tell the difference between a blade and a mallet putter in order to determine which is best for you.
Forgiveness
The mallet putter and blade will be able to forgive off-center hits. You’ll notice that the mallet stickter has a larger sweet spot, which makes it a bit more tolerant.
Ping and Odyssey have created products that are specifically designed to make a blade-style putter with a higher MOI. So don’t think that switching to blade putters means you will miss more putts.
It is important to find something that matches your game. You want to have a lot of forgiveness when you putter.
Alignment
Alignment technology is available to all golf putters. Alignment is an important feature to consider, even if you have your own method of setting up for a shot.
Golf purists often look down at their putter head and golf ball, and prefer a short white line to direct their putter head to the hole. Many amateur and beginner golfers prefer thicker alignment patterns or multiple lines.
There is no right or wrong answer to Alignment. However, if you have trouble aligning properly, the mallet puttingter has more advanced features.
Weight and how you feel
The club will be heavy with the addition of some large modern mallet putters. The good news is that the weight of the club is lighter and that the feel can still be quite light with the use of lighter materials and new shaft options.
It’s a counterintuitive concept in golf, but a lighter putter is often better for slow greens, and a faster putter is better for fast greens.
Professionals who use a blade-style putter will make sure it is significantly heavier because this is what works best on faster greens. The longer strokes of a heavy putter are easier to control and maintain.
Types of stroke
The stroke you use will determine which type of putter you should use. For a blade-style putter, the best choice is an arc stroke. For a mallet-head putter, straight-through and backstroke strokes are the best.
You should choose the right putter for you depending on your stroke type. The Arc style putting strokes require players open their clubface slightly on their backswing, square it through impact, then rotate it slightly to the follow-through.
Straight back and straight through putting strokes. Make sure to keep the putter’s head square the whole time. Distance control can be a problem with both types of putting strokes. However, it can become even more problematic if the putter is not properly used.
Golfers with arc style putter strokes can certainly use a blade putter, but it may be awkward or unnecessary to rotate the face of the putter open and closed on the mallet when you don’t need to.
Golfer Handicap
The old rule was that better players would use blades, while higher handicappers would use mallet putters. I don’t like this theory, and I don’t think it’s true anymore. It’s almost like saying that beginners or higher handicappers shouldn’t use forged clubs. Yet, companies continue to produce new game-improvement irons every year.
It’s important to know that many mallet style putters have a larger sweet spot. The handicap shouldn’t be a factor as long as your putter is set up correctly and has a high moment-of-inertia.
Certain putter designs, such as the Odyssey 2 Ball putter, are more flexible than others like the Scotty Cameron Newport putter. Don’t choose a putter based on handicap alone; consider the club’s specific features.
The pros and cons of a blade putter
There are many positives to the blade putter. Here are some of the most important.
Pros
- Take a look at:The blade style putter is more traditional. It’s a classic design that will appeal to golf purists, lower handicappers, as well as those who like simplicity.
- It is easy to manipulate The ClubheadBlade putters allow you rotate the clubhead quickly; this is especially important for golfers who use an arc style putting stroke.
- Premium design:Many blade putters are machined with faces, and are forged from one single piece of metal. This makes them more appealing to the feel-oriented player.
- Lower price:Although it isn’t always true, blade putters can be more affordable than mallet putter simply because they use less material.
Cons
- Not great for alignmentThe top of most blade putters has a single alignment line that doesn’t help you line up your shots.
- Smaller Sweet Spot: The smaller size of a blade-style putter makes it less useful from a forgiveness perspective.
Pros and cons of a Mallet Puffer
Each year, new options are added to the mallet putter’s repertoire. You may be curious to see what companies will create next every year when you see a mallet putting machine that is larger and more powerful than the one you saw last year.
Pros
- Easy alignment:It is easy to line up a mallet-putter head; the top of it just needs to be pointed at the target.
- High MOIThe majority of mallet putters available on the market have a high MOI, and are more flexible than blade putters.
- Stability:The mallet design putter is able to be kept straight back and straight through, and it remains steady at impact. You will see this unique shaping in some of the mallet putters currently on the market.
Cons
- It’s possible to be bulky: The modern mallets are massive. If you are used to a thin blade style putter, it may feel a bit heavy at first.
- Won’t Rotate Well:For arc-style putters, the mallet can be difficult to open and close when you rotate through your stroke. This is why it is better to use a straight back stroke and straight through stroke.
Final Verdict: Which Putter Should You Use?
Hopefully you now have a better understanding of what a blade and a mallet style putter are.
The mallet putter heads are great for those who want to have more control and forgiveness on the putting course. You can keep your putter on the same course, make very few strokes and make some amazing putts.
The blade is a better choice for those who want to be more creative on the greens. Consider how you approach the putting-green and how you see the lines. This will help you make the right decision.
In the end, it’s impossible to say one is better than the other; you just have to find the right match.
