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Putters

Forgiving putters: mallets and zero-torque heads

9 putters built to forgive an off-centre strike or a face that will not stay square: 4 mallets and mid-mallets, 5 zero-torque heads, sorted by price, with the maker's published MOI where it exists, the stock lengths and the alignment cues.

9 putters shown.

Forgiving putters, sorted by price
HandLengthsMOI and notesSource
Cleveland Golf HB SOFT 2 Putter - Model 11Malletnot publishedRH · LH34" · 35"Maker's words: "model 11's winged mallet design is paired with a single bend hosel and three-line alignment - best suited for a straight stroke," and the face milling gives "more predictable distances on every putt, even on miss-hits." Cleveland states its engineers measured the CG and MOI properties of each model and adjusted its face milling pattern accordingly, but publishes no MOI number. Hosel/neck: Single Bend, face balanced, straight stroke type. Alignment aid: 3 lines (a max-contrast, black-bordered alignment system). Head weight 365g, lie 70 degrees, loft 3 degrees. Stock grip is the HB SOFT 2 Pistol Oversize (.600, 72g). Putter shafts 35 inches and over include a 20g counterbalance weight. Custom builds run 32 to 38 inches in half-inch increments with lie -3 to +3 degrees and loft -2 to +2 degrees. NOTE: loft_options is used here for STOCK putter LENGTHS in inches, not lofts.$159.99read 2026-09-06maker's page
Odyssey Ai-DUAL #7 DB (2026)Malletnot publishedRH33" · 34" · 35"Head Type listed as Mallet. Maker's words: "an iconic shape and a modern classic with an angular design that makes it very easy to align." Hosel/neck: double bend shaft, which makes the head face balanced (toe hang 0 degrees) and is "best suited for golfers with minimal face rotation and arc." Alignment aid: the angular head shape itself; no separate alignment feature named. Loft 3 degrees, lie 70 degrees, head weight 360g. Stock shaft is the Odyssey Ai-DUAL SL 90 stepless steel with 20g of counterbalance weight in the butt end; stock grip is the Odyssey midsize Pistol. Page carries a 2026 Gold Hot List seal. NOTE: loft_options is used here for putter LENGTHS in inches, not lofts.$249.99read 2026-09-06maker's page
Odyssey Ai-DUAL Square 2 Square MAX 1/2 Ball Center Shaft (2026)Zero torquenot publishedRH · LH33" · 34" · 35"Head Type listed as Mallet; maker's words: "the most stable putter in our line, this zero-toque putter wants to stay square to your path throughout your stroke." Hosel/neck: modern center-shafted design that centers the shaft just above the CG plane, so the head rests toe-up (spec table shows Toe Hang "90 degrees UP") and the face stays square through the stroke; 2 degrees of built-in forward shaft lean presets a forward press. Alignment aid: the 1/2 Ball design, "Odyssey's next revolutionary alignment technology," which frames the ball to help centre impact and improve aim. Loft 3 degrees, lie 72 degrees, head weight 365g. Stock shaft is the Odyssey S2S SL120 stepless black PVD steel (heavier and stiffer than the SL 90); stock grip is the Odyssey S2S Reverse Taper 2.0 oversize, shaped to offset the 2 degrees of shaft lean. NOTE: loft_options is used here for putter LENGTHS in inches, not lofts.$299.99read 2026-09-06maker's page
COBRA 3DP TOUR AGERAMalletnot publishedRH · LH34" · 35"Maker's words: "an oversized mallet shape with a single bend shaft profile, ideal for golfers with a neutral path. A 3D printed lattice saves weight and increases M.O.I. for improved stability" and "Shifting mass to the perimeter for higher MOI, improving stability and forgiveness, while moving the center of gravity forward for a smoother release." No MOI number published. Hosel/neck: Single Bend, toe hang 0.0 degrees (face balanced). Alignment aid not named on the page. Head weight 375g at 34 in and 365g at 35 in; lie 70 degrees. Adjustable weighting system with interchangeable 5/10/15/20/25/30g weights sold separately. Stock shaft KBS CT Tour, stock grip SuperStroke Zenergy GT 1.0. Custom lengths 33 to 37 in in quarter-inch steps; custom loft (1 degree weak/strong) and lie (-2 flat to +2 up) available. Custom builds ship in 3-5 business days. NOTE: loft_options is used here for STOCK putter LENGTHS in inches, not lofts.$379read 2026-09-06maker's page
PING Scottsdale TEC Ketsch Onset (2026)Malletnot publishedRH35"Maker calls the head a Mallet. Lightweight aluminum body with a dense stainless steel sole plate positions mass low and to the perimeter "to ensure extreme MOI and optimal CG for high forgiveness and consistent roll" (no MOI number published). CG sits behind the shaft axis so it is pulled through the stroke for stability and less twisting. Hosel/neck: Onset hosel, which gives a full-face view of the ball to aid alignment. Alignment aid: eye-tracking-derived focal point on the top rail plus a long alignment line, to quiet the eyes before the stroke. Stroke type Slight Arc, head weight 350g, lie 20 degrees non-adjustable, loft 3 degrees non-adjustable, matte-black stepless steel shaft, PING SuperStroke 2.0 Pistol Tour grip. NOTE: loft_options is used here for putter LENGTHS in inches, not lofts.$397read 2026-09-06maker's page
L.A.B. Golf DF3 StockZero torquenot publishedRH · LH33" · 34" · 35"Maker's words: "It stays square by itself. It's still irrationally forgiving on mishits." DF3 is the tidier version of the original Directed Force - "Ever since we launched our first putter, Directed Force, golfers have been asking if we could make it less weird. DF3 is that putter." No MOI number published. Construction: entirely CNC milled from 6061 aluminium, with 8 screws on the sole made of steel or tungsten in various densities "to precisely target swing weight and lie angle balance each putter" - lie angle balance is L.A.B.'s term for the zero-torque property. Hosel/neck and alignment aid are not described in words on this page. "Stock" is the fixed-spec build; a CUSTOM DF3 at $499.00 is sold alongside it. Delivery quoted at 1-2 weeks. NOTE: loft_options is used here for putter LENGTHS in inches, not lofts.$399read 2026-09-06maker's page
Evnroll ZERO Z1cs MalletZero torquenot publishedRH · LH33" · 34" · 35"Maker's words: "this high-MOI, oversized mallet" is "100% milled from lightweight 6061 aluminum, features precision-milled tungsten and steel weights, to position up to one-half of the clubhead's weight in the heel and toe, creating a massive MOI for stability and optimized swingweight balance." No MOI number published. Hosel/neck: centre-shafted, with "an innovative and adjustable pin hosel allowing for easy loft and lie customization, a feature only available from Evnroll"; the centre-shafted configuration "delivers pure ZERO torque performance, eliminating unwanted face rotation." Alignment aid: two parallel sightlines connected to a ball-sized ZERO alignment hole. A 38-inch Tour Spec version is sold separately at the same price. NOTE: loft_options is used here for putter LENGTHS in inches, not lofts.$449read 2026-09-06maker's page
TaylorMade Spider ZT Max (2026)Zero torquenot publishedRH · LH33" · 34" · 35"Maker's words: "an ultrahigh MOI mallet built for players who want Spider Stability" (no MOI number published). Four heavy steel and tungsten corner weights anchor the perimeter of a low-density aerospace-grade aluminum body, "pushing mass as far from center as possible... a head that resists twisting through the stroke and returns the face square at impact." Hosel/neck: Center Shaft is the only hosel option; the KBS CT Putter 120 shaft bores toe-ward near the CG with 2 degrees of shaft lean, producing a toe-up, zero-torque orientation (spec table Face Balance reads "Toe Up"). Three TSS weights optimise swingweight and the toe-up orientation. Alignment aid: Milled True Path, lines milled to exactly the width of a golf ball on the top line. Loft 3.5 degrees, lie 70 degrees, head weight 379g. Stock grip SuperStroke Off-Axis Tour 1.0. NOTE: loft_options is used here for putter LENGTHS in inches, not lofts.$449.99read 2026-09-06maker's page
Scotty Cameron Phantom 11R OCZero torquenot publishedRH · LH33" · 34" · 35"Maker's words: "a new Phantom mallet with rounded corners in a revolutionary low torque package... designed with a heavier head to provide maximum stability while maintaining very low torque through the stroke" and "promotes a stroke that keeps the face square to the stroke path." No MOI number published. Hosel/neck: onset centre ("OC") - a straight shaft installed directly in line with the model's CG, with a subtle 1 degree forward shaft lean; "R" stands for round. Alignment aid: the page says only "superior alignment cues" and does not name a specific line or dot system. Head material 303 stainless steel face/body with a 6061 aircraft aluminium sole/flange component. Sole weights vary by length: 2 x 20g at 33", 2 x 15g at 34", 2 x 10g at 35". Custom half-inch lengths are available in both right and left hand. Stock shaft is a black KBS x Scotty Cameron; stock grip is a mid-size Matador. NOTE: loft_options is used here for putter LENGTHS in inches, not lofts.$549read 2026-09-06maker's page

Every figure for these putters is read from the maker's own product page, with a shop's new price standing in where the maker publishes none and the club page saying which (prices read 2026-09-06); a cell that says not published means nobody publishes it and we do not guess. Sorted by price, cheapest first. How we compare.

Fitting a forgiving putter without a fitter

Roll ten putts from six feet with your current putter and watch the misses. If they finish short and long, you want moment of inertia: a big mallet. If they start left and right of the hole, you want the face to stop rotating: a zero-torque head, or a face-balanced mallet with a strong alignment line. Then choose length by posture (eyes over the ball, arms hanging), and only then price.

The rest of a forgiving bag is on the irons, driver, hybrids and fairway woods pages.

Questions buyers ask

What makes a putter forgiving?

Moment of inertia, like a driver: a head that resists twisting keeps a heel or toe strike on line and close to the right distance. Mallets get it from a big, deep head with weight at the back corners. Zero-torque putters get their forgiveness a different way: the shaft axis runs through the balance point, so the face does not want to open or close during the stroke, which helps golfers who struggle to return the face square.

Mallet or zero-torque?

If your miss is distance (putts come up short or race past), a high-MOI mallet fixes more of it. If your miss is direction from a face that opens or closes, zero-torque is built for that. Some heads are both; the category column shows how the maker classes each one.

What length should I buy?

Standard is 34 inches; 33 suits golfers under about 5 feet 6 inches or who stand close to the ball, 35 the taller and more upright. The Lengths column lists what each maker sells; several also build to order.

Are forgiving putters expensive?

The table runs from $159.99 upwards on the read date; the milled and the zero-torque heads sit at the top. A putter is the one club in the bag where a previous generation loses nothing, so the pre-owned links on the club pages are worth a look.