Best Putters of 2022 for Every Golfer

Updated January 9, 2023
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The Best Putters of 2022 for every golfer
  • DESCRIPTION
    The Best Putters of 2022 for every golfer
  • SOURCE
    PGA Tour Superstore and Sub 70 Golf
  • PERMISSION
    Permission given by PGA Tour Superstore and Sub 70 Golf

Once we at GolfLink embarked on a journey to identify the best putters of 2022 for every type of golfer, we realized just how sizable of an undertaking this was. Nearly 160 tested putters, and well over 3,000 putts later, we pinpointed the best blades, mallets, and face-balanced putters.  We also found the best putters for women, beginners, the most forgiving, and the best value putters.

While each of those lists are full of praise-worthy putters, these seven putters are a cut above, and hold the distinction as being the best putters of 2022. Find out which putter is the best in each category, and be sure to explore our complete list of recommended putters in the genre that fits you best.  

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The Best Putters of 2022

Category (Click for complete list) Putter Price
Best Putter for Beginners Cleveland Frontline Cero $200 [Shop at PGA Tour Superstore]
Most Forgiving Putter Tour Edge Exotics Wingman 701 $200 [Shop at PGA Tour Superstore]
Best Value Putter Sub 70 Sycamore 001 $160 [Shop at Sub 70 Golf]
Best Face-Balanced Putter TaylorMade Spider GT $350 [Shop at PGA Tour Superstore]
Best Putter for Women PING G Le2 Shea $220 [Shop at PGA Tour Superstore]
Best Mallet Putter Bettinardi Inovai 6.0 $400 [Shop at PGA Tour Superstore]
Best Blade Putter Toulon Design San Diego $450 [Shop at PGA Tour Superstore]

We separated putters into seven different categories. If you didn’t even realize there were that many different types of putters, don’t worry, you’re not alone. Of course, some of these categories are self-explanatory, like the best putters for women, and the best for beginners. But what’s the difference between a blade and a mallet putter? What is a face-balanced putter, and what makes a putter forgiving? In order to figure out which putter is best for you, it’s important to answer these questions.

You’ve probably noticed that putters come in all shapes and sizes, and if you’re wondering which type of putter fits your stroke, we’ve covered that subject in complete depth, and we’ll give you the high-level overview here. 

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Putter Head Shapes

Blade putters are the traditional-looking putters with a small head they usually have a cavity behind the face.

Mallet putters have a larger club head behind the face, which gives manufacturers more flexibility for weight-distribution, and the result is that mallet putters are more forgiving than blade putters.

Face-Balanced and Toe Hang Putters

Another variable in your putter that you might not even be aware of is its toe hang, which is the angle at which the putter head hangs when resting parallel to the ground. Lay your putter on a table with the head hanging off the end of the surface. Note the angle between the toe and the heel of the putter, this is the amount of toe hang in your putter. If the line between the toe and heel is parallel to the ground, and the face is pointed directly at the ceiling, you have a face-balanced putter.

Why does toe hang matter? The fact is, toe hang and face-balanced putters are designed for completely different putting strokes. Putters with toe hang are engineered specifically for putting strokes with an arc. Meanwhile, face-balanced putters are made for golfers who use a straight-back, straight-through putting stroke. 

The intent of both variations is to get the club face square at impact with your specific stroke, allowing you to start putts on your intended line. If you use the wrong profile putter for your stroke, you’re only making the game harder on yourself, and should seriously consider a putter switch, or at least a putter fitting.

Stroke Best Putter Type Best Balance
High Arc Blade Toe Hang
Mid Arc Consider all Mid to Low Toe Hang
Straight Back, Straight Through Mallet Face Balanced
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Best Putter for Beginners: Cleveland Frontline Cero

Cleveland Frontline Cero putter
  • DESCRIPTION
    Cleveland Frontline Cero putter
  • SOURCE
    PGA Tour Superstore
  • PERMISSION
    Permission given by PGA Tour Superstore
Price $200 [Shop at PGA Tour Superstore]
What Makes it Great Promotes proper putting stroke
What Could be Better Center alignment line

Our journey in finding the best putters for beginners allowed us to chat with some friends who were new to the game. We combined our ideas of what beginner golfers should look for with theirs. Our criteria in this segment included price, head shape, and forgiveness, three pillars that guided us to the putters we featured.

The Cleveland Frontline Cero is our best overall putter for beginners. Our biggest takeaway from this putter is how it promotes a consistent and fluid putting stroke. After a few rolls, we knew this one would be tough to beat, and we were happy that it came from a brand that isn’t known for great flat sticks. Cleveland’s entire Frontline lineup is worthy, but we landed on the Cero model because the mallet provided the extra bump in forgiveness that we felt beginners need. Perhaps people just getting into the game will be itchy about spending $200 on a putter, but we can assure you that it’s a better investment than spending $600 on a new driver.

RELATED: The Best Drivers for Beginners | The Best Golf Balls for Beginners

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Best for Forgiveness: Tour Edge Exotics Wingman 701

Tour Edge Exotics Wingman 701 putter
  • DESCRIPTION
    Tour Edge Exotics Wingman 701 putter
  • SOURCE
    PGA Tour Superstore
  • PERMISSION
    permission given by PGA Tour Superstore
Price $200 [Shop at PGA Tour Superstore]
What Makes it Great Stability, sound, and price
What Coud be Better Putter cover

Forgiveness is highly touted in drivers, irons, and other clubs in your bag. So why not putters? Amateurs should be looking for every advantage they can find, so to find the most forgiving putters, we tested putters in some unconventional ways. This included purposely rolling putts from the toe and heel of all 158 putters we tested. Those tests revealed a number of putters that maintained good distance control and a solid feeling at impact no matter where they were struck.

We found ourselves standing over the Tour Edge Exotics Wingman 701, amazed at how fantastic this thing performed. Lag putts, short putts, off the green, through a couple of inches of rough, this mallet checked every box. There are several Wingman models in Tour Edge's second generation, so look for the version that best suits your eye. The 701 model, for us, was such a simple putter to roll with efficiency. It’s a mid-toe hang putter with a really nice contrasting sightline at the top. It may or may not have come home after we finished testing.

RELATED: The Most Forgiving Drivers | The Straightest Golf Balls

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Best Value Putter: Sub 70 Sycamore 001

Sub 70 Sycamore 001 putter
  • DESCRIPTION
    Syb 70 Sycamore 001 putter
  • SOURCE
    Sub 70 Golf
  • PERMISSION
    Permission given by Sub 70 golf
Price $160 [Shop at Sub 70 Golf]
What Makes it Great D2C pricing, premium feel
What Could be Better Beats us?

We knew we would have a category devoted to the best value putters. What we didn’t want to do was cheapen it by calling it, well, cheap. Value is relative to the player, which is why we analyzed price and performance to determine a putter's true value. If a $50 putter felt like a rubber mallet, it wasn’t even sniffing the list. We also paid close attention to the materials and construction of these putters, and the little things like the stock head cover and grip.

Dollar for dollar, the Sub 70 Sycamore 001 is hands down the best value putter. This is a very traditional blade putter that’s available in a plumber’s neck or flowneck, and has the feel of a putter that should cost a lot more than $160. The CNC milled face has a very satisfying sound at impact and at no point does the 001 feel cheap, despite Sub 70 being a direct-to-consumer company. Truthfully, Sub 70 offers its black-on-black series of putters in seven different models and any of them are worthy of this list.

RELATED: The Best Value Drivers of 2022 | The Best Value Golf Balls

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Best Face-Balanced Putter: TaylorMade Spider GT

TaylorMade Spider GT putter
  • DESCRIPTION
    TaylorMade Spider GT #3 putter
  • SOURCE
    PGA Tour Superstore
  • PERMISSION
    Permission given by PGA Tour Superstore
Price $350 [Shop at PGA Tour Superstore]
What Makes it Great No doubt alignment, just hit it
What Could be Better Price

When we decided to have a sub-category devoted to face-balanced putters, we wanted to do more than just throw some suggestions out there. We wanted to help educate our readers on what exactly a face-balanced putter is designed to do to help you decide if one is right for your game. Face rotation, performance, and head shape were all key elements we kept tracked during testing.

The TaylorMade Spider GT was the clear-cut winner among face-balanced putters. We tested this putter on an outdoor green and it was next level. It rolled true uphill, downhill, on big breaks, and touch putts. We became believers and fully understand why so many professionals play the Spider model on tour. For amateurs who struggle with putting alignment, it gives you great visuals. See it, hit it, drain it. We didn't find an easier putter to get lined up, which is a major win.

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Best Putter for Women: PING G Le2 Shea

PING G Le2 Shea putter
  • DESCRIPTION
    Ping G LE 2 Shea putter
  • SOURCE
    PGA Tour Superstore
  • PERMISSION
    Permission given by PGA Tour Superstore
Price $220 [Shop at PGA Tour Superstore]
What Makes it Great Adjustable shaft length
What Could be Better Alignment line

At GolfLink, we’re just a few guys. So in order to determine the best putters for women of 2022, we had to enlisted the right help. We bargained with four female friends who range in handicap from 7 to 22 to help us test 28 different women's putters. Price was a factor, but style and detail along with weight were the dominant criteria we judged on.

Our best 2022 putter for women is the PING GLe2 Shea. Where this model immediately stood out was its shape. A lot of women’s putters are blades and full mallets, but this mid-mallet was instantly awesome. The Shea squares up perfectly each time with no hesitation on alignment, and the feel at impact is very smooth. Even with all of that, our testers really liked the adjustable length. The GLe2 Shea comes with a small wrench so you can adjust the length of the putter from 31 to 35 inches, which is perfect for women of all heights.

RELATED: Best Drivers for Women of 2022 | The Best Golf Balls for Women

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Best Mallet Putter: Bettinardi Inovai 6.0

Bettinardi Inovai 6.0 putter
  • DESCRIPTION
    Bettinardi Inovai 6.0 Slant Neck putter
  • SOURCE
    Bettinardi
  • PERMISSION
    Permission given by Lauren Govednik of Bettinardi
Price $400 [Shop at PGA Tour Superstore]
What Makes it Great Truly custom and confidence-inspiring feel
What Could be Better Access to custom fitting studio

The most difficult category to hammer out was determining the best mallet putters. With so many variations, shapes, and just the sheer number of mallet putters, we really had to pay attention to the finest details in this category. Having a versatile mallet putter that can play Texas wedge shots and also deliver finesse is difficult.

The Bettinardi Inovai 6.0 stood out above all the mallet putters we tested. It’s expensive, yes. It also gives you a custom feel and is made from the very best materials. This is a putter you buy and keep in your bag for a very long time. The contrast of the silver and black is visually perfect and it looks so sleek on a winged-style putter. With a Bettinardi, you can expect fine craftsmanship and that’s what the Inovai 6.0 delivers, along with great feel and consistency. The bonus is that if you live near, or plan to visit, the Chicago area, you can make an appointment at Bettinardi’s Studio B for the best putter fitting in the game.

RELATED: Bettinardi vs. Scotty Cameron: The Head-to-Head Showdown

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Best Blade Putter: Toulon Design San Diego

Toulon Design San Diego putter
  • DESCRIPTION
    Toulon Design San Diego Putter
  • SOURCE
    PGA Tour Superstore
  • PERMISSION
    Permission given by PGA Tour Superstore
Price $450 [Shop at PGA Tour Superstore]
What Makes it Great It’s the total package of feel, performance & looks
What Coud be Better Price

Blade putters find their way into amateur golfers’ bags for numerous reasons. For many, it’s the model you’re used to because you’ve always played one. For others, you’re putting stroke has an arc and you know you need a blade. Whatever the reason, we wanted to take on the best blade putters to see what kind of great feeling variations we could find, and we weren’t disappointed.

When you know, you know. And when we tested the Toulon Design San Diego, we knew we had something special in our hands. Toulon is the premium offering from Odyssey and, no offense to White Hot, is far superior in every way. If we were going off of impact feel alone, the San Diego takes the cake.

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Our Rigorous Putter Testing Process

In order to provide you, the GolfLink reader, the most accurate and trustworthy lists of the best putters in every category, GolfLink staff writer Todd Mrowice personally tested 158 different putters from 22 different manufacturers, stroking, by his count, 3,160 putts in a roughly 30-day span. His testing took him to multiple manufacturer headquarters, practice putting greens, and big box retailers. 

As a result of Todd’s extensive hands-on testing, you get honest, first-hand feedback on how almost every putter available stacks up to the competition, and which golfers each putter benefits. We also hope Todd has managed to save a stroke or two from all that putting practice.

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Conclusion

Our "best of" putter series is here to bring you an honest take on equipment. By evaluating brands that no other sites cover, and giving all putters an unbiased rating, we created honest lists that players of all levels can relate to.

The putters in this article were our overall winners in each category, but that doesn't mean they're the exact best fit for you. We encourage you to read each full listing to help guide you in the right direction. We hope that whether it's one of our best overall models or something else we recommended, that you drain more putts and take a few more bucks off of your pals.