Best Counterbalanced Putters
Contents
- Cleveland 2135 Satin 8.0 Counterbalance Putter
- Odyssey Stroke Lab Versa Putter
- Tour Edge Counterbalance N2 Putter
- Scotty Cameron Futura 6M
- Bettinardi Studio Stock #3 putter
- Best Counterbalanced Putters
- What is a Counterbalanced Putter?
- Will a Counterbalanced Putter Benefit My Game?
- Can I Alter My Counterbalanced Putter?
- What’s With Counterbalanced Grips?
- Conclusion
If there’s a part of the game where everyone does things a little differently, it’s putting. Back in the day, Chris DiMarco was one of the first to use the claw putting grip. I remember watching him win the Phoenix Open at TPC Scottsdale and thinking to myself “how could anyone hold a putter like that?” From there it was on to chest and belly putters, the armlock method, and just about anything else you could think of.
Not long ago, the anchoring rule came into effect. That meant that all those great putters that used chest or belly putters had to find another way to get the ball in the hole. As players like Webb Simpson, Adam Scott, and Vijay Singh struggled with the conventional short putters, manufacturers were busy coming up with a solution.
The answer? Counterbalanced putters.
Cleveland 2135 Satin 8.0 Counterbalance Putter
Odyssey Stroke Lab Versa Putter
Tour Edge Counterbalance N2 Putter
Scotty Cameron Futura 6M
Bettinardi Studio Stock #3 putter
Best Counterbalanced Putters
Cleveland 2135 Satin 8.0 Counterbalance Putter
If you struggle with alignment and are considering trying a counterbalance putter, be sure to give the Cleveland 2135 Satin 8.0 a try.
Of all the counterbalance putters on the market, this one is especially easy to line up. The site line is distinct and provides a stark contrast against the golf ball.
The optimally milled face provides great feel and feedback. You’ll definitely be able to tell when you hit this putter solid. The milled face also increases the putter’s MOI giving golfers more forgiveness, even on mishits.
An oversize grip is also great for players that want their hands to be less involved during the stroke.
A great choice for a counterbalance putter at a reasonable price.
globalgolf.com
Amazon.com
Odyssey Stroke Lab Versa Putter
It comes as little surprise that an Odyssey putter occupies a spot near the top of our list. For as long as anyone can remember, the company has turned out putters that allow golfers of all abilities to perform at their best on the greens.
The Stroke Lab Versa is no exception. With a design backed by scientific study and testing, you know this putter is well-built.
The large mallet head and a shaft that’s made partially from graphite, give this putter one of the highest MOI’s of anything on the market. That means one thing, forgiveness across the entire face. The design also makes the Stroke Lab Versa incredibly stable through impact.
The face’s White Hot insert and micro hinge design not only provide exceptional feel, they get the rolling quickly off the face.
For anyone looking for a more repeatable stroke, unmatched feel, and plenty of forgiveness, it’s tough to argue against the Stroke Lab Versa from Odyssey.
pgatoursuperstore.com
Fairway Golf, Inc.
Tour Edge Counterbalance N2 Putter
At Golfer’s Authority, we’ve been on the Tour Edge train for a while now. Even though this brand isn’t as notable as Callaway, Titleist, or TaylorMade, they continuously churn out quality golf equipment. That’s evidenced by the number of players on PGA Tour Champions that have Tour Edge stuff in their bag. Think Scott McCarron, Bernhard Langer, and Tom Lehman to name a few.
When it comes to counterbalance putters, the N2 has been a popular choice with players of all skill levels.
It’s 36” in length and has microgrooves on the face to ensure a consistent role on every stroke. The face material is also quite soft. This allows players to experience exacting feedback at impact.
Even more, the HP series of putters features five different head styles all suited to golfer’s different preferences.
One of the most economical counterbalance options on the market, you can’t go wrong with the Tour Edge N2.
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Scotty Cameron Futura 6M Putter
If you’ve ever been fortunate enough to putt with a Scotty Cameron, you know there’s just something different about the way the club feels in your hands and how the ball comes off the face.
In fact, one of our writers is a Scotty Cameron nut job (and it’s not just because his name is Scott). He likes to joke that if he sold his collection of Scotty Cameron putters, he could quit writing for us and retire.
He recently purchased the Futura 6M and claims it’s not leaving his bag at any point for the foreseeable future. And this is a guy that’s REALLY particular about his putters. . .
He notes the especially soft feel and responsive feedback with the Futura 6M. That’s due in large part to the proprietary vibration dampening system.
Multi-material head design provides great forgiveness and weight back distribution gets the ball rolling end over end the moment it leaves the face.
As you might expect, this Scotty Cameron putter comes with a hefty price tag. If you ask our writer though, he says it’s worth every penny.
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Bettinardi Studio Stock #3
For years, the Bettinardi brand has been known for producing some of the finest milled putter faces in the world.
That’s no different with the Studio Stock #3. The honeycomb groove pattern is precision milled into the finest steel. This provides excellent feedback while ensuring that every putt rolls true from the moment it leaves the face.
At 395 grams, this is one of the heavier counterbalanced putters, and it’s not the cheapest option around. But if you’re looking for the finest craftsmanship and a soft feel, this is the putter for you.
What is a Counterbalanced Putter?
Traditional putters have the vast majority of weight in the clubhead. There’s very little weight in the shaft or grip. As their name might suggest however, counterbalanced putters have weight distributed throughout the club, with noticeable additional weight being in the grip. This makes the balance point higher up in the club. A higher balance point increases both feel and MOI for golfers. In other words, the putter becomes both more responsive and forgiving.
Will a Counterbalanced Putter Benefit My Game?
That depends. The science behind counterbalanced putters makes a lot of sense. As putting is a highly individualized part of the game, we can’t prescribe any singular method to everyone.
However, if you struggle with speed, making solid contact, or starting the ball online, you might want to give a counterbalanced putter a try.
Can I Alter My Counterbalanced Putter?
Traditional putters can be lengthened or shortened. You can even change the loft and lie angle on some.
In theory you could do all of the above with a counterbalanced putter, but doing so would significantly alter the club’s specifications.
Instead of altering a counterbalanced putter on your own, we suggest getting fitted for the exact one that fits your stroke.
What’s With Counterbalanced Grips?
Coinciding with the rise of counterbalanced putters were counterbalanced grips. These were grips with added weight that could be applied to any traditional putter. The idea was to, just like counterbalanced putters, move the balance point of the putter farther up and away from the head.
Do they work as well as counterbalanced putters? That depends on who you talk to. Again, putting is an individual part of the game and what works for one golfer might not work for someone else.
If you’re curious, give a counterbalanced grip a try and see what happens. You can always go back to your old method if it’s not your cup of tea.
Conclusion
It’s been almost 20 years since I watched Chris DiMarco putt the eyes out of the hole at TPC Scottsdale to win the Phoenix Open. At the time, I thought the sun was shining on this dog’s back, and his goofy looking claw drip somehow worked for a week.
Little did I know that it only marked the beginning of a putting revolution that would witness just about everything imaginable to help players get the ball in the hole.
The most recent trend in this direction has been counterbalanced putters, and these clubs don’t appear to be going away anytime soon. In fact, I’d bet we’ll continue to see more and more players adopt this method.
So, if you’re struggling with your putting, or just feel like it might be time to try something new, give a counterbalance putter a try. When you do, we’d love to hear about your experience. Drop us a line in the comments below.
