Performance Golf built a $399 putter around one design idea: put most of the head weight in front of the shaft. Here's what that gets you, and what to sort out before you order.
Last updated: September 6, 2026
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Is the Performance Golf RS1 putter worth buying?
Yes, if the design idea appeals to you and the fit lands. The RS1 is a forward weighted putter rather than a zero torque one, with 75% of the head weight sitting ahead of the shaft, a 360 gram head and 3.5 degrees of loft. The standard build is 35 inches at a 74 degree lie, and Performance Golf handles custom lie, length and head weight case by case if you contact them first. Skip it if you want a published performance number before you spend $399.
Face stability is the pitch in putters right now. L.A.B. pushed the idea into the mainstream, PXG and TaylorMade have their own versions, and the promise is usually some variation on the same line. The face won't twist, so you'll make more putts. I've bought every L.A.B. putter and rolled all of them, so I've heard that pitch about as many times as a golfer can stand.
The Performance Golf RS1 is running a different idea, and that's the part worth your time. It isn't a zero torque putter, and Performance Golf doesn't sell it as one. Their own positioning line is that it's not a blade, not a mallet, and not a zero torque putter. Zero torque designs are built around balancing the head's mass on the shaft axis. The RS1 is built around putting 75% of the head weight in front of the shaft, under the name Forward Axis Weighting, with the stated intent that gravity acts on a face hanging out ahead of the shaft. Same target, different route to it.
Here's what you're getting from me. What $399 and $429 actually include, what the standard build is and how customization works, and what the return policy really says before you rely on it. I've had one out on the practice green. I'll still tell you where the published information ends, because on a putter that line matters more than it does on a driver.
Quick Overview
- $399 for the RS1 with a stepless steel shaft, $429 for the RS1+ with a 15mm low torque graphite shaft
- 75% of the head weight sits ahead of the shaft, a design Performance Golf calls Forward Axis Weighting
- Standard build: a 360 gram head, 3.5 degrees of loft, a 74 degree lie and 35 inches, in right and left hand
- Lie angle, length and head weight are handled case by case by contacting Performance Golf before you order
- A 365 day money-back guarantee, with return conditions worth reading first, and conflicting delivery estimates on the product page
- Built-In "Quiet Hand" Tech.
- Instant Forward Roll.
- High-Contrast Alignment Visuals.
- Muted Audio and Feedback.
- The Mallet Profile is Bulky.
- Premium Price Tag.
Specs
| Spec | Performance Golf RS1 |
|---|---|
| Price, verified Aug 30, 2026 | $399 RS1, $429 RS1+ |
| Design type | Forward weighted, positioned by the brand as not zero torque |
| Core design claim | Forward Axis Weighting, 75% of head weight ahead of the shaft |
| Head weight, standard | 360 grams |
| Loft | 3.5 degrees |
| Lie angle, standard | 74 degrees |
| Length, standard | 35 inches |
| Customization | Lie angle, length and head weight handled case by case through Performance Golf support |
| Face width | 3 5/32 inches |
| RS1 shaft | Stepless steel, 0.370 tip |
| RS1+ shaft | 15mm low torque graphite |
| RS1 grip | Rubber dual pistol |
| RS1+ grip | Polyurethane dual pistol |
| Hand | Right and left, both builds |
| Alignment | Three long white lines plus a perpendicular line nearest the ball |
| Guarantee | 365 day money-back, with return conditions |
| Delivery | Product page carries conflicting estimates, so confirm before ordering |
| Distribution | Performance Golf's own online shop |
Forward Axis Weighting Puts 75% of the Head Weight Ahead of the Shaft
That one number is the whole product. Performance Golf states that 75% of the RS1's head weight sits in front of the shaft, and the rest of the putter follows from it.
Start with what it isn't. Zero torque designs balance the head's mass on the shaft axis. That's the approach behind putters like the L.A.B. DF3i.
The RS1 hangs the mass out front instead. You get a 360 gram head with three quarters of that weight ahead of the shaft, 3.5 degrees of loft, and a 3 5/32 inch face carrying three long white alignment lines topped by a perpendicular line nearest the ball. Performance Golf's stated intent is that gravity acts on the forward weight and helps the face sit square.
I want to be straight about the status of that. It describes what the design is meant to do. There's no published face angle measurement on the product page putting a number on the result, so treat it as a design goal you can evaluate rather than a settled outcome. That isn't a knock on the idea. It's just worth knowing which one you're buying before you spend the money.
The shape is worth understanding too, because the RS1 sits outside the two categories most golfers shop in. It's neither a conventional blade nor a full mallet, and those two shapes are built to do different things at address and through the stroke. My blade vs mallet putters breakdown covers what each one is for, and it's useful context here precisely because the RS1 doesn't slot into either.
Here's my read. What makes the RS1 interesting isn't that it promises face help, because plenty of putters do that now. It's that it goes after face help from the other side of the shaft, and it commits to that idea rather than hedging. If the zero torque approach has never appealed to you, this is a different premise worth looking at. That's a reason to be curious. It isn't, on its own, a reason to assume it putts better than what's in your bag.
The Standard Build Is 35 Inches and 74 Degrees, and Customization Is a Conversation
The RS1 and the RS1+ both ship in a standard build: 35 inches, a 74 degree lie, a 360 gram head, right or left hand. That's what you get if you order off the page without saying anything.
You don't have to stop there. Performance Golf's own product page FAQ says lie angle, length and head weight are handled case by case if you contact them. What it doesn't do is publish the available options, the cost, or what any of it does to the wait. So the customization route is real, and it's a conversation rather than a checkbox. Have that conversation before you order, not after the putter arrives.
Why it's worth having: 74 degrees is more upright than the 70 or 71 degrees a lot of putters are built at, and length and head weight are both on the list they will look at. My guide to heavy vs light putters covers why head weight changes how a putter feels loading and releasing, and head weight is one of the three things they'll discuss with you.
If you've been fitted for a putter, you already have the numbers that make this easy. Bring your current length, your lie and your head weight to the conversation and ask three plain questions. Can you match these, what does it cost, and what does it do to the delivery time. If you've never been fitted, you're not stuck. The standard build is a reasonable starting point, and my guide to putter types is a decent place to work out what you actually prefer before you spend anything.
Ask first, get the answer in writing, and then decide, because sorting the spec out up front is a lot cheaper than sorting it out through a return.
The RS1+ Costs $30 More for a Different Shaft and a Different Grip
The RS1 is $399 and the RS1+ is $429. The head is the same on both. That $30 buys different materials in the shaft and the grip, and the published specs don't show it buying anything else.
Here's the split. The RS1 comes with a stepless steel shaft with a 0.370 tip and a rubber dual pistol grip. The RS1+ comes with a 15mm low torque graphite shaft and a polyurethane dual pistol grip. Everything else matches across the two builds: the same 360 gram head, 3.5 degrees of loft, a 74 degree lie, 35 inches, right or left hand.
Let's do the math out loud. Thirty dollars on a $399 putter is about 7.5% more, which makes it the smallest money decision in this purchase and one of the harder information ones.
The listed specifications don't separate them on performance, and the head is identical either way. Shaft and grip material are preference items. Which of those you have real opinions about is the actual deciding factor here.
So decide it on that. If you prefer a graphite shaft, or you prefer a polyurethane grip over a rubber one, the RS1+ is the build carrying both. If you'd rather have steel and rubber, that's the $399 RS1. If shaft and grip material have never once been the reason you changed putters, take the cheaper one.
One flag on the naming, because it's the kind of thing that costs golfers money. A plus in a model name reads like a performance tier. On the published specs, this one is a materials change. That's worth $30 to some golfers and nothing to others, and both answers are fine as long as you know which you're making.
What the 365 Day Guarantee Actually Covers, and the Lead Time Question
The guarantee is a real feature and it isn't a blank cheque, so here's what it says. You have 365 days from purchase to start a return. You need an RMA approved before you send anything back, and you cover the return shipping. The putter has to come back in resalable condition with minimal wear, in its original packaging or professional protective packaging. Excessive wear, damage or alteration can cost you the full refund.
Read that twice before you treat the window as a free trial, because it isn't one. Keep the box. Keep the headcover. If you're going to give the putter a serious run on real greens, understand that "minimal wear" is doing work in that sentence, and that a putter played hard for six months is a different conversation than one returned in month two.
Then there's the lead time, and this one is a genuine wrinkle. The purchase box on the product page estimates two to four weeks. Further down, the same page's FAQ says three to five business days. Those two numbers don't agree, and I'm not going to guess which applies to your order. Ask support to confirm the current lead time, and put it in the same message as your customization question so you only have to write once.
If you do order, evaluate it deliberately. Play it in real rounds rather than on a mat, because a putter that behaves on carpet and disappoints on grainy afternoon greens is a story every golfer knows. Give yourself a clear checkpoint rather than drifting, and if it isn't working, start the return conversation while the putter is still in the condition the policy asks for.
What I Don't Love
There's a catch. There's always a catch. With the RS1 there are three, and none of them is about how it rolls the ball.
The first is what's published. Performance Golf describes the design and lists the specs, and does not publish a measured result for what the forward weighting does to a stroke. The idea is clear, the build is clear, and the outcome is the part you'd be establishing yourself. Some golfers are fine with that. Some want the number first, and that's a legitimate place to stand.
The second is the delivery information. One estimate in the purchase box, a different one in the page's own FAQ, on the same page, on the same day. That's a small thing that reads badly, and it means you can't plan around a date without asking first.
The third is the return process. A 365 day window is a long one, and it still comes with an RMA, your own return shipping and a condition standard. That's normal for direct sellers, but it's worth pricing into the decision rather than discovering at the end of it.
Who It's For
Buy it if:
- The forward weighted approach is the one you want to try, and you'd rather buy the idea you actually like than the one everyone's talking about
- The standard 35 inch, 74 degree, 360 gram build suits you, or you've settled a custom spec with support before ordering
- You're comfortable buying from the brand's own shop and confirming the lead time first
- You'll evaluate it deliberately inside the 365 day window and keep the packaging in case you use it
Skip it if:
- You want a published performance measurement before you spend $399, because what's on the page is the design and the specs
- You're not up for an RMA, paying return shipping and meeting a condition standard if it doesn't work out
- You need a putter in hand by a fixed date, given that the product page carries two different delivery estimates
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Performance Golf RS1 putter any good?
Depends what you want from it. Performance Golf publishes a detailed build sheet and a clear rationale for the design, which is useful when you're buying without holding one first. What it does not publish is a measured result, so nobody is handing you proof that this putter drops your putts per round. If the forward weighted concept appeals and the standard spec suits your setup, it's a reasonable one to try inside the return window. If you only buy clubs backed by test numbers, there aren't any here yet, and waiting costs you nothing.
Is the Performance Golf RS1 a zero torque putter?
No. Performance Golf sells it as a forward weighted design and draws a line between the two categories on its own product page. Zero torque putters get their stability from where the head sits relative to the shaft, and the PXG Bat Attack ZT is one example of that family. The RS1 works from a mass distribution that sits well ahead of the shaft instead, which Performance Golf names Forward Axis Weighting. Both are chasing face rotation. They are not built the same way, so shopping them as interchangeable will point you at the wrong putter.
What is the difference between the RS1 and the RS1+ putter?
Thirty dollars, and it changes the shaft and the grip rather than the head. Order the $429 RS1+ and you get the 15mm low torque graphite shaft paired with a polyurethane grip. Order the $399 RS1 and the shaft is stepless steel on a 0.370 tip, with rubber on the handle. Everything that touches the ball is identical across the two: same 360 gram head, same loft, same lie, same 35 inch standard length, and both hands are available either way. The listed specifications don't show one build outperforming the other, so pick on materials.
Can you customize the length, lie or head weight of the Performance Golf RS1?
Possibly, but you have to ask. Order it off the shelf and it arrives at 35 inches, 74 degrees, with a 360 gram head, in your choice of hand. The product page FAQ says lie, length and head weight can each be reviewed on an individual basis through their support team. What that page stops short of is telling you which values they'll actually build, what it costs, or how much longer it takes. So send the message first with the specs you play now, wait for a straight answer, and order once you have it.
What is Performance Golf's return policy on the RS1?
Long, and not open ended. The clock runs 365 days from the date you buy, and that's the window to start the process rather than finish it. Before shipping anything you need an approved RMA, and the freight back to them comes out of your pocket. The putter also has to arrive resalable, showing minimal wear, boxed in what it came in or something equally protective. Heavy wear, damage or any alteration can reduce what you get back. It's a long window with real conditions attached, and it is not a free trial.
Final Thoughts: Performance Golf RS1 Putter Review
Here's how I see it. The RS1 commits to a clear idea, which is more than a lot of putters do. Forward Axis Weighting puts 75% of the head weight ahead of the shaft, the build backs the concept up, and at $399 with a 365 day window behind it, this is a reasonable thing to be curious about. I like the design thinking. I like that they picked a position and defended it in the marketing rather than borrowing everyone else's.
What I won't do is hand you a performance verdict the published information doesn't support. Performance Golf tells you how the RS1 is built and what the design is meant to do. It doesn't publish what it does to a stroke, and a spec table won't answer that for you either. So my advice is practical. Take the RS1+ only if shaft and grip material are things you have real opinions about. Read the return terms before you order, not after, and keep the packaging. What's in your bag right now, and what made you start looking? Tell me in the comments, and I'll see you on the course.
I'm Paul Liberatore, founder of Golfers Authority. I review golf gear to help everyday golfers spend smarter and avoid products that don't fit how they actually play.
About the author
Paul Liberatore
Paul Liberatore is the founder of Golfers Authority and a former four-year golf gear contributor to Sports Illustrated. He tests golf equipment hands-on to help golfers make better buying decisions.