There is no real hiding place when it comes to those old putters that can’t be dispensed with. I’m as guilty as the next man, or woman, for losing faith with a flat stick but not so much that it must go to that lost land never to be seen again. Because, you never know, you might fall in love again!
So it is that there’s one of those old, beautiful Callaway BJ-7 putters with its criss-crossing, shiny metal milled face and a fine Ping Pal 2 – which, at some point, acquired a thick Super Stroke grip – among those once-loved putters stockpiled out of sight but within reach, an Odyssey White Hot Versa Twelve the current occupant of the place reserved in the bag for a putter.
So, hands up, when it comes to the putter, loyalty isn’t the finest virtue.
Which, in a roundabout way, takes us to the new putters set to turn our heads for 2025. And, admit it, when you walk into any golf retail outlet, the putter section (more often or not with an artificial putting green to add to the temptation) is where you are likely drawn to more often than not.
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The range of newly stocked putters for this year won’t disappoint. There are blades, mallets and, increasingly, the MOI putters popularised by, among others, Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy on tour which, naturally enough, have fed into the food chain and become hugely popular with the ordinary club or social golfer for their greater stability.
More than any other club in the bag, the putter in your hands is about fee, weight, look ... and confidence. All of the leading manufacturers – TaylorMade, Scotty Cameron, Bettinardi, Odyssey (by Callaway), PXG, Cleveland, L.A.B., Cobra, Wilson et al – have continued the evolution, with adaptations of the traditional blade leading to wider heads.
Let’s just say the manufacturers have been busy, not least Titleist with the Scotty Cameron Phantom mallet putter expanding to add new configurations – inspired by tour players including Justin Thomas – to include Phantom 5.2 and Phantom 7.2 models along with offering Phantom 5, 11 and 11 Long in left-handed set-ups for the first time. And, would you believe, February 14th – yes, got to love it, St Valentines Day – is the launch day for the new models worldwide!
Irishman Henry Byrne, the DP World Tour rep and putter technician for Scotty Cameron putters, explained of the new 5.2 and 7.2: “What’s cool with this is that it is driven from tour demand. Even the best players in the world are looking for added forgiveness, easier alignment features and we’ve been able to achieve that with our Phantom 5.2 and 7.2, [which] blend between a blade and a mallet. The best of both worlds.”
Odyssey, too, have been busy and the clever use of Ai in their branding of the Ai-One family of putters, which includes the much-talked about Jailbird Cruiser which is a longer-shafted, thicker grip putter with heavier head. Take a look at Akshay Bhatia, for example, using this one.
The importance of a putter that feels right is basically when it comes down to. There are a myriad of choices and designs. Don’t be confused the different hosels: the double bend, the plumber neck, the centre-shaft, the slant neck. Or by the variety of grips: standard, oversized, pistol, or flat. Whatever it may be.
The putter is, by the very nature of golf, the club that any player will use most frequently in a round. There is no hard and fast rule on when you should change, or – indeed – if there is any reason to change at all. But, for everyone, the task of using the putter as infrequently as possible, avoiding three-putts (or greater!), and actually having confidence with the flatstick in hand is an integral part of the game.
And why, year on year, there are fresh options should you feel the need.
Five hot putters for 2025
L.A.B Golf OZ.1i
L.A.B. Golf’s first putter model with a face insert. Its stainless steel insert provides “a firmer feel and faster ball speeds” designed to improve pace control. Price: €599
Ping PLD Milled 25 Anser 4D Satin
This perimeter-weighted blade has the added weight, forgiveness and accuracy of a mid-mallet. Clean heel-toe ballasts and the ball-width cavity with alignment line inspire confidence. The shallow-milled face delivers a firmer feel and consistent ball speeds. Price: €499
Scotty Cameron Phantom 5.2
An addition to the popular Phantom range of mallet putters, the 5.2 version offers a plumbers neck hosel which will appeal to players looking to switch from a blade to a winged-back mallet style. Price (tbc): range €499
PXG Tour Series Brandon II
Classic in appearance featuring a milled stainless steel putter face, offers exceptional feedback with a shallow fly-cut face for enhanced feel and consistency. Price: €629
TaylorMade Spider Tour Black
An updated version of the hugely successful putter, it offers perimeter weighting “for added stability and a removed sightline for clean alignment.” Price: €349
