Golf Putter Buying Guide: Blade vs Mallet, Length & Alignment (2026)
Better Birdies · Reviewed for 2026
You'll hit more putts in a round than any other shot, and the putter is the one club where fit and confidence beat technology. Here's how to choose one you'll actually hole putts with.
Better Birdies is reader-supported. As an Amazon Associate and affiliate we may earn a commission from purchases made through links on this page, at no extra cost to you. Our recommendations are our own.
Blade vs mallet: match the head to your stroke
Almost nobody putts on a perfectly straight line. If your stroke arcs noticeably inside on the way back, a blade with toe hang lets the face rotate naturally with that arc. If your stroke goes straight back and straight through, a face-balanced mallet resists rotation and suits you better.
You can check this without any equipment: make ten practice strokes while a friend watches from behind, or film it on your phone. Mallets also carry more weight further from the face, which is what 'high MOI' means in practice — off-center strikes twist the head less and lose less distance. For most amateurs, that forgiveness is the bigger win.
Length and lie: the fit that matters most
Off-the-rack putters are usually 34 or 35 inches, and a lot of golfers are better served by something shorter. Set up in your normal posture with your arms hanging relaxed from your shoulders and your eyes over or just inside the ball. If you have to stand up, push your hands out, or choke down to reach that position, the putter is too long for you.
Length also changes lie angle. A putter that sits toe-up or heel-up at address pushes putts offline before you've done anything wrong. Getting length and lie right costs very little and does more for your putting than any face technology.
Alignment aids, inserts and feel
A single sight line helps some players aim and distracts others — there's no universally correct answer, so pick the one that looks square to your target when you settle in. That confidence at address is worth real strokes.
Face inserts soften the sound and feel, which many golfers prefer on fast greens, while a milled face gives firmer, more direct feedback. Neither makes the ball go straighter. Roll a dozen ten-footers with any putter before you commit — how it feels and looks to you is the spec that matters.