Zero-torque putters: Can these odd-looking clubs help you hole more putts?

Max Homa, seen present astatine nan 2024 Travelers Championship, practices difficult to support his putter’s look quadrate to his changeable path. (David Dusek/Golfweek)

In putting, torque is nan unit that causes a putter’s caput to rotate astir nan axis of nan shaft. It’s created by factors for illustration nan putter head’s weight, its balance, nan hosel mechanism, and nan location of nan halfway of mass.

Every putter’s look opens successful narration to nan target statement you found erstwhile you reside nan shot connected nan backswing, but erstwhile a golfer makes a putting stroke, torque acts to rotate nan clubhead unfastened aliases closed comparative to nan stroke’s path. To get nan shot rolling down your intended line, a golfer needs to return nan putter look backmost to quadrate astatine impact. If nan look remains open, nan putt will veer correct (for a right-handed golfer), and if it over-rotates and points left, nan putt will commencement left.

Blade-style putters pinch a plumber’s cervix and slanted hosels are often recommended for players pinch an arched stroke, but their “toe hang” equilibrium tin promote much look rotation. Mallet putters, which are mostly much forgiving, are often “face balanced” and suggested for players pinch a straighter stroke, but they tin still create immoderate torque.

The hosel points straight astatine nan halfway of gravity, creating toe-up aliases “Zero Torque” balance. (David Dusek/Golfweek)

A basking inclination emerging successful nan putter marketplace is zero-torque putters, for illustration Fowler’s L.A.B. DF3, nan caller PXG Allan, and nan Evnroll Zero. When balanced, these putters person neither toed bent nor look balance. Instead, nan toed points up, and nan putter’s look people aligns pinch nan target. They’re designed to destruct rotation caused by torque.

During nan backswing, zero-torque putters enactment quadrate to nan changeable path, whether a golfer has a comparatively consecutive stroke, a moderately arched stroke, aliases a powerfully arched stroke. The thought is that moreover if wrists aliases hands adhd mini amounts of unintentional force, nan putter resists turning and makes it easier to support nan clubface quadrate to nan changeable way throughout. This creation should lead to square-face interaction astatine effect and a much meticulous rotation on your intended target line.

The Z5s has toe-up equilibrium but looks for illustration a classical midsize mallet putter successful nan reside position. (David Dusek/Golfweek)

This lets golfers attraction connected a clean, soft changeable alternatively than worrying astir keeping nan look square. It’s particularly useful for those who struggle pinch consistency, arsenic nan putter “wants” to enactment aligned pinch nan target line.

Whether that was Fowler’s rumor connected nan greens aliases not, aft switching to a zero-torque putter, his putting improved. According to nan PGA Tour’s ShotLink system, from nan commencement of 2024 done nan British Open astatine Royal Troon, Fowler’s Strokes Gained: Putting mean was -0.043, ranking 110th.

Since changing putters, Fowler’s mean astatine nan Sanderson Farms Championship was 3.765, putting him 19th successful nan field. At nan Shriners Children’s Open, he was somewhat supra mean (0.182, 44th), but past week astatine nan Zozo Championship, Fowler’s mean was 7.632, nan second-best successful nan field, giving him astir a two-shot separator per information complete nan section and marking his champion putting capacity of nan year.

The L.A.B DF3 has a pronounced guardant property that projects nan hitting area and nan golfer’s hands guardant while slanting nan shaft back. (David Duse/Golfweek

No nine is perfect, and zero-torque putters person their drawbacks.

For starters, zero-torque putters look unusual, and looks matter to golfers. Whether it’s a PGA Tour subordinate astatine a tourney believe area aliases an amateur browsing a pro shop, golfers first put nan nine successful nan reside position and look down astatine it. After years of seeing refined blades and mallets, zero-torque putters often look strange. They guidelines out, and golfers, arsenic a group, are very image-conscious. They want to sprout little scores but besides look bully doing it, and zero-torque putters don’t look for illustration accepted clubs.

Another facet is nan guardant press. To execute nan zero-torque design, nan hitting area shifts forward, creating a earthy guardant property astatine address. This tin nutrient a different position of nan shot and nan hitting area.

Then there’s nan price. Zero-torque putters are presently analyzable to manufacture, and brands want to recuperate investigation and improvement costs, truthful they’re priced astir $450. As title heats up, prices whitethorn drop, but for now, $450 is steep for astir golfers, particularly for thing truthful unique.

Phil Mickelson astatine nan 2024 British Open Championship astatine Royal Troon. (Jack Gruber-USA TODAY Sports)

If putting is simply a spot of your game, you mightiness want to reside different things earlier looking to make putter changes. However, golfers who miss putts near and correct are premier candidates for zero-torque putters because a two-way miss connected nan greens suggests inconsistent contact.

A speedy measurement to spot if that’s you is to usage a ball pinch alignment aids, for illustration nan TaylorMade TP5 Stripe aliases Srixon Z-Star Divide. Line up a fewer putts and cheque if you consistently execute an end-over-end roll. If not, your changeable could beryllium nan issue, and a zero-torque putter mightiness help.

In nan reside position, nan Z2s looks for illustration a wide-body, heel-toe weighted blade. (David Dusek/Golfweek)

Fowler made nan move to nan L.A.B DF3 aft taking clip disconnected from nan PGA Tour for nan presence of his 2nd kid pinch his wife, Allison Stokke. The break allowed him to trial nan putter thoroughly.

“I wouldn’t beryllium putting thing into play if I didn’t deliberation location was a existent imaginable benefit,” Fowler said earlier nan commencement of nan Sanderson Farms Championship. “Sometimes you don’t cognize if it’s going to beryllium bully aliases bad until you put it into tourney play. Things tin activity good astatine home, but nether nan gun, you really don’t know.”

If you’re considering a zero-torque putter, travel Fowler’s illustration and get decently fitted. The process tin measurement your stroke’s consistency, purpose accuracy, and effect location. That information will beryllium cardinal successful determining if a zero-torque putter could use your game.

Here are immoderate zero-torque putters you mightiness want to see trying:

The Z5s looks for illustration a classical midsize mallet putter successful nan reside position. (David Dusek/Golfweek)

Price: $449 each
Specs: Milled 303 stainless alloy pinch tungsten and alloy sole weights and fluted look (Z2s, Z5s); Milled 6061 aluminum pinch tungsten weights and fluted look (Z1)
Available: Nov. 7

What you should know: Evnroll’s Zero putters are designed to look acquainted but greatly trim look rotation and torque during your stroke. They besides trim nan guardant property immoderate zero-torque putters create.

Excerpt: “Each of nan Zero putters has besides been made pinch Evnroll’s SweetFace fluted hitting area. The grooves are deeper successful nan halfway and gradually get shallower toward nan bottommost and toe. According to Evnroll, this helps to normalize nan velocity of nan shot crossed nan hitting area, truthful putts that golfers mis-hit toward nan bottommost and toed rotation retired to astir nan aforesaid region arsenic putts struck successful nan halfway of nan hitting area, resulting successful enhanced region control.” Read nan afloat review.

LAB Golf DF3 putter (David Dusek/Golfweek)

Price: $449 (stock) and $559 (Custom)
Specs: 6061 aluminum pinch alloy weights. 69-degree dishonesty angle
What you should know: Using a unsocial weighting and equilibrium system, nan DF3 putter is designed to support nan look quadrate to nan arc you create erstwhile you group up to putt and thief you commencement your putts connected your intended statement much easily.

Excerpt: “Each DF3 putter, which is made from 6061 aluminum, is center-shafted and has 8 weights positioned successful circumstantial areas successful nan beforehand of nan sole. The weights alteration based connected nan putter’s length, and they are each measured and installed by hand.” Read nan afloat review.

The hosel points straight astatine nan halfway of gravity, creating toe-up aliases “Zero Torque” balance. (David Dusek/Golfweek)

Price: $449.99
Specs: 303 stainless alloy chassis pinch injected polymer and milled 6061 aluminum crown.

What You Should Know: The PXG Allan putter is designed pinch an S-shaped hosel that creates a toe-up balance, helping nan putter’s look enactment quadrate to nan arc of your stroke. This creation immunodeficiency golfers successful making coagulated interaction much easily.

Excerpt: “The achromatic framework of nan Allan putter is made of 303 stainless steel, and nan look is designed to beryllium very thin. Behind nan face, there’s a hollow enclosure filled pinch a lightweight polymer called S COR, which PXG says absorbs excessive vibrations to heighten sound and feel.” Read nan afloat review.