Get Equipped: DJ and TaylorMade split, plus Rickie Fowler finds new a new golf ball
One of the most interesting golf equipment trends of 2024 was the rise of zero torque putters, with new offerings being released from Odyssey, Evnroll, Bettinardi, PXG and L.A.B. These putters all work to reduce twisting as you make your putting stroke and try to keep the face square to your stroke's path, which in turn should help you start your putt on your intended target line more often.
As my colleague Beth Ann Nichols wrote Sunday, there has been a surge in interest on the LPGA Tour in long putters, but the putter Yealimi Noh used to win the 2025 Founders Cup was a broomstick MEZZ.1 MAX, a torque-reducing putter from L.A.B. Meanwhile, Michael Kim used a L.A.B. DF3 to come in second at the WM Phoenix Open. Sebastian Muñoz used a DF3 to tie for second at the LIV Golf event in Riyadh.
I recently spoke with the head of the putter division at a major golf equipment maker and asked if he thought we should now see putters divided into three categories: blades, mallets and zero torque. "Absolutely. We'll see, now as we and others are sort of entering this, how significant it becomes. You know, some people say, 'Well, it's sort of like a better face balanced putter.' Typically, if you were someone that wanted to reduce your face rotation, you would choose a face balanced putter over something with a lot of toe hang. This is just sort of that to the next level."
So, to this industry expert's eyes, it sounds like zero torque putters are here to stay.
This article originally appeared on Golfweek: Get Equipped: DJ and TaylorMade split, Rickie Fowler's new golf ball
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