25-03-2025
More zero-torque putters on tour, 2025 wedges, and Good Good Golf's $40 million funding
Eight days ago, J.J. Spaun nearly became the first golfer to win a Players Championship using a zero-torque putter, a L.A.B. DF3, but his putt on the 72nd hole Sunday came up 3 inches short. Spaun wound up losing to Rory McIlroy the following day in a three-hole playoff.
For decades, putters have been categorized as either blades or mallets, but last summer, while doing some research on zero-torque putters, I asked a putter designer with over 20 years of experience if he thought rotation-reducing putters were on the cusp of becoming a third category.
"I think so," the veteran said without much hesitation. "They've gained traction on the PGA Tour and are getting a lot of visibility. I think there's something to them."
I was surprised, but not shocked, because while seeing elite golfers on TV using a new type of putter is one thing, I had started seeing zero-torque putters being used by recreational golfers in my area last summer and fall. Still, the weekend players I talked with said they hated the look of zero-torque putters, and some even said they would be embarrassed to, "have something like that in my bag."
Fast forward to today, and zero-torque putters constitute one of the hottest and most-talked-about categories in golf, and from a performance standpoint, it makes sense. Golfers can learn to love the look of a putter if it helps them make a better stroke and enhances their consistency. As Peter Kostis once told me, "It's a scorecard, not a postcard," meaning that it's what you shoot, not how you shot it, that counts.
If you are not happy about the way you're putting, it might be time to talk with a custom fitter and see if a zero-torque putter like a Bettinardi Antidote, Evnroll Zero, Odyssey Ai ONE Square 2 Square, L.A.B. OZ.1 or PXG Allan is right for you.
