Putters: Mallet vs Blade, Which Suits You?

Blade putters are preferred by many golfers. There is quite a difference in the make-up of a blade putter compared to a mallet besides the look. A blade putter is usually toe-heavy in its weighting. This means if you try to balance the putter across your palm with the club parallel to the ground, the toe will hang down. The main reason for this is to help the putter head release through the stroke. When using a blade putter, the stroke is meant to have a slight arc and not be straight-back and straight-through. If you have seen a "putting arc" training aid, it is ideal to use to learn the proper stroke with a blade putter.

You can see the slight arc created in the stroke.

A mallet putter is typically larger and heavier than a blade putter. If you perform the same test of balancing the putter across your palm with the putter parallel to the ground you will notice the face stays square. We call this face balanced and this type of putter is meant for a stroke that goes straight-back and straight-through. A general rule of thumb is that a mallet putter helps those with putting woes more than a blade putter. Many new mallet putters boast great alignment aids along with having a slightly more forgiving face. A putt that is missed off the sweet spot will still roll out better than a blade putter and will not move as far off line.

I hope this information helps you in determining what your next purchase will be and result in fewer putts taken each round!