TOP 10 BLADE PUTTERS
Bettinardi BB1F £249 I www.bettinardi.com
Our verdict: With a decent price gap between Bettinardi and Scotty putters now there’s a real choice to be made between the two. The flow-neck means you get more toe hang than most of the blade putters we tested, so it’s particularly well suited to strokes with a stronger arc.
Headweight: 350g Grip: BB Series standard
Toe hang: Strong
EVNROLL ER2 £249 I www.evnroll.com
Our verdict: The big story is the specially-shaped face grooves, and we’ll happily admit to feeling a real engagement between ball and face at impact. The ER2 had the widest head of the blades tested, so MOI and forgiveness is enhanced over most models, and that certainly played out in our results.
Headweight: 370g Grip: Winn Pro 1.18 Toe hang: Slight
Odyssey O-works #1 Wide £179 I www.odysseygolf.com
Our verdict: Little fingers on the O-works insert ‘lift’ putts into action and the resulting feel, sound and roll is different to anything we saw on test. If you’re not one to be seduced by CNC milled putters, we reckon the #1 is the complete blade. A top all-round putter.
Headweight: 350g Grip: S'stroke Pistol GT Tour or Slim 2.0 Toe hang: Slight
Odyssey O-works #1 £179 I www.odysseygolf.com
Our verdict: A top drawer putter, and that the microhinge face is something else. It’s not milled, but when it looks, feels, sounds and rolls as good as this, who cares? If you’re in the market for a new blade in 2017, you’d be doing yourself a disservice if you didn’t try one.
Headweight: 350g Grip: S'stroke Pistol GT Tour or Slim 2.0 Toe hang: Moderate
Ping Sigma G Kinloch £175 (fixed) £199 (adjustable) I www.ping.com
Our verdict: For golfers who like tinkering with their putter, Ping’s adjustable length shaft should definitely be an option. It means you can change your setup in an instant. We really liked the quality finish, excellent new feel, sound and roll.
Headweight: 350g Grip: Ping Pistol
P60 Toe hang: Moderate
Ping Vault Anser 2 £275 (fixed) £299 (adjustable) I www.ping.com
Our verdict: The Anser 2 comes with serious credentials. It’s a Tour-proven shape, the finish is fantastic, it’s made from soft carbon steel and we know Ping has pored over the new variable width and depth grooves for hours. It feels lovely and will do a very good job for those who take the plunge.
Head weight: 350g Grip: Ping Pistol PP62
Toe hang: Strong
Piretti Cortino 1.5 £349 I www.pirettigolf.co.uk
Our verdict: Our testers liked the firmer feel and extra feedback the Piretti generated over some premium models, but at £349 a piece the Cortino is a hefty investment. For us, it’s one likely only to be used by serious golfers who’ll cherish this club. At this end of the market price is irrelevant.
Headweight: 365g Grip: Piretti standard
Toe hang: Strong
Scotty Cameron Select Newport 2 £320 I www.titleist.co.uk
Our verdict: A top quality putter which blade purists will adore. The floating insert is a worthwhile refinement. If you must have the Rolex of putters you’ve just found it. A simple single alignment line focuses attention nicely.
Headweight: Variable Grip: Red Matador Midsize
Toe hang: Moderate
Scotty Cameron Select Newport 2 Notchback £320 I www.titleist.co.uk
Our verdict: If you love the look of blade, but don’t have the stroke to get the best out of one, this could be right up your street. As you’d expect, feel and roll is fantastic, and a worthwhile addition is the ‘notch’ which helps raise MOI higher than you’d typically find with a blade.
Headweight: Variable Grip: Red Matador Midsize
Toe hang: Slight
Taylormade TP Collection Juno £199-£219 I www.taylormadegolf.com
Our verdict: Though the Juno is beautifully made, if you sat it down among a line of blades it would struggle to stand out. A slightly lower price is reflective of the head not being 100% milled. But if we’re honest most golfers would struggle to feel the difference.
Head weight: 345g Grip: Lamkin rubber or OS S'stroke Toe hang: Moderate