Putter Styles – Mallet vs Blade

The Mallet Putter Can Improve Your Putting

Mallet putters have gained in popularity in recent years because they're easier to use and they just feel great in your hand.

Club designers have invested much in the design and technology of today's mallet putters, making them an excellent choice over a blade putter, although some golfers still favor this more traditional style.

I've used both and the mallet is my preference. Mallet putters offer superior alignment aids, usually made up of highly visible painted lines or geometric shapes that give you more confidence at setup.

Mallet putter heads are considerably larger and usually heavier than a blade. The additional head weight is comfortable and makes for better stroke. A mallet creates better muscle memory than a blade, too.

Also, some mallets are designed to work with a specific style of putting, such as a belly putter, long putter, face-on putter, and wrist style putting.

One of the best new mallet putters I've seen comes from Reeso Putters. What makes this putter so unique is its patented easy align, fit shaft mounting. It has an open frame with a rear mounted shaft that works for any style of putting…

• Conventional
• Belly
• Long
• Side Saddle
• Face On

This putter is especially helpful if you have problems with your vision. Whether you're a highly skilled golfer or a struggling senior golfer with vision challenges, this new putter design is guaranteed to help you improve your putting.

Mallet putters offers these proven benefits…

Improved alignment – Improved alignment is achieved by establishing a golf ball width perimeter on top of the mallet that your eye can relate to during the alignment phase. This provides the golfer the best visual cue for proper ball positioning and target alignment. Testing has shown that simple lines for alignment prove more effective than "circles (balls)" or geometric shapes. This framing technique provides a better visual cue when the putter is grounded behind the ball.

Less twisting on off center hits – Resistance to twisting on off center hits is accomplished because the mallet head design achieves a higher moment of inertia (MOI) than typical blade putters. The mallet design allows weight to be distributed over a larger area than a traditional blade. This benefit in combination with the higher moment of inertia is what helps reduce twisting of the putter head proceeding off center contact with the ball.

More Versatility – Mallet heads allow for adjustable weight ports and adjustable lie angle shaft mounting methods. Mallets boast a thicker body, and deliver two- or three-dimensional alignment opportunities in a variety of styles.

Better face balancing – Face balancing is more attainable at most lie angle settings if a mallet head design is used. The added weight in the mallet, especially in the perimeter of the club head, produces far better balance than most old-style blades afford.

Improved roll characteristic – Optimum weighting improves the center of gravity resulting in a full-size sweet spot. The sweet spot is the section of the club head that delivers a true-rolling putt, avoiding the usual twisting, pulling, or pushing characteristics of poorly struck putts.

Advanced Feel – More Tour players than ever before are turning to mallets because they provide more advanced technology that still allows them to maintain the control that good feel provides. Good golfers rely heavily on feel. Feel is crucial, that's why golfers shed the glove to maintain feel while putting. Blades have a smaller sweet spot than mallets. If your game would benefit from a larger sweet spot that still transmits adequate feel, a mallet with an insert will work superbly.

If you like the idea of a custom-fit mallet putter that can easily be adjusted to you, the Reeso Putter is a good choice. I highly recommend it.

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