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Putter Buying GuideThe problem that makers don't publish head weight

Updated: Sep 12, 2026Contains affiliate links

You use the putter about 30 times a round, double the driver. Yet the numbers for choosing one aren't there. From a spec table's view, head weight is a number that strongly shapes how a putter moves. Of five major brands, only two publish head weight.

Header image product photos: Rakuten Ichiba (ad) | Scotty Cameron PHANTOM, Odyssey Ai-DUAL TRI-BEAM, PING SCOTTSDALE TEC

Bottom line: if unsure, a 34 in. mallet

But this conclusion is "safe," not "optimal." To know the optimum you need numbers, and those numbers aren't public.

Only two makers publish head weight

I looked for head weight on the official sites of five major putter brands for 2026. Here are the results.

Checked on each brand's Japan official site (Sep 12, 2026). "Not listed" means the official product page has no head weight field.

Between the two that publish, it's 350g against 540g. A 190g gap. In terms of the whole putter's weight, that's more than 1.5 times.

That's how different they are, yet the current situation is being told to "try it and decide" with no numbers. Drivers and irons have total weight and balance published, but putters alone are treated differently. As a gear nerd, this is what bothers me most.

PING is an exception and publishes in detail. Even within one series, it publishes a different number for each model: 350g for the KETSCH ONSET, 360g for the HAYDEN, 365g for the KETSCH 4 and 370g for the ALLY BLUE line. It's one of the few brands you can compare when choosing.

How to choose length

The standard lineup at major brands is 33, 34 and 35 in.

You often see a quick-reference chart saying "if you're so many cm tall, so many inches." It isn't very reliable. Arm length differs even at the same height, and so does how deeply you bend forward. In fact, on golf forums, every time a height-based answer appears, a rebuttal makes that point.

The practical judgment that comes up again and again in those places is this.

The right length is really the one that puts your eyes directly over the ball at address and doesn't cramp your hands. You can't know that without actually setting up in a shop. Choose a shop that lets you address a putter on a putting mat.

PING's ALLY BLUE H CB / ONSET CB are a long 37 in. These are models meant for a setup where the putter is anchored along the forearm, which is a different matter from how to choose a typical length.

Blade and mallet

Head shape comes in two broad types.

Mallets have been mainstream in recent years. Scotty Cameron's 2026 PHANTOM is all nine models mallet-type. Even a brand traditionally synonymous with the blade. The trend is clear.

For golfers who want a blade, the company offers a separate series called STUDIO STYLE (12 models). Within the brand it has split into a "mallet series" and a "blade series."

The PING SCOTTSDALE TEC puts two blades, two semi-mallets and three mallets in a single series. If you want to compare across shapes, PING is convenient.

Zero-torque, a new trend

Since 2024, a new axis has joined putter choice: zero-torque.

It means a construction that puts the center of gravity on the shaft axis so the face resists opening and closing at impact. The leading example is L.A.B. GOLF, whose MEZZ.1 MAX stands out at a head weight of 540g.

Other makers offer products with the same idea. The names differ, but the aim is shared.

• PING: onset (ALLY BLUE ONSET, KETSCH ONSET)
• Odyssey: raquet hosel (triangular shape)
• Scotty Cameron: Phantom 5 OC (onset center, low torque)

But L.A.B. GOLF is ¥121,000. That's the most expensive of the five lined up here, two to three times PING's ¥71,500, TaylorMade's ¥53,900 and Odyssey's ¥44,000.

If you just want to try it, starting from each maker's onset models is more realistic. Buying the most expensive one before you know whether it suits you isn't something I'd recommend. It's fine to confirm zero-torque suits you first and consider the specialist brand after.

Five major models compared

Prices from each brand's Japan official site or authorized dealers (checked Sep 12, 2026). For Odyssey I couldn't confirm an official MSRP, so it's an authorized dealer's selling price. "–" means head weight isn't officially listed.

Prices run from ¥44,000 to ¥121,000, about 2.8 times apart. But there's no public data to back that gap being a gap in how easy they are to hit.

In the used market, there's a tally putting the average winning bid for Scotty Cameron at about ¥20,800. A brand with an MSRP of ¥82,500 is a quarter of that used. A somewhat worn face doesn't affect distance, so a putter is a club with comparatively little reason to insist on new. If choosing used, I'd check for a bent shaft and the condition around the neck before minor face scratches.

About the writer and sources

Written by a gear nerd who studies golf equipment, averages a 72, and plays about 150 rounds a year.

I re-read the numbers against the sources below on Sep 12, 2026. Last updated Sep 12, 2026.

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Sources for this article

• Product specs: Scotty Cameron PHANTOM (Titleist official) / PING SCOTTSDALE TEC official / L.A.B. GOLF MEZZ.1 MAX official / Odyssey Ai-DUAL TRI-BEAM / TaylorMade Spider TOUR TORCHED
• Used market: Aucfan (Scotty Cameron winning bid tally)

Last updated: Sep 12, 2026

The figures in this article are those published by each maker. They are not figures measured by this site. "Not listed" means the item couldn't be found on the official site at the time of research.