Equipment

The best putters on the PGA Tour using mallet putters this season

Published

8 years ago

Aug 10, 2016

The title says it all. Inspired by Dave Dusek’s breakdown of the irons gamed by the Tour’s best in that department over at Golfweek today, and going off some articles we did in the past, here are the top-eight golfers in Strokes Gained: Putting for the 2015-2016 season thus far who are using mallet-style putters and their weaponry (as well as links to their full WITBs, where applicable).

In-hand photos of players’ actual putters (where applicable). Exclusive to GolfWRX!

T13. Kevin Kisner (0.578 SG:P)

kisner putter

Putter: Odyssey White Hot Pro #7
Grip: SuperStroke Mid Slim 2.0 (Black/White)

See Kisner’s full WITB

T13. Brian Harman (0.578)

9486065-taylormade-left-handed-os-cb-spider-putter

Note: This is a stock image. Harman switched putters since we last photographed his bag.

Putter: TaylorMade OS CB Spider

9. Martin Piller (0.610)

Note: This is a stock image. Piller switched putters since we last photographed his bag.

Putter: Ping Craz-E-R Heavy

See Piller’s full WITB.

7. Aaron Baddeley (0.666)

badds

Putter: Odyssey Works #7CH

See Baddeley’s full WITB.

6. Harris English (0.690)

harris english-putter

Putter: Odyssey White Hot Pro 2-Ball

See English’s full WITB.

4. Phil Mickelson (0.756)

mickelson-putter

Putter: Odyssey Versa #9 (WBW)
Grip: Odyssey by SuperStroke

See Mickelson’s full WITB.

3. Jamie Donaldson (0.784)

donaldson-putter

Putter: Odyssey White Hot Sabertooth

See Donaldson’s full WITB.

1. Jason Day (1.072)

6395c96c5d3edafa9ac99cab167a4e20-e1461939760995-742x420

Putter: TaylorMade Ghost Spider Limited Red

See Day’ full WITB.

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14 Comments

snowman

Aug 14, 2016 at 10:17 pm

I Like the Spider that Jason Day uses as it has no alignment lines or dots. I’d like to see more ‘plain’ putters like this as I feel that I do best by “aiming the face” and don’t want to look at alignment lines and such. The 2 Ball (without lines) and phils putter also meet this criteria to some degree.

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Korean Slum Lord

Aug 11, 2016 at 10:09 pm

For maximum forgiveness and feel, try a Wilson 8802.

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DaveyD

Aug 11, 2016 at 7:50 pm

Looks like Scotty Cameron mallets aren’t too popular in this ranking. Probably better known for their blades.

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KK

Aug 10, 2016 at 11:27 pm

Phil’s putter is not a mallet, it’s a flanged blade according to Odyssey’s website. I consider it a rounded blade, definitely not a mallet.

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George

Aug 10, 2016 at 5:06 pm

does this actually mean anything? If you gave thesew guys any putter I’m sure they would still be in the same position they currently are. Sponsorships or sponsorships

Reply Report comment
- Charlie
  
  Aug 11, 2016 at 11:20 am
  
  So why not bend a lob wedge to 3* and have a completely matched set of irons? Putters are definitely not all the same. Height, weight, offset, toe hang, visual, audible, tactile, MOI, etc…
  
  Reply Report comment
  - George
    
    Aug 11, 2016 at 12:24 pm
    
    the putter still needs to be fit to you sorry for not clarifying that. My point was that Mallet putters are not the reason these guys are the best putters out there. These guys are promoting mallet putters for their respective sponsors. If they were allowed to choose any putter they wanted they would still be in the same ranking as a putter. If you gave them a blade putter that was fit to their specs I am sure they would still be as good as they currently are. The mallet putter is just the new tools these companies have so they are making them use them
    
    Reply Report comment
    - John
      
      Aug 11, 2016 at 12:42 pm
      
      Not sure I can agree. The Mallet stroke vs the Blade stroke are different. Most Mallets are face balanced and thus are best suited for a straight back straight through stroke. Blade are typically toe balanced and better suited to an arced putting stroke.
      
      You have to use the tool best suited to your stroke.
      
      Reply Report comment
      - George
        
        Aug 11, 2016 at 1:29 pm
        
        So those with a striaght back and forth swing are better putters?
        
        Reply Report comment
  - George
    
    Aug 11, 2016 at 12:27 pm
    
    also I said putter not wedge
    
    Reply Report comment
- Anna
  
  Aug 12, 2016 at 8:47 am
  
  So much bad information on this comment. These are not the best putters out there. These are the best putters out there who do use mallet style putters, it’s in the title. Also, these players are not made to play a mallet style by there sponsors, they choose to play a mallet style from there sponsors offerings, they have a ton of models to chpose from and go with the one that suits them best.
  
  Reply Report comment
nick

Aug 10, 2016 at 3:13 pm

I switched from a Newport 2 circa 2000 to a spider limited (red) and absolutely love it. it took about three rounds to get used to the line up at address, but the feel is unmatched. all preference, but I love the mallet I’m using now. whatever works, roll with it.

Reply Report comment
- Justin
  
  Aug 11, 2016 at 12:38 pm
  
  I’ve used various blade putters over the past 20+ years and had 2 short stints in that time with mallets. For me, I could get the ball on line easier with a mallet, but felt that I struggled much more with distance control. Have you noticed that it’s taken some time to get used to the distance or do the new mallets have a much softer feel to them? I did try out a Ping Ketsch the other day and found that when I switched to cross-handed my distance control was much better. That in itself seems odd, but hey… whatever works!
  
  Reply Report comment
Justin

Aug 10, 2016 at 2:27 pm

Would be interesting to include the other 5 players that make the top 15 who use blade style putters. It would also be cool to break down the top 25 putters by putting style… standard, cross-handed, claw, etc.

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Equipment

A shocking Backstryke putter appearance + 7 interesting gear photos from the Zurich Classic

Published

9 hours ago

Apr 25, 2024

Andrew Tursky

Welcome to New Orleans, where TPC Louisiana plays host to the 2024 Zurich Classic. In between breakfast beignets and nightly Creole feasts, PGA Tour players are also competing in the unique two-man format at the Zurich this week.

Although the vibes in Nawlins are a bit lighter-fare than the recent back-to-back competitions the Masters and the RBC Heritage signature event), the gear news was no less serious this week.

We spotted some recent changes from Rory McIlroy, a very rare Odyssey Backstryke putter, dove into the bag of legendary New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees, and spotted Patrick Cantlay continuing to test new equipment.

Get your beads out and crack your crawfish, because it’s time for an equipment rundown from The Big Easy (meaning New Orleans, of course, not Ernie Els).

See all of our photos from the Zurich Classic here

Rory’s on-and-off lob wedge

Since the end of 2023, Rory McIlroy has had an on-again, off-again relationship with a Titleist Vokey K-Grind lob wedge. In his last start, it was on, and the wedge is back in the bag again this week. We got a great look at the complicated grind that McIlroy uses.

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A full look into McIlroy’s bag above also shows that he switched out of the TaylorMade BRNR Mini Copper that he used at the RBC Heritage, and he’s back into the Qi10 core 3-wood. As we discussed last week, McIlroy will likely keep the BRNR around as a course-specific club, trading it in and out for the 3-wood.

See Rory McIlroy’s full 2024 WITB from the Zurich here

Turning Back the clock

Unless Tommy Gainey is in the field, it’s unlikely you’ll ever see Odyssey’s Backstryke technology make an appearance on the PGA Tour.

But then, when you least expect it, Russ Cochran shows up.

For more than a decade – since the 2013 Sony Open in Hawai’i – Cochran has been stuck on 599 PGA Tour starts. This week will be his 600th.

Cochran is in the field at the Zurich this week playing alongside Eric Cole, whose regular caddie is Reed Cochran, Russ’s son.

The Backstryke putter was first released back in 2010, and its unique design helps shift the axis point of the putter closer to the CG of the head. And, the putter is getting a nod this week at the Zurich Classic, thanks to Cochran’s 600th career PGA Tour start.

The putter is certainly awesome, but don’t forget to check out Cochran’s full WITB from this week.

Drew Brees with a Super Bowl winning Scotty Cameron putter

Drew Brees, a legendary retired quarterback for the hometown New Orleans Saints, made an appearance at the Zurich’s Wednesday Pro-Am, playing alongside Zach Johnson, Ryan Palmer, and current Saints QB Derek Carr.

Brees’ bag included a TaylorMade Stealth2 Plus driver, a BRNR Mini 13.5-degree, a Stealth 5-wood, a mixed set of P-790 and P-760 irons, Milled Grind Hi-Toe wedges, and a custom Scotty Cameron “New Orleans Saints” putter, which Scotty made for Brees following his Super Bowl MVP-winning performance in 2010.

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It should also be noted that Brees has his Venmo QR code as a bag tag.

If you’re gambling with Brees on the course, just know that not having cash won’t work as an excuse.

Brilliant.

See Drew Brees’ full WITB from the Zurich here

Stricker’s unrecognizable putter

Steve Stricker has made numerous upgrades to his bag recently, including a new TSR3 driver and T100 irons, but his longtime Odyssey White Hot No. 2 putter is still going strong. It’s the most recognizable unrecognizable putter ever.

Here’s a better look at Stricker’s flatstick, which he started using back in 2007.

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Patrick Cantlay has opened the equipment-switching floodgates

Over on the PGA Tour’s Equipment Report this week, we covered Cantlay’s recent switch into Ping Blueprint S irons, and a Titleist TSR2 driver.

Cantlay hadn’t switched irons for about seven years, so the iron switch he made at The 2024 Masters came as a shock to the norm. He simply isn’t one to change gear very often, so anytime Cantlay makes a switch, it’s news.

It seems the floodgates of equipment testing have opened up a bit for Cantlay, who was also spotted testing a custom Scotty Cameron blade putter on Tuesday this week. By Wednesday, Cantlay was back practicing with his familiar Scotty Cameron T5 Proto mallet, but it’s certainly something to keep an eye on going forward.

Daniel Berger’s custom Jailbird site lines

Berger, who’s currently using Odyssey’s Ai-One Mini Jailbird mallet putter, has a unique 3-dot, 2-line alignment on the crown of his navy-white-navy-white mallet putter. Looking down at the putter, it’s easy to see why this alignment system would help; it just seems impossible to set up to the ball off-center, or misaligned to the target.

Also, for anyone worried, you can rest easy. Yes, he’s still playing the 2013 TaylorMade TP MC irons, which we highlighted in our recent “Modern Classics: Old vs. New” video testing series.

FitzMagic teams back up

Brothers Matthew and Alex Fitzpatrick are teaming up once again at the Zurich this year, and Bettinardi Golf hooked them up with some festive “FitzMagic” headcovers to match this week.

See what else is in Alex Fitzpatrick’s WITB here

And, with that, we say goodbye to the Zurich Classic in New Orleans. Don’t forget to check out all of our photos from this week, including 30 unique photo galleries full of equipment photos.

We’ll see you next week in Texas for the 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson!

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