7 Best Face Balanced Putters

Most of us have a love-hate relationship with putting.

Some days, it’s the best part of your game. On other days, you couldn’t make one if the hole was the size of a basketball hoop.

To avoid the latter, get the power of simple physics on your side with the right putter.

What makes a face balanced putter right for you? It has a stable feel through impact by precisely positioning weights in the head. This helps your putter face stay square to the target line so you can more easily keep your putt straight.

A face balanced putter increases your Moment of Inertia (MOI) and will always ensure your heel and toe are working in harmony, encouraging you to have a straight back and straight-through putting stroke. This will help improve all your putts, especially the short ones.

But there are several face balanced putters to choose from, and if you get the wrong one for you, then it could hurt your game. Which is right for you?

Read on to learn everything you need to know.

Why You Should Trust Us

Golfspan is independent and not pressured by manufacturers to recommend products. We were not paid for the reviews in this article. These putters were selected by our team, who have over 100 years of experience playing golf and thousands of hours reviewing products. We may earn an affiliate commission when you purchase something through our retail links.

Top 3 Face Balanced Putters

If you’re in a hurry, look no further than these face balanced putters;

1. TaylorMade Spider Tour Black Putter #3 – Best Overall

• Solid perimeter weighting feels excellent during the stroke
• Pure roll face adds top spin quickly
• Used by some of the world’s best players

2. Odyssey Golf White Hot OG Putter

• Breakthrough two-ball alignment feature
• Soft putter face to assist more on short putts
• Double bend shaft encourages straight back and straight through putting stroke

3. Cleveland Golf HB Soft Premier #4

• Best of all the face balanced blade putters
• Heavy weights in the heel and toe
• CNC diamond milled face creates topspin quickly to hold your target line

What Factors To Look For In A Face Balanced Putter

Here are the key elements to assess when choosing the best face balanced putter;

Length

Many people use a putter that is too long for them, causing their elbows to bend. This creates an inconsistent stroke through impact. Be sure to have a short putter to allow your arms to hang straight down from your shoulders.

Face Material

If you tend to be a little too firm with your weight, look for a putter with a softer face, this will absorb some of the impact. Conversely, if you tend to leave a lot of putts short, get a putter face that is firm and made from metal instead of elastomer or rubber.

Shaft And Hosel

You have to feel confident when you look down at the ball, so the way your shaft interacts with the putter head should be pleasing to the eye. For a simple look, opt for a small hosel, center shaft, or the traditional plumber hosel. Choose a double-bend shaft if you want more balance and stability through impact.

Weight

I recommend using a heavier putter if you are too firm with your putts. This may sound counter-intuitive, but a heavier putter will help slow you down and have the effect you’re looking for. A lighter putter will only help you maintain or increase speed, so only choose this if you tend to leave putts short.

Cost

Putters cost anywhere from $500+ to $30 (at garage sales). We hope you’ll find what your game requires at an affordable price, so we included a wide range of putter prices in this list. Spending a little extra to get exactly what you want is not a bad idea. Remember that your putter is the most used club in the bag, so you want it to be as close to perfect as possible.

Read More: The Best Putters Under $100

In-Depth Reviews Of The Best Face Balanced Putters

Here’s a closer look at each putter so you can get a clear idea of how they will perform once you get them in your hands.

1. TaylorMade Spider Tour Black Putter #3—Best Overall

Pros

• Perimeter weighting feels stable
• Pure roll face creates top spin fast
• Not as heavy as it looks
• Used by world-famous professionals
• Dampening foam improves feel on long putts

Cons

• Head is quite large to look at

Rating: 4.5/5 Stars

Check out the latest user reviews

This putter has been around for a while now but in varying forms. The genius behind it is that it combines science and feel seamlessly. While many turned their nose up at the look of this putter at first, it’s staying power proves that it works. It’s used by some of the world’s best golfers, including Dusting Johnson and Jason Day.

The precise weighting is achieved with the two weights at the back of the putter head. This provides superior perimeter weighting to promote a straight back and straight-through club path. While all face balanced putters are made to do this, TaylorMade Spider putters do it the best.

The face of the putter has changed over the years, and this edition is different yet again. The new pure roll face has been tested against the solid face, and this design came out as the winner. This helps to produce topspin quickly, so your putts stay on line all the way to the cup.

2. Odyssey Golf White Hot OG Putter—Close Runner-Up

Pros

• Two-ball design takes the guesswork out of alignment
• Soft face feels excellent on medium to short putts
• Head shape keeps the club path straight for longer
• Shaft bend promotes face balancing to save weight
• No frills look compared to the TM Spider putter

Cons

• Susceptible to knicks and scratches

Rating: 4.5/5 Stars

Check out the latest user reviews

In the battle of the best face balanced mallet putters, the TaylorMade Spider putters would be the undisputed champion if it weren’t for the Odyssey White Hot line. The visual of two-golf balls for alignment has become a permanent fixture on tour.

The two-ball design is perfect for a face balanced putter and helps keep the putter head on track for longer both in the backswing and the follow-through.

The legendary face hasn’t changed much, and that’s a good thing. Made from a similar material as golf ball covers, it gives a unique feel that no other putter face has. The focus is on absorbing some impact so the ball can get into a top spin fast. It’s very noticeable on medium and short-range putts.

However, please keep this putter safe as the face and metal are very soft. Even mild impact with other clubs can leave a dent, and those dents will add up over time.

3. Cleveland Golf HB Soft Premier #4—Best Face Balanced Blade Putter

Pros

• Traditional overall design
• Larger sweet spot for consistent lag putts
• Optimized heel-to-toe weighting encourages straighter clubs path
• CNC milling produces top spin quickly
• Sharp black finish looks great

Cons

• Pretty heavy feel
• Might be too small for some

Rating: 4/5 Stars

Check out the latest user reviews

If a mallet putter doesn’t please your eye, then you can still get a face balanced putter that’s designed in a more traditional manner. This Cleveland flat stick has all the design features of a classic blade style but with the addition of face balancing, which makes it the best face balanced blade putter.

It has a very clean-cut look to it with a lot of right angles. They’re great for alignment, especially with a smaller club head such as this.

To balance this face, they had to bulk up the heel and the toe so that it may feel a bit heavier than a non-face-balanced blade putter. But it also means this has a larger sweet spot which is a considerable advantage on longer putts.

The sleek black finish gives it an intimidating look, but it’s also available in a softer grey color.

4. Odyssey DFX Putter—Best For Beginners

Pros

• Solid perimeter weighting
• Softer face for better feel on short putts
• Precise alignment lines
• Double bend shaft to encourage a pendulum swing
• Feels lighter through impact

Cons

• Not great for lag putting

Rating: 4/5 Stars

Check out the latest user reviews

This Odyssey putter is a great alternative if you don’t like the look of the two-ball. It has a similar face material and exact alignment lines that are great for anyone who is new to the game.

When you’re looking down on this, the alignment lines are in the perfect spots for your eyes to make the connections to keep your clubface square. It’s this confidence you get that makes this one of the best face balanced putters.

The face is not as soft as the two-ball putter, but it does create the same feel. There is a great connection between the face and the ball when struck. It’s very beneficial on shorter putts.

The club head has a similar feel to the TM Spider, but it’s a bit lighter. It also has a double bend shaft which complements the face balancing so well. You feel right over the ball and can swing straight back and straight through effortlessly.

5. WILSON Infinite Men’s Golf Putter—Best Alignment Visual

Pros

• Accurate alignment for any length putt
• Alignment lines encourage straight back and straight through club path
• Firm club face is great for long putts
• Double milled to promote early top spin
• Exaggerated double bend shaft to keep club face square

Cons

• Need to get used to the club face
• Quite a large head

Rating: 3.5/5 Stars

Check out the latest user reviews

A long, long time ago, in a golf galaxy far, far away, there was a putter called the Zebra. It was one of the first face balanced putters and was very popular. If you want to recreate that feeling, try out this Wilson putter.

Face balancing has been around for a long time and stays around because it works. The simple design of this Wilson is all you need if you’re looking for a simplistic face balanced putter.

The painted and etched alignment lines run perfectly parallel to the design feature of the actual putter head. It provides the best look for aligning your putts from any distance. And because they are so prominent, they help keep your putting stroke online as well.

The face is quite firm. This is due to the double milling done directly into the putter head. There’s no soft insert with this design. This makes it great for lag putting, but it takes some getting used to on shorter putts.

6. Cobra Golf King 3D—Most Advanced Technology

Pros

• Four lofts in the face produce top spin quickly
• Sensor in the grip to track putting stats
• Solid perimeter weights control swing tempo
• Concise alignment lines on top
• Face insert is made from a softer metal

Cons

• Might look too futuristic at address for some

Rating: 3.5/5 Stars

Check out the latest user reviews

This Cobra putter was clearly inspired by the one Al Czervik (Rodney Dangerfield) uses in Caddyshack. It has cutting-edge technology to make hitting good putts much easier. While it may not guarantee 1-putts as his did, you’ll probably still see your fair share of them.

The clubface is one of a kind because it uses descending loft technology. There are four different lofts on the clubface from top to bottom. The whole face is horizontally CNC milled as well. Both of these features ensure top spin on every putt, which helps get your ball on line fast.

If that’s not enough technology for you, then take a look at the grip. It has a sensor that connects to your smartphone and a corresponding app. It tracks your putting stats to identify optimal practice routines and improve your putting every time you play.

Looking at it, you can tell it will feel stable through impact. Using the TM Spider design as a blueprint, the perimeter weighting is hefty. Windy days will have less of an effect on your stroke with this putter head.

7. Pinemeadow Golf PGX SL Putter—Best Budget Option

Pros

• Bare-bones, simplistic face balanced design
• Two-ball alignment feature
• Utilizes parallel toplines for alignment confirmation
• Plumber hosel style suits any eye
• Priced lower than it should

Cons

• Feels a bit light
• Face is firm with little feel
• Bright white is reflective on sunny days

Rating: 3/5 Stars

Check out the latest user reviews

If you’re unsure if any of the best face balanced putters 2023 are right for you, test out face balancing with this affordable option. It doesn’t have the precision or materials others have, but it uses optimal balancing to provide a smooth swinging putter.

You can easily align this face balanced putter because it combines a two-ball design and clean parallel lines on top. The bright color contrast also gives a pleasing and confident look at lining up your putts.

It’s fitted with a plumber hosel which purists will like since it’s typically found on non-face balanced putters and the best face balanced blade putters. This gives a very simplistic look at address so you can focus on the ball.

This is one of the best face balanced mallet putters because it has all the bare essentials to improve your putting but at a price that doesn’t require a lot of commitment. If you don’t like it, use it for your office secret Santa next season.

How To Get The Most From Your Face Balanced Putter

One approach to putting states that every putt is straight; you just have to aim for the apex of the break and then putt straight towards that. If that’s the case, then you want your putting stroke to be as straight as possible as well.

To do that, the most logical way is to have the balancing of the putter be equal on both the heel and the toe. This will encourage the face to stay square simply by the forces of gravity.

The number one benefit of all the best face balanced putters of all time is that they keep your putter face square through impact.

To activate this feature, you must do these 4 things;

1. Have your left eye (for righties) directly over your golf ball at address.

2. Let your arms hang straight down, completely relaxed, and then grip the putter (yes, you might have to choke up a bit).

3. Have your ball positioned ahead of center, close to where your 7-iron would line up.

4. Always follow through slightly further than however long your backstroke was with every stroke (e.g., take it back 6-inches, follow through 7-8-inches).

This is what makes these the best putters for straight back and through putting strokes. Keeping the face square for as long as possible will increase the odds of sinking any putt, especially the short-range ones.

Who Should Use A Face Balanced Putter?

A face balanced putter is suited for anyone who wants to simplify their putting stroke and increase their percentage of making short-range putts. If you’ve ever experienced the yips before, you know that putting can be pretty fickle. Face balancing applies simple physics to help golfers drain more putts.

Specifically, the best-balanced putters will help new and high-handicap players the most. Since they are developing a consistent putting stroke, a face balanced putter will help them avoid any bad habits.

Face Balanced vs. Non-Face Balanced

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To check if a putter is face balanced or not, simply lay the putter flat on a table or counter and let the head hang off the edge. If the putter face naturally sits pointing straight up to the sky, then that’s a face balanced putter.

On the other hand, many people like toe-balanced or toe-hanging putters. Those who putt with more of an arc in their swing will benefit from a toe-hang putter to help them open and close the face throughout their swing.

FAQ

What Is The Difference Between A Toe Balanced Putter And A Face Balanced Putter?

A toe-balanced putter will have more weight in the toe to help encourage more of an arc in the putting stroke. The added weight will square up the face at impact, so your puts start on line. A face balanced putter has equal weight between the heel and toe to help your putting stroke move straight back and straight through the impact zone.

Do Any Pros Use A Face Balanced Putter?

Yes, many pros use a face balanced putter, such as Dustin Johnson, Rory McIlroy, Jason Day, Adam Scott, Jon Rahm, and countless others on the Champions and Korn Ferry Tours.

Conclusion

Although there are many different styles of face balanced putters, we have to agree that the TM Spider combines all the attributes you would want in the best face balanced putter 2023.

The look, weight, feel, face, and price makes it so that you may never get another putter again. The fact that it’s being used by so many of the world’s best golfers is also quite the feather in its cap as well. Whichever you choose, know that face balancing gives you the best chance to hit your lines and makes more putts, period.

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