Putters come in various shapes and designs, and choosing can be overwhelming. However, almost all players can appreciate a forgiving putter. Forgiving putters have high MOI that resist twisting when you strike the ball, making them very easy to use. Their thickness also makes alignment aids far more visible, which helps you to set up correctly.
Today we’ll look at the 8 most forgiving putters in 2023, and at the end, we’ll provide a guide.
At a glance: Our Top 5 Picks for Best Forgiving Putters
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For this post on the most forgiving putters, we considered the following criteria:
- Forgiveness
- Cost
- Spin
- Feel
- Sound
- Appearance
Read more: Best Cheap Putters
8 Best Forgiving Putters in 2023
Quick Overview: Our Top Picks for The Best Forgiving Putters
| IMAGE | PRODUCT | DETAILS | |
|---|---|---|---|
OUR RATING: 4.8/5 |
Wilson Staff Infinite Buckingham Putter |
|
VIEW ON AMAZON → |
OUR RATING: 4.8/5 |
TaylorMade Spider Tour Black #3 |
|
VIEW ON AMAZON → |
| OUR RATING: 4.7/5 |
Odyssey White OG Rossie Slant Neck Putter |
|
VIEW ON AMAZON → |
| OUR RATING: 4.7/5 |
Cobra Golf King 3D Agera Putter |
|
VIEW ON AMAZON → |
| OUR RATING: 4.6/5 |
Pinemeadow PGX Putter |
|
VIEW ON AMAZON → |
| OUR RATING: 4.6/5 |
Cleveland Golf Huntington Beach Soft Premier #10.5 Center Shaft |
|
VIEW ON AMAZON → |
| OUR RATING: 4.6/5 |
WILSON Harmonized Putter |
|
VIEW ON AMAZON → |
| OUR RATING: 4.6/5 |
Cleveland Golf Huntingdon Beach Soft Premier #4 Putter |
|
VIEW ON AMAZON → |
Here are some of the best putters known for their forgiveness:
1. Wilson Staff Infinite Buckingham Putter — Best Overall
Pros:
- Premium performance
- Affordability
Cons:
- Quite a large and busy putter head which won’t suit all
The Wilson Staff Infinite counterbalanced range of putters provides you with a selection of nine diverse head shapes. They are finished in dark PVD matte coating to minimize the amount of glare off the face, making it easier to align your golf ball.
Three-track lines in white are in stark contrast to the matte black of the mallet to assist you in alignment.
The double-milled face produces a deep impact sound which we can partly ascribe to the size and texture of the surface area. The double-milled face provides consistency at impact for enhanced roll and distance control.
Counterbalance technology combines a heavier head and grip weights to move the balance point towards the grip end, providing a slicker and more controlled putting stroke.
Oversized grips come standard on the Buckingham, which is great for golfers who have too much hand action with thinner grips.
Wilson priced the Infinite Buckingham putter competitively without sacrificing its premium look and feel, so if you want one of the most accurate putters available, it represents a great deal.
Related: Best Blade Putters
2. TaylorMade Spider Tour Black #3 Putter — Premium Choice
Pros:
- Pure Roll insert for high topspin
- Perimeter weighted
- Alignment features
- High MOI
Cons:
- Expensive price tag
If you’ve got a sizeable budget, the Spider Tour Back #3 is one of the best putters you can purchase. This mallet-style putter is perimeter weighted for high MOI, giving you the stability you need even for mis-hit putts. The design incorporates a light 6061 aluminum core with a heavy 304 stainless steel frame.
The Pure Roll insert gives you a good amount of topspin with every hit. It features 45° grooves and a soft polymer to maximize topspin. Testing has demonstrated that the Pure Roll insert outperforms a solid face in this area, so putts that were a little far to make are now within reach. Just be aware that the face is quite lively, so you’ll need to dial it in a little for the shorter putts.
Like the White Hot insert, the Pure Roll insert is exceedingly popular. Many of the pros use it including Rory McIlroy and Dustin Johnson, so it could well be worth trying.
The sound is fairly satisfying, it’s a muted “click.” This is partly due to the PU foam that is implanted in the space between the body and frame. As you move away from the center, the sound and feel become a little hollow.
Currently sitting with an average of 4.8 stars on Amazon, the Spider Tour Black #3 is one of the most popular forgiving putters in 2023, and we must agree. While expensive, it’s worth the price tag.
3. Odyssey White OG Rossie Slant Neck Putter — Best Insert
Pros:
- High level of forgiveness
- Very responsive
- High-performance level
- Tour-proven
- Easy to use
Cons:
- Expensive
The Odyssey White Hot OG Rossie Slant Neck is another winner from the Callaway stable. To many, it is one of the most forgiving putters of all time.
The White Hot face insert has been re-engineered, increasing performance levels and greatly improving the feel and sound.
The laser milling insert cutting process achieves high tolerance levels, which are further complemented by the heel/toe weight placement. This all comes together to enhance forgiveness and increase the responsiveness of the club on impact.
The ‘sighters’ on top of the club head clearly contrast with the club’s color, making alignment easier and providing that all-important confidence when setting up for the putt.
The Odyssey White Hot OG Rossie Slant Neck is a toe-hang mallet. It best suits players who tend to rotate the face and have an arc to their swing.
If you’re interested in comparing the other incredibly forgiving Odyssey putters that are available, consider reading our post on the best Odyssey putters.
4. Cobra Golf King 3D Agera Putter — Most Forgiving
Pros:
- One of the most forgiving putters available
- Descending Lift Technology
- Cobra Connect sensor to track performance
Cons:
- Might be an eye-saw to traditionalists
- Expensive
Cobra Golf has taken the putting industry by storm in the form of 3D printed putters, yes, you heard that right, 3D printed! Our favorite is the Agera which is the most futuristic-looking model. But don’t be intimidated by the design — it absolutely delivers on the golf course.
This mallet putter features a nylon lattice structure which helped Cobra Golf improve weight distribution. The steel chassis weighs 261 g, and the forged aluminum crown is lightweight at just 27 g. This enables for 53 g of tungsten weighting in the toe and heel to enhance stability. In fact, with an MOI topping 7,400, it’s one of the highest MOI putters on the market.
Besides stability, you can expect consistent topspin with the Agera putter every time. This is because of their aluminum SIK face insert, which uses Descending Loft Technology. The face has four descending lofts so you get consistent topspin irrespective of the angle of your stroke. As such, you can putt with confidence every time.
In terms of lining up your stroke with the Agera, it’s a simple job. The Alignment aid runs through the center of the head, and either side is hollow, so there are no distractions. This, in effect, creates two more lines that you can follow.
The Agera comes with a Cobra Connect Sensor to seal the deal. Embedded in the handle, it syncs with the Arccos Caddie app and allows you to track your putts which can help you identify flaws in your game.
Related: Best Ping Putter
5. Pinemeadow PGX Putter
Pros:
- Large sweet spot
- Low cost
Cons:
- Few options for length
Here’s one for the ladies, rated the most forgiving putter for women.
The Pinemeadow PGX has a very low price tag and a fantastic amount of forgiveness.
This putter is designed for the mid to high handicapper, especially those who may have been using a blade-type putter and have been battling on the greens.
The mallet design is all white with contrasting black alignment lines making for easy aiming. These alignment lines run the full length of the clubface and are a real confidence enhancer. We recommend using a headcover to protect the finish against scratches and dings.
The face boasts a very large sweet spot, meaning forgiveness is at a premium.
The clubhead carries extra weight providing a superb feel. And the stability created by this additional weight reduces skidding and ensures a smooth forward spinning ball on impact. For a low-cost putter, the sound is above average.
The shaft length is standard, and there are no options for customizing.
6. Cleveland Golf Huntington Beach Soft Premier #10.5 Center Shaft Putter — Consistent Speed
Pros:
- Stable
- Consistent ball speed
- Professional appearance
Cons:
- Center shaft will not appeal to all
- A little head heavy
For those of you who are in the market for a center shaft putter, the Cleveland Golf Huntington Beach Soft Premier #10.5 putter is an excellent choice. The face is precision milled from soft 304 stainless steel giving it a soft feel. What makes it unique is the diamond CNC pattern which is specific to each model. Milling lines are tightly packed in the center of the face and they spread out more toward the edges. This helps to normalize speed across the entire face which inspires confidence.
The head comes in at 365 g, which doesn’t make it particularly heavy, but it does feel that much of the weight is concentrated at the bottom, so be careful not to overhit your putts.
While the product photos make the alignment line seem poor, this is not the case. The black line shows up perfectly well against the grey satin finish of the club. And given the absence of other colors and the sharp lines of the head, this putter is incredibly smart at address.
Related: Best Putters for High Handicappers
7. WILSON Harmonized Putter — Budget Pick
Pros:
- Inexpensive
- Forgiving
- Good alignment
- Vertical seam on grip
Cons:
- No left-handed option
- Not as high quality as the other putters on this list
If you want a very forgiving putter but have a limited budget, we think the Wilson Harmonized putter is the best you can get. It costs a third of the price of most putters and does pretty well to keep up in terms of performance.
You can purchase this putter in five different head shapes, we like the M2 version, which has a semi-mallet head. It’s the perfect choice for players who prioritize forgiveness when putting — weight is carefully positioned to help rectify off-center strikes.
The putter face insert is a micro-injected polymer. It improves feeling on contact, but don’t expect it to be comparable to the likes of the White Hot insert. After all, those Odyssey putters are four times the price!
Also included is a vertical seam on the grip. This helps a little with grasping the club and makes it easier for you to set up your grip the same every time for consistency.
Finally, we come to the alignment aids. They are pretty good on this putter but not the best. The white central line shows up well against the black but poorly against the silver — especially in sunny conditions. However, the two red lines on either side make up for this flaw.
8. Cleveland Golf Huntingdon Beach Soft Premier #4 Putter — Most Forgiving Blade
Pros:
- Forgiving for a blade
- Consistent ball speed
- Professional appearance
Cons:
- Far less forgiving than a mallet
Given this putter is from the same range, it should come as no surprise that it features all of the same tech. We are fond of the Speed Optimized Face Technology in particular. The milled lines are more clustered around the center of the clubface. This helps to normalize the speed of your putts which is very helpful if you struggle to strike the ball with the center of the club.
As a blade putter, the Huntingdon Beach Soft Premier #4 does lose some of the forgiveness that the #10.5 putter has. However, the improved control over the speed of your stroke combined with greater feedback may be a worthwhile trade-off for some golfers.
Related: Best High MOI Putters
Most Forgiving Putters Buyer’s Guide
Head Design
Let us start from the bottom up and look at the various head designs. The main styles are blade putters, mallet putters, and counter-weighted heads.
Blades are the oldest style and strong with the purists and traditionalists, and as such, were once the only option. Using a famous branded blade and seeing your putts dropping is great. However, when things start going wrong you’ll likely wish you had bagged that more forgiving putter. With so many other options available today, mostly experienced golfers still use a blade.
Mallets have a much larger head, similar to a croquet mallet. They are usually hollow inside with toe and head weighting. The larger head is usually designed with alignment lines across the upper surface to assist with aiming and finding the sweet spot.
The overall effect is a reduced tendency for the putter to twist. This provides more accuracy and forgiveness making it the easiest putter style for beginners. There are also the mid-mallets which make for more versatility.
Some of the more modern putters have very strange and unusual head shapes. One of the reasons for the variety is that we are all different and no one shape will work for everyone. The main aim of all this modern technology is to increase the size of the sweet spot by increasing the size of the face.
This makes it easier to find that sweet spot and much more forgiving if you are slightly off. You need to find what makes you comfortable and gives you the required confidence.
Counter-weighting and balance in the head affect the stability of the putter. When the weight is evenly distributed in the face, the putter head is horizontal to the ground. As new players, we often leave the putt quite a bit short. Using a more weighted putter can help overcome this problem. Try the difference between a toe hang and a full hang weighted golf putter to see which best suits your style.
Forgiveness
We are looking for the most forgiving putter, but what do we mean by forgiveness? It is that ability of a putter to not punish you too badly for a stroke that is off-center or missing the sweet spot. What designers try to achieve here is to enlarge the sweet spot thus reducing the degree of deviation on a shot that is not quite true. The only way to achieve this is to enlarge the sweet spot on the putter’s face and by incorporating new materials on the face of the putter to enhance control.
Alignment
It is critical to have the face of the putter correctly aligned with the path you want your ball to follow to the hole. Have you ever noticed a player placing his putter on the green and the caddy behind him checking his alignment? Often, we see players miss short putts. This is because the player is too quick or too casual and did not take care of the alignment.
To assist with this problem, most modern putters incorporate tracks or lines on the putter head, much like sights on a rifle, to help your aim. Some of these new putters even have a solid line from front to back, others will be just behind the sweet spot, and some are even the width of a golf ball. There is plenty of variety out there.
Comfort and Angle of Lie
When standing over the putt, you must feel comfortable or your confidence will shatter, and your concentration will be all over the place. The putter head needs to be flat on the green, so what about the length of the putter shaft?
Size matters. Compare Nick Faldo and Ernie Els to Gary Player; you can see why golf putter length is crucial. Personalized putter fittings have become popular because the angle between the toe and the putting surface has to be right.
(MOI) Moment of Inertia
In simple terms, the moment of inertia is the ability of a rotating body to overcome resistance. In golfing terms, it would mean the accelerating force applied by the putter to overcome the resistance of the surface, the green.
If you miss the sweet spot, the MOI falls, so the manufacturer’s design brief is to increase the sweet spot to reduce the loss of MOI on an off-center shot. This sounds very technical and complicated, but we need to know that these features are critical to achieving a consistently good strike. So when you’re out looking for the best game-improvement putter, take note of MOI.
Related: Best Mallet Putters
Final Thoughts
You must consider several factors when looking for the most forgiving putter. Cost is one such factor, and so is your level of expertise. You must consider whether you are a low, mid, or high-handicap player.
If cost is not a factor, then the TaylorMade Spider Tour Black Putter #3 would be hard to beat. However, if you want to get more bang for your buck, we believe the Wilson Infinite putter is a better pick.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a Mallet or a Blade More Forgiving?
Mallet putters are more forgiving than blades, with larger heads with more weight toward the back. This raises MOI and helps to tackle off-center hits. Their bulkiness also means that alignment aids are far more visible, making it easy for you to set up correctly.
Blades, on the other hand, are much thinner and more traditional. Their advantage is that they offer better feedback and are generally more pleasing to the eye.
What Does a Forgiving Putter Mean?
A forgiving putter will not punish you for striking the ball off-center. Instead, the high MOI keeps the clubface stable, meaning you get a relatively consistent ball role across most of the clubface.
Can These Putters Work for High Handicappers?
Forgiving putters are ideal for high handicappers as these players struggle to hit the ball centrally. The easily visible alignment aids also help players to line up square to the ball.
What Is the Most Forgiving Putter?
The most forgiving putter is the Cobra King 3d Agera. It is the highest MOI putter on the market and as such, is super stable even if you contact the ball poorly.
Related Articles
- 5 of The Best Putters [Reviews & Ratings]
- 10 of The Best Golf Putters of All Time
- Blade vs Mallet Putter
Nick is the founder of GolfSpan and an avid golfer. He's not quite a pro but has over 15 years of experience playing and coaching golfers worldwide. His mission is to bring the golfing community a better experience when it comes to choosing the right golf gear and finding the right setup for your game.
