Are zero torque putters the answer to your putting woes?

They are becoming increasingly popular, but are zero torque putters the answer to your putting woes? 

Zero torque putters are starting to become popular and making their way into the bags of many pros on tour. Brian Harman won the Valero Texas Open after making a switch to TaylorMade’s Spider 5K-ZT prototype and he’s not alone in putting one of the putters in play. 

L.A.B Golf has had great success and are responsible for starting this craze of zero torque, but for us mere mortals what does zero torque mean and how can it fix those putting woes? 

Zero torque putters are designed for one thing and one thing only and that is producing a square face throughout your whole stroke. 

This is made possible by the angle of the shaft and the hosel design making the putter sit toe-up, which is what keeps that face square on the way back and on the way through. 

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For some golfers, who have more of a rounded stroke with lots of rotation, you might find that a traditional blade or mallet suits your stroke better, as the face will rotate easier.

These designs, especially those with high MOI, will give you more forgiveness and consistency, especially if you tend to miss the centre of the face when you’re hitting putts. 

However, a zero torque putter will help if you if you have inconsistencies in your stroke.

If you push your putts a lot, you may find that this is a great solution for hitting your putts online. If you mishit your putts, it will also keep that putter face square delivering consistent pace and starting the ball close to your intended line, where a traditional putter will see a drop off in pace. 

I’ve tested a lot of these styles myself and I find especially from the closer range, you are likely to make more putts because that zero torque design keeps the face super square. 

From distance, you’re likely to see better consistency, particularly in pace control, as your mishits will be punished less. 

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If you struggle on the greens, a zero torque putter could be the answer, especially if you find you’re pushing putts or have a two-way miss. They are very solid from short to mid-range and I think if you are a bit yippy over those putts you’ll find success with a zero torque putter. 

If you’re in the market, then a number of brands have putters on the market, or prototypes that could come to the shelves soon.

L.A.B, Odyssey, EVNROLL, Bettinardi and PXG all make zero torque putters that you can buy. Plus, brands like TaylorMade, who make the prototype that Brian Harman used recently to win, have tour-only models that we might see soon.

If you need some help on shorter putts, then go and give zero torque a try, it could be the solution for you.

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James Tait is bunkered’s Gear Editor. Want to know how the latest Callaway driver, Vokey wedge or Scotty Cameron putter performs? He’s the guy to ask. Better yet, just watch his videos on the bunkered YouTube channel. One of the biggest hitters in the UK, James also competes on the World Long Drive circuit and is a descendent of former Amateur champion Freddie Tait.

Gear Editor