Our team here at Tell Me More Golf’s goal is to help you through a more informed buying decision with our findings and data.

Our expert review guidelines for helping you buy the Best Face Balanced Putters we list are used by Tell Me More Golf’s review team:

• Easy Alignment and Aim
• Consistent Distance Control
• Forgiving on Off-Center Strikes

#1. Cleveland Golf Frontline Elevado – Consistent Aim

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Our testers ranked the Cleveland #1 on our list because of how easy it is to line putts up.

The Benefits:

Our testers liked how the ball came off the putter’s face with consistent accuracy, even on mishits.

The fangs that extend back from the mid-mallet design of the Cleveland Frontline Elevado putter make lining up putts easy when addressing the ball. In addition, the Speed Optimized Face Technology normalizes ball speed across the club face resulting in excellent distance control. 

Some of our testers didn’t like the tinny, thin sound the putter makes on impact, but it’s just a sound so the majority of golfers will overlook it.

#2. TaylorMade Spider X HydroBlast – Excellent Alignment

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The TaylorMade quickly became a favorite with our lead reviewer for its excellent alignment aid and how consistently the ball came off the clubface on their line and at the right speed.

The Benefits:

The Spider X Hydroblast, with its new White True Path and Y design shape, made it easy for our testers to see the line of the putt to the hole when addressing the golf ball, lowering their score. In addition, it has a Pure Roll insert with grooves at a 45% angle, producing consistent forward roll and distance control. 

Our testers loved the new sleeker, more streamlined look of the putter and the confidence it gave them when they stood over their putts.

The only complaints we found were with the stock SuperStroke Pistol grip, but most golfers can easily overlook the grip, especially if they are accustomed to pistol grips.

#3. Odyssey White Hot OG – Great Forgiveness

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One of our testers mentioned that this Odyssey is perfect for golfers who like the look of a blade with the forgiveness of a mallet.

The Benefits:

Our testers found it very forgiving on mishits for a blade putter. Additionally, this putter has the option of stainless steel or Stroke Lab shafts.

Alignment and aim at address are easy with this simple black putter line. Any bonus to aiming will significantly help your short game! The White Hot insert is back, and the ball comes off the club face truly and accurately stroke after stroke with excellent feel and distance control. 

A couple of our testers thought it was tough putting from off the green with the double-wide blade as the back edge would tend to get stuck in the grass.

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#4. Pinemeadow Golf PGX SL Face Balanced Putter

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Our lead tester told me that this Pinemeadow is for the golfer looking for a great face-balanced putter without breaking the bank. He loved the classic two-ball look, making it easy to line up and hit putts confidently.

The Benefits

Combining the plumber neck hosel and the 2X ORB Alignment features helps ensure that your putt starts on the correct line as soon as it comes off the clubface. This is really good for your short game because having an easier time aiming will get you more comfortable. 

Being comfortable on the green will get you to enjoy the game that much more!

 In addition, it has a Consistent Face Insert that gave our testers consistent ball speed and distance control. Our testers were impressed with the overall performance of this budget-minded putter.

Our left-handed tester was disappointed he couldn’t try the PGX XL putter out because they don’t come in a left-handed version. However, he liked how hitting a couple from the right side felt.

#5. JAMESMILR TOPSPIN Putter Blade 5 Face Balanced

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The JAMESMILR TOPSPIN putter has an innovative, curved putter face that is perfect for golfers looking for forgiveness on mishits. While the look took some time for our testers to get used to, they were impressed by the putter’s consistent ball speed and accuracy.

The Benefits:

The TOPSPIN putter’s curved face promotes forward rotation on putts, making it incredibly forgiving on mishits. In addition, the simple alignment aid with an arrow on the front and two lines on the back of the blade design makes setting up the line of the putt easy.

Our testers were impressed with the feel and consistent distance control of the TOPSPIN putter.

Several of our testers didn’t like the curved face when addressing the ball. If you do enjoy a curved face, we do recommend this putter.

How to Choose The Best Face Balanced Putter – Buying Guide

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What is a Face-Balanced Putter?

The term “face-balanced” literally comes from balancing your putter at the balance point on the shaft and seeing how the clubface sits. If it is facing straight-up, parallel to the ground, the putter is “face-balanced.”

If the toe of the putter is pointing towards the ground, the putter is toe-balanced.

Why use a Face-Balanced putter?

Face-balanced putters have clubhead properties where the shaft enters closer to the middle of the putter, which moves the center of gravity towards the middle and distributes weight across the clubface. 

These features ensure the putter opens less on the backstroke and closes less on the through-stroke when putting. The straight-back and straight-through motions are simpler to learn and to do repetitively for most beginners.

Face-balanced putters are ideal for golfers with a more straight back and straight-through putting motion.

Most mallet-style putters are face-balanced.

Which is Better for My Game: Face Balanced vs. Toe Hang Putters?

You need to understand your natural putting stroke to find which type of putter is better for your game.

If you naturally take the putter straight back and hit straight through the ball, then the face-balanced putter will be the better choice.

Putters with an arced stroke opening the putter face on the backstroke and closing the face should look at toe-hang putters.

The Differences Between Face-Balanced Putters Styles: Mallet or Blade 

When looking for face-balanced putters, golfers have two primary putter heads to choose from: mallet or blade.

As a rule, most mallet putters are face balanced, and most blade putters have a toe hang. 

However, you can find blade putters with single or double bend hosels, making it easier for a golfer to use a straight-back-straight stroke.

Face-Balanced Mallet Putters

Face-balanced mallet putters are much larger than blade putters. The first mallet putters were semi-circle in shape, but now they come in many designs, including fangs, spiders, square-shaped, and two-ball.

Golfers like face-balanced mallet putters because they make lining up putts easy, and their larger size makes them more forgiving than blade putters.

Face-balanced mallet putters work very well for golfers with straight back and straight through putting strokes.

Pros of Face-Balanced Mallet Putters

• Very Easy to Align and Aim
• More Forgiving on Mishits
• Many Different Designs
• Great for Straight Back Straight Putting Stroke

Cons of Face-Balanced Mallet Putters

• Can Be Tough to Use on Fast Greens Because  of Their Weight
• Not Good for Arc Putting Strokes

Face-Balanced Blade Putters

The blade-style putter is the original, traditional putter design. They are much smaller than mallet putters, can be harder to align and aim, and can be less forgiving. However, the more straightforward design can give golfers a better sense of feel when putting.

Most blade putters are toe-hang and are very popular with players with an arc putting stroke.

Pros of Face-Balanced Blade Putters

• Excellent Feel and Control
• Work Well on Fast Greens
• Perfect for Arc Stroke Putters
• Simple, Clean Design

Cons of Face-Balanced Blade Putters

• Can Be Harder to Align and Aim
• Less Forgiving on Mishits

The Tell Me More Golf Conclusion on Choosing the Best Face-Balanced Putter

Almost every golfer, from high-handicappers to single-digit players, can benefit from the simplicity and consistency of the straight-back-straight putting stroke. 

However, adding an arc to the putting stroke requires more timing and hand-eye coordination. As a result, it is harder to repeat consistently.

Choosing between face-balanced mallet putters and face-balanced blade putters is a matter of what feels and looks better to a golfer when standing over a putt.

Golfers who are looking to be able to line up putts quickly and are comforted with a larger putter profile will like mallet putters.

Those golfers who like the clean ascetics and smaller head size in a putter will prefer a blade putter.

Tell Me More Golf – Frequently Asked Questions

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What putter is best for a straight back and through stroke?

Face-balanced putters with their weight in the face and no toe-hang help keep the putter face square through the stroke are better for golfers with a straight-back and straight-through stroke.

Are there any Scotty Cameron Face Balanced Putters?

Yes, there are face-balanced Scotty Cameron/ Titleist face-balanced putters like the Phantom X 5S.

How Do I Know If I Need a Face-Balanced Putter?

You will probably need a face-balanced putter if you use a straight-back-straight putting stroke. The face-balanced putter design helps to ensure that the putter face stays square during the entire putting stroke.

The easiest way to see if you have a straight-back or arced putting stroke is to have someone behind you to watch you putt. If they cannot see the clubface when you take the putter back, you have a straight back stroke.

However, if you take the putter back, they can see the putter’s face open towards them, and you have an arced stroke. Therefore, arced stroke putters should look for a putter with more toe-hang than a face-balanced putter.

Are Face-Balanced Putters Better?

Face-balanced putters are better for golfers who have a straight-back-straight putting stroke. The straight-back-stroke putting stroke is easier and more consistent for most beginner or high-handicap golfers.

Most mallet-style putters are face-balanced, but there are plenty of face-balanced blade putters.

Do Most Pros Use Face Balanced Putters?

Professional golfers use a wide range of putter styles. However, mallet-style putters have overtaken blades as the more popular body style. 

While this might indicate that more professional golfers use face-balanced putters, you can have toe-hang versions of mallet-style putters.

There is a generational element as older golfers like Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson prefer blade putters with toe hang. And younger golfers like Rory McIlroy and John Rahm like face-balanced putters.

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The putter might be the most important golf club in the bag. Every golfer wants to be a great putter, and it’s a great way to shoot lower scores.

Face-balanced putters are perfect for golfers with straight back and straight through putting strokes. Thanks to the shaft entering the putter closer to the center and having the weight distributed across the clubface.

The straight-back-straight putting stroke is more straightforward and repeatable than an arced putting stroke.

You can find face-balanced putters in mallet and blade styles for whichever suits your eye better.

Mallet-style putters are bigger, easier to aim, and more forgiving. There are a lot of different styles of mallet putters for golfers to choose from when looking at putters.

Blade putters are slimmer, have fewer alignment aids, and offer a superior feel.
The best way to find the best face-balanced putter for your game is to hit practice putts with different styles and see which one feels better for your game.