Ten of the Best: Mallet Putters 2014
Golfmagic joins 10 testers at Horsley Lodge Golf Club in Derby to test some of the best new mallets in the game
In the sixth of our 2014 Golfmagic Club Test series, we survey ten top-end mallet putters launched within the last 12 months.
What is a mallet putter?
Although the clubface of a mallet putter is square, just like blade putters, mallets have elaborate designs and larger clubheads that come in various shapes such as square, semi-circle or even something a little more abstract. Much of the weight of a mallet putter is away from the clubface, providing golfers with a different feel while putting.
Traditional thought is that a straight-back, straight-through stroke is better suited to a mallet, while an arcing stroke is better suited to a blade.
About the test
The test was carried out over the course of a day at Horsley Lodge Golf Club in Derby by myself, Golfmagic Assistant Editor Andy Roberts (8-handicap), Golfmagic Staff Writer Charlie Lemay (14-handicap) and 10 other testers of varying playing abilities ranging from +3 to 26.
We selected our ten mallets and each of the 12 testers then struck 15 putts with each (five from 3-feet, five from 6-feet and five from 15-feet), meaning testers struck a total of 180 putts per putter. All of the putts were struck on the straightest possible line we could find on the putting green.
A range of premium golf balls were offered to each tester so that each golfer could putt using the ball they most frequently played.
Testers marked each mallet putter out of five for appearance, 10 for feel and 10 for performance, using the sheets that we printed out prior to the test.
Each of the 12 testers scored separately without consultation and the score presented for each putter is an average of the 12. This generated an overall score out of 25 and the overall scores and conclusion can be found on the final page of the feature.
With each mallet putter, we have also provided details of set price, available lengths and head weight. The test is presented in alphabetical order.
Click here for our Mallet Putters Test 2014
(If you would like to skip straight to the results page, click here).
Click here for our Blade Putters Test 2014
Andy first joined the brand on a month's work experience back in April 2011, and he now assumes the Editor role. When Andy joined GolfMagic it was a small site with potential.
