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Best Putters for Beginners 2026: Stop Three-Putting
Best Putters for Beginners 2026
Odyssey DFX TenTop Pick · Buy Now→
All 5 feature clear alignment aids, forgiving head shapes and a face designed to start the ball rolling early. Tip: scroll the table sideways on mobile to see all columns.
The one club you will use on every hole
Roughly 40 per cent of a new golfer’s shots happen on the green, yet the putter is usually the club least thought about when a set is bought. Good putters for beginners are not the ones with the most technology. They are the ones that make the ball start on line when your stroke is still inconsistent.
Three things matter at this stage: a head that resists twisting on an off-centre strike, an alignment aid you can actually trust, and a face that gets the ball rolling rather than hopping. Everything else, including milled faces and adjustable weighting, can wait. Browse the full putter range once you know which of those you need most.
We chose these five putters for beginners from models our customers regularly buy, at prices that make sense for a first set. If you are still assembling the bag, our guides to beginner golf starter sets and golf balls for beginners cover the rest.
What to look for
Six criteria separate genuinely useful putters for beginners from an expensive mistake. Work through them in this order.
Head shape and MOI
A large mallet pulls weight away from the face, so a strike off the toe twists the head far less. That means less distance lost on the mishits you will still be making.
Alignment aid
One long sightline or three parallel lines. Either works. What matters is that the aid is bold enough to show you at address whether the face is square.
Face insert or milling
A soft polymer insert is more forgiving on feel and quieter on long putts. Milled steel gives sharper feedback, which is useful later but unhelpful early on.
Toe hang vs face-balanced
Face-balanced heads suit a straight back and through stroke. Toe hang suits a stroke that arcs inside. Most new golfers start closer to straight, so face-balanced is the safer default.
Length
34 inches suits most men, 33 inches most women and anyone under 5 ft 8 in. Too long, and your eyes sit inside the ball, making aiming much harder than it needs to be.
Grip size
An oversized grip quiets the hands and reduces wrist flick, a common fault when nerves arrive. It is the cheapest upgrade available if a putter suits you otherwise.
Quick navigation
| Best overall | Odyssey DFX Ten |
| Best value | Wilson Harmonized X5 |
| Best for feel | Cleveland HB Soft 2 Retreve |
| Best budget mallet | MacGregor ZT Plus 004 |
| Best step up | Ping Prime Tyne 4 |
★★★★☆
4.7 from 3 customer reviews
Best overall: Odyssey DFX Ten
Odyssey built the DFX range around their softest insert to date, and the Ten head shape is the most forgiving of the family. Weight is drawn well away from the face, which is exactly what a developing stroke needs.
High MOI
Ten alignment wings
3° loft
The Ten head is the shape you have seen on tour for a decade, and there is a reason it filtered down to putters for beginners so quickly. The two parallel wings frame the ball and give you a genuine visual check that the face is square, which removes the single most common cause of missed short putts.
The clean slant neck produces a moderate 30-degree toe hang. That makes it more versatile than a fully face-balanced mallet, working with a stroke that stays straight or drifts slightly inside. At £129, it is also the cheapest way into a genuine tour-derived head shape.
- Outstanding alignment framing
- Very forgiving on toe and heel strikes
- Softest insert Odyssey has made
- Suits both straight and slight-arc strokes
- Right hand only in this model
- Large head is not to everyone’s eye
- Insert feel is softer than some prefer on fast greens
★★★★☆
4.8 from 4 customer reviews
Best value: Wilson Harmonized X5
Under £50 and it does the important things properly. A microinjected polymer face insert produces a smooth roll, the grey finish carries clear alignment lines, and the vertical seam grip helps you square the hands at address.
Polymer insert
Alignment lines
Vertical seam grip
This is the sensible answer if the putter that came with your starter set is letting you down, but you are not ready to spend three figures. It is the club we most often suggest to first-time buyers among the putters we stock for beginners, and the reason is simple: nothing about it fights you.
The polymer insert takes the sting out of a firm strike, so long putts do not run away from you on quick greens. Be aware that no headcover is included, so budget a few pounds for one from our headcover guide to protect the face.
- Lowest price on test by a distance
- Genuinely smooth roll from the insert
- Clear, uncluttered alignment lines
- Vertical seam grip aids hand placement
- No headcover supplied
- Only one length offered
- Less head stability than the larger mallets here
★★★★★
5.0 from 2 customer reviews
Best for feel: Cleveland HB Soft 2 Retreve
Cleveland’s Speed Optimised Face Technology uses a unique milling pattern to even out ball speed across the face, which is precisely the help you want when strikes are inconsistent. Distance control improves almost immediately.
Face-balanced
Oversize grip
Headcover included
Two details make this one of the more thoughtful putters on the market for beginners. The head is fully face-balanced with a single-bend hosel, so it suits the straight back and through stroke most new golfers naturally make. Three alignment lines then give you a clear frame at address.
This beginner putter also lets you lift the ball out of the hole without bending down, which sounds like a gimmick until you play 18 holes with a sore back. An oversized grip comes as standard and a headcover is included. Our Cleveland HB Soft review covers the wider range.
- Most consistent ball speed across the face
- Face-balanced, so ideal for a straight stroke
- Ball retrieval saves bending down
- Oversize grip and headcover included
- Wrong choice if your stroke arcs strongly
- 35-inch model adds a counterbalance weight
- Retrieval feature divides opinion on looks
Best budget mallet: MacGregor ZT Plus 004
MacGregor have quietly become very good at this price point. The ZT Plus 004 is the high-MOI mallet of the range, with ARC Tech face milling designed to promote a smoother roll and steadier distance control across the green.
ARC Tech milling
High MOI head
Bold alignment
If the Wilson feels a little small in the hand and the Odyssey is beyond the budget, this sits neatly between them. The larger head resists twisting on off-centre strikes far better than a blade at the same money, which is the single biggest performance gain available under £100.
MacGregor offers the ZT Plus in several head shapes, so if a traditional blade suits your eye better, the 002 and 003 models are worth a look. As a beginner putter that will last a couple of seasons, the 004 is the pick.
- Mallet forgiveness for under £70
- ARC Tech milling smooths the roll
- Bold, easy-to-read alignment markers
- Several head shapes in the range
- Firmer feel than the insert putters here
- Less brand recognition on the first tee
- No customer reviews on our site yet
Best step up: Ping Prime Tyne 4
Stainless steel with tungsten weighting, a shallow milled face and Ping’s colour-block alignment. This is the beginner putter you will not outgrow, built for precision on putts of every length rather than forgiveness alone.
Shallow milled face
Colour block alignment
PP58 midsize grip
Buy this if you already know your stroke arcs and you want a putter that will still be in the bag in five years. The tungsten weighting sits at the extremities of the head, so stability is excellent, while the shallow milled face gives crisper feedback than any insert on this head.
Be honest with yourself about the stroke type first. The Prime Tyne 4 has genuine toe hang and is built for a strong arc, which is the one thing that makes it a riskier choice than the other putters on this page for beginners. The midsize PP58 grip does help quieten the hands.
- Best build quality and materials on test
- Tungsten weighting for high stability
- Crisp milled face feedback
- Midsize grip included as standard
- Suits a strong arc stroke only
- £131 more than the Wilson
- Milled face feels firm on fast greens
Technology explained
MOI, plainly
Moment of inertia measures resistance to twisting. Push weight to the back and edges of the head, and a strike 15mm off centre loses far less speed and direction.
Toe hang
Balance the shaft on a finger. If the toe drops toward the ground, the putter has toe hang and wants to rotate. If the face points at the sky, it is face-balanced.
Loft on a putter
Three degrees is standard. It lifts the ball out of its small depression on the green, so it starts rolling instead of skidding and bouncing off the green.
Face milling
A milled pattern evens out ball speed across the face. Two strikes of equal length, one centred and one off the toe, finish closer together as a result.
Head weight
Around 360g is the modern standard. Heavier heads swing more smoothly and reduce hand action, which suits nervous short putts on slower UK greens.
Counterbalancing
Adding weight under the grip shifts the balance point up the shaft. It steadies a twitchy stroke and is why longer putters often ship with a counterweight.
Performance ratings
Ratings compare these putters for beginners against each other rather than across the whole market, and reflect the assessment of our PGA professional team based on on-course use. Tip: scroll the table sideways on mobile.
Which one should you buy?
Choosing between putters for beginners comes down to your stroke shape and your budget, in that order. Answer the three questions below and stop at the first yes.
Priority 1: Does your stroke arc noticeably inside on the way back?
- YES → Ping Prime Tyne 4 at £179, or the Odyssey DFX Ten at £129 for a gentler arc
- NO → Skip to Priority 2
Priority 2: Is your budget under £80?
- YES → MacGregor ZT Plus 004 at £69.89, or the Wilson Harmonized X5 at £47.50
- NO → Skip to Priority 3
Priority 3: Is distance control on long putts your weakness?
- YES → Cleveland HB Soft 2 Retreve at £119 for consistent ball speed
- NO → Odyssey DFX Ten at £129, the most complete all-rounder here
Three player profiles
The 28 plus handicapper
Profile: First or second season, playing nine holes at a time, three-putts are frequent.
Recommendation: Wilson Harmonized X5, £47.50.
Why: Spend the money on lessons and balls instead. This putter does nothing wrong and leaves budget elsewhere.
The 20 to 27 handicapper
Profile: Playing weekly, has a handicap, now losing shots on the greens rather than off the tee.
Recommendation: Odyssey DFX Ten, £129.
Why: The alignment framing and high MOI turn three-putts into two-putts faster than any other change at this price.
The improving 15 to 19
Profile: Getting to grips with the game quickly, knows their stroke shape, wants a club to keep.
Recommendation: Ping Prime Tyne 4, £179.
Why: Materials and build quality that will still make sense when you are down to single figures.
Need expert advice? If you are unsure which of these beginner putters suits your stroke or height, we can work it out over the phone in a few minutes. Our PGA professional team is happy to help. Call us free on 0800 3681097 or email sales@thegolfshoponline.co.uk
Frequently asked questions
Should a beginner use a blade or a mallet putter?
A mallet, in almost every case.
Mallets carry more weight further from the face, so an off-centre strike loses less speed and stays closer to line. They also give you far more surface area for alignment. Every one of our five putters for beginners is a mallet or mallet-style head for exactly that reason.
How much should I spend on a first putter?
Between £50 and £130 covers almost everyone.
Below £50, the alignment aids and face technology found on good putters for beginners start to disappear. Above £180, you are paying for milling quality and finish rather than performance you can use yet. The Wilson at £47.50 and the Odyssey at £129 mark the sensible ends of that range.
What length putter do I need?
34 inches for most men, 33 for most women.
Set up in your normal posture and let your arms hang. Your eyes should sit directly over or just inside the ball. If you have to stand up straight to reach, the putter is too long. Our guide to choosing putter length walks through the measurement.
Do I need to be fitted for a putter?
Not on day one, but length matters.
A full fitting is worth doing once your stroke settles, usually after a season. Until then, getting the length and head style roughly right delivers most of the benefit. Ring us and we can match a model to your height and stroke without you leaving the house.
Will a better putter actually lower my scores?
Yes, more reliably than a new driver will.
Putting accounts for around 40 per cent of the shots a new golfer takes, and the gains come from eliminating three-putts rather than holing more 20-footers. Better alignment and a more stable head reduce both the direction and distance errors that cause them.
How do I practise putting at home?
Six-foot putts on a carpet, ten minutes at a time.
Short repeated putts build a repeating stroke faster than long-range work. A gate made from two tees teaches a square face, and a simple mat gives a consistent surface. Our guide to putting training aids covers the useful ones.
Why Purchase Your Putter from The Golf Shop Online?
Award-Winning Service Since 2002
Average Rating: 4.9 out of 5.0
29,000+ Total Reviews
8,000+ on Reviews.co.uk · 6,000+ on Trustpilot · 15,000+ on Google
Led by PGA professional Mark Crossfield, with over 330 million YouTube views
60-Day Returns
If the putter is not right, send it back unused, unopened and in its original packaging within 60 days for a full refund.
Authorised Retailer
We are an authorised stockist for Odyssey, Ping, Cleveland, Wilson and MacGregor, with a full manufacturer warranty on every club.
Expert PGA Guidance
Four PGA professionals can match putters for beginners to your height and stroke type over the phone, at no cost.
Free UK Standard Delivery
Every order over £30 comes with free standard UK delivery, which every putter on this page clears comfortably.
Lowest Price Promise
Find one of these putters cheaper at another UK retailer and let us know. Our lowest price promise covers the difference.
Real Golfers, Real Reviews
Our review scores come from verified customers across Reviews.co.uk, Trustpilot and Google, not from our own marketing team.
Our verdict – Best Putters for Beginners
Of all the putters for beginners we stock, the Odyssey DFX Ten at £129 is the one we recommend most often. The alignment framing removes the guesswork from short putts, the head is forgiving enough to survive a developing stroke, and the moderate toe hang works whether your stroke stays straight or drifts slightly inside.
If £129 is more than you want to commit, the Wilson Harmonized X5 at £47.50 is a genuinely good club rather than a compromise, and the MacGregor ZT Plus 004 at £69.89 adds mallet stability for very little more. The Cleveland HB Soft 2 Retrieve is the pick for a straight stroke and the softest feel.
Only choose the Ping Prime Tyne 4 if you are confident your stroke arcs. It is the best-made club here by some margin, but the wrong balance for the wrong stroke will cost you more than the extra quality gains.
Ready to hole more putts?
Free UK standard delivery on orders over £30 and a 60-day returns policy on every club.
Odyssey DFX Ten £129 · Wilson Harmonized X5 £47.50 · Cleveland HB Soft 2 Retreve £119
Complete Your Setup: Beginner Golf Essentials
- Golf clubs – the rest of the bag, from forgiving irons to hybrids that get airborne easily.
- Golf package sets – the cheapest route to a full bag if you are starting from nothing.
- Golf practice mats – practise the stroke at home between rounds, which is where real progress happens.
- Golf practice aids – alignment sticks and gates that teach a square face for very little money.
- Mallet putters 2026 – the wider mallet market once you know a large head suits your eye.
If you want to check that a putter is legal for competition play, the equipment rules published by the USGA set out the requirements for head shape, length and face design. Every model in this guide conforms.
Disclaimer: Prices, specifications, and availability are accurate as of publication but may change. All Odyssey, Wilson, Cleveland, MacGregor, and Ping products featured are genuine and sourced from an authorised retailer. Product performance may vary based on individual use and care. 60-Day Returns Policy: If you are unhappy with any product, you may return it — unused, unopened, and in its original packaging — within 60 days for a full refund.
Free UK Standard Delivery: Every order over £30 from The Golf Shop Online includes free UK standard delivery. For the most current pricing, availability, and product specifications, please visit our website or contact our team on 0800 3681097. The Golf Shop Online has been serving golfers since 2002 with award-winning customer service backed by 29,000+ verified reviews across Reviews.co.uk, Trustpilot, and Google.
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