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The most comprehensive review of the best blade putters of 2023 is here.
Here at MyGolfSpy, we are committed to providing data-driven product reviews. For this Most Wanted Test, 20 testers each hit eight putts from five, 10 and 20 feet with each participating putter model.
If you’re in the market for a new blade putter, this review will be invaluable.
Most Wanted Blade Putter 2023: Cleveland HB Soft Milled 1
Bottom Line
Cleveland HB Soft Milled 1 takes home the best blade putter for 2023. One of its key attributes is the UST All-In multi-material putter shaft.
Pros
The best-performing putter across our testing pool from 20 feet. As well, it performs well from 10 and five feet.
Cons
From a performance standpoint, it is rock solid. However, there is a $50 difference between the standard steel version versus the UST All-In version.
One limitation is that it is only available in a plumber’s neck hosel type.
Who Is It For?
With a plumber’s neck hosel, the HB Soft Milled 1 is best suited for a slight-arc putting stroke or golfers who want a subtle amount of toe hang.
Tester Feedback
- Cleveland HB Soft Milled 1 ranks high for feel, sound and looks.
- For likelihood of purchase, HB Soft Milled 1 ranks third.
Best Blade Putters Overall
TOP PICKS: CLEVELAND HB SOFT MILLED 1, WILSON STAFF MODEL BL22, SUB 70 WIDE BLADE 005
Observations
- Cleveland HB Soft Milled 1 ranks first overall. It has the fewest total putts overall and beat out BL22 by six putts.
- Wilson Staff Model BL22 claims second place overall and is the best from 10 feet.
- Sneaking into third, the Sub 70 Wide Blade 005 offers impressive performance from all three distances.
- TaylorMade TP Hydro Blast Del Monte comes in fourth.
- Last year’s winner, COBRA KING 3D Printed Grandsport 35, rounds out the top five.
Best Blade Putters from 5 feet
TOP PICKS: SCOTTY CAMERON SPECIAL SELECT NEWPORT 2, TAYLORMADE TP HYDRO BLAST DEL MONTE, VEGA GOLF MERAK AB
Observations
- Scotty Cameron Special Select Newport 2 is your best blade from 5 feet.
- TaylorMade TP Hydro Blast Del Monte ranks second place from 5 feet.
- Vega Golf Merak AB finishes third from 5 feet.
- The best blade overall, Cleveland HB Soft Milled 1, takes fourth place.
- Odyssey White Hot Versa Double Wide rounds out the top 5 from 5 feet.
Best Blade Putters from 10 feet
TOP PICKS: WILSON STAFF MODEL BL22, EVNROLL EV2, CLEVELAND HB SOFT MILLED 1
Observations
- Wilson Staff Model BL22’s strong performance caps off with ranking first from 10 feet.
- Evnroll EV2 takes second from 10 feet.
- Cleveland HB Soft Milled 1 claims third place from 10 feet.
- If you like a heavy putter, Sub 70 Wide Blade 005 is for you. It ranks fourth from 10 feet.
- Bettinardi Studio Stock 14 rounds out the top 5 from 10 feet.
Best Blade Putters from 20 feet
TOP PICKS: CLEVELAND HB SOFT MILLED 1, WILSON STAFF MODEL BL22, COBRA KING 3D PRINTED GRANDSPORT 35
Observations
- Cleveland HB Soft Milled 1 definitively claims the best blade putter from 20 feet.
- Wilson Staff Model BL22 continues by placing second from 20 feet.
- COBRA KING 3D Printed Grandsport 35 ranks 3rd in a close contest with BL22.
- Sneaking into the conversation, Wilson Staff Model 8802. A nostalgic design with a surprising feel.
- Wrapping up the top 5 is Sub 70 Wide Blade 005.
Best Blade Putter 2023 – Scores
Best Blade Putters 2023 – Buying Considerations
Length
Typically, stock putters come in either 34- or 35-inch lengths. Length can affect distance and direction. Many golfers find they fit better into putters with shorter shafts. Choose a putter that allows for a relaxed setup based on your address posture.
Loft
The right loft promotes a smooth roll off the face. Too little or too much can cause bouncing, hopping and, ultimately, distance control issues. We recommend working with a professional fitter to determine the right loft for your putting stroke.
Blade or Mallet?
Which is best for you? It’s a combination of personal preference and individual putting stroke. While there are few absolutes in fitting, those with a faster putting stroke often are better suited with lighter blade-putter options. If your stroke is slower and smooth, a heavier mallet might make more of an impact.
Toe Hang
As much as tempo is a factor in choosing the right putter, so too is the amount of arc in your stroke. If you open and close the face more than average, consider a heel-shafted putter with more weight in the toe. Balance the putter on your two index fingers. If the putter head hangs with the toe closer to 6 o’clock, it’s toe-balanced. A face-balanced putter will face the sky. Face-balanced putters are generally well suited for golfers with more of a straight-back, straight-through stroke.
Or, you can throw toe hang out the window with L.A.B. Golf. They specialize in fitting using lie angle balance. Their putters designs adhere to your appropriate lie angle and assist with returning the club face back to square – more consistently.
Best Blade Putter for Straight Back, Straight Through
TaylorMade TP Hydro Blast Del Monte is available in two different hosel types – L Neck (Del Monte 1) & Single Bend (Del Monte 7).
It is our recommendation for those who favor more of a straight back, straight through putting stroke.
Putter Features
While not quite to the extent of drivers, putters have gone high-tech.
It’s not uncommon to find putters with adjustable weighting which, in addition to changing head weight, can alter toe hang to suit either a stronger or less arcing stroke. Odyssey, Toulon, PXG and Cleveland all feature multi-material putter shafts. LA GOLF and L.A.B. Golf offer composite shaft options. Evnroll and others offer face-milling patterns or inserts designed to not only promote smooth roll but consistent distance (and, in some cases, direction) on mishits.
Fast Versus Slow Greens
Best Value – Sub 70 Wide Blade 005
At $169.99, Sub 70 Wide Blade 005 is the best value blade putter for 2023.
There’s a case to be made for matching the weight of your putter to the speed of the greens you play most often. On slow greens, heavier putters tend to perform better. On fast greens, a delicate touch is needed. Often a lighter putter will produce better results.
Best Blade Putters 2023 – Product Specs
Best Blade Putters 2023 – Field notes
During each test, we look for trends that provide insight about market direction as well as what noteworthy changes manufacturers have made to improve year-over-year performance.
We are taking a new approach to tester feedback. As always, it will not play a role in our overall rankings. However, subjective feedback from our testing pool allows us to provide more definitive answers regarding sound, feel, looks and likelihood of purchase. Our testing pool now gives a rating on a scale of 1 to 10 for sound, feel, looks and likelihood of purchase.
Sound
Testers’ Choice Award – PING Anser
Best for Sound – PING Anser
- For sound, Scotty Cameron Special Select Newport 2, Cleveland HB Soft Milled 1, Wilson Staff Model BL22 and PING Anser 2D all rank highly.
Feel
- Putter feel is an intriguing topic and the best for feel won’t surprise you. Here are some other high ranking putters: Evnroll EV2, PING Anser 2D, Odyssey Tri-Hot 5K One and Evnroll EV2 Black.
Looks
Testers’ Choice Award – Evnroll EV2
Best for Looks – Evnroll EV2
- In the blade putter category, the looks aren’t as wild as the mallet category. Here are the favorites for looks: Scotty Cameron Special Select Newport 2, PING Anser 2D, Odyssey White Hot Versa DW and COBRA KING 3D Printed Grandsport 35.
Most Likely To Purchase
Testers’ Choice Award – Evnroll EV2
Best for Likelihood of Purchase – Evnroll EV2
Trends
- Multi-material putter shafts are in vogue. With Odyssey continuing with their renowned Stroke Lab shafts, the likes of PXG and Cleveland are now following the same path. Not only that but the likes of L.A.B. Golf and LA GOLF are using composite shafts to propel their products. Of course, LA GOLF boasts their own shaft lineup. It’ll be interesting to see if more OEMs travel down this route going forward.
How We Test
For Most Wanted Putter Testing, we have 20 testers hit eight putts from three different distance: five, 10 and 20 feet. The putter with the fewest total putts is crowned the best blade putter.
HOW WE TEST – MOST WANTED PUTTER
The Official Golf Ball of Most Wanted – Titleist ProV1
FAQ
Buying a Blade Putter
Q: Should I get fitted for a putter?
A: Without a doubt. Don’t just go to the putting corral at your local golf store and choose the putter that feels the best or the one you happen to make a couple of putts with. Do your research, know the facts and take your knowledge to your golf course or store with the intention of being fitted for the right putter for YOUR stroke. Your best chance of finding the best performing putter comes from getting fitted.
Q: How do I find the right length putter for me?
A: Take a comfortable putting stance with a putter. If the putter is too short, it likely it will sit too upright or the heel will be off the ground. If it’s too long, you’ll feel you’re crowding the ball and the toe will be pointing up slightly. Visit a fitter.
Q: What is the price range for a typical putter?
A: Name-brand putters range from $99 to more than $500. Higher-priced models are often 100-per-cent CNC milled but it’s also true that you could be paying a premium for the logo on the putter. Price may always be a factor but don’t assume the best putters are the most expensive.
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Most Wanted
Q: How is the Most Wanted Winner determined?
A: Rankings for the Best Blade Putters 2023 are based on a 100-point scoring system. Putters are scored at five, 10 and 20 feet. The individual scores are then aggregated to arrive at the overall score. Scores are weighted such that the 10-foot score has the greatest influence on the cumulative score.
Q: How were the best putters for stroke type determined?
A: At the beginning of the test, each putter is classified by its toe hang/stroke type. The best within each designation are those that finished highest in overall score with respect to toe hang/stroke type.
Q: How much does subjective feedback like looks, sound and feel factor into your rankings?
A: ZERO. Our rankings are based purely on total putt counts and quantifiable performance metrics. We include subjective notes only because readers have asked for more feedback directly from the testers.
Q: Will you publish a mallet putter test?
A: Yes, those results will be published in the coming weeks.
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