balancing putter on finger

While there are hundreds of putter styles, they all fall into one of two categories: face-balanced or toe-weighted. It’s important to know the difference to determine which type will work best with your stroke.


With the shaft balanced on a finger, the face of a face-balanced putter will be parallel to the ground, pointing skyward; the toe of a toe-weighted putter will hang at an angle toward the ground.

Toe-weighted putters are recommended for golfers whose strokes follow an arching path, also known as an “inside-square-inside” or “swinging gate” stroke (a la Phil Mickelson). Face-balanced putters are the best choice if your stroke directly follows the target line in a straight-back, straight-through path (like Steve Stricker).

face balanced putter

A little more about the benefits of face-balanced putters:

• The center of gravity is directly in line with the shaft’s axis, so a center-face hit produces no twisting (which can cause putts to wobble off target).

• Greater head stability helps on short putts.

• If a player’s stroke has too much rotation – open going back, closed going through – a face-balanced putter may reduce this action and improve consistency.

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Traditional, Mid-Length/Belly & Long Putters