Although the mallet putter has been around almost since the birth of the game, its presence has almost always been met with the same type of reaction from golfers. “Sure, they’re probably easier to putt with, but the look … “
The voices trailing off need to go no further. The large backsides of mallets can make them look like an Army destroyer at best and a science-fair project gone wrong at worst—even if they can be a thing of beauty to those using them.
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That’s starting to change because today’s mallets are far from giant hunks of metal on the end of a stick. These putters are a well thought out marriage of materials, mechanical engineering and biophysics brought together in an effort to keep off-center hits near the hole on approach putts and the missed three-footer a shocking event instead of a common occurrence. A large part of the reason is that most mallets today push weight behind the face to the back of the putter, thus increasing the inertia (or stability) along that line. Manufacturers, however, have finally found a way to do so in shapes that don’t leave the golfer recoiling in horror when setting down the clubhead behind the ball.
A large part of making that happen has been the ability to make mallets more compact without sacrificing performance. The original TaylorMade Spider and Scotty Cameron Phantom models were positively massive but are now considerably sleeker, upping their appeal. Add in the alignment benefit (mallets scored nearly a full point higher in our alignment vector ratings than did blades) and the increasing appeal of mallets becomes evident.
Some, in fact, are downright attractive. Shane Popham, a veteran Hot List tester, found the Odyssey Ai One Milled 7T CH to be “Regal, elegant. I like how the fang lines angled toward the ground minimize the profile so it’s not flat and chunky. It centers my eyeline.”
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How cool have mallets become? Consider all 10 of the top 10 players on the World Ranking use a mallet. That doesn’t happen if they can’t stomach the appearance.
Still, some look better than others. The Ai One Milled series was one of five mallet series to achieve a look score of 3.9 out of five or higher in our criteria of Look among our 32 testers. Below is the entire group in alphabetical order.
Save for laterOdysseyAi-One Milled$450|Golf Galaxy 5.0 GD SCOREGD HOT LIST SCOREHot List Gold$450A thin titanium face insert creates micro-deflections to improve off-center impacts to roll as well as center strikes.New head styles include takes on the popular Jailbird open-mallet shape.Designers used AI and machine learning to explore more than 2,000 design versions to develop the face insert’s asymmetrical thickness pattern to improve off-center speed and roll for greater consistency.A longer and heavier “Cruiser” version is available for those looking to reduce hand action during their strokes.Top 5 in Performance, middle- and high-handicapsModels: 2-Ball T, Eight T, Eleven T, Jailbird Mini T, Rossie V T, Seven T DB/S, Six T, Jailbird T Versa 90. Head weights: 360, 380. Lengths: 33, 34, 35, 38. Loft: 3 degreesBUY NOW DETAILS
Save for laterPingPLD Milled$450|Golf Galaxy 4.5 GD SCOREGD HOT LIST SCOREHot List Gold$450The heads range from smaller blade-like mallets (DS72, Prime Tyne 4) to larger but traditionally shaped options (Ally Blue 4, Oslo) to fit different player types.The DS72 is designed for a straight stroke, but most of the line fits strokes with some degree of arc, even the larger Ally Blue and Oslo.The designs got insight from Ping’s engineers working with its tour staff.The deeper-etched milling enhances the softer feel.The use of multiple materials frees up mass for stability weighting in the perimeter, particularly the steel sole plate on the aluminum body of the Ally Blue 4 and the lightweight aluminum hosel on the Oslo models.The precision CNC milling process takes between 75 and 100 minutes per head, which are made from 303 stainless steel.Top 5 in Sound/Feel, middle-handicapsModels: Ally Blue 4, DS72, Oslo 3, Oslo 4, Prime Tyne 4. Head weights: 360, 365, 370, 375 grams. Length: 35 inches. Loft: 3 degreesBUY NOW DETAILS
Save for laterPXGBattle Ready II$390|Golf Galaxy 4.5 GD SCOREGD HOT LIST SCOREHot List Gold$390These high-stability models feature extra mass on the perimeter due to a hollow-body design.A polymer like the one used in the company’s irons fills the central interior of each design, providing a weight-saving soft, responsive feel.The filling supports a face barely the thickness of a dime to save weight, dampen vibration and improve stability on off-center hits compared to last year’s version.Four hosel/neck options and an array of screw weights offer a range of flexible options for each head to fit different stroke types and player preferences.Top 5 in Performance, high-handicapsModels: Apache, Bat Attack, Blackjack, Hercules, One and Done. Head weights: 330-460 grams. Lengths: custom. Loft: 3 degrees (7 degrees on armlock).BUY NOW DETAILS
Save for laterTaylorMadeSpider Tour$350|Golf Galaxy 5.0 GD SCOREGD HOT LIST SCOREHot List Gold$350The square-ish designs feature extreme heel and toe weighting for maximum forgiveness as well as two neck styles and different centers of gravity to better accommodate arcing and straight strokes.The thin-wall casting method allows saved weight from the crown and sidewalls to be redistributed for more stability on off-center hits.A thermoplastic rubber positioned behind the face, previously used in TaylorMade’s irons, minimizes vibration for a cleaner, crisper sound.The lightweight Surlyn face insert features grooves that angle downward to improves initial launch and roll to control unwanted backspin and initial skidding.Among the most popular mallet designs ever, Spider putters have been the preferred putter by Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy and scored 14 wins overall on the PGA Tour in 2024.The Tour S model comes in a heavier head for over-length setups, and a Black Series is now offered with a black PVD finish in the Tour, Tour X and Tour S models.Top 5 in Performance, all handicapsModels: Tour, Tour X, Tour S, Tour Z, Tour V. Head weights: 345-380 grams. Lengths: 33, 34, 35, 38 inches. Loft: 3 degreesBUY NOW DETAILS
Save for laterTitleistScotty Cameron Phantom$450|Golf Galaxy 5.0 GD SCOREGD HOT LIST SCOREHot List Gold$450This broad collection features multiple styles offering high stability plus various neck/hosel orientations to fit the gamut of stroke types and player preferences.The lineup includes models in milled 303 stainless steel and milled 6061 aluminum with a weight-saving aluminum sole plate that allows mass to be distributed to the perimeter for increased stability.New markings and angles provide a renewed emphasis on alignment.Dual milling on the face enhances consistency in sound and roll. This includes a deeper mill for softer feel to start, then a mid-mill for more consistent feel and roll.Top 5 in Performance, low- and middle-handicapsModels: 5, 5s, 5.5, 7, 7.5, 9, 9.5, 11, 11.5. Head weights: 345, 355, 365 grams. Lengths: 33-35 inches. Lofts: 3.5 degreesBUY NOW DETAILS
