Best Putters for Beginners of 2022

Beginning golfers' putters almost always fall into one of two categories. Either your putter is an afterthought that came in a complete set or as a hand-me-down; or it's the result of an over-obsessive search. Yes, your putter is arguably the most important club in your bag, but as you're beginning in golf, it doesn't have to be perfect. 

Ideally, you should find yourself somewhere in the middle of those two categories. You should be intentional about which putter you look down at every round (and practice session), but understand that the putter you start out with doesn't have to stay in your bag forever. After all, no matter which putter you choose, you need the stroke to capitalize on the greens.

We weren’t shocked that a mallet putter took our best overall for beginners spot, but we were a little surprised that it came from Cleveland. You’ll find another Cleveland putter on this list, but the Frontline Cero putter hit us in all the right ways.

First, this putter promotes good habits in your putting stroke. It’s intended for a straight, no arc, putting stroke, but we found ourselves adapting to it rather than it to us. The rounded head is plenty big but not comically large like some mallets. Forgiveness was very good and we found it easy to get aligned each time thanks to the way the top is painted.

The oversized grip felt great and sets the tone for beginners to understand how a putter should feel in your hands. Without question, the Frontline Cero should be under consideration if you’re a beginner. The actual question is if you’ll ever want to get rid of it. 

Tour Edge has shown time and time again that it appeals to all levels of golfers. That's why everyone from the PGA Tour Champions all the way to first-time club buyers choose Tour Edge.

We came across a large collection called the HP Series, which has eight different putters. After testing them all, we really liked the Tour Edge HP Series 1 putter, which is a take on a standard blade. If you’re a beginner searching for a traditional-looking putter without a big price tag, this is an excellent choice.

Tour Edge was thoughtful with its design of these value putters. First, it has a nice dark to light contrast with the clubhead having a dark copper-gray finish against white alignment lines. The face insert is incredibly soft and definitely lets you feel when you miss the sweet spot. The HP Series 1 also has a larger grip which prevents players from getting too active with their hands in the putting stroke. At $80, this is a can’t-miss buy for any beginner.

If you had asked us if Top Flite would be on any equipment list, we probably would have said "nah." Then, we received a tip to check out their putters at our local Dick’s Sporting Goods and we were pleasantly surprised with the results. 

For $70, the Top Flite Gamer Alignment putter is a great flat stick to get your game going in the right direction. Its look, weight, feel, and value all exceeded our expectations. The head shape is very modern, and the alignment line is a really cool single tapering line from front to back. No additional confusion at the top, no weights, just a solid piece of equipment.

The urethane inset, while soft, didn’t wow us as much as it feels a bit “plasticky” at impact, but for 70 bucks, we’re not complaining. The double-bend hosel looks and feels good at address. This putter doesn’t take much getting used to.

The Huntington Beach Soft 14 is another putter from Cleveland that we feel is a no-brainer for the beginner golfer to demo. In fairness, any putter in this series fits the bill because of their amazing value. A milled putter for $150 that looks and feels like it should cost double? Sign us up.

RELATED: Tested & Reviewed: Cleveland Huntington Beach Soft Putters

We settled on the 14 model because it looks incredibly clean and inspires confidence over the ball. The round mallet has some incredible design work on the top which is interrupted only by a long, bold, black alignment line. Cleveland’s precision-milled face and Speed Optimized Face Technology help this putter feel incredible at impact. We also really liked how well it reacted from the fringe and even how it cut through a couple of inches of rough. It’s another putter that you can purchase right out of the gate and hold onto for many years ahead.

Pinemeadow is an online golf company that might not appeal to lower handicap players. However, if you’re a beginner or looking for value in a budget club, Pinemeadow is a viable option.

This PGX MB putter wouldn’t have been a consideration for us given that, depending on where you live, Pinemeadow clubs can be difficult to find in retail. While they are mostly sold at Dunhams Sports or online, a close friend offered his to demo and we were surprised by how good it felt. It’s not for the high-end shopper, but it definitely has a place on this list based on how good it feels in your hands and the attention to detail in the finishes.

Its alignment aids are bold and pop off of the black-colored head. The green and black color scheme stands out and carries up to the grip, which also has a nice medium between firm and squishy that we appreciated. Pinemeadow offers a custom fitting tool on its website, so a $50 flier on this putter is even less risky.

If you’re looking for the most forgiving putter, a mallet is indeed the best choice, and a similar version of this putter is one of the best mallet putters you can buy. For those who like a traditional blade putter and don’t mind spending a little more, start with the PING Anser putter.

It’s hard to argue with the company that invented this model which has been duplicated by seemingly every other golf equipment manufacturer. The PING Anser that we tested had a mid-sized pistol grip, which is the most common from PING. For a beginner, this setup teaches you how to feel the weight of the putter head and gives you the freedom to have a little arc in your stroke. At $280, it’s not cheap, but this putter could stay in your bag for a decade or longer. That’s just how PING putters go.

Since the first TaylorMade Spider was released in 2008, golfers of all abilities have gone nuts for updated versions. The 2022 installment, the TaylorMade Spider GT putter, is a fixture among the professional tours and among weekend warriors alike. For beginners, there’s no reason to not consider this putter.

It’s offered in solid black or a contrasting gray/black or red/black. We really like the look of the contrasting models as it helps with alignment. They’re available with a single bend (SB) or straight shaft, and there’s even a MySpider GT page where you can design your own and have it delivered to your doorstep.

What we really like for beginners, and where this Spider excels over its predecessors, is its stability. This putter is a rock that won’t come offline at any moment in your putting stroke. It delivers a consistent strike and is weighted perfectly. If it weren't for the steep $350 price, this would have been our best overall putter for beginners.

Odyssey has offered the Rossie putter in its lineup since 2006, and after all these years it still stands tall as a fantastic putter. This mid-mallet has gone through several changes but the Odyssey DFX Rossie putter is our pick for beginners.

If you’re looking for a proven, simplistic putter that’s bigger than a blade but not a large mallet, look no further. The DFX series has the softest insert ever made by Odyssey and, boy, can you feel it. Each putt feels like a pad of butter, in the best possible way. The all-black head is sleek and we like how much it cuts out glare from the sun. It’s no wonder Brandt Snedeker has played his Rossie for his entire pro career.