***If you’re looking for the most recent reviews for 2023 gear, we will be updating this page in the summer after we’ve had a chance to review them!
If you’re in a hurry and just want to know our top choices, here they are:
The shortest, simplest, and most direct route between any two points is a straight line. If life and golf have taught us anything, then we know that it is best to keep things simple and keep them repeatable.
There are 2 basic putting strokes, an arced stroke and a straight through stroke. Of the 2, the straight through stroke is a simpler and more direct stroke because there is less movement in the swing in general.
You simply take the club straight back, hit the ball at a 90-degree angle, and allow the finish to go through the ball with no curve or arc. For beginners, high handicappers, and most mid handicappers the straight through putting stroke is a better place to start.
At the same time, many pro and low handicap golfers who want to keep their putting game simple also use a straight through stroke.
For those golfers who prefer the straight back, straight through stroke, a face balanced putter is extremely important. Face balanced putters are weighted evenly across the face of the club so that if you were to hold it in your hand it would balance straight up and down.
They have high MOI so that the club remains straight through contact and the ball will go down the chosen path. As you continue reading you will see a description and review of the best face balanced putters on the market.
These putters will help keep your stroke simple and your ball straight.
Best Face Balanced Putter in 2022 Reviewed
Odyssey Triple Track 10
The Odyssey Triple Track 10 is a high MOI, face balanced putter with a lot of great features. The first thing you notice is the size of the putter head. While it is big, it does not feel bulky or oversized when you grip it, and it looks great at setup. The angles and alignment aids are second to none. The shape of the club gives you great sight lines and when you are setting up and getting ready to align your putt, you feel nothing but confidence that the ball is going to start where and how you want it to.
The microhinge star insert that gives this a firmer feel and great distance control. This putter gives you a high MOI, a huge sweet spot, really soft feel, and maybe the best alignment aids of any putter on this list. It is setup and weighted perfectly for a straight through swing and will help you get your putting game where you want it to be.
Pros
- Excellent alignment aids.
- Great sight lines and a visually appealing look at setup.
- High MOI makes sure the club will not twist.
- Great weighting in the hands and head of the club give it a natural feel and make it really easy to control tempo.
- The size of the club head makes alignment a breeze and helps to make consistently good contact.
- A huge sweet spot.
- Microhinge star insert that gives you a firmer feel and a truer roll.
- Great distance control and consistency.
Cons
- The club head on many oversized mallets are too big for some golfers.
- It is one of the more expensive options.
- The alignment aids work best with Callaway Triple Track golf balls and some golfers may be loyal to other brands.
Mizuno M Craft 3
A mid mallet putter that is face balanced and has a high MOI, the Mizuno M Craft 3 is a really good putter. The weight kit makes this putter customizable to your swing or to the course you are playing that day. The face is precision CNC milled giving you a really soft feel and a very pure roll.
It is forged from mild carbon steel, and the Mizuno forging process is legendary for producing some of the softest feel of any other club on the market. The mid mallet design makes it one of the smaller putters on this list, and a lot of golfers will like the compact size combined with the high MOI and face balanced weighting. The alignment aids are not as numerous as some other putters, but the single line behind the logo and even with the ball is really effective in aligning the clubhead.
Pros
- High MOI and maximum forgiveness but with a really soft feel.
- More compact club head.
- The single alignment aid is simple, easy to use, and highly effective.
- 3 different color finish options including a cobalt blue that looks great and is not distracting.
- Precision CNC milling produces a really soft feel and a consistent roll.
- The forging process adds to the feel and look of the club.
- The accompanying weight kit adds some customization options.
- Very stable through contact.
- Gets the ball rolling quickly and with great distance control.
Cons
- Mizuno is not a traditional powerhouse in the putting game.
- Smaller head than other mallets but larger than a blade so it can be a kind of “tweener” club.
TaylorMade Truss TB2
The phrase “revolutionary design” is used to describe golf equipment a lot more often than it should be. Usually these “revolutionary changes” come about in the world of irons and drivers because most putters are very similar save for a feature or two. The TaylorMade Truss, however, is a little different than really anything we have seen on the market before. When you are standing over a putt, it really looks like a blade putter. When you hold it out, it looks like an oversized mallet.
But if you study it for a few minutes you notice that it is none of those things. The design, while the term “revolutionary” does not yet fit, is different and it is a welcomed change. When you use the putter, you feel like you are getting the best of both worlds. It has the look of a blade with the alignment aid of a mallet. It has high MOI but a really soft feel. The hosel design gives it a lot of stability while the cobalt blue pure roll insert both looks great and gives you a consistent and pure roll. All-in-all this is a very interesting concept and a very effective putter.
Pros
- The “truss” hosel design gives you one of the most stable putters through impact that you will find.
- A high MOI means that your ball will start on target.
- A huge sweet spot.
- Pure Roll insert is a cobalt blue color that looks great while the insert itself provides a really pure roll and gets the end over end motion started very quickly.
- Adjustable sole weights makes the club customizable.
- The hosel is connected to the topline at 2 distinct points to reduce unsupported mass and promote stability at impact.
- Very easy alignment with the side wings and the line behind the logo.
- Looks like a blade when you are standing over the ball.
- Gives you some of the best features of different types of putters.
Cons
- An expensive option.
- Not quite a mallet, not quite a blade.
- The design is a little too different for some golfers.
Ping Heppler Piper C
The Ping Heppler Piper C has a couple of features that are distinct and different from the other putters on this list. The first is that the shaft lengths are actually adjustable from 32 inches to 36 inches. Why is this important? The majority of club fitters in America report that the vast majority of the golfers that they fit for clubs are never fitted for their putter. That means that the club that golfers hit at least twice as much as any other club in their bag is just one they picked up off of the shelf.
That also means that a lot of golfers are using a putter that is either too short or too long for them so the adjustable length of this shaft is extremely important and valuable for a putter. The other somewhat distinct characteristic is that the Heppler Piper C was designed for a firm feel and sound rather than soft. The focus of this club is extreme forgiveness, high MOI, and optimal center of gravity for accuracy and consistency.
Pros
- The adjustable length shaft can be very helpful for many golfers.
- Designed for a firm feel and optimal roll.
- The club features supreme forgiveness.
- The center of gravity is set for accuracy and consistency in distance and roll.
- A very high MOI means no twisting at impact.
- The face balanced weighting is very accurate and consistent.
- A really good price for the features.
- The smaller head is great for a lot of golfers.
- It looks and feels like a high quality putter.
- The contrast of colors is visually appealing and helps with alignment.
- A solid machined face provides the firm feel and consistent roll.
Cons
- Many golfers prefer the softer feel in a putter.
- The MOI is not as high as some of the others on this list.
Odyssey Triple Track 2 Ball
Another very accurate and very easy to align putter from the Odyssey family. This putter uses a new microhinge star insert to produce a firmer feel and sound with the same roll benefits that you find in the traditional white hot insert. This is a very straightforward putter that is setup for a very straightforward stroke and it provides key stability and forgiveness to make that stroke work. The MOI in this club is really high as the oversized mallet clubhead is weighted so that the club will not twist at impact.
In fact, the face balanced weighting gives you a huge sweet spot and a lot of stability throughout your stroke. The key to the Odyssey Triple Track family of putters, however, is the alignment. You can have everything else right and align your shot incorrectly and you end up with a bad putt. Everything about the design of this club aids in the alignment so that you know you are aiming at the target you chose and that you will consistently be correctly aligned.
Pros
- Great alignment aids so that you know the ball is starting on the right line.
- The first thing you notice about this club is the size of the clubhead, and that is great for MOI and alignment.
- The lines and design of the club help with your sight lines and they just look good standing over the ball.
- The roll is very consistent.
- The end over end movement starts almost at impact.
- The firmer feel and sound is great for many golfers.
- When your alignment is taken care of, your distance is consistent, and your forgiveness is one of the best, then you can stop thinking about those things and focus on what you can control in your putting.
Cons
- We prefer the white hot insert for the softer feel.
- Need to use the Callaway Triple Track ball for better results.
- The club head is too large and the shape is too different for some golfers.
Wilson Staff Infinite The Bean
The Wilson Staff Infinite “The Bean” putter actually does look a little bit like a bean. The truth is, this putter really performs well and especially for the price. It has a double milled face for consistency, a pure roll, and soft feel. It has counterbalanced weighting where the balance point is moved closer to the hands for more control and a better swing tempo.
The new grip is great and flexible depending on what you prefer. In general, this is a high MOI putter that is easy to align and offers high end forgiveness. On top of that, the black matte finish looks great and prevents glare on a sunny day. The alignment lines are great and the slightly smaller profile means that more golfers will try the putter out.
Pros
- A really good putter for the price.
- High MOI club with a soft feel.
- The precision CNC milled face gives you a consistent roll and great distance control.
- 3 alignment lines across the clubhead help with alignment.
- A very forgiving putter.
- Good sight lines.
- The smaller profile is appealing to many.
- The counter weighting towards the hands make it easier to control and promote better tempo.
Cons
- Does not have the same look or feel as some of the more expensive options.
- The shape does not aid in alignment much and the overall alignment aids are not as good or effective as many of the other clubs.
- The ball skids across the green a little more before it gets into its roll.
What Is a Face Balanced Putter?
A face balanced putter is one whose weight is centered evenly through the face of the putter. The picture at the top of this section compares how face balanced putters are weighted with a traditional blade or toe hang putter. Notice how the face balanced putter on the right sits straight up and down while the other slants to one side.
The weighting of a face balanced putter makes it the perfect putter for a straight through putting technique. It provides a high MOI so that there is no twisting on contact, it leads the club directly forward rather than in an arced motion, and transfers energy from the club face to the ball efficiently and effectively for a straight through stroke.
There are basically 2 putting strokes (arced and straight through) and 2 systems of weighting (toe weighted and face balanced) for putters.
If you use an arced stroke where the club face opens and closes before and after contact, then you need a toe weighted putter.
If you use a straight forward, straight through stroke, then you need a face balanced putter to maximize your stroke.
Advantages Of a Face Balanced Putter
The main advantage of a face balanced putter is that it is weighted and setup for a straight through putting stroke. If your putting stroke is arced, then find a toe weighted putter for optimal performance. Here are a couple of other advantages:
Simplicity. The straight through stroke is just the simple way to putt. There are less moving parts, center strikes are more common, and there is generally more stability with face balanced putters than what you find in toe weighted putters. In general, simple is better.
Stability. The stability comes from the moment of impact and after. With face balanced putters, you swing straight through the ball with no twisting or arc and you finish straight through as well. The motion alone is a more stable movement, but face balanced putters have less propensity to twist at impact and transfer energy better.
Forgiveness. Because of the way you swing a face balanced putter, there is already greater forgiveness. Not to mention the fact that the balancing being centered on the clubface stretches the sweet spot across the hitting surface.
Ease. It is hard to argue that one putting stroke and weighting is better than another, but the ease of use, repeatability, and consistency edge has to go to the simpler design and simpler stroke.
Our Choice
Best Overall: Odyssey Triple Track 10
This oversized mallet design provides very high end MOI and top notch consistency and stability to your putting stroke.
We have chosen the Odyssey Triple Track 10 putter as the best face balanced putter for those reasons, but the alignment aids that this club provides really set it apart. Knowing that you are aimed exactly where you want the putt to start sets your mind at ease and allows those other features to take over. This club can really turn your putting game around and take some strokes off of your final score.
Most Affordable: Wilson Staff Infinite The Bean
The Wilson Staff Infinite The Bean putter is the least expensive option on the list but has many of the same features. It is the only price point that starts at less than $100.
