As a mid handicapper, you likely see lots of information about face balanced putters, forgiving putters, adjustable putters, and more. All of that is great, but which one is made for your golf game?
I can tell you, after testing dozens of putters this year, there are some significant differences from one putter to the next.
We have gathered a group of putters that will help you become more consistent and confident on the greens. Take a look at the 8 best putters for mid handicappers in 2023.
What a Mid Handicapper Should Look for in a Putter
Mid handicappers make up a large portion of the golfing population, so there will be dozens of putters marketed towards the mid handicapper. However, the significant differences between each of these putters matter from a performance standpoint.
Here’s what every mid handicapper should understand before they invest in a new golf putter.
MOI (Forgiveness)
The acronym MOI stands for moment of inertia, and it is a fancy way of saying forgiveness. Forgiveness in a putter head will help you become more consistent.
Although you may not think missed hits in putting are as common as in other areas of the game, they most certainly are. When you watch your golf putting stroke in slow motion, it’s amazing to see how much each stroke varies.
Putters with higher MOI tend to have the center of gravity moved towards the face of the club. This helps to keep the ball down when contact is made and ensures the roll is more solid.
Seeing a golf ball roll end over end is typically a sign that it was a good stroke and it will end up near the hole. Don’t be afraid to use a putter with a high MOI; it won’t take away from feel or accuracy.
Blade vs. Mallet Putters
Mid handicappers can choose between blade or mallet putters. If one was better than the other, we would tell you. I tend to like blade putters better for the lower handicappers and mallet putters a bit more for high handicappers.
However, with mid handicappers, you have the best of both worlds.
If your putting stroke is a bit more of an arc style, consider the blade putter. If you are more of a straight-back straight-through golfer, the mallet putter head is a better choice.
Choose based on the stroke preferences. Many great putter manufacturers like Odyssey and Cobra will make both a mallet and blade version of their top putters. You won’t miss out on technology by choosing one over the other.
Alignment
Distance control is important in putting, but alignment is the other half of the battle. A putt with a perfect speed that is not lined up correctly is never going to make it in the hole.
Try to narrow down whether you struggle with distance control or alignment in your golf game. If it is alignment, look for a mallet style putter that has longer alignment lines.
These alignment lines make it easier to visualize the proper line to the hole and which way you need to adjust. Add a step to your pre-shot routine and get your ball on this line. Combining all these pieces should lead to a shot that goes into the hole!
Weight
Putter weight is a critical consideration. I personally prefer a bit of a heavier putter. The heavier feel in the putter head sometimes makes me feel less likely to use my hands and more likely to use my shoulders and arms in the stroke.
The weight of the putter can vary from one manufacturer to another. We also know that the actual weight and the feel are two different things in golf.
This is why looking at putters with adjustability may help. Being able to fine-tune the club head weight should make it easier to find a putter that is an exact fit for your game.
Keep in mind that by using a bit of lead tape, you can adjust the weight of your putter to fit the needs of your golf game.
Feel
Feel can be a personal preference that will change from one mid handicapper to the next. Some golfers like a softer feel in their putter, which comes off the clubface a bit slower. Others want a firm and fast feel.
One unfortunate thing about the world of golf putters is that when a putter has a higher price tag, chances are it has a better feel.
Multi material putters with impressive technology tend to have the best feel on the market. However, we can’t complain about the feel of any putter that made out a list of the best putters for mid handicappers; each has a unique and distinct feel that should appeal to mid handicappers.
Pricing
Putters range in price from around $50 to more than $500. Most mid handicappers look to stay in the $150 to $250 range.
We know that is much more than you may have had to spend a few years ago, but it’s important to remember how important a putter is and how often you use it. The pricing is well worth it for a club you will use (hopefully only once!) on every hole.
Longevity
Putters last a long time!
In fact, if you buy a great putter and take good care of it, there is nothing stopping you from keeping it in the bag for 15 years. How many golf clubs in your bag have relevant technology that will last for 15 years?
Not many.
Take your time choosing a putter and go with a brand name in which you have some confidence. This club can be with you for a long time, and getting comfortable and confident with a great putter is the fastest way to go from mid handicapper to low handicapper.
8 Best Putters for Mid Handicappers
Cobra King Vintage Nova (Best Overall)
Top pick
Cobra King Vintage Nova Putter
Classic blade shape is constructed using 304 Stainless Steel and features a single sightline to improve alignment at address. Aluminum face insert utilizes 4 descending lofts to ensure the most consistent and accurate roll for every style of putting stroke.
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Pros
- Impressive 304 stainless steel putter head
- Sik Aluminum Face Insert
- Adjustable weighting system
- Cobra Connect Technology
- Clean lines and coloring help it stand out from others on the market
Cons
- It will take a little while to dial in the weighting that works for your game
The Cobra King Vintage Nova is our favorite putter for mid handicappers. The time Cobra spent working on the technology that this putter provides is incredibly impressive. Truthfully, Cobra has done a great job in the driver, hybrid, and fairway space for quite some time, but this putter technology is a step outside of the norm.
With the Cobra King Vintage Nova, you will benefit from an adjustable weight system to help dial in stability and feel. Something that more and more putters are moving towards.
In addition, each of the putters features a Cobra Connect grip to help you track your putting stats. Mid handicappers who want lower scores can benefit from technology like this.
The descending loft technology on the face of the putter is what makes this club so accurate from the five and ten foot range. If you feel like making more ten-footers would help your score (trust us, it will!), this is an excellent putter to try.
Odyssey White Hot OG 2 Ball (Best Feel)
Pros
- Original White Hot formulation
- Silver PVD finish
- DFX rubber grip for a better feel
- Stroke lab shaft options available
Cons
- The putter head can feel a little bulky at first
The Odyssey White Hot OG 2 Ball offers the best feel for mid handicappers. When the first Odyssey putters came out, golfers couldn’t get enough of them. However, as technology has improved and changed, the original White Hot Formulation was lost.
Bringing it back was a smart decision on the part of Odyssey. The club has an excellent feel, an impressive silver PVD finish, fine milling on the face, and the tour-proven Stroke Lab shaft option.
Even with this new insert and the great feel, our favorite feature of this putter is still the alignment. Visualizing the two golf balls going toward the hole is a great mental picture to have right before you take your putting stroke.
TaylorMade Spider Tour Black (Best For Consistency)
Pros
- High moment of inertia
- Heavy 304 stainless steel frame for better weighting
- Great for the straight back straight through strokes
- Vibration damping
Cons
- No adjustable weighting
- Not the newest Spider model
The TaylorMade Spider Tour Black is a tour proven golf putter that more mid handicappers should take advantage of. This is a high MOI golf putter with impressive roll and stability. You will find that the alignment on the putter head makes it really easy to get this one set up toward the hole.
With the Spider Tour Black, vibration damping PU foam is installed in the putter head. The putter head may be large and bulky looking, but it has some of the best feel in the game when you strike the ball.
In addition, the TaylorMade Spider Tour Black comes with the SuperStroke GTR 1.0 Grip. This is larger than the standard grip and designed to keep the hands out of the putting stroke.
If you are a golfer that misses one short, long, left, or right, and you never know which way it’s going, the TaylorMade Spider Tour Black is a good choice.
PXG HellCat Straight (Best Affordable Blade)
Pros
- Pyramid Face Pattern on the club face
- Alignment aid is easy to see
- Heavy putter head for faster greens
Cons
- Not as much forgiveness as others on the market
PXG is a brand that initially stated it would only make the most premium and expensive clubs in the game. Since then, they have released an entire value line that is a perfect fit for a mid handicapper that doesn’t want to spend too much.
The PXG HellCat Straight is an affordable blade putter with a 365 gram putter head. One of the things that helps this putter stand out is the impressive Pyramid Face Pattern technology. With this technology, expect the ball to roll off the clubface consistently; there is no skid or jump when contact is made.
Smooth is a great way to describe this PXG HellCat blade putter. If your short game lacks that smooth and consistent feel, this is a good affordable blade to try.
Wilson Harmonized M3 (Best Budget Putter)
Pros
- Easy to line up
- Nice midsize putter grip
- Face insert for a softer feel
Cons
- Feel is not the best on the market
- No options for adjustable weighting
- Won’t be the best looking for all putters for mid handicappers
Not every golfer has $400 to spend on a new putter; we get that!
The Wilson Harmonized M3 is one of the best cheap putters on the market. This club is easy to line up, has impressive alignment capability, and is a very accurate putter. I won’t tell you that the feel is as great as a Scotty Cameron or an Odyssey; however, for the price, it’s pretty good.
A face insert in the M3 is made of a soft polymer material that helps create a softer feel at impact. Many cheap putters can feel like you are hitting a rock, so this is a positive feature.
The bottom line here is that for golfers on a budget, the Wilson Harmonized M3 certainly won’t set your putting game back, and there is a good chance it can improve it.
Wilson Infinite Buckingham (Best Value)
Pros
- Really impressive value
- Ultra dark PVD finish
- Anti-glare finish
- Great distance control technology
Cons
- Inside five feet, the putter can feel like it pulls a bit left
The Wilson Infinite Buckingham is one of the putters I recommend the most for mid handicappers that are looking for great value. This is a step up from the Wilson Harmonized M3, as it has a really impressive feel and some great consistency.
In addition, it’s hard not to like the ultra-dark PVD finish and the top down look of the putter. This club has really great performance from the five to fifteen-foot range. Inside five feet, it can feel as though it pulls a little left, but it’s something you can easily adjust to.
The putter sits nice and flat on the surface and allows for a very light feel in the hands. This is a counterbalanced putter design to allow for a smooth and consistent stroke.
Cleveland Golf HB Soft Premier (Best Looking)
Pros
- Two different grip options to choose from
- Diamond CNC milling pattern
- Speed optimized technology
- Gray satin finish for less glare
Cons
- Some golfers find the putter face to be a bit too soft
- May have to hit it a bit harder on a really slow green
If someone tells you that looks don’t matter on a putter head, they are wrong. The look of the putter absolutely matters, and it can really help you if you need more confidence on the green.
Cleveland had some great success with the Huntington Beach putters, but the HB Soft helped to tone down the feel at impact just a bit, and this was a good thing.
The putter face has a diamond CNC milling pattern for increased friction. This increase in friction helps the ball roll smoother off the face of the club and eliminate any of those bumps or jumps that many mid handicappers end up with.
In addition, Cleveland is great about its pricing, and they start out with a fair price and then lower as the season goes on.
Odyssey Golf Eleven Putter Triple Track (Best Premium)
Pros
- Advanced forgiveness
- Impressive accuracy
- Increased stability over Oddsey Ten putters
- Less chance of heel and toe miss hits
Cons
- One of the higher-priced putters on the market
Some mid handicaps are on a mission to get their game to the next level. Sometimes, having the best equipment on the market will help that happen. The Odyssey Golf Eleven Putter Triple Track design is a premium mallet putter head with all the technology you could ask for.
This putter is built for the mid handicapper that wants help with alignment. It also has some of the best sound and feel. When you hit a putter like this compared to a cheap putter, the feel is where you will notice the most difference in performance.
The original White Hot Formulation is included in the putter head, and it is incredibly stable at impact. Players will be able to line the ball up and take a straight back and straight through putting stroke with complete confidence.
The sweet spot is large, and consistency and precision are impressive with this Odyssey in your hands.
Brittany Olizarowicz
Britt O has been playing golf since the age of 7. Almost 30 years later, she still loves the game, has played competitively on every level, and spent a good portion of her life as a Class A PGA Professional. Britt currently resides in Savannah, GA, with her husband and two young children.