If you follow releases and developments in golf equipment, chances are you have seen the terms toe hang and face balanced occasionally come up. The face-balanced putter is a very popular design that has a putter face that will point straight toward the sky when you hold it on its balance point.
The face-balanced putter stays very stable and square during the stroke and will be a smart solution for the straight back straight, through putting stroke. If you have considered a face-balanced putter in the past, we have tested and researched the best putters on the market.
Best Face Balanced Putters: Our Top Picks
Best Overall: Cobra King Vintage Nova
Budget Pick: Wilson Staff Buckingham Infinite
Best Feel: Ping Mundy Putter
Best Premium: Titleist Scotty Cameron Phantom X9
Best Value: TaylorMade Spider Tour Black Double Bend
Best Overall: Cobra King Vintage Nova
The Cobra King Vintage Nova is a premium-feeling adjustable putter with excellent stability and a Cobra Connect Grip.
- SIK Aluminum Face insert for better roll
- Adjustable weighting
- Cobra connect system to check on progress
- Large club head will take a bit of time to get used to
After all the face-balanced putters that we tried, the Cobra King Vintage Nova quickly became the favorite. The reason that this putter stands out is its stability and consistency. Cobra took a little while to become a top putter company, but they have now made it.
One of our favorite features of the Cobra King Vintage Nova is the adjustable weight system. The putter has two 20g adjustable weights. Keep in mind that the weights are sold separately. For the extra costs, the weights are worth it.
The 304 stainless steel holds up quite well over time. When standing over the Cobra King Vintage Nova, your view of the hole is very clear. If you are concerned with stability and proper weighting in a face-balanced putter, this is certainly one to consider.
Budget Pick: Wilson Staff Buckingham Infinite
The Wilson Staff Buckingham Infinite is a premium feeling putter with a dark anti-glare finish, face-balanced technology, and fair pricing.
- Dark anti-glare finish
- Improved sight lines
- Consistent impact feel and position
- Doesn't have quite the same soft feel that something like Cobra or Scotty Cameron offers
One of the best things about the Wilson Staff INfinite Buckingham Putter is that it stays balanced and controlled the entire time you are swinging it. Even if you wanted to rotate this putter head, it’s hard to do. The putter may look a little large and bulky, but it sits really nicely on the putting green.
Counterbalanced technology also allows the balance point on the putter to be a bit closer to the hands. This results in a face that is square but the weight of a putter that feels smooth and controlled as you swing.
If you are interested in consistent impact and impressive distance control for a fair price, the Wilson Staff Buckingham is a great option to consider. You will have a hard time finding a true face-balanced putter for a better deal than this one.
Best Feel: Ping Mundy Putter
The Ping Mundy Putter has a soft feel and some of the best acoustics in a face balanced putter.
- Brand new release with face balanced technology
- Highly forgiving putter
- Improved alignment lines
- Soft feeling insert
- The fair release price for a Ping putter
- No center-shafted option in this model
Ping has been on a mission over the last few years to create putters that are more forgiving. Let’s face it almost every golfer could benefit from a little help putting greens. This particular design, the 2023 Mundy putter, is a brand-new technology with a PEBAX insert.
The PEBAX insert helps improve not only the overall feel of the putter but also the sound. When players get an experience like this with a premium putter, it is something they will want to repeat.
The alignment lines on the Ping Mundy putter are the same width as the golf ball. Instead of lining up a tiny stripe, you get a large strip that is very easy to look at and will help improve overall consistency.
Ping works hard not just on the interior technology, like the soft inserts but also on the look of the putter. As we know, feeling confident about the putter you have in your hand will only help you become a more accomplished putter.
Best Premium: Titleist Scotty Cameron Phantom X9
The Titleist Scotty Cameron Phantom X9 is a new release with some of the most premium technology on the market; with aircraft aluminum and stainless steel wings, the feel and precision of this putter are top-notch.
- A great looking putter head
- Putter face will point to the target
- Premium soft feel
- Available with adjustable weights
- An expensive putter
It may come as no surprise that the Scotty Cameron putter grabs the top spot for the best premium face-balanced putter on the market. This club uses only the best materials and research and development to become a very impressive and responsive premium putter.
One of the things that helps this Scotty Cameron putter stand out is consistency. It has a relatively soft feel and will react the same way each time you hit a shot. In addition, there are high-durability finishes and several different necks and hosel configurations to help you find the perfect match for your game.
With the Phantom, X9 expect very little face rotation during the entire stroke. There are adjustable weights for you to fine-tune the putter’s feel, but still, this putter face is made to face the target at all times. With the addition of the Pistolero Plus grip, each part of this high-end golf club is designed to help you succeed on the course.
Best Value: TaylorMade Spider Tour Black Double Bend
The TaylorMade Spider Tour Black Double Bend is a modern mallet face balanced putter with a Pure Roll insert to capitalize on a smooth and reactive feel.
- High MOI design
- The face will stay square to path
- Pure roll insert for better topspin
- The overall look is not as nice as some newer Spider putters
Most golfers don’t expect to see a TaylorMade Spider putter in the best value category. However, remember that when we talk about the value, it’s not just about the total price of the putter; it’s the price combined with what the putter is capable of.
This club is made with a lightweight 6061 aluminum core and paired with a 304 stainless steel frame. The results are a high MOI and a face that stays square to the path. In addition, the Pure Roll insert gives a soft and responsive feel.
We like the addition of PU foam in the body and frame. Essentially there is very little vibration in the club head. This is certainly not the cheapest face-balanced putter. However, the technology you get for the money is pretty impressive.
What to Consider When Buying a Face-Balanced Putter
Now that you have five of the best face-balanced putters on the market, here are a few things to keep in mind as you shop for a new putter this year.
Pricing
One of the things to keep in mind here is that the face-balanced putters are often large mallet-style putters. This is not a bad thing, but it does sometimes increase the pricing you pay for these clubs. Unfortunately, large mallet designs like this are more money.
Expect to pay anywhere from $175 to $500 for a face-balanced putter. However, if you are able to use your headcover and take care of the club well, it should last you much longer than other clubs in your bag.
Putter Length
Putters come standard in 33, 34, and 35 inches. Taller golfers should be sure they are playing with a face-balanced putter that is long enough for their height. If you don’t have a putter that is the proper length, expect that your consistency will be off.
Alignment Technology
Alignment technology not only impacts whether you can get the ball on the proper line it also will change the top-down look. From the top down, many players want to see a thick line that points directly to the target. When setting up to hit and then when swinging, the club alignment technology can impact both the physical and mental sides of putting.
Insert vs. Milled Design
An insert typically has a softer feel than a milled putter. However, some golfers like the feel of a milled putter better than the soft-feeling insert. Either option is effective on the putting green; the key is to find what works for you.
With the large and sometimes heavy weight of a face-balanced mallet-style putter, it can be wise to look into the insert technology of the club and what it offers.
Blade vs. Mallet
A blade and a mallet putter can both be face balanced. However, it is much more common to find a mallet-style putter that has face-balanced technology.
If you are a golfer with a straight back and straight-through putting style, learning to swing with a mallet putter can be rather helpful.
The stroke becomes simpler, and players can use the putter to help them stay on the proper path throughout the entire stroke. Lower handicap golfers tend to like the blade-style face-balanced putters a bit better, but there is nothing stopping a higher handicapper from using one.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are a few of the most commonly asked questions about the best face-balanced putters on the market. Regardless of your playing ability, there is likely going to be an option out there that works for your game.
A face-balanced putter is one that faces toward the sky when held at its balance point. The face-balanced putter is best for golfers that want to keep the putter head straight back and straight through throughout the stroke.
A face-balanced putter is very stable and will stay square to the target during your entire stroke. With very little, if any, head rotation in the club, the advantage here is a putter that does not lose its path to the target at any point.
Face-balanced putters can come in both blade and mallet-style designs. However, the mallet style is much easier to find. Most golfers that play with a blade-style putter like to have some sort of rotation of the face of the putter.
Putters with more toe hang are designed for golfers that like to rotate the putter head open on the backswing and then square it up as they get through the ball. The toe hang helps golfers close the putter and bring it back to square.
A putter fitting will help you determine which putter is best for your needs. However, if you take a look at your putting stroke and notice that it is more of an arc style or a straight back straight, through style, you can determine which putter is best for you.
Plenty of professionals will use face-balanced putters. Although face-balanced putters are often considered to be forgiving and have high MOI, this is more about the style of your putting than your ability level as a golfer.
Final Thoughts
At this point, you should know if you need a face balanced and have a bit better idea as to which one could work best for your game. There are some great options out there for face-balanced putters.
However, the Cobra King Vintage Nova was our favorite. This club has a great feel, impressive consistency, and even has the option for adjustability. In the end, if your putting stroke is straight back and straight through and you don’t currently have a face-balanced putter, you are missing out on technology that can help your game.
