You might be wondering, with all the Tour players employing “zero torque” putters and OEMs putting new models on the market en masse, is a zero-torque putter right for you?
Just in the past month, Odyssey and Bettinardi have unveiled new zero torque putter models while L.A.B. Golf has added to its stable of “low torque” putters with the release of the OZ.1.
Zero-torque putters initially made their way on the PGA Tour with Adam Scott and Lucas Glover gaming L.A.B. Golf Mezz.1 putters and Justin Rose employing an Axis1 for the last several years.
While both of those brands have been on the market for more than five years, other manufacturers are now capitalizing on the trend. The zero torque design revolves around placing the center of gravity (CG) of the putter directly under the shaft axis, thus keeping the putter square throughout the stroke. This results in a putter that balances with the toe pointed up, rather than down (toe-hang), or parallel to the ground (face-balanced).
Bettinardi 2025 Antidote SB2 Custom Putter
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Back to the original question; is this something that can help all golfers? Not necessarily says GOLF’s Fully Equipped co-hosts Wadeh Maroun and Kris McCormack.
“Zero torque, I think, is going to be fantastic for a lot of people,” Maroun said. “And I think zero torque is not going to work for a lot of people.”
McCormack agreed, calling it a “love it or hate it kind of thing.”
“Look, at address, it’s really odd to look at,” Maroun continued. “And so I think for me, when I look at something like a zero torque putter, and I’ve spent a lot of time with [CEO] Sam [Hahn] at L.A.B. and I love what L.A.B.’s doing, and I love Sam, and I’ve tried to game a couple of L.A.B. putters, but as you go through different things and you see what’s going on, and you see the people that are really doing really well and successful with it, they are more of rockers. They will go square to square, whereas I accelerate through the ball.
“And what I’ve noticed is because I accelerate through the ball, I close the face a lot quicker with a zero torque putter, and it doesn’t really work very well for me.”
The concept isn’t exactly new to golf, and McCormack, in his years as a fitter, often got questions about how different zero torque putters are.”I mean, kind of an approach that I’ve had for years is if it’s something that is dramatically different, there’s only a little bit of time before every other manufacturer starts to copy the design and basically make a version,” he said.
Now it seems that is exactly what is happening.
For more from this week’s episode of Fully Equipped, check it out below.
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