What Is A Zero-Torque Putter?

Disenchanted with your current putter? Looking to upgrade this season? Before you explore the cornucopia of traditional blade and mallet putters, have you considered a zero-torque putter?

Zero-torque putters, also known as torque-free, toe-up or face-forward putters, are currently all the rage. Indeed, some of the game’s deepest thinkers are convinced they have revolutionised putting for good.

Want to know more? We outline how zero-torque putters work and highlight the benefits they can bring to your golf game.

ZERO TORQUE = NO BALANCE POINT

If you’re already familiar with toe-hang and face balanced putters, the zero-torque concept should be easy to follow.

If you balance a toe-hang putter on your finger, the toe of the putter hangs below the heel. Attempting the same with a face-balanced putter and the putter face points skyward.

While toe-hang putters are better suited to arcing strokes and face-balanced models are an excellent match for straight-back-and-through strokes, zero-torque putters are a completely different beast.

Why? Because they don’t have a balance point.

The shaft is aligned with the putter head’s centre of mass, setting up a dynamic that resists twisting of the head. A zero-torque putter head naturally stays on path and the putter face remains square to the target line throughout the putting stroke.

All you need to do is let the putter head do its thing to achieve a perfect square-to-square stroke.

OTHER ZERO-TORQUE BENEFITS

In addition to maintaining a square face to the target line throughout a stroke, zero-torque putters offer several other performance bonuses.

With the centre of gravity positioned directly under the axis of the shaft, there isn’t much opportunity for the head to move too far offline. However, zero-torque putters minimise twisting and face rotation regardless of whether your putting stroke moves in an arc or is closer to a straight-back-and-through motion.

The putter head will also remain stable if you strike it out of the heel or toe, or high or low on the putter face.

And with no torque to fight against, zero-torque putters encourage a smoother and more consistent putting stroke that will get putts tracking on line from the outset.

ZERO TORQUE PUTTERS AVAILABLE AT GOLFBOX

 BETTINARDI ANTIDOTE SB1

BETTINARDI ANTIDOTE SB2

EVNROLL Z1

EVNROLL Z2s

ENROLL Z5s

ODYSSEY AI ONE SQUARE 2 SQUARE DOUBLE WIDE

ODYSSEY AI ONE SQUARE 2 SQUARE #7

ODYSSEY AI ONE SQUARE 2 SQUARE JAILBIRD

BETTINARDI ANTIDOTE SB1

The Bettinardi Antidote SB1 is a classic wide-bodied blade zero-torque putter milled from a single block of 303 stainless steel. Featuring curved bumpers and traditional shoulder shaping, the SB1’s thick topline and pocket insert (which sits behind the face) shift the centre of gravity to align with the neck, creating zero torque performance.

BETTINARDI ANTIDOTE SB2

A low profile, high-MOI zero-torque mallet, the Antidote SB2 features a unique head geometry. A milled 303 stainless steel face is paired with two separate 6061 aluminium back pieces, which position significant mass behind the hitting area and enhance stability.

EVNROLL Z1

The Evnroll Z1 is a high MOI, zero-torque mallet. It’s the most funky shape in the Zero line-up and it’s available in black, red and blue. It’s loaded with twin 85g tungsten sole weights at the front of the sole and double white stripes along the head aid alignment in conjunction with the Z1’s zero cutout in the centre of the head (which can also be used to pick up balls).

EVNROLL Z2s

A wide-bodied, square back blade, the Evnroll Z2s is one of the most traditionally-shaped putters in the zero torque category. Its short and wide shaping riffs off Evnroll’s classic ER2 putter while heel and toe sole weights contribute to precise feel in the face forward blade putter. Alignment dots feature on the putter's topline while a single white stripe runs the length of the putter head.

ENROLL Z5s

The Evnroll Z5s is a full-sized mallet featuring tapered wings that link up with a large rear bar. The zero-torque, high-MOI putter offers incredible stability, while heel and toe weighting on the sole enhances feel. The alignment bar on the Evnroll Z5s frames the ball at address, with dual alignment dots on the topline and a single white sightline aiding alignment.

ODYSSEY AI ONE SQUARE 2 SQUARE DOUBLE WIDE

The classic Double Wide blade is an essential in every Odyssey line-up. The beefed-up, heel-toe weighted blade features Odyssey’s White Hot face insert and is a popular choice in its zero-torque format.

ODYSSEY AI ONE SQUARE 2 SQUARE #7

The foundational fang design is back! The #7 is a large profile mallet, which also appeared in the initial Ai-ONE release. The Square 2 Square version is configured for no-sweat, square-faced, zero-torque performance.

ODYSSEY AI ONE SQUARE 2 SQUARE JAILBIRD

The Jailbird appeared in the Cruiser line of the original Ai-ONE release but is reborn in a zero-torque Square 2 Square format. The Jailbird has surged in popularity to be one of Odyssey’s most popular mallets and no doubt will receive a similar reception in its zero-torque configuration.