What Is A Zero Torque Putter?

Zero torque putters have dominated the discourse in golf equipment over the past couple of years with demand on tour rising and the benefits seemingly suggesting all types of player could hole more putts by using one. So what exactly is a zero torque putter and how will the help golfers on the greens?

The premise of a zero torque putter is a relatively simple one. Essentially it is a design that allows the face of the putter to stay square relative to the path of your stroke rather than the natural opening and closing of the face traditional putters tend to encourage. This is achieved by the shaft axis running directly through the center of gravity (CG) in the head of the putter, therefore reducing the amount of twisting and helping you return the putter face square through impact more easily.

Most golfers overlook the fact that there are many different putter heads and hosel configurations that allow the club head to open and close at different rates. While head weight, lie angle and loft are still all factors that will affect how a golfer putts and should be addressed during a putter fitting, a zero torque putter takes away some of these variables as they are designed to suit any strength of arc or curve in the putting stroke. Typically the best mallet putters are face-balanced, which promotes a straighter stroke with less arc while the best blade putters on the market are designed with toe-hang for more face rotation.

What are the benefits of using a zero torque putter?

Zero torque putters are really going to benefit those who struggle with controlling their putter face, particularly within 10ft of the hole. This applies to every ability of player from the high handicapper to the tour player. With the face staying square to the path for longer, these putters should allow the golfer to hit their intended target more often.

A zero torque putter could help golfers who overthink their mechanics as these putters don’t instinctively want to deviate away from the direction they are pointed at address and therefore allow golfers to produce a stroke that is freer and less concerned with technique. It doesn't swing itself, obviously, and there is still plenty of scope for player manipulation, but it's as close as technology has got.

One drawback of zero torque putters is that they typically have an unorthodox look to them in the playing position. The shaft entering the center line of the head certainly takes some getting used to and could be too much of a stumbling block for those looking to make a change.

Which putters are zero torque?

This concept isn’t completely brand new to putters as we've seen the likes of the Odyssey Toe Up and Axis 1 putters - formally used by Justin Rose - for many years now. However, it’s L.A.B. Golf who has marketed its products and technology extremely well using its clever revealer tool to showcase how its putters stay square while others want to twist open and closed when in motion.

L.A.B. Golf uses what it calls Lie Angle Balance technology, a formula which sees each putter precisely hand balanced out of its headquarters in Oregon, US. Its putters typically come with set shaft lean and a unique forward-press grip that allows golfers to have their hands preset in the correct position without having to manipulate the loft on the clubface.

The brand claims that 83 percent of a putt's start direction is influenced by the putter face at impact. The other 17 percent is influenced by the path of the putter head and therefore if you choose to use a putter that doesn’t want to rotate, you have a far higher chance of having a square face through impact and hitting your intended line more often than not.

L.A.B. Golf putters, such as the DF3, Mezz.1 and Oz.1i, have gained significant traction among both pros and amateurs and are now considered some of the best putters on the market. Other manufacturers have since released their own zero torque equivalent models, such as Odyssey with its Square 2 Square putters and PXG with the Allan putter.

Are zero torque putters used on tour

Zero torque putters have helped some huge names in golf find their form on the greens after a period of struggle. As mentioned earlier, Justin Rose was an early adopter of the Axis 1 putter and players such as Will Zalatoris, Lucas Glover and Adam Scott have all seen success while using a zero torque putter. Stats from SMS on tour suggest that usage of zero torque putters on the DP World Tour sits at around 12 per cent.

Players who have traditionally been known as good putters, such as Rickie Fowler and Wesley Bryan have both been tempted in by zero torque putter designs, however at the time of writing this piece, only one player inside the top-20 in the world (Viktor Hovland) has used a zero torque putter during a competitive round on the PGA Tour, which would suggest the benefits remain player dependent. The unorthodox looks could also be a factor, although we're seeing much smaller and more traditional head shapes with zero torque entering the market.