Rife Riddler Putter

In this Rife Riddler putter review, we put this entry-level option to the test out on the course to see if there is value to be had in the performance

Rife Riddler Putter Review

Rife is a specialist putter brand that made its first club in 2004 and has firmly established itself as a big player in flatstick production. The Riddler is a classic Anser-style blade that most golfers will immediately feel familiar and comfortable with when you put it behind the ball.

The first thing you notice is that there’s a decent amount of weight to it for a blade (360g), which is going to help a lot of golfers keep their strokes smooth and consistent.

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There’s just a little bit of toe hang and it felt like the head really wanted to naturally square up through the impact zone.

The PVD black finish looks really smart and prevents any glare you might get on sunny days. The single white alignment line really stands out and the plumbers neck design help it sit really nicely behind the ball. In short, it’s incredibly easy to line up square to your target, especially for a blade.

The whole head is made of one piece of 304 stainless steel and it delivers a really solid feel at impact. One of Rife’s big selling points is its Roll Groove Technology, which is designed to eliminate skipping and skidding as the ball comes off the face and get it rolling purely as quickly as possible – and it certainly delivers.

The consistency of the roll was extremely impressive as the ball hugged the green on different lengths of putt and that consistency really helped to control the distance on longer putts.

The only this putter lacks is significant off-centre forgiveness but given it's a blade, we weren't expecting stability to be one of its leading features.

As with many putters these days, the grip is pretty chunky and flat at the front and has a tacky, almost spongy texture to it that gave us a solid hold. It’s extremely comfortable to grip and works well with a number of different grip styles to help quieten the hands and keep the clubface square.