The phrase “drive for show, putt for dough” is not just a whimsical saying. For golfers, it’s a creed to live by. It is a pure and simple fact that having the right putter in your hands will drive your scores and handicap down. When you consider what makes something one of the best putters for senior golfers, you realize that losing distance makes putting on the whole critical.
There are blades, mallets, and everything in-between. Choosing a putter is one of the most important decisions you can make—after all, it’s the only club coming out on every hole. From our number one choice, the TaylorMade Spider X, and a handful of others, we’ve got you covered with the best putters for senior golfers.
Top Pick: TaylorMade Spider X
One thing that I look for in putters is longevity. If a putter line has been around for a while, it means two things. It sells, and people like it. Sounds like a winning formula.
TaylorMade has been producing Spider putters for a decade now, and if success at the local and PGA levels are any indication, they’ll be around for at least another 10 years. With the ability to build on past models and feedback from golfers, Spider X is their best version yet.
For a senior golfer, or really anyone on a golf course, it’s difficult to make a perfectly straight stroke. On irons and woods, perimeter weighting has helped to keep the clubface square at impact. For a senior, even without a strong stroke, this putter will help you create and follow a path that is effective for short and long putts.
TaylorMade adopts this same philosophy with the Spider X, light in the middle, heavier on the outside. Moving weight to the outside will help you go straight back and straight forward. If you’re still missing putts left and right, maybe you have an alignment, rather than stroke problem that needs to be fixed. Thankfully, TaylorMade has you covered there too, making this one of the best putters for senior golfers.
Rather than just a small line near the front of the putter head, TaylorMade extends their line across the entire top. Line that up with a marking on your ball and presto, you’ll suddenly be sending your ball on a path closer to the one you envisioned.
What We Like
- Three length options. No need to cut a putter down, you can get one that fits you
- Professional pedigree. With guys like John Rahm, Dustin Johnson and Rory McIlroy carrying a Spider putter, the hype has proven results to back it up
- Topspin producing face will help with distance control
What We Don’t Like
- On the more expensive side—but, you get what you pay for
- Painted head could lead to a worn out look earlier than other options
Runner Up: Odyssey Stroke Lab Triple Track Putter
When I heard that there was a putter modeled after a golf ball, I kind of thought that it must be putting the horses before the wagon. When I realized that it was Odyssey doing it, I was far less concerned.
Odyssey Stroke Lab Triple Track putters have somehow managed to perfectly combine golf balls and equipment. I guess that’s the benefit of being around the top of the putter game for years—you just know how to get things done.
There’s an actual science behind using three lines, instead of just one. It’s called Vernier Hyper Acuity. If you don’t know what that is, you aren’t alone. What it boils down to is that it’s easier to line things up accurately when using three lines, rather than one.
In many cases, people have been hesitant to embrace new technology in golf (see how long it took many golfers to use hybrids and how many still carry a 3-iron), but this is something we’re going to start seeing more of.
Nothing is more frustrating than having poor feel with a putter. With Odyssey Stroke Lab putters, everything is in the hands and putter head. By keeping the shaft light, and emphasizing weight at the grip and in the putter head, finding a feel with this type of putter is as easy as picking it up.
What We Like
- Variety of head shapes. Even if you don’t like our favorite, there’s bound to be one in this line out there for you. As a senior, you’re more likely to benefit from a mallet-style option, and with this line you are not locked into a single choice
- Triple track alignment matches up perfectly with Callaway balls. Even the newest Pro V1 has a similar alignment which means other brands will surely follow
What We Don’t Like
- Almost too many combinations. If you have an idea of your preferred head type, you’re golden
Budget Option: Pinemeadow Golf PGX SL Putter
Some putters cost a few hundred dollars, others cost less than one hundred. The Pinemeadow PGX SL putter falls into the latter category. While technology dictates price, brand recognition has a lot to do with it too.
A putter doesn’t have to say Scotty Cameron or Bettinardi on it for you to putt well. Sometimes you find a gem for a bargain—see every club that Pinemeadow makes. Senior golfers must realize that brand recognition is no longer a driving force in quality. In modern golf, premium materials and advanced technology have become increasingly abundant; so much so that unknown brands are on par with the brands you grew up with.
The SL model combines two popular alignment tools to provide easy and optimal setup. By using the two-ball and full-length alignment line, you have more than one tool to rely upon. If you prefer lining the full ball up, you’re set. If you only use lines on the ball, you’re covered too.
Sometimes with a lower-priced golf club, corners are cut. On putters, this is most evident in the shaft and shape. Pinemeadow easily avoids this issue and packs a premium piece of golf equipment into an affordable package.
Where the high-quality really shows is in the offset hosel. It would have been easy to include just a straight shaft, but instead Pinemeadow utilizes the “plumber neck” style. Yet another way to help your alignment, this shape will boost your ability to keep putts on line and control distance.
What We Like
- High-quality stock grip—no need to upgrade there
- Face insert helps make consistent contact, even when you don’t hit it perfectly center
What We Don’t Like
- Available in Right hand only
- Standard 34” length, luckily this is the most common length
Best for Distance Control: Cleveland Golf Huntington Beach SOFT Putter #6
Clean and simple, the Cleveland Huntington Beach SOFT 6 is a midway point between blades and mallets. If you’re someone who is unsure about which kind you like, or you like both, but can’t decide which you perform better with, this is the putter for you.
We chose this is as our best putter for distance control for a few reasons, but weighting and an optimized center of gravity make consistent contact easier. If you’re able to hit every putt with the same firmness, you develop a proper feel.
If you’re still leaving your par putt six feet short or blowing it a few feet by, the issue is likely in how hard you’re hitting it—not hitting too high or low on the face. After all, equipment can only do so much to help. I mean this is among the best putters for senior golfers out there, but it can only help so much.
With the word “SOFT” in the name, it has to be a prominent feature. In this case, SOFT is an acronym for Speed Optimized Face Technology. Essentially, through a carefully crafted design, as long as you hit the ball close to the center of the club, it will travel about the same distance.
What We Like
- Since it’s a 2019 model, the price is affordable
- Diamond milling on the face makes it even softer, giving you a better feel on those three footers
What We Don’t Like
- Made for Right-handed golfers only
Best for Accuracy: SeeMore FGP Black Mallet Putter
Until I saw Zach Johnson using one, I had never heard of SeeMore putters. Now, I watch and play a lot of golf, so chances are I was not in the minority. Once I got to do a little digging, I discovered how beneficial their designs actually are, especially for seniors. The SeeMore FGP Black Mallet putter is truly one of a kind.
A lot of seniors struggle with getting their putters to sit flush with the ground, in turn leading to inconsistent contact and more missed putts than necessary. When the lines on both sides of the shaft are properly used, you guarantee the putter sits flat and you are square to the ball.
SeeMore putters use rifle scope technology. Much like hunting or shooting in general, golf requires extreme precision. With the option to leave the flag stick in, even if you’re a little too firm with your putt, if it’s perfectly on line, there’s no worries.
What We Like:
- Unique design and markings help you line yourself, and your ball up; a vital quality of one of the best putters for senior golfers
- Everything in the design has a purpose, there is no aesthetic flair—just things to help you putt better
What We Don’t Like:
- The same as our first pro, there’s a lot of markings—you have to know how to use them
- Even as an under-the-radar brand, these putters are more expensive than most
Best for a Beginner: S7K Standing Putter
There are plenty of things in golf that are a gimmick. There is, however, a fine line between a gimmick and unconventional designs. Unfortunately, the two are often confused. When you use a S7K Standing Putter, others in your group might find it funny, but in reality, it helps keep your putter flat—something that many new golfers struggle with.
When you line up a putt using a ball, you’re then relying on placing the ball in the exact right place while bent down and then having to put your putter right behind it. With the S7K putter, you have the opportunity to line up your putt, take a step back, examine the line you’re going for and make any necessary adjustments.
Especially if you don’t trust your knees anymore to bend down and line up each putt, this is the perfect solution. The only time you’ll have to bend or squat is when you inevitably pull the ball from the cup making it an easy choice as one of the best putters for senior golfers.
Golfers can become too focused on alignment because of the self-standing feature and too little on distance control. As long as you still understand that you’re the one hitting the shot, not the putter itself, you’re in good hands with this piece of equipment.
What We Like
- Legal for competitive play—see USGA’s ruling on John Smoltz (yes, that John Smoltz) putter in 2019
What We Don’t Like
- One length only; 34.5”
- Re-gripping the putter could affect the stand-alone feature
The Final Verdict on the Best Putters for Senior Golfers
At the end of the day, the right putter is what you’re most comfortable with. There are many golfers out there who will use the same putter for their entire golf “careers”. There are others who buy a new one every few months.
Nothing is wrong with either type of golfer—other than taking up a game that can drive even the sanest of people insane. Some golfers validate their continued use of the same putter with the mindset that “if it’s not broke, don’t fix it”. This mantra applies to some things but closes off your potential.
Without giving yourself the opportunity to try other putters out, you are accepting your ceiling. By regularly switching your putter out, you develop a feel of what you prefer—or what you need based on how you’re missing putts.
Basically, what I’m trying to get at here is if you’ve been averaging 36 putts per 18 for the last 20 years and you’re fine with that, keep your current putter.
It’s no secret that the greens are where your round can be made or broken. Going from a 2-putt average to 1.7 will drop your 90 to an 84. That would be nice, right?
I guarantee you’ve swapped out your driver at least once or twice in your time playing golf—why not give a new putter a shot? You’ve just read about six of the best putters for senior golfers, give one a shot.