The first time I spent any real time with a zero torque putter, I remember thinking that I had my work cut out for me.
I’ve played golf most of my life and, with a putter in my hands, I’ve always known that part of my job was to manage the face. The putter opens during the stroke, it closes coming through and I have to return to the square at impact.
With a zero torque putterI don’t feel like I have to do nearly as much.
This experience made me start looking at zero torque a little differently. Instead of asking if the technology works, I think the better question is who benefits from having less face rotation to manage.
Ours 2026 Most searched texts gives us a pretty good reason to ask. We tested over 70 putters in the blade, mallet and zero torque categories. Zero torque averaged -6.29 PuttView Handicap compared to -3.99 for clubs and -2.65 for blades.
When all 79 putters were combined into one ranking, the top 15 were zero torque.
So what is zero torque helping golfers do and, most importantly, is it something you need help with?
What is the zero torque that should help?
The simplest answer is face control.
With a traditional putter, the relationship between the shaft and the putter’s center of gravity creates a torque that influences how the face wants to rotate during the stroke.
The golfer has to manage that rotation.
Zero torque Putter designs place the axis of the shaft closer to the center of gravity so the putter has less tendency to twist open or close on its own.
LAB Golf describes its Lie Angle Balance technology as allowing the face to stay square to the natural arc of the shot. Zero torque it is not necessarily to create a straight/straight shot. Your putter can also travel on an arc. The goal is to reduce how much you have to manipulate the face while doing it.
Since the angle of the face at impact has such a large influence on where the ball starts, making the face easier to deliver consistently is the logical advantage of using a zero torque putter.
Who benefits the most from zero torque?
If you struggle with starting direction, I would try a zero torque putter. If you have a tendency to leave the face open, get overhand, or know that you can’t consistently start the ball where you want to start, it’s worth trying a zero torque putter.
That’s what stands out when I switched from my Scotty Cameron to the Odyssey Ai-Dual S2S #7.
For about 20 years, I learned what my Scotty wanted to do during the shot and how much he needed to do to bring the face back to the frame. With the Odyssey, once I stopped trying to help, the face felt much more stable.
The zero torque putter took some responsibility away from me.
For a golfer who feels he has to time the release of the putter or actively manipulate the face for impact, that can be a big deal.
You don’t have to be a bad putter
One of the most interesting findings from our test was that zero torque wasn’t just helping golfers who struggled. One of our best putters averages -8.26 PuttView Handicap with blades and -9.11 with clubs. With zero torqueit improved to -9.75.
Another strong putter went from -6.09 with blades to -10.97 with zero torque.
On the other hand, one of our weakest putters averages +4.55 with blades and +3.98 with mallets. His zero torque average was -0.97. The ability to put it alone can not say that the zero torque category is for you.
The better question is how much work are you doing to get your face back in place and do you want help with that.
But zero torque isn’t automatically better for everyone
My experience with the RP1 Pro Technician it helped me understand this side of the equation.
Before trying it, I wasn’t expecting much. The technician intentionally does not try to completely eliminate the torque. Its Hyper Balanced VLT design retains some rotational response while trying to control better.
And it did really well for me.
I could get the putter open and closed naturally with my stroke, but I didn’t feel like I had to aggressively manipulate the fairway. In a way, I got some of my work back and I enjoyed it.
This experience is why I won’t tell all golfers that the goal should be to eliminate as much torque as possible.
Some golfers like to hear the putter rotate. They use this feedback. They’ve spent years developing a shot around him and are already turning faces consistently.
That zero torque won’t fix
Zero torque solve a fairly specific problem. Facilitates control of putter face orientation. This does not mean that it will solve every problem. If your aim is off or you’re not good at controlling speed and reading putts, it’s not going to help at all.
There can certainly be side benefits. When I switched to the Odyssey, I felt like my strike became more consistent and my long distance control improved.
But I wouldn’t buy a zero torque putter if it left 30 feet of six feet short.
I would look at one if I was having trouble getting the face where I want the impact.
The place Who benefits from a zero torque putter? appeared first MyGolfSpy.
