Best MOI putter for your game [2023 models]
The best MOI putters are designed to resist twisting if you have strike the ball off center on the putter face. MOI stands for "moment of inertia" a technical term describing how the weighting of the club keeps it square to the path of your stroke both in the stroke and when it collides with the ball.
High MOI putters are generally heavy and are mallet shaped putters with quite futuristic designs.
Choosing a putter like these is a choice of science over beauty, because compared with a blade or anser style putter, the best high MOI putters are bulky and unusual in appearance.
They're a personal choice, but they are the most forgiving putters possible (among other advantages - LINK).
At Best-Putter we only ever post reviews of putters we have personally held in our hands and putted with. Here are the top 5 MOI putters we've tested:
Best MOI putter at any price:
Scotty Cameron Phantom X range
If money is no object, then look no further than the Scotty Cameron Phantom range. Our personal favorites from the large range are the X5, X7 or X11 variants.
Scotty Cameron's workmanship make the mallet design into something akin to a work of art. The feel you get off the face of the Scotty is superb, though not as soft as the Odyssey insert putters.
What we really like about the Phantom range is the energy transfer you feel from putter head to ball when you strike it. You never get surprised with the speed and if you're looking to improve your putting, you need good distance control.
What you also get with a Scotty Cameron putter is great roll - the milled face design has been a constant in their range for decades and is a favorite among top pros. When a design feature hangs around for this long, it really is a key to the club's success.
Best MOI putters for feel and roll:
Odyssey 10 / White Hot 7 / Odyssey 2-ball
The putters which really made the MOI revolution were Odyssey's White Hot 2-ball range.
They combined Odyssey's superb insert - unmatched for its soft feel - the bulkier shape needed for higher MOI.
Odyssey has now gone for an ultra high MOI design in the Odyssey 10 and 11 and we love both! You get the same great feel and roll and the 2-ball alignment aid.
If you're not so keen on the extreme mallet shape of the Odyssey 10 or 11, the White Hot 7 could be the best MOI putter for you.
It has been one of the most successful putters on professional tours since the early 2010s and is available in many different models and colors.
Underneath the different paint jobs, though, is the same great putter.
This mallet-style putter is the putter favored by English putting legend Luke Donald who has only used 2 identical models from 2013 - 2023 and statistically one of the best putters of all time to that point. During that time Luke topped both the US PGA Tour and European Tour money lists.
Apart from their amazing feel, Odyssey putters have the best visual aids of any putters on the market.
Early 2-ball models give your eyes an easy alignment aid without needing lines.
Odyssey continued to innovate with their visuals with opposing bands of color in the Versa ranges and "Triple track" alignment lines, proven to be better at getting the putter aligned to the target than a simple blade putter.
Any putter from the White Hot, Versa or 2-ball range also makes a great used purchase - there are thousands out there. Check out these eBay links to see what's on sale now [2-ball, Versa, Triple Track LINKS].
Best "acquired taste" MOI putter
TaylorMade Spider
The looks of the TaylorMade Spider putter are a love/hate question. TaylorMade's designers have taken the "MOI trumps everything" idea to its extreme.
They claim that the Spider is the highest MOI putter possible. They have based everything on having best possible weight distribution, highest MOI and largest sweet spot of any on the market.
But the Spider putters are arguably not a thing of beauty. Which model looks least offensive is a matter of personal preference. For me, the Spider Tour Black putter with a long white aim line is the best on offer.
Some cautionary feedback from a trusted tester for Best-Putter.com relate to the face technology. Grooves on the face are supposed to increase the speed at which the ball rolls, but my source felt these added inconsistency to the strike and therefore he could not achieve a consistent roll.
You may or may not agree, but it's something to bear in mind and to test out for yourself. It's obviously not a problem for Rory McIlroy!
Other brands to consider in the MOI market:
Cobra King, Evnroll, Ram Zebra, Bettinardi
If you're looking beyond the "big three" putter companies, have a look at these:
Cobra King 3D printed
Potentially a game-changing technology, 3D printing could further maximise MOI in putters.
Cobra use tungsten weights in a composite 3D printed body. This means the putter head can be hollowed out in places traditional manufacturing methods have to leave solid.
This has the potential to produce radically different head shapes and move the weight of the putter even further behind the face, which increases the MOI.
We haven't yet had the chance to test a Cobra King 3D printed putter, so you'll have to do your own research, but we're sceptical about the "descending loft technology" they have used on the face. This was first used on putters produced by the SIK company which failed to find favor with tour pros other than Bryson deChambeau.
Evnroll ER range
Evnroll's ER and EV ranges have high MOI scores and an interesting groove technology which they claim - and users seem to agree - reduces the dispersion of your putts. Worth a try!
Bettinardi Studio Stock putter
One for the purist: Robert Bettinardi has designed some of the most attractive putters in the history of the game.
His Bettinardi INNOVAI range are high MOI putters and well worth a look. Check them out here...
Ram Zebra
The Ram Zebra was the first of the mallet style putters to combine a face-balanced putter design with visuals to help you aim accurately.
Zebra Golf was bought out in 2020 and within a year an interesting set of high MOI designs was released. We haven't yet tested these, but the AIT 2 and AIT 3 are high MOI designs with the Zebra stripes that seem well worth a look.
The original Ram Zebra putter is great for a beginner golfer. It's cheap and readily available second hand at knock-down prices - see below:
... on a Ram Zebra
Frequently asked questions on MOI putters
What does MOI do in putters
The idea behind high moment of inertia MOI in putters is to position the weight in the putter head to reduce twisting of the face if you miss the sweet spot in the center of the face. Placing the weight well behind the putter face and in the extreme rear corners gives the highest MOI. This is particularly helpful for high handicappers who have been shown to miss the sweet spot most often.
What is the advantage of a high MOI putter?
There are two: Firstly a high MOI putter has a larger sweet spot which means twisting of the face is reduced on off-center strikes. The second is that energy transfer is most consistent across the highest possible area on the putter face. Therefore if you miss the sweet spot of the putter by three-quarters of an inch (perfectly possible for handicap players) the ball will roll closer to the intended distance than with a lower MOI putter.
Which type of putter has the highest MOI?
The general progression of MOI in putters is this: bullseye / blade putters (lowest MOI), solid mallet putters (slightly higher MOI), Anser style putters (medium MOI), heel and toe weighted mallet putters (high MOI) purpose designed MOI putters with weight well behind and in the corners of a futuristic roughly square head (highest MOI). Putters with low-weight materials in the body of the putter and metal weights have the potential to have the highest MOI ratings, although this technology is in its infancy.
What putters have the highest MOI?
The putter models with the highest MOI are large mallets designed specifically for their MOI characteristics. The highest claimed MOI of any putter manufacturer is a Cure RX5 putter.
BUT this doesn't necessarily make it the best putter.
Cure RX putters are relatively new to the market and other manufacturers which have more experience may well be able to produce a club that gives the ball better roll and feel than a newcomer who focus heavily on MOI.
If you're looking for our top choices, see our reviews above [LINK]
What is the most forgiving putter in golf
The jury is out on which is the most forgiving putter in golf. In theory, you'd be looking for the putter with the largest sweet spot and the greatest MOI (resistance to twisting).The highest MOI putter in golf is produced by the relatively small company Cure putters. We've yet to test this particular manufacturer's product so it's a case of DYOR - "do your own research".
Of the brands you've probably heard of, the Scotty Cameron Futura X and TaylorMade Spider putter have the highest MOI.
Where should the center of mass be on a putter?
From the toe to the heel, the center of mass should be directly behind the sweet spot or center of the putter blade. How far behind and how high the center of mass should be is a question that has dominated the world of putter design since the first high MOI mallet putters were launched onto the market in he mid 2000s.
In general it seems to be best to have the weights situated as far behind the putter face as possible and in the vertical plane to have the center of mass at or slightly above the midpoint between the sole and top of the putter.
Are high MOI putters better?
A multi-layered question... Theoretically speaking, yes. You want the highest MOI possible in a putter, but what if the materials you need to produce this give the putter a very odd sound or feel when you strike the golf ball? Inevitably, there will be compromises in producing a golf club that appeals both to your feel for putting and your eyes looking down at it.
Do high MOI putters help?
Yes - they are proven for high handicap golfers to be beneficial in reducing the number of putts per round. This happens by reducing the dispersion of your putts and also by encouraging the putter to remain square to the path of the stroke as you move the putter back from the ball and then return it to the strike.
Why use a high MOI putter?
If you regularly miss the sweet spot or center of the putter, they using a high MOI putter will reduce the amount of face twisting when you mis-strike a putt. This theoretically reduces the dispersion of your putts, meaning you'll take fewer strokes on the green overall.
Does putter MOI matter?
This depends very much on how reliably you can strike the centre of the putter face. If you do this consistently, then you can use pretty much any putter that gives you good feel and a true roll.
Tests have shown that beginners and high handicappers struggle to hit the centre of the putter the most, so they stand to gain the most from using a high MOI putter.
Are heavier putters more forgiving?
Yes - the greater the weight of a putter, the more forgiving it should be to off center putts. Whether you want the heaviest putter on the market is the best choice for you, depends on your personal preference. If you want superb feel on lightning fast greens, then an extremely heavy putter probably isn't for you.
Is a high MOI putter the right putter for me?
This is the $64,000 question.
The answer is that every person will have a different reaction to each different putter they try.
From my experience, I can say that the putters with the most technology in them are not always the best, so you have to do your own testing and then purchase a putter that gives you the best results.
Research the best MOI putter here:
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