Tour professionals including Rory McIlroy are increasingly turning to "easier clubs." Zero-torque putters and 7-woods lead this trend. Prepare for this season with equipment that makes hitting well simpler. Meanwhile, an advanced technology war over face materials is raging in the driver market. Who will win the race to send balls farther and straighter?
Will the Zero-Torque Craze Continue?
Zero-torque putters swept across greens last year. After L.A.B Golf sparked the trend, TaylorMade, Callaway, and PXG quickly followed. Zero-torque putters feature near-zero face twist during strokes, delivering exceptional straight-line performance.
The zero-torque momentum shows no signs of slowing this year. Among major brands, Callaway was first to release a new model, the Ai Dual S2S. Competitors are expected to launch new models soon. Titleist and Ping have released putters with effective zero-torque performance without using the term. These include the Onset Center from Titleist and Onset from Ping. Both insert the shaft at the center of gravity to achieve zero-torque-like performance.
Another trend: the blade putter era is fading. Not a single player among the world's top 10 male golfers uses a blade putter. An industry insider who attended the PGA Show in January said, "Blade putters were almost nowhere to be seen. Zero-torque and mallet putters dominated."
Practicality Over Style
