When golfers make a putting stroke, the putter face naturally twists open and closed. This is what is known as “torque.” However, torque can lead to inconsistencies. Zero-torque putters, the fastest-growing putter category, seek to limit torque by keeping the putter face square through the stroke.
Now, almost all the major putter manufacturers, including L.A.B. Golf, Odyssey, Scotty Cameron and TaylorMade, have their own zero-torque putters to capitalize on the hot category.
“The whole putter market has grown and within that it’s being driven by zero torque,” said Jacob Davidson, vice president of global tour, equipment product strategy and category management at Callaway Golf, which owns Odyssey. “At the off-course big-box retailers, roughly about 40 percent of their sales year to date have been in the zero-torque category.”
It’s important to note that zero torque is not actually zero torque, it is just very low torque. Also, it’s not exactly a new concept. Zero-torque putters are toe-up putters – the toe of the clubhead points toward the sky when the shaft is balanced on one finger – which have been around for 30 to 40 years, according to Davidson.
When L.A.B. launched its original zero-torque putter in 2018, the company was able to show consumers what made its putter different with its revealer.
“In my opinion, why they were able to get so much success was using their revealer,” Davidson said. “It was a visual representation of what the putter actually does, which is an opposite torque of what traditional putters do. That revealer brought it to light in a meaningful way that consumers could understand there’s something different there.”
The revealer showed that toe-down putters will often flop open and closed, making it difficult for some players to square up the face at impact. However, zero-torque putters’ faces stayed mostly square through the stroke.
Soon, almost all of the major putter manufacturers joined the zero-torque space, fueling growth in the market.