Mallet vs Blade Putter
Also called: putter head style
The two main putter head shapes - compact blades that suit arcing strokes, and high-MOI mallets that suit straighter strokes and forgive mishits.
Putters come in two broad head styles. A blade putter has a compact, traditional head with most of its weight near the heel and toe of a small footprint. A mallet putter has a larger, often rounded or geometric head that spreads weight to the perimeter and far back from the face for high MOI and forgiveness.
The choice is tied to your stroke. Golfers with an arcing stroke - one that opens and closes like a small swing - generally pair well with blades or heel-toe weighted designs that rotate naturally. Golfers with a straight-back-straight-through stroke tend to do better with face-balanced mallets that resist rotation and stay square.
Mallets forgive off-center putts better thanks to their high MOI: a putt struck slightly toward the toe or heel loses less speed and stays closer to the intended line. They also offer larger surfaces for alignment aids, which help many golfers start putts on line. The cost is a bulkier look that some players dislike.
Blades appeal to feel players and traditionalists, and to anyone whose stroke has a natural arc. Neither is objectively better - the right choice matches your stroke type, your eye, and how much forgiveness you want.