- Updated: January 4, 2023
Best Center Shafted Putters 2023
Having been in the business of reviewing golf products for over a decade and having tested thousands of products along the way, we have created a list of the best center shaft putters for the 2023 season.
Our top pick comes from the iconic putter brand SeeMore and their FGP line, the SeeMore Original FGP20 center shafted putter.
Putters can be incredibly expensive, but this list will provide center shafted putters from all ranges of price points. That’s yet another reason why we picked the SeeMore Original FGP20. Being fairly modestly priced for its category, it’s got a good track record on tour with multiple players using them including 3 major wins (two from Zach Johnson and one from the late Payne Stewart), they have more center shafted putters on the market than any other competitor, and, like all SeeMore putters, it has their patented RifleScope Technology (RST).
1 |  OUR TOP PICK | SeeMore Original FGP20 |
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2 |  ALTERNATIVE | Odyssey Stroke Lab VLine CS |
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3 |  HIGHER END | Bettinardi Inovai 7.0 Center Shafted Putter |
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Putting is one of the most individual aspects of the game we all love. Some professionals like Dustin Johnson carry multiple putters in their bag with them to tournaments and may switch from one day to the next. Other professionals and the biggest professional in the sport as we know it (Tiger Woods) will rarely change putters, often going back to a “faithful feeling” putter for long periods. Our goal in this article is help you find that tool that you feel the most confident with on the course.
Take a quick look at our 8 best center shafted putters for your 2023 season before checking out our reviews.
8 Best Center Shafted Putters
SeeMore Original FGP (Best Overall)
Odyssey Stroke Lab V-Line CS (Alternate Best Option)
Bettinardi Inovai 7.0 (Luxury Option)
Cleveland Huntington Beach SOFT#11 (Best for players with distance control issues)
Ping Heppler Piper C (Best for Players that like Customizing)
TaylorMade Truss Line (TB2) (Unique Option for players that like a more classic look at address)
Evnroll ER2 Center Shaft MidBlade (Best for players needing consistency)
Tour Edge Wingman 03 (Best for your wallet)
Our Top Picks Reviewed
Now that you’ve seen our top 8 picks, let’s dive deeper into each selection to see which center shafted putter will fit your game the best.
1. SeeMore Original FGP20
Retailing around $200, the SeeMore FGP20 finds itself in the middle tier of putter prices, but not in the middle tier of putter quality. It is our top choice for the best center shaft putter because of the confidence it gives users. Confidence, particularly on the greens, is something that all players need to have if they’re planning on scoring well.
Unlike all other brands with their own center shafted putters, the SeeMore FGP20 has their patented RifleScope Technology (RST) that we feel increases a golfers confidence almost immediately to trust they are starting their putting stroke with perfect alignment. The RifleScope Technology is an incredibly clever way to help users who may have trouble knowing if they are lining up to their putts squarely. Once you cover their red dot on the heel of the top line with the black bottom portion of the shaft, you know you are lining up to the putt squarely, and thus you are able to commit to your putt. We believe in that new found sense of commitment, you are able to find more confidence in your whole approach to putting in general. If you want to learn more about SeeMore, you can read our full review on the SeeMore mFGP Putter here.
While the RifleScope Technology is a great feature, where many feel the putter really shines is in its “face balanced at impact” technology. Essentially, the SeeMore FGP20 is weighted so that it naturally wants to find the original start line, and with the weight being in the middle of the face you can immediately feel if you aren’t making center face contact.
No, their RifleScope Technology isn’t new. No, the style of putter head itself isn’t new. But, above all else, this putter works and it works well. Another amazing benefit of going with the SeeMore brand is they actually carry more center shafted putters than anything else in their catalog of 68 different putters, so if you don’t like the feel of the one listed here they have dozens of other options for your consideration.
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2. Odyssey Stroke Lab V-Line CS
The Odyssey Stroke Lab line is getting a lot of buzz this year and for good reason. It’s essentially tied for the first choice for us but for different reasons than the SeeMore.
Odyssey has always boasted the claim they are “the number one putter in golf” and that could be for good reason. According to Golf Monthly, they “.. account for four in every 10 putters sold and over 50 percent of the putters in play on the European Tour and it is the No. 1 on every major tour worldwide.”
Odyssey is now focusing more on the shaft of the putter rather than just the advancements in the head of the putter. In their use of what they call “Stroke Lab” weighting, Odyssey crafted a shaft that is a combination of a graphite shaft and a steel shaft, reducing the weight by 40 grams compared to previous Odyssey entirely steel shafts. This allows Odyssey to better distribute that lost weight around the putter head and in butt end of the grip. These changes in combination allow the club to be, essentially, a perfectly balanced center shafted putter.
The putter head itself of the Odyssey Stroke Lab V-Line CS is no slouch either. The sleek black design allows a comforting look when addressing the ball. Odyssey has made waves for their face inserts and the micro hinge face insert on the V-Line is specially designed to increase topspin to the ball when you make contact, resulting in a more consistent roll and less likelihood of a bounce or hop after your stroke. Lastly, the increased size of the putter head increases its M.O.I., leading to more consistent strikes regardless of if you’re finding the dead center of the face on every putting stroke.
The only problem I see with this putter is that it’s only offered for right handed players (sorry lefties). It’s a fantastic option for any player looking for a center shafted putter in their arsenal.
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3. Bettinardi Inovai 7.0 Center Shaft Putter
Bettinardi, like Scotty Cameron, has always been a name synonymous with incredible quality. That idea of high quality is most definitely confirmed in the Bettinardi Inovai 7.0 Center Shaft Putter.
Off top, we must address that the shape of the club is so distinct that I’ve never seen anything like it before. At address, the club looks like almost a perfect hour glass. Some have described it as a horizontal mushroom cloud stemming from some kind of blue explosion. It also features a cutout going through the middle of the putter head, resulting in a clear (but un-visible at address) hole going all the way from the two sides of the face, similar to the 2-Ball design. Did we mention it’s a bright cobalt blue? If this wild look were coming from any other company it would come off as cliche or tacky, but Bettinardi somehow finds a way to make it look so cool.
Besides the neck snapping design, what really makes the Inovai 7.0 stand out against competition is Bettinardi’s F.I.T. milled face it sports. The “Feel Impact Technology” face has really deep grooves compared to most other competitors that allow the ball’s impact to be absorbed more and not interact with all the club faces material. This results in what Bob Bettinardi, President of Bettinardi Golf describes as “a buttery smooth sound and feel.”
The face is crafted out of 303 Stainless Steel while the rest of the putter is made of 6061 Aluminum. This differentiation in weight and material also contributes to the beautiful feel of this putter. The care and craftsmanship behind their designs was enough for Francesco Molinari to come to Bettinardi for a putter that gave him the feel he was searching for before his historic accomplishment of becoming the first Italian player to win a major on the PGA tour in 2018.
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4. Cleveland Huntington Beach SOFT #11
The Cleveland Huntington Beach SOFT line has been in the back of many golfers minds for years now. A lot of hype surrounded the launch of this line, often compared to a more reasonably priced Scotty Cameron. While I can’t comment on that claim, I can say the Cleveland Huntington Beach SOFT #11 is a putter you must try if you find yourself struggling with distance control with your current daily driver (or in this case, daily putter).
The “SOFT” in this line actually stands for “Speed Optimized Face Technology.” In the faces of the SOFT line, Cleveland has changed the milling pattern from the center stretching outward towards the heel and toe of the putter to allow players to better control their balls speed. As we mostly all know, the M.O.I of a putter face effects the ball speed as the golf ball is struck. If a player strikes a ball off center with other putters, the putt will lose some ball speed from not connecting with the sweet spot. Thankfully, with the “SOFT” face technology in the SOFT line, players are given more freedom and confidence to know their putt will reach their intended target due to the increased M.O.I from their milling technique.
In agreement with their “soft feel” claims, each Huntington Beach SOFT putter is crafted with 304 Stainless Steel which Cleveland claims through tensile strength testing is 51% softer than their previously used 17-4 Stainless Steel.
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5. Ping Heppler Piper C
The Ping Heppler Piper C is an unbelievably strong choice for golfers that like a little more customization ability than that of a usual putter.
In the Heppler line, Ping is using a very sleek black chrome shaft that is adjustable in length. Not just one time adjustable either, the putter actually comes with a tool to increase or decrease the length of the putter from 32″-36″. You may wonder to yourself, “Why would this be useful?” After I learned their reasoning, I wondered why it wasn’t more common of a practice among manufacturers. Ping believes like we do that putting is a very personal and unique thing to every golfer. By being able to adjust your putters length at a moments notice before a round, you’re able to adjust the swing weight based on the conditions you’re playing on that particular day. For example, you can shorten the length of the club to lower the swing weight so if you’re playing on faster greens it could help you. If you’re playing on slower greens than you’re used to, you could lengthen the putter to stimulate a more firm stroke.
In regards to the face and head, the Ping Heppler Piper C has a noticeably firmer and “clicky-er” sound and feel in comparison to their older Sigma 2 line. This firmer sound and feel is said to come from their switch to a solid milled face on the Heppler line in comparison to their previous two piece face insert construction.
The look of the entire line is sleek with their primary colors being a flat black and bronze. Ping also decided to construct their heads with a combination of a heavier stainless steel on the perimeter of the putter, and a much lighter aluminum on the center of the club, to increase the putters M.O.I and creating a very forgiving combination.
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6. TaylorMade Truss Line (TB2)
While not traditional looking even by TaylorMade’s own accord, their Truss line of putters (TB2 as seen above and a TM2 in mallet style) offer a different approach than most center shafted putters. By implementing two contact points for the shaft to connect to the face, TaylorMade created the “truss putter” and gave players a ton of stability through their putting stroke and less likelihood for the face to twist through contact.
Dustin Johnson got a win on tour with TaylorMade’s Truss TB2, and while his other wins on tour came from using a mallet style putter, he found that the Truss TB2 had the stability he needed from a mallet style while still providing the classic blade look he craved at address.
The Truss line comes standard with a KBS 120 gram steel shaft and a Lampkin Sink Fit Skinny grip. This combination allows for a lot of vibration feedback to be sent to the players hands after striking their putts for increased ease of repeatability.
The Truss line features a “Cobalt Blue PureRoll Insert” that offers a soft feel. Put that in combination with the shaft and grip and as a player you’re receiving a massive amount of feedback with every putt rolled. The Truss line also has adjustable head weights based on the length of the putter you choose to maintain TaylorMade’s idea of a perfectly balanced center shafted putter. The reason we included the entirety of the Truss “Line” is because there are 3 other center shafted options in this lineup so if the TB2’s blade style isn’t for you, you can take a look at their TM2 mallet style that may suit your eye or game better.
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7. Evnroll ER2 Center Shaft Midblade
In our full review of the standard heel shafted Evnroll ER2, we said this putter face gives “the most consistent roll you can putt on a ball.” You can find the full review on the EvnRoll ER2 here.
The face technology doesn’t change when the putter becomes center shafted. When creating Evnroll in 2016, founder Guerin Rife wanted to focus primarily on “face groove technology” and came up with their patented “Sweet Groove” tech. Upon closer inspection of the horizontally lined grooves, you’ll notice they are actually widest at the center of the face and taper towards the toe and heel end of the club. The purpose of these grooves is to create more M.O.I. for the putter head and on an extremely off center strike only a 5% decrease in power can be found. That feature alone delivers unprecedented accuracy and consistency for players needing it.
The EvnRoll ER2 Center Shaft MidBlade is slightly oversized for other blades in its category, designed this way to increase forgiveness and allow for easier alignment. In the construction phase of their center shafted putter option of the ER2, more weight had to be added for the shaft and head combination to function properly resulting in an extra 40 grams of steel being added. To counter this extra weight, four 10 gram holes were drilled behind the face in the heel and toe resulting in the EvnRoll ER2 Center Shaft MidBlade feeling exactly the same and as pure as the non-center shafted putter model. If you don’t enjoy the look of this model, EvnRoll offers another center shafted model that may suit your eye and/or stroke even better.
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8. Tour Edge Wingman 03
The Tour Edge Wingman 03 putter is a fantastic option for golfers looking to not break the bank with their new putter selection. While the Wingman 03 has the lowest retail price on the list, this option doesn’t lack features the other big brands bring.
The Tour Edge Wingman line, according to Tour Edge, has one of the highest M.O.I. ratings of any putter line on the market. This putter, like many others on our list uses a multi material approach. Unlike all other putters on the list however, the Wingman actually uses a lighter weight carbon fiber sole plate and redistributes the weight to the sides and back to increase the putters stability.
Interchangeable weights on the sole of the Wingman putter come in 3, 8 and 15 grams. While the 3 gram option is what comes standard with purchase, you also receive two 8 and 15 gram weights to customize the putter to your specific liking and feel. Tour Edge’s “Micro Groove Face Technology” provides a pure feel and encourages the ball to start rolling forward instead of skidding or hopping off the face.
The Tour Edge Wingman 03 is the only face balanced putter in the Tour Edge Wingman lineup. It being a face balanced putter encourages a straight and repeatable stroke while putting, as well as encourages keeping the putter square through impact.
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Buyers Guide: What to Consider When Buying a Center Shafted Putter
When purchasing a center shafted putter there are a few key features to consider:
Do you like a Mallet or Blade?
Thankfully, in our research we were able to find options from both ends of the spectrum.
The most “traditional looking” blade style center shaft options in our list are coming from SeeMore, TaylorMade and EvnRoll. While the SeeMore FGP20 and the EvnRoll ER2 are a little beefier in the traditional blade putter sense, they still qualify as a blade style center shafted putter. The TaylorMade Truss TB2 is the most traditional looking blade center shafted putter at address but the most untraditional looking while in the bag due to its multi-point connection from the shaft to the head.
For the mallet lovers, we didn’t slack by including options from nearly all the big names including Odyssey, Bettinardi, Ping, and even two more budget friendly picks in Cleveland and Tour Edge.
Do you like an Insert or Milled Face?
This is more in relation to the feeling of stroking a putt and the sound of the putter after making contact with the golf ball. Some golfers say an insert designed face increases their ability to get feedback through the vibration felt in their hands. Other golfers say the exact opposite, believing a single piece milled face provides the best feedback and reliability. Regardless of your opinion on the topic, what’s most important is you choose a putter that adds the most confidence to your game. In our buying guide today we laid out multiple options for both styles of putter face. In the insert category we have the Odyssey Stroke Lab VLine CS, the TaylorMade Truss TB2, and the Tour Edge Wingman 03. In the solid milled face category we have the SeeMore Original FGP, the Bettinardi Inovai 7.0, the Cleveland Huntington Beach SOFT, the EvnRoll ER2 MidBlade, and the Ping Heppler.
What are you willing to pay?
The majority of golfers are willing to spend a little more money on their putter or driver because they’re such specialized clubs and are used so commonly during a round. In our guide today we have options ranging from the mid $100’s to the mid $400’s so regardless of the size of your piggy bank, you should be able to find an option suitable for your golf bag.
Who Should Play a Center Shafted Putter?
Your unique putting style determines if the center shaft is for you.
If you find yourself missing putts directionally (pushes or pulls) you may find benefit in a center shafted putter. A center shafted putter typically encourages a “straight back and straight through” putting stroke, unlike an arcing stroke the majority of players try to implement. If you feel most confident with a more pendulum style of putting with little to no arc, you are the kind of putter that will most likely see benefit from implementing a center shafted putter.
Conclusion
At the beginning of this article our goal was to identify the eight best center shafted putters on the market for your 2023 season.
Through our testing and research we concluded that the SeeMore Original FGP and the Odyssey Stroke Lab VLine CS are the two strongest choices, being created by companies that specialize in putters and being reasonably priced for their quality. While the Bettinardi Inovai 7.0, EvnRoll ER2, Ping Heppler and the Taylormade Truss TB2 are all fantastic options as well, they are priced in different tiers for center shafted putters. Don’t let the higher price point discourage you though. If you’re in the market for a center shafted putter, I encourage you to try any from this guide that catch your eye. You never know what equipment change will drop strokes from your next seasons rounds and a putter that works for your game is a fantastic place to start.
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About The Author
Writers of Independent Golf Reviews
Independent Golf Reviews has tested and reviewed 1000+ golf products over the past 10 years. We use our experience and expertise to give golfers an unbiased insight on the market.
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