Counterbalanced Putter
A counterbalanced putter is a putter with extra weight built into both the head and the grip end of the shaft. Placing mass closer to the hands raises the club’s balance point, which makes the putting stroke steadier and harder to twist off line.
What is a counterbalanced putter?
A counterbalanced putter is heavier than a standard putter at both ends. The head usually weighs somewhere between 360 and 400 grams, compared with roughly 330 to 350 grams for a conventional model, and the grip end carries added mass through a longer shaft, a weighted grip, an internal weight plug, or some combination of the three. According to MyGolfSpy’s equipment lab, counterbalanced heads can run 50 grams or more heavier than their standard counterparts.
Where the weight sits matters more than how much there is. Mass above the hands moves the club’s balance point up the shaft, so the putter resists twisting during the stroke. Golf.com’s equipment editors explain it with a broom: held by the tip of the handle, the bristle end wobbles as it swings, but held near the bristles, the same broom is easy to control. Nothing about the broom changed except where its weight sits relative to the hands.
That resistance to twisting is measured as moment of inertia, or MOI, and counterbalancing raises it substantially. Golfers run into the term most often in equipment reviews and tour broadcasts, where counterbalanced mallets such as the Odyssey Jailbird Cruiser have been a regular sight since 2023.
How counterbalancing works
A heavier head on its own would create a problem. When the head outweighs the rest of the club by too much, most golfers lose distance control because the swinging end is hard to manage. Counterbalancing solves this by adding weight at the opposite end too, so the head can be heavier and more stable without the club feeling out of balance.
The added total mass changes the stroke in a second way. A heavier putter takes more effort to move from a standstill and, once moving, is less likely to wander off its path. That tends to smooth out tempo, the timing and rhythm of the stroke, which is one of the most common faults on short putts.
Titleist putter designer Scotty Cameron builds his Dual Balance models around this idea: a 50-gram weight installed in the grip end of the shaft, matched by the same amount of extra weight in the head, on a shaft 3 inches longer than standard. He has said the design encourages a stroke driven by the big muscles of the shoulders rather than the small muscles of the hands and wrists.
Counterbalanced vs. standard putters
The differences show up in length, weight, and where the club balances. The table below reflects typical retail specs; individual models vary.
| Spec | Standard putter | Counterbalanced putter |
| Length | 33–35 inches | 37–39 inches |
| Head weight | ~330–350 grams | ~360–400 grams |
| Grip | 10–11 inches, 60–85 grams | 15–17 inches, often 120+ grams or fitted with a weight |
| Balance point | Lower in the shaft, nearer the head | Near the middle of the shaft, closer to the hands |
| Stroke feel | Lighter, more feedback from the head | Steadier, with muted feedback |
The trade-off sits in that last row. A MyGolfSpy reviewer who tested the counterbalanced Odyssey Ai-ONE Jailbird Cruiser against its standard-length sibling found the longer club calmer through the stroke but with less feedback on strike quality. The Left Rough makes a similar point about the added weight: speed control on long lag putts takes some getting used to.
One point of frequent confusion: blade and mallet describe what a putter head looks like, while counterbalancing describes how the whole club is weighted. Either head style can be built counterbalanced. A counterbalanced putter is also not the same thing as a belly putter or a broomstick putter. Those older designs were made to be braced against the body, while a counterbalanced putter is swung freely, just like a standard one.
The anchoring ban and legality
Counterbalanced putters are fully legal under the Rules of Golf. Their modern popularity traces back to a rule that banned something else.
For decades, some golfers steadied their stroke by anchoring a belly or broomstick putter against their stomach, chest, or chin. In May 2013, the USGA and The R&A announced Rule 14-1b, which prohibited anchoring the club to the body during a stroke, effective January 1, 2016. The rule targeted the stroke, not the equipment: long putters remained legal as long as they were swung freely. In today’s rule book, the same prohibition lives under Rule 10.1b.
Manufacturers responded by promoting counterbalancing as a conforming alternative. Extra weight in the hands recreates some of the steadiness golfers got from anchoring, without the club ever touching the body.
Counterbalanced putters on tour
The design had a breakout summer in 2023, when Wyndham Clark won the U.S. Open with a counterbalanced Odyssey Jailbird, Rickie Fowler ended a four-year winless run at the Rocket Mortgage Classic with a similar setup, and Keegan Bradley won the Travelers Championship. Viktor Hovland has played a counterbalanced Ping mallet, and Bradley went on to win the 2025 PGA Championship with an Odyssey Ai-ONE Jailbird Cruiser, a 38-inch putter with a 17-inch grip and a 380-gram head.
Tour success does not mean the design helps everyone. In a controlled test using identical Bettinardi models in standard and counterbalanced versions, MyGolfSpy found no overall difference in putts made between the two builds. The testers concluded that counterbalancing suits some golfers, particularly those fighting tempo or wrist breakdown, and does little for others.
Related Golf Terms
- Urethane cover — A soft ball cover that increases greenside spin and feel.
- Cart bag — A bag designed to sit securely on a riding cart.
- Single-length irons — An iron set where every club is built to the same length.
- Two-piece ball — A durable, distance-oriented ball with a solid core and firm cover.
- Staff bag — A large, heavy tour-style bag, often carried by caddies.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are counterbalanced putters legal?
Yes. The anchoring ban (Rule 10.1b, formerly 14-1b) restricts how a stroke is made and says nothing about the club itself. A counterbalanced putter swung freely, away from the body, conforms completely.
Do counterbalanced putters make you a better putter?
Not automatically. MyGolfSpy’s lab testing found no overall performance gap between counterbalanced and standard versions of the same putters. The design tends to help golfers whose misses come from shaky tempo or excessive wrist action.
Can a standard putter be converted to counterbalanced?
Yes. Weighted grips and butt-end weight kits can add mass above the hands, though the head needs enough weight of its own for the balance to work.
Is a counterbalanced putter the same as a broomstick putter?
No. Those older designs were meant to be braced against the body, which the rules now prohibit. A counterbalanced putter never touches the body during the stroke; it is simply a longer, heavier club that gets swung freely.
Why are counterbalanced putters longer?
The extra 3 to 4 inches of shaft and the extended grip create room for the added weight above the hands, and the club is designed to be held partway down the grip instead of at the butt end.
Sources
- USGA. “Anchoring the Club: Understanding Rule 14-1b.” Accessed July 2, 2026.
https://www.usga.org/content/dam/usga/images/rules/anchoring/understanding-anchored-strokes.pdf - MyGolfSpy. “MGS Labs: Counterbalanced Putters vs. Standard Putters.” Accessed July 2, 2026.
https://mygolfspy.com/labs/mgs-labs-counterbalanced-putters-vs-standard-putters/ - MyGolfSpy. “Should You Switch to a Counterbalanced Putter?” Accessed July 2, 2026.
https://mygolfspy.com/news-opinion/first-look/should-you-switch-to-a-counterbalanced-putter/ - Golf.com. “How and Why a Counter-Balanced Putter Could Help You Save Shots on the Greens.” Accessed July 2, 2026.
https://golf.com/gear/putters/counterbalanced-putter-help-putt-better/ - Golf.com. “Keegan Bradley’s Odyssey Putter Was Clutch.” Accessed July 2, 2026.
https://golf.com/gear/putters/keegan-bradleys-odyssey-putter-was-clutch-try-one-for-yourself/ - Odyssey Golf. “Ai-ONE Jailbird Cruiser Putter.” Accessed July 2, 2026.
https://odyssey.callawaygolf.com/putters/ai-one-cruiser/putters-2024-ai-one-cruiser-jailbird-db.html - Scotty Cameron. “The Benefits of Dual Balance.” Accessed July 2, 2026.
https://www.scottycameron.com/articles/benefits-of-dual-balance-scottys-design-thoughts/ - PGA Tour. “Anchored Away.” Accessed July 2, 2026.
https://www.pgatour.com/article/news/long-form/2016/01/12/anchored-putter-ban - The Left Rough. “Counterbalance Putters.” Accessed July 2, 2026.
https://theleftrough.com/counterbalance-putters/ - Hireko Golf. “How to Make an Extended Length, Non-Anchored Counterbalanced Putter.” Accessed July 2, 2026.
https://www.hirekogolf.com/extended-length-non-anchored-counterbalanced-putter
