The Best Christmas Buys for a Golfer in 2013 | Part Three: Putters

So far in this series we’ve looked at Drivers and Irons, missing out fairway woods and hybrids as well as wedges because these items may not all be the same for every golfer, whereas almost every golfer will carry around a Driver and a set of irons in their bag.

Of course, the other club that a golfer will have in their bag for sure is the short-stick; the humble putter.

It is worth noting that putting is very much about feel and as such, while we recommend the putters below, we’d strongly advise taking the recipient of any putter below (especially the top of the range and mid value options) to your local stockist to try before you buy.

So for the third and final time, we’ve been hunting around for the best putter deals this Christmas which will help your golfing fanatic achieve more success on the greens in 2014.

And this is what we believe are the best trio of putting deals for Christmas 2013.

Putters – Top of the Range (Over £100)

Odyssey Golf Pro  Type iX No 4 HT Putter (£279 at selected retailers)

For low handicappers, then you could not offer them a better putter this Christmas than the Odyssey Golf Pro Type iX No 4 HT putter. This putter has, until recently, only been available in Japan where it has achieved superb results, hence a belated release into the European market.

This putter is the pinnacle of the technology that has led to Odyssey becoming one of the leading putting brands on the professional tours. It includes a CNC milled head, a White Hit Insert as well as weighted sole, which can be changed to suit the putting stroke of the player using the club.

This is a putter which is better bought by a visit to the store where an Odyssey-trained assistant can help your budding golfer find the precise match that best suits their putting style.

Personally, I prefer the high toe style of putter with the shaft offset as I believe it allows you to line up better for putts, though there is another type of Odyssey putter available that isn’t offset (The No 9 HT) if your golfing fan prefers this style of putter on the greens.

This is a serious piece of kit and it is a serious price, but this could be a putter that remains in the bag for as long as the recipient of your generosity plays golf. It is that good.

Putters – Mid Price Value (£50 to £100)

Nike Golf Method Core Weighted MC03w Putter (£99 at selected retailers)

There is a fantastic selection of putters in this price range, including a number of quality Odyssey and Taylor Made putters in particular, but now that this putter has crept below the £100 mark for the first time, the Nike Golf Method Core Weighted MC03w Putter is a fantastic choice in this price range.

What is particularly good about this putter (and there are several designs in the Nike Golf Method range all available for roughly the same price) is that it is suited to players from beginners, right through to scratch handicap players.

The putter is weighted in the heel and toe which gives it great balance and is particularly useful when striking through the ball on the correct plane. This allows players to deliver the club head inline.

The feedback from the putter is also a hallmark of the Nike Method range with the aluminium and polymer grooves in the face giving the golfer plenty of feedback, as well as reducing vibration from the ball strike.

The grooves also help produce a cleaner strike on the ball, which stops the ball ‘hopping’ off the face of the club and bobbling and bouncing along the green.

This putter was formerly available for around £109, but now it has been reduced to £99 and at that price, one from this range of putters would make a fine Christmas gift in 2013.

Putters – Budget Belter (Under £50)

Hotblade Hotspot Putter (No. 1) (£39.99 at selected retailers)

The good news for people looking for a quality putter under £50, is that there are now plenty of excellent putters to choose from. Sure they may not have the feel that some of the lower handicap players would like, but for beginner and intermediate players, there are plenty of putters in this price range that will suit them perfectly well.

One such putter is the Hotblade Hotspot Putter (No. 1 version is my preferred choice, though there are alternative designs available at the same price point) which we feel offers great value for money and quality for around £40.

The first thing to note is that the putter looks great, with the two-tone colouring immediately attractive. The aluminium face of the putter has been inserted into the 431 stainless steel head and offers lovely feel when striking putts as well as smooth roll off the club face.

This is important for beginner players when cheap equipment can lead to balls ‘pinging’ off club faces or bobbling the moment they leave the putters face.

The offset hosel on the No 1 putter gives an unobstructed view of the ball, which beginners in particular may find beneficial and with weighting in the heel and toe, this encourages them to bring the club face through straight and on the target line.

All in all, at a RRP of £60, this was a good putter, at £39.99, this is a fantastic Christmas bargain for any beginner or intermediate golfer.

Images courtesy of DirectGolf.co.uk