Rickie Fowler has now played 23 events on the PGA Tour this season, with his most recent finish being fourth at last week’s Zozo Championship in Japan. As of Monday, he ranks 66th in Strokes Gained: Putting, the most accurate measurement of how well a golfer performs on the greens compared to other pros. That’s respectable, but Fowler was once an elite putter, finishing first in Strokes Gained: Putting at the end of the 2016-17 PGA Tour season and 13th after the 2018-19 season.
Fowler’s putting took a nosedive during the 2021-22 PGA Tour season, with his Strokes Gained: Putting average finishing at -0.253. which ranked 161st. This led him to bench his blade-style putter and start using mallet putters, which generally offer more forgiveness on mishits.
He switched to an Odyssey Jailbird after trying his caddie’s putter during a casual round of golf and liking it. That was the club he used to nearly win the 2023 U.S. Open at Los Angeles Country Club before clinching a victory at the Rocket Mortgage Classic.
That extended-length, long-grip putter stayed in Fowler’s bag until the 2024 Sanderson Farms Championship, when he joined a growing number of pros who’ve added a “zero-torque” putter to their setup. Fowler’s choice was the L.A.B. DF3. Other pros who have recently used a zero-torque putter include Dustin Johnson, Lucas Glover, Will Zalatoris, Phil Mickelson, Adam Scott, and Ben An, who won last week’s DP World Tour event in Korea.
So, what are zero-torque putters, how are they different from traditional putters, and can they help you improve your performance on the greens?