of Cleveland HB Soft 2 Black Retro completed in -5.7 Handicap PuttView in ours The Hammer Test of 2026. That ties him for third overall.
For $199? It’s not where you expect to find it.
The most interesting part isn’t just where it ended up; that’s how it got there.
How we test
MyGolfSpy’s most requested testing is powered by:
- Titleist Pro V1 Golf Balls are a key component in testing. Every shot in Most Wanted uses these golf balls. They have long been the gold standard in golf ball quality and are the only ball we trust to complete our most demanding testing.
- GC Quad Forecast – Prediction is the gold standard in camera-based launch monitor technology because it produces data we can rely on with every shot. For this test, our GC Quads captured 13,680 shots.
- SIGPRO Premium of the Indoor Golf Shop – All of our testing is done indoors at our facility in Yorktown, Va. With every test, our screens take an absolute beating. Thus, we need high-quality and durable impact displays to handle the workload. SIGPRO Premium exceeds our expectations.
- UNRL clothing – Official staff apparel partner of MyGolfSpy, we rely on UNRL to keep staff comfortable and focused on providing world-class testing.
No poor distance
of Cleveland does not rely on a prominent category. It is consistent across the board.
From short range, she posted one -5.8 which puts it in line with the top performers on the test. From long range, it was even stronger at -9.3showing the type of speed control you usually see near the top of the leaderboard.
The middle is where things usually break down. That didn’t happen here. IN -1.8 from the middle levelit’s not leading the test, but it avoids the decline we saw from a number of otherwise strong players. That’s a big part of why the total score stays up.
5 Best Hammer Gauges (Test 2026)
Misses remain manageable
Just as important as what happens on a good shot is what happens on a poor shot.
of Cleveland ended with a 44.3 percent profit rate and one average loss of 16.9 inches. This is consistent with the top of the field.
Additionally, to finish at -9.3 from long range, he had an average loss at that length of just 18.7 inches. That’s four inches closer to the hole than some of the worst long-distance putters.
This is not a one-year result
Cleveland showed a very similar profile in 2025. The Cleveland HB Soft 2 Model 10.5 completed in -6.8 overallwith:
- -5.7 (short)
- -7.0 (average)
- -8.9 (long)
This is a slightly different format to the 2026 result, but the result is the same: strong performance in all three distances without a category that detracts from the result. More importantly for many golfers, their price tag is a little easier to wrap your mind around.
Final thoughts
If you’re in the market for a meter that’s proven itself in a test with models more than three times its price, Cleveland HB Soft 2 Black Retro is one to consider.
