Zero torque setters are no longer a niche experiment. In 2026, we tested 26 models in 16,503 shots and the category averaged 46.9 percent, outperforming traditional goods and blades.
What has changed most in 2026 is not technology. It’s the price.
When we first ran zero spin pair Most Wanted in 2025the first five were LAB Golf OZ.1i, TaylorMade Spider 5K ZT, Bettinardi Antidote SB2, Evnroll Z2sAND PXG Allan. Each one costs $399 or more. A year later, there are options within the top five for less than $250.
of 011-SQ is the first sub-70 shooter with a lot of material. It has a large hammer CNC milled from 6063 aluminum which allows them to push the mass to the extreme girth for a very high MOI design. It’s a direct-to-consumer model, so you’re not paying retail markup, which goes a long way toward explaining how a high-performance barrel like this comes in at $229.
He led our entire under-$250 group with the best overall PuttView Handicap at -7.7 and posted the highest putt rate of any player in the entire 26-putter field at 50.5 percent.
PV HCP: -7.7 | Short: -8.1 | Medium: -4.9 | Composition %: 50.5%
of Wilson Infinite ZT Lakeview it was the best overall for short shots in the 2026. It’s a center-shaft half-moon hammer with only one degree of shaft tilt that makes the transition from a conventional putter easier than you’d expect.
However, the gap from short (-9.0) to medium (-4.3) is worth noting. This shooter is truly elite from close range, but more average once you pull back. If your biggest problem is within eight feet, this might be a good choice.
PV HCP: -7.5 | Short: -9.0 | Medium: -4.3 | Composition %: 47.6%
Lazrus LAZ2.5 ZT – 217 dollars
of LAZ2 it’s CNC machined from aerospace-grade 6061 aluminum in Boise, Idaho, with a True Temper shaft. It looks like a budget player. It doesn’t shoot like one.
His average shot score of -7.4 was the best of the bunch at that distance, and mid-range shots are where our testing consistently shows the biggest divide between shooters who help your scorecard and those who don’t. The shortstop number of -5.0 is the weakest of our top five. This is a golfer for players who control the short and want help from further.
PV HCP: -6.3 | Short: -5.0 | Medium: -7.4 | Composition %: 47.4%
Same price as Lake view but a completely different shooter. The 606 is a wider arm hammer with two extension lines and a center point. It’s more visually loaded and easier to target golfers who have struggled with Lakeview’s single line. What you see is what you get with this meter, with balanced performance at every distance.
PV HCP: -6.2 | Short: -7.0 | Medium: -3.5 | Composition %: 44.7%
Most zero torque gauges are hammer because the physics are easier to solve with a larger footprint. Deputy built VGP03 as a zero-torque blade profile design that looks conventional at address. It’s 20 grams heavier than a standard blade with two steps of loft removed to compensate.
of Deputy VGP03 ZT it finished third overall in our entire 26-shot test, and its scorecard is arguably the most comprehensive of the bunch. He is strong in the short throw (-7.9) and fourth best in the entire field in the average shot (-5.9). Vice’s lime-green branding divided testers. Performance does not.
PV HCP: -5.8 | Short: -7.9 | Medium: -5.9 | Composition %: 47.6%
Final thoughts
In 2026, five players under $250 proved they can hang with the big names. The good news for golfers is that it no longer takes $500 to find out if zero-torque technology works for your game.
For full results on all 26 thrusters in our most demanding zero-torque 2026 test, see full The best zero torque footballers of 2026.
