I just returned from the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association State Championships at Penn State, where 216 of the best boys and girls players in Pennsylvania – two of whom I coach – competed for state titles.
I saw a lot of good golf and something else: low torque thruster. A lot of them! This has been the case at every junior tournament I’ve attended this year.
Why is it surprising? Low torque balance / zero torque / lie angle balance / start (call it what you want) thrusters are the hottest club category in sportsbut not to the point where in your local commune you’re likely to see multiple players in your group using them.
However, in miniature golf, this may actually be the case.
There are no official usage numbers to refer to, but standing on the green where about 60 players were practicing, I counted 10 low-torque putters. (Mostly they were Golf LAB OR Odisea Square 2 Square models.) Also, at least two players who finished in the top 10 of the AAA boys division used a low-torque putter.
So why are so many young elites using these types of barrels?
The answer likely lies in something GOLF’s Jake Morrow said on a recent episode of the Fully Equipped podcast. Morrow noted that the ideal candidate for a LAB golf putter (or any beginner-type putter) is someone who has never played before, because experienced golfers have years of muscle memory and natural arc in their shots. On the other hand, young players don’t have to work as hard to reprogram their muscles.
In other words, there aren’t many young players who have grown up “binding” their shots with Bullseyes and Wilson 8802 style putters and so they will have an easier time adjusting to low torque players. No need for retraining.
Low-torque putters have already taken off in pro golf, but is the real explosion yet to come when today’s top youngsters start hitting the PGA Tour? Only time will tell.
3 things I’m thinking
New things are coming: Now that the tournament has returned from Japan, the 2026 gear will begin to appear. We’ve already seen some footage of PXG’s new lineup of Lightning metalwoods and Odyssey’s Tri-Hot Square 2 Square. Keep an eye on the USGA Conformity List in the coming weeks for more to come.
Do I also need a driver? Tommy Fleetwood winning in India with no club longer than a mini-driver I thought: Do I even need one? While I’m happy with the driver I played this year, my goal going into ClubTest 2026 will be (once again) to find the best driver for my game. That said, I rarely play courses long enough to even need a driver, so maybe it’s worth exploring going without one.
What is Jason Day waiting for? Day has been one of the most fun non-gear agents to watch, and this week is no exception: it looks like he’ll be playing Avoda’s prototype in Utah. It’s the same company that produced Bryson DeChambeau’s 3-D printed puffer and roll irons. We will monitor!
