The zero torque thruster results are what I expected. Now that we have all three sets of data – blade, hammer hammer, zero torque – we can begin to answer some questions about where the differences appear. You don’t have to dig too deep into this data to find some pretty interesting stuff.
Here is everything you need to know
We tested 26 zero-torque gauges, 29 hammers, and 24 blades. 79 pretty much in total. More than 50,000 shots. Remember that a more negative PuttView handicap is a good thing.
The average PuttView handicap score on each meter with zero torque in the test and number is -6.29.
The hammer average ended at -3.99.
The average blade ended at -2.65.
Only one shooter in the entire field of 53 conventional shooters scored as well as zero torque average.
The gap is greatest where it hurts the most
At 20 feet, all three categories are closer than you might expect. Zero torque averages -8.44, hammers -7.54, blades -6.64. There is a gap, but it is not the story. The story is in 12 feet.
The only positive number in the entire chart belongs to the mid-range blades.
A positive PuttView handicap means the category performed worse than the PuttView baseline for that distance. Zero torque averages -3.30 over the same distance. That’s almost a five-shot gap for a medium-length putt.
A shooter who came closest
Fifty-three pitchers pitched against a zero-torque category average of -6.29. of Bettinardi BB 6.0 ended at -6.30. Every other hammer and every blade tested failed.
of Bettinardi B 6.0 is the best overall hammer and the only putter to beat the average score for a zero-torque putter. His strength is in short and long shots and his weakest performance is from mid-range.
When the best of each category go head to head
The highest zero-torque selector in the field was Odyssey Ai-Dual S2S #7 at -8.1. The best check was that Bettinardi BB 6.0 in -6.3. The best blade was Mizuno M.Craft Osaka to -5.5.
Even at the top of every category, the gap is still there. of Odyssey leads in short and medium shots but Bettinardi takes first for long shots.
Final thoughts
None of this means you have to run out and buy a new meter. But if you’ve been playing with the same blade for years and wonder why your putting never improves, it’s worth paying attention to the data. For a full look at all the results from our 2026 Most Wanted Tests, check them out here.
