How ‘zero-torque’ became a red-hot gear trend | Fully Equipped

A buzzword floating around the equipment industry needs to be unpacked: “zero-torque” or “torque-free.” There’s a good chance you’ve heard about one or both — even if they mean the same thing. In an industry where the club du jour is ever-changing, it’s fair to say that torque-free is the hottest trend in the putter space.

Last week, PXG released the Allan, its first putter model featuring zero-torque technology. For the uninitiated, “zero-torque” is a design that keeps the face square to the target line — as opposed to opening or closing — by positioning the center of gravity (CG) directly under the shaft axis. Doing so reduces head twisting and makes it easier to return the face back to square at impact with minimal effort.

“There’s no torque fighting against you — just a smooth, consistent motion that keeps your putts on line — no matter your stroke type,” PXG said in a release.

Every single putter Tiger Woods has used in his golf career

Over the last few years, the zero-torque design has grown in popularity since Axis1 Golf burst onto the scene. Its patented design places the CG, shaft axis and grip axis all in line with the center of the striking face to create a torque-free design. L.A.B. Golf has also grown in popularity on Tour and retail due to its Lie Angle Balance design that keeps the head from twisting as well. Odyssey had a putter called the Toe Up that followed a similar blueprint to reduce torque.

While certain heads and necks work for different stroke types and visual preferences, Kris McCormack, True Spec’s VP of Tour and Education, said on the latest episode of GOLF’s Fully Equipped podcast that zero-torque putters work well for a variety of golfers, regardless of their stroke type and issues on the putting green.

“The reduction in twisting allows the head to stay stable through the stroke and maintain consistency,” McCormack said. “If you hit it on the heel, on the toe, high on the face, low on the face, the head remains stable and doesn’t want to deviate from the target. From a design perspective, there isn’t a lot of opportunity for the head to go too far offline. The torque-balanced design has been around for quite a while, but L.A.B., in particular, has really created a super stable model. It has the attention of tour players and amateurs. These putters have gained a lot of traction in the marketplace in recent years.

Wyndham Clark and Rickie Fowler just sparked the newest putter trend ...

“If you have someone who’s a little yippy inside 10 feet, having something that’s significantly more stable and doesn’t necessarily intentionally deviate the face from your intended target is going to help that player. If I’m pretty stable around 12 feet and in, but once I start getting into the 15-20 feet range and further I lose the face a bit, that’s where I noticed the difference with a torque-balanced or toe-up design.”

Related articles

BREAKING: Actresses REFUSE to Act for Tyler Perry After His Diddy Freak-offs LEAK

In Hollywood, the journey to landing roles is notoriously challenging, especially for Black women. This reality was starkly illuminated in a recent conversation surrounding Tyler Perry, a…

Lil Wayne has just exposed something shocking about Diddy, and it’s way bigger than we thought.

Lil Wayne has just exposed something shocking about Diddy, and it’s way bigger than we thought. Lil Waynє’s rєcєnt rєvєlations about Diddy havє causєd wavєs across thє…

A major champ’s 4 keys for the ideal setup in greenside bunkers

After playing in a Member-Guest tournament this past weekend, it’s clear my golf game’s not nearly where it should be — especially when it comes to seeing…

2024 Shriners Children’s Open odds: Swedish pro on hot streak is our long shot

This week’s PGA Tour tournament is the 2024 Shriners Children’s Open, a long-running event held in Las Vegas, and we’re picking a winless Swedish pro whose game is…

Rules Guy: My ball is lodged against a bunker rake. What now?

The Rules of Golf are tricky! Thankfully, we’ve got the guru. Our Rules Guy knows the book front to back. Got a question? He’s got all the…

Fred Couples explains his key for generating effortless power

Welcome to Play Smart, a regular GOLF.com game-improvement column that will help you become a smarter, better golfer. There are few players in the game with a smoother swing than Fred Couples. It…