Will a LAB Putter make me a better golfer? The verdict

It has undoubtedly been the year of the Zero Torque putter — and in 2025, LAB Putters have been at the forefront of the revolution.

Across the game, from tour pros to your Sunday club golfer, the phrase “zero torque” has become the latest buzz phrase. A plethora of manufacturers have rushed to make headline-grabbing claims about putters which “eliminate torque” and give you greater control, accuracy, and consistency on the greens.

But what does zero torque mean? And can it actually help you become a better putter? In simple terms, torque is the twisting which occurs when you swing a putter. By removing that rotation, the clubface should stay square throughout the stroke — giving you one less variable to think about. And that’s where LAB putters believe they have changed everything.

The Moment the World Took Notice

While the technology has been around for several years, zero torque bounded into the global spotlight when JJ Spaun captured the 2025 US Open at Oakmont. On that unforgettable Sunday, Spaun’s 64-foot birdie on the final hole — struck with his LAB putter — sealed his first major title and sent his spaceship-shaped flatstick into living rooms around the world. He holed 136 feet of putts over the last seven holes of that sensational round.

It wasn’t the first hint of his putting progress. Earlier in the year, after pushing Rory McIlroy to a play-off at the Players Championship, Spaun had already credited his LAB Putter. “I’ve been putting a lot better,” he said. “The putter’s been a lot more stable.”

Spaun had joined the growing list of professionals turning to Lie Angle Balance (LAB) technology — and finding success. He would also finish T23 in The Open Championship at Royal Portrush. 

The Science Behind the Simplicity

To understand the rise of LAB putters, you have to go back to its unlikely beginnings when Sam Hahn, a musician from the Pacific Northwest and self-proclaimed golf nerd, stumbled across a putter called the Directed Force, invented by Bill Presse. Hahn was fascinated by its physics — a design in which the centre of gravity sits perfectly in line with the shaft and grip axis, ensuring the face naturally wants to stay square.

Hahn invested, took over as CEO, and renamed the company LAB Golf — a nod to the science of putting. The company’s patented Lie Angle Balance technology eliminates torque by aligning the putter’s balance point precisely with the lie angle of the shaft. The result? A putter that stays square without manipulation.

“Torque is the enemy of consistent putting,” Hahn says. “LAB putters make it effortless for golfers to deliver a square face at impact — you’re a better putter than you think.”

Lucas Glover to Adam Scott: LAB Putters on Tour

Before Spaun, it was Lucas Glover who helped propel the brand into the limelight. Once ranked 194th out of 198 in putting on the PGA Tour, Glover switched to LAB putters (the Mezz.1 model) and went on a stunning run — five top-six finishes and back-to-back wins in the summer of 2023.

Now, with Spaun’s major breakthrough, LAB Golf expects to triple its sales in 2025 — close to half a million putters. Not everyone loves the oversized look of the DF3 or Mezz.1, with their futuristic fangs and holes, but even traditionalists are taking notice.

Former Masters champion Adam Scott collaborated with the brand to create the OZ.1, a sleeker half-moon mallet that blends stability with style. It’s the first of the LAB putters which truly bridges science and aesthetics — and, I discovered, it’s also remarkably playable.

A Golfer’s Perspective: Changing What You Feel

The sleek design certainly caught my eye when browsing through the options on the LAB putters website and it has since proved a great addition to my bag. Although it was not without early trepidation. Putting is all about feel and familiarity for me and looking down and seeing a half moon where there used to be a blade putter took some getting used to.

I’ve switched from a toe hang putter and as Spaun said earlier in the year: “You have to unlearn some of your tendencies because it’s lie-angle balanced and that’s the whole science behind it.”

LAB putters say 83% of a putt’s starting direction is influenced by the face of the putter at impact and that its lie angle balance makes it “effortless for golfers to deliver a square putter face at impact because it keeps the putter face square to the arc throughout the stroke”. Hahn calls torque “the enemy of consistent putting” and claims the patented Lie Angle Balance technology “simplifies” the stroke.

“It eliminates torque to give all golfers the ability to repeat their stroke,” he adds. “You are a better putter than you think.”

Now, while all that sounds great, you’ve still got to get the ball setting off on the right line, and judge the pace correctly to get the ball to drop in the hole. But anything that eliminates one element of the process has to be good. Right?

But is nullifying torque the answer to all our putting problems?

Does Torque Hurt Your Putting?

Renowned putting guru Phil Kenyon, who advises Scottie Scheffler and Tommy Fleetwood among many of the world’s best players, says he is not “anti LAB.” but “torque is not a dirty word” because “torque helps”. “It gives players real-time feedback during the stroke of where the club is going.”

Kenyon, who is a member of the Professional Golfers’ Association (PGA) and has reached the pinnacle of his professional status as a PGA Master Professional. He explains in his YouTube video ‘Lets Torque Putting’.

“For some players taking that torque away could help. It might not necessarily help their stroke perform better but it takes away feelings they don’t like because they can’t necessarily feel that interaction with the club.”

LAB putters are not completely torque free, as Kenyon shows in his video, but he does prove they have much less torque than face balanced and toe hang putters using a ‘revealer’ – a contraption that allows putters to swing freely and demonstrates the effects of torque.

Would a LAB Putter help me? The verdict

“LAB putters won’t suit everyone,” he reasons. “We all move differently, every putter has a different profile. You’ll only know when you know how you interact with the club – does having torque help you?

“But as a general rule of thumb – if you struggle with squaring the clubface, I would try a LAB but the most important thing is go and get fitted.”

After all, around 40% of your shots are made with a putter, so it’s worth investing that extra time and money in getting the right club for you.

*For more information on LAB putters and or to get fitted online, visit: LAB Golf