What’s the best putter out there? The one that helps you sink more putts, of course. And that means choosing one that foremost looks right to your eyes, as you stand over the ball. From there, it’s all about a model that works well with your stroke to get the ball rolling quickly on target. Plus it has to feel good all the way through. Thankfully, there are several brand-new flatsticks on the market that may make the difference between finding the cup and lipping out.

The bad news? They’ll set you back a few dollars. As with all clubs, prices of putters are on the rise this year. But you may quickly make back the difference, in winning a few friendly skins games. What to try:

Scotty Cameron by Titleist’s Futura 6M ($410) sports a mid-sized head that’s flanked with a rear weight bar which extends mass outward and back. Mix in its deep heel-and-toe weighting and you have a forgiving, stable mallet with a high moment of inertia. That helps off-center hits better find the hole. It frames the ball well at address, too. A vibration dampener leads to a soft, but solid feel.

Odyssey’s O-Works #1 ($230) features a proprietary face:
It’s a stainless steel plate populated with tiny hinges that gently flex and rebound at impact to impart forward spin — and backed by a soft thermoplastic elastomer inner layer. The end result is that putts begin rolling immediately, smoothly and accurately — and with a pillow-like feel. The popular, black-and-white Versa-T alignment system helps with aim. It comes standard with a SuperStroke grip.

By Scott Kramer