Best Disc Golf Putter of 2020

Putters take center stage this week as we post another blog for our series of the best disc golf discs of 2020. With the pandemic forcing many people to stay home for an extended time, many people took the opportunity to use the time to practice putting. Our sales and inventory reflected the surge in purchases, particularly of putters and baskets. We will look at the sales of putters for this year, and compare the top sellers with the top rated putters. We will then turn the voting over to you to help us pick the best putter of 2020.

The Best Disc Golf Putter

In a first for our category of Best Discs of 2020 we had a tie for first, second, and third. The popular P2 and Wizard tied for first place. These two putters didn’t take first in any single category, but still managed to average the best overall rating of any putter.

Two Discraft molds tied for second place, with each one landing in first place for one category of popularity:  the Luna taking first for 2020 sales, and the Zone for the best rated disc of 2020. Although the Zone has been around for more than a decade, the Luna is relatively new to the scene. Even so, when you have the best disc golfers in the world throwing a certain mold, they tend to be more popular.

Two more molds, the Axiom Envy and the DD Judge, rounded out our best disc golf putters category. Notably, the Judge took first place in the fan voting (see results below). The Envy was the second best rated disc for this year.

The Putter Approach

In the 8 years that I’ve been playing disc golf, I’ve heard many players say that you should spend the most practice time with your putter. The theory is that you will end up putting on nearly every hole. While that may or may not be the best approach to practicing, it would be hard to deny the importance of feeling confident with your putter. It needs to feel good in your hand, which means that you need to find the best plastic and mold for you. And you need to have the confidence that the putter will end up in the basket, which means practice, practice, practice.

In addition to using a putter to finish a hole, the putter can also be used as a driver and approach disc. Many overstable molds are popular among disc golfers who choose to throw them hard off the tee. With a putter’s ability to be shaped and still land softly, the putter is also a great utility disc. And we’ve seen what a putter can do in the hands of a pro: amazing drives, touch approach shots, and lengthy putts.

Best Selling Putter of 2020

Let’s start by looking at putter sales for the year. Like with the other disc categories, the numbers are affected by Covid-19. However, putters were affected a little more. The pandemic brought a spike in putter sales, and inventory shortages that still continues. It would be nice to see what sales would have looked like in a normal year, but all we can do is check out the numbers we have. Here are the top selling putters for 2020:

With the top two players in the world, Page Pierce and Paul McBeth throwing the Zone and Luna, it’s no surprise that these two molds ended up at the top of the list. The Zone is definitely more of a driving putter than a putting putter, but it still falls under the putt-and-approach category.

With a third of the top 15 molds belonging to Discraft, they definitely dominated the category for 2020. After Discraft’s five molds, the remaining 15 spots in the top 20 were divided up among ten different manufacturers! The putter category doesn’t have the Discraft/Innova dominance like other categories.

Putter Rank and File

Let’s take a look at the top rated putters for 2020.  We took the star rating and the number of reviews to get a weighted score. Then ranked them according to the weighted score. Here are the results of the highest rated putters:

The ratings results for the best putter is very unusual compared to other categories of discs. The top seven ranked molds are all from different companies! The Discraft Zone sits at the top of the rankings and sales. This overstable putter is versatile, and can be driven or putted. It was approved by the PDGA in 2008, and is a favorite of many top pros.

Old School, New School

Let’s look at the PDGA approval date for each mold. Here is a list of the top discs and which date they were approved. The elder statesman of the bunch is the Aviar, which was approved back in the ‘80’s, and the newest disc is the Fierce. The average approval year for the top 10 putters is 2009. That year would be several years higher if it weren’t for the Aviar.

We also wanted to look at the top selling putters for 2020 and see how those same molds rank in top sales of all time. The Luna has only had a couple years of sales, but still comes in at #6 for all-time sales. As we mentioned in another blog, the sales of the Luna have been amazing this year. As has the sales for all putters.

Fan Voting Results: Best Putter 2020

We asked you to vote for your favorite putter, and hundreds of you responded. We tallied the votes and have the results below. Once again the Above Ground Level (AGL) fans rallied and got one of their putters, the Madrone, on the top ten list. (AGL fans and others interested in different disc golf companies, stay tuned for a blog series introducing the smaller disc golf brands that you might not be familiar with. AGL will be one of the featured companies).

The beaded putter, the Judge, topped the charts with 10% of the votes. The Judge was also one of the top sellers in 2020, making it a solid candidate for the best disc. The mold has been around for eight years, and the straight flying putter. The comments people made about the Judge varied.

User Comments on The Judge

Steven H said, rather succinctly: (The) Judge is the best putter.

Tanner F elaborated, saying: Honestly I’ve been #teamjudge since I picked one up. Love having a bead and this is so versatile. I throw it up to 200’ for flip over shots. The new hybrid Judge is quite the addition to my top pouch.

Two older molds, the Wizard (2002) and the Aviar (1984) made the top five list. Two molds, the Luna (2018) and the aforementioned Madrone (2018) were the newest on the list. The average year of release for the top ten was 2009, while the average for the top five was 2004.

The Innova Aviar made the top five list, but has several different versions. I counted each version separately, since they are commonly known in the sport to have different characteristics. Most have different flights, while others have a different feel because of the plastic and beaded/beadless rim. I’m referring to the Yeti Pro (Jay “Yeti” Reading), the KC Pro (Ken Climo), the Aviar3, and the JK Aviar (Juliana Korver).

Variety is The Spice of Life

There were nine different manufacturers represented in the top ten molds. Only Dynamic Discs had more than one mold (the beaded Judge, and the beadless version of the Judge, the Warden). That shows the variety of tastes we have in the disc golf community. Additionally, there were 65 molds that received at least one vote. Here are the top voted putters and the percentage of votes that they received.

As we promised, we selected a random voter to win a $50 Infinite Gift Card. The random voter was Robbie S. of Illinois. Robbie chose an Aviar as the best putter. Thanks for your votes!

What is Your Favorite Putter? Tell Us!

Once again we turn to you for your thoughts on your go-to putter. Let us know your favorite putter mold, and tell us why you like it.

Ted Hegemann

Ted is the Chief Writer at Infinite Discs. He is responsible for the State of Disc Golf Survey articles and most of the "best discs" posts. Ted runs all kinds of local disc golf leagues and tournaments and tournaments in Northern Utah.